Inside The Pylon Quick Kicks Podcast

Training camp is in full swing, with the Pittsburgh Steelers now 14 practices deep as they look to put together a playoff run in the upcoming season. The August 3 Quick Kicks Podcast examines the key stories of Steelers camp to this point, with Chuck Zodda and Mark Schofield joined by Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot to discuss some of the major happenings thus far. While Pittsburgh was able to reach the Divisional Round of the playoffs last year, suspensions and injuries could put a strain on their roster this year, though the depth of talent may be able to overcome those issue. Topics this episode include: -The overall tone and tenor of Steelers camp to this point, and some of the key themes emphasized by the coaching staff (2:04) -Injuries to the Pittsburgh secondary and who may end up playing a bigger role in 2016 due to those injuries (3:42) -Undrafted free agents that have stood out to this point, both from this year's undrafted class, as well as the 2015 class that may have spent time on the practice squ

Training camp is officially underway across the NFL, and in the first full week of camp, we take you across the league to look at the landscape as it takes shape. The August 2 Quick Kicks Podcast features hosts Mark Schofield and Chuck Zodda along with Joe Marino of Draft Breakdown and NDT Scouting, as they examine the Buffalo Bills and key early battles. Beyond the Bills, Joe also gives an initial look at some of the top storylines from the 2017 NFL Draft class, focusing on the senior class and several key trends to watch for these players looking to make their mark for NFL scouts. Topics this show include: -Who are the rookies in camp that have either underperformed or overperformed so far in camp? (1:46) -The early scouting reports on quarterback Cardale Jones and whether the early struggles are cause for concern or simply reflective of a small sample to date (3:03) -What are the major changes on the defensive side of the ball to help improve an inconsistent Buffalo defense last season? (4:27) -Whether th

Quick Kicks August 1, 2016 - R.J. Ochoa on Dallas Cowboys Training Camp by Inside The Pylon

Quick Kicks July 29, 2016 - Greg Zuerlein And The Chance of A Bounceback 2016 Season by Inside The Pylon

Quick Kicks July 28, 2016 - Breaking Down the LSU Play-Action Attack by Inside The Pylon

Quick Kicks July 27, 2016 - Matt Brown on Seattle Double Stacks, Kansas Jayhawks Anthony Smithson by Inside The Pylon

Quick Kicks July 26, 2016 - Jeff Feyerer on AFC East Player Evaluation by Inside The Pylon

Quick Kicks July 25, 2016 - Doug Moore on Fantasy Football Camp Battles by Inside The Pylon

As we do every Friday, our thoughts turn to our fine specialist brethren, as Kicker Friday is here once again. In December of 2013, facing the Detroit Lions in a critical game with playoff implications on the line, Justin Tucker, kicker for the Baltimore Ravens, went 6-for-6 on field goals en route to scoring all 18 of Baltimore's points in an 18-16 victory. Chuck Zodda and Mark Schofield host the July 22 Quick Kicks Podcast, this time examining the greatest regular season kicking performance in NFL history. Topics this show include: -The overall flawless performance from Tucker and how he turned what initially appeared to be a regular night into a special performance with three short field goals in the first half (3:35) -The final kick of the first half as time expires, and the opening kick from Tucker in the second half, a 49-yard attempt that starts to ramp up the level of difficulty (5:59) -Tucker's fifth kick of the night, a 53-yarder from the right hash, with the placement being critical as right-hash

We dial it up to 88 in our DeLorean to take you back to 1980 and the SEC clash between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs. The second installment of ITP Rewind examines "Run, Lindsay, run," and its place in the lore of these two football powerhouses. Hosts Mark Schofield and Chuck Zodda are back together for this trip through football history, and they leave no stone unturned as they look at the key schemes, players, and storylines that made this one of the biggest games in this rivalry. Topics in this episode include: -Setting the stage for the 1980 matchup, with a history of these two programs through the 1960s and 1970s leading up to this battle (1:33) -The types of offenses utilized by these teams and how they represented a change from the conservative play-calling that was typically present in college football at the time (5:25) -The three critical fourth quarter plays from Florida that changed the tenor of the game up to that point, dramatically shifting momentum (8:50) -Georgia's tepid initial re

