Speaking of Everything with Doug Farrar

Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield get you ready for the 2022 NFL preseason and regular season with a look at every NFL team through the view of Doug's recent power rankings, and where every team stands as they come into the new campaign. We have separated teams into tiers: Total rebuilds: Falcons, Bears, Jaguars, Panthers, Seahawks, Giants, Lions. Feisty, but not there yet: Jets, Texans WTF? Patriots, Cardinals, Dolphins, Commanders Possible playoff teams with major concerns: Steelers, Vikings, Colts, Titans, Saints The Deshaun Watson category: Browns Great, if everything goes right: Eagles, Raiders, Cowboys One potentially fatal flaw away: Chargers, Ravens, 49ers, Packers Have to take them absolutely seriously: Chiefs, Buccaneers, Bengals, Broncos, Rams Who's going to stop them? Bills Check it out, and enjoy the new season!

It's time to get ready for the last month of the season with the Touchdown Wire Week 14 NFL Preview Podcast! This week, Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield get into the following topics, using tape study and advanced metrics: Why Bill Belichick's strategy and Josh McDaniels' adjustments against the Bills were pure genius... and why it would have been entirely different in a weather-neutral situation; Why the Bills might be the AFC East's third-best team right now (Helllllooooo, Dolphins); Why the Vikings are in trouble on defense, no matter who they face; How the Ravens' passing game has fallen apart of late, and why it's about more than Cover-0 blitzes; Why Urban Meyer and Matt Rhule might want to think about going back to school; How the Chiefs' defensive turnaround became the AFC's sneaky-big story; How Zach Wilson let the game come to him against the Eagles, and why that could also work against the Saints; Why Micah Parsons is the NFL's most impactful defensive player, and how rare his rookie season really is; Why Jared Goff's Offensive Player of the Week week is about to come to an abrupt end against the Broncos; Why the Bills' problems extend beyond power-rushing teams, and how the Buccaneers can exploit them; and Why it's so important that Sean McVay finally worked with the offense he has, and not the offense he wants.

Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger, who played with the Cowboys, Colts, and Eagles from 1982 through 1992, now works with the NFL Network and many other outlets as an analyst these days, and he's one of the best in the business. Baldinger recently spoke with Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar on a number of subjects, including:  His CoachTube series of seminars, in which he covers offensive and defensive line play, receiver techniques, and how to play tight end and fullback; How much he absolutely loved the Patriots' run-centric game plan against the Bills (this tracks; I have never seen so many offensive linemen so excited about a single game in my life);  Whether the Eagles should go forward with Jalen Hurts or Gardner Minshew at quarterback; and Why the rest of the NFL had better watch out for the Dolphins.  As always, talking ball with Baldy is fun and informative, so check it out! 

Zach Ertz is playing for a new NFL team for the first time in his nine-year career after the Eagles traded him to the Cardinals in October. Ertz has been a welcome addition to the Valley of the Sun, catching 23 passes on 31 targets for 279 yards and three touchdowns in six games after catching 18 passes on 31 targets for 189 yards and two touchdowns in six games in his former home.  Ertz and his wife Julie, a great athlete in her own right, have taken their passion for helping others from Philly to Glendale as well, and this week, they took kids from a local Boys & Girls Club to a shopping spree at DICK's Sporting Goods. Ertz talked with us about that, as well as his fit in Kliff Kingsbury's offense, how Kyler Murray is an impressive as any player he's ever seen, and how it feels to perhaps make the second Super Bowl stretch run in his career. 

As the 2021 NFL season rolls merrily along into December, matchups turn interdivisional, contenders separate from pretenders, and (cliché alert) THE GAMES JUST MATTER MORE.  Cliché or not, they actually do! Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield have you covered as we prepare for a jam-packed Week 13 with their weekly podcast, which is also jam-packed with tape notes and advanced metrics. First, we get into Mark's recent mock draft (which will be of interest to Lions, Jets, Giants, and Eagles fans, especially), and then, the matchups.  Among the topics discussed:  How can the Bills overcome their recent limitations on both sides of the ball to take on a Patriots team that seems to have everything covered at this point? Perhaps most importantly, how can the Bills do it without Tre'Davious White? Why are the Saints so passive on defense of late, and why they'd better turn that tendency around against the Cowboys on Thursday night; Why Matt Ryan has taken a serious backslide in the last three weeks, and where the openings are (and are not) to turn that around against the Buccaneers; Why in the battle between Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow, one running back will probably decide the Chargers-Bengals game; Why Miami's defense is more multi-dimensional than you may think (and why Miami's offense is almost entirely one dimension at this point); Why Frank Reich was indeed right to avoid running the ball against the Buccaneers; and why he'll reverse course against the Texans; Does the Washington Football Team have its quarterback of the (near) future? Why it's time for Sean McVay to open up his playbook past the pages marked "Empty Formation," and one Jaguars stat you will not believe; Why the Steelers are in all kinds of trouble leading into their game with the Ravens; and Why Patrick Mahomes could have a rough go against the Broncos' match-heavy defense, even as the Chiefs' defense has taken a major step forward.  

Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield already previewed the Thanksgiving Day games in a special podcast, and now, it's time to get deep into the Sunday and Monday games in Week 12 with tape notes and advanced metrics.  In this podcast, Mark and Doug discuss (among other things): How the Steelers can overcome their injuries to stay relevant in the AFC North, and why the Bengals' passing game is weird again; Why Cam Newton was the perfect orchestrator of Joe Brady's offense all along; Why Ryan Tannehill's only chance of dealing with the Patriots' vicious defense is a whole lot more play-action than Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing is dialing up; How the Eagles have grown under their new coaching staff on both sides of the ball, and why Darius Slay is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate; A Jaguars stat you have to hear to believe; Why the Chargers are limiting Justin Herbert's deep passing options (Hint: IT MAKES NO SENSE); How the presence or absence of one Buccaneers player will have a (literally) huge effect on how well the Colts are able to run the ball; How Sean McVay needs to re-draw the structure of his offense to make the most of what he has left (especially that Odell Beckham Jr. guy); How the 49ers and Browns have each backed themselves into a corner in the passing game ahead of some fairly epic matchups; A few footnotes (Ha!) on Aaron Rodgers; and Why Pete Carroll's desire for the Seahawks to run the table has a formidable opponent in the concept of reality.

Thanksgiving Day is near, and that means it's time for NFL football! Also, the Lions and the Bears! With that in mind, Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield are here to preview the three Turkey Day games on the slate, for better or worse.  First, Mark and Doug give their holiday cooking tips, and Mark reveals the tremendous culinary challenge he's about to face.  And then, the football! Among the topics discussed: A few reasons to actually be thankful for the Lions-Bears matchup, and whether Detroit and Chicago respectively should hang on to Jared Goff and Khalil Mack; Why the Raiders-Cowboys matchup could be more of a rock fight than a shootout, and why the "blueprint" talk surrounding Dak Prescott has gained legitimate steam; and... What do you do if you're Sean Payton, and you may be short your top two running backs and both starting tackles, and you have to deal with the Bills' awesome pass defense? 

Week 11 of the season is here, and with things starting to define themselves from a postseason perspective, and divisional games taking over very soon, the matchups are more important than ever. So, Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield are back with their weekly podcast, featuring all kinds of tape notes and advanced metrics!  This week's primary topics: Why everyone needs to calm down about the Rams and Odell Beckham Jr.; How can the Falcons contend with the Patriots' improving defense and power-based offense? How the Bills got effectively creative with their run game last week, and the severe challenges Buffalo's defense presents for Carson Wentz; Why Justin Fields vs. the Ravens' pass defense is an advantage for Fields unless Matt Nagy messes everything up; Why the Browns' get-well opportunity against the Lions might not mean much for their season down the road; Why defense has made the difference for the Packers, and the player who has made that so; Joe Flacco? What? Why? How Jalen Hurts' recent uptick will be desperately needed against the Saints' dominant defense; Why Deebo Samuel has been as important to his offense as any player in the NFL; Is it time to start worrying about Joe Burrow? Why the Cowboys' defense will give Patrick Mahomes more trouble than the Raiders' defense did, and why Dak Prescott is the NFL MVP to date; Why the Cardinals' run defense could be their fatal flaw; When is Joe Lombardi going to realize what he has in Justin Herbert; and What is going on with Tom Brady and the Buccaneers?

Week 10 of the NFL season is here, and as usual, Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield break it all down with tape notes and advanced metrics.  On this week's podcast: The Cam Newton news came down live during our recording, which means that you get to hear Doug's Van Halen ringtone; Doug's and Mark's All-Underrated teams for the first half of the season;  Not that it will matter against the Dolphins, but do the Ravens have a fatal flaw with their pass defense? Why the Cowboys had better watch out against a much-improved Falcons offense; Why the Saints and Trevor Siemian have a real problem against a Titans defense that has been exceptional over the last month; How the Jaguars can continue an unexpected defensive stretch against the Colts and Carson Wentz; Why the Odell-less Browns might have more issues against the Patriots than they did against the Bengals (and where Odell fits best once he decides on a new team); What's wrong with the Bills' offense, and why even the Jets may not provide an easy fix; Poor, Poor Jared Goff. You have the Steelers this week. Ouch. Why Tampa Bay-Washington could be a similar game to last season's wild-card rockfight; Why it's time for Chargers OC Joe Lombardi to turn Justin Herbert loose; How the Eagles can deal with Denver's deep passing game, and why Jalen Hurts is in