There are a number of important traits for defensive linemen. Strength, quickness, technique, and intelligence are some of the key areas of focus for scouts. Digging deeper, we find that within those broad categories, there are a several critical concepts that go into the larger trait. The July 20 Quick Kicks Podcast features host Mark Schofield joined by ITP writer Sal Conti, as they examine the concept of "upfield burst" as it relates to defensive linemen. Topics this episode include: -The definition of upfield burst and why it is important for defensive linemen as it relates to their impact on opposing offensive linemen (2:17) -Myles Garrett and and how the combination of his intelligence and athleticism allows him to demonstrate outstanding upfield burst (4:42) -How the context of what is happening in a play sequence and a player's reaction time gives insight into a player's mental processing as it relates to the consistency of his burst (6:26) -The keys that defensive linemen focus on as they are trying

The tight end class for the 2016 NFL Draft lacked star power, with no standout prospects that appear to be game-changers at the next level. Fortunately for NFL teams, the upcoming class looks to be much stronger, with a number of players who project to have strong traits for the NFL game. The July 19 Quick Kicks Podcast delves into the 2017 tight end class, with host Chuck Zodda joined by fellow ITP writer Jon Ledyard to break down some of the key names to watch in the upcoming season from his 30-player watchlist. Topics this show include: -The relative weakness of recent draft classes as far as tight end prospects, and the reasons for the lack of top-end talent at the position in the past several years (3:11) -The types of tight ends present in this year's class, and whether this is a class that is heavier in pass-catching prospects, traditional in-line blockers, or hybrid H-back players (5:49) -The varied roles for tight ends in the modern NFL passing game, and which prospects are best suited for the diffe

Watching film can be a difficult endeavor, even for experienced scouts. Offenses and defenses in the modern game are experts in the art of disguise, making it challenging to identify coverages and schemes. The July 18 Quick Kicks Podcast has hosts Chuck Zodda and Mark Schofield joined by fellow Pyloneer Dave Archibald, as they look to identify keys to reading defenses for both fans and players. Dave's recent article on the topic was the genesis of this episode, and features and in-depth look at several critical focus areas. Topics this show include: -The number of deep safeties and their alignment, and how this provides a clue towards the type of coverage employed (2:03) -Disguised coverages and the mechanics of how teams look to show one look and roll into another post-snap (3:11) -Use of motion by an offense to get a defense to tip its hand as to whether it is aligned in man or zone coverage (4:34) -Outside cornerbacks and the two types of turns utilized by them in coverage, and how these turns reveal info

Football continues to grow its global platform, with an increased number of games played at international sites, and the NFL partnering with new media outlets to provide streaming options for fans located in distant locations. The July 14 Quick Kicks Podcast has hosts Mark Schofield and Chuck Zodda joined by Justin Twell, one of ITP's newest writers, and one of our two international writers. Growing up in England and now living in Australia, Justin has a unique perspective on the game that he brings to his writing, primarily focusing on the NFC North. Topics this show include: -Justin's introduction to NFL football as a child, and how he became interested in a sport that had a minimal following in his community (1:55) -The experience of watching NFL games at Wembley Stadium and trying to build a group of fans in an international market (4:44) -The resources available to international NFL fans in the 1980s and 1990s for learning about football prior to the advent of the internet (6:50) -The Chicago Bears and

Media week is here for the SEC, and that means that football is just around the corner. The June 13 Quick Kicks Podcast features hosts Chuck Zodda and Mark Schofield joined by fellow ITP writer Shane Alexander, as the three examine key storylines in the SEC heading into the 2016 season. With some significant turnover and a number of programs being watched closely, it is likely to be an exciting year for the best conference in college football, and this episode will help get you up to speed on all of the stories you should be following in the upcoming season. Topics this show include: -Shane's top stories to watch during training camp and at the start of the season (2:18) -The outlook for Alabama coming off another National Championship for Nick Saban, and whether the Crimson Tide are poised for another title run (3:50) -Competiton for Alabama in the SEC West and who poses the greatest threat to them (5:58) -Whether any teams that have struggled in recent years are set to make a jump to the next level (7:39)

Bo Jackson is arguably one of the greatest pure athletes of all-time. The speed, power, and agility he displayed are legendary. The July 12 Quick Kicks Podcast examines one of Bo's earliest feats, focusing on the 1982 Iron Bowl, as Jackson led Auburn to a shocking victory over a heavily-favored Alabama squad. Mark Schofield and Chuck Zodda examine Jackson's performance, including the game-winning play, "Bo Over the Tp", as well as some of the other storylines present in this game, such as Bear Bryant's last Iron Bowl and the growth of the Auburn program. Topics this show include: -The storylines that drew Mark to this game, 34 years after it happened, and why he wanted to break down this meeting instead of other classic clashes (2:12) -Whether Jackson stood out on tape even without trying to focus on him, and if the talent was that readily apparent (4:36) -The difference in style compared to today's college game, and the difference in watching two wishbone-based offenses compared to the spread attacks utiliz

After a week off to celebrate U.S. Independence Day and recharge our batteries, we are back. Mark Schofield and Chuck Zodda return on the July 11 Quick Kicks Podcast, joined by senior editor Philip Kibbey to discuss the redesign of Inside the Pylon and some of the upcoming projects for the second half of the year. We are re-launching with an entirely new look that is designed to provide a tremendous amount of functionality to our readers and listeners, and this episode helps fill you in on some of the key changes. Topics this show include: -The development process for the new site and some of the key concepts behind the redesign (2:24) -Core ideas for readers to keep in mind as they browse the new site, and how the redesigned hub pages for the NFL and college football help make navigation easier (3:28) -The redesigned ITP Glossary and the increased accessibility for people new to the game of football (5:30) -The improved mobile experience, given that nearly 60% of ITP traffic comes from mobile sources (8:01)

Quick Kicks June 30, 2016 - Miguel Benzan on the New England Patriots Salary Cap Wizardry by Inside The Pylon

One of the keys to running a successful team at any level is having an effective strategy for evaluating a team's players and identifying areas of strength and weakness. The June 29 Quick Kicks Podcast examines Inside the Pylon's own Jeff Feyerer's method for roster evaluation, looking to combine productivity and age into an easy-to-understand metric to hone in on trends within a team. Chuck Zodda hosts this episode as we look to find a better way of evaluating both present and future talent on a team. Topics this show include: -The idea behind the method Jeff created and the problems it sought to solve with player and team evaluation (1:36) -The framework constructed for this model, and the major concepts it addresses, as well as some of the limitations of the model at the moment (3:15) -How Jeff's model takes into account both the quality of the player, as well as the age of a player and his experience as being qualities important to overall evaluation (5:34) -Beyond player rating, how the model looks to f

With only three weeks until the start of training camp, it is time to take another look at the fantasy football landscape, as many drafts occur during this period. Chuck Zodda hosts the June 28 Quick Kicks Podcast, as fellow ITP writer Doug Moore joins him to discuss some of the key ideas to focus on during this year's fantasy drafts. There are a number of question marks entering the 2016 season, and Doug helps to separate fact from fiction when it comes to fantasy football. Topics this show include: -The top rookies available in this year's class and who has the potential to be an immediate contributor on day one (1:57) -The gap between the top rookie running back and the rest of the pack, and whether this is a close race, or one with a significant amount of distance between these groups (5:19) -The top wide receiver in this year's rookie class for fantasy football (7:07) -Why the gap is smaller between the top rookie receiver and those following him, and where many of these players can be expected to go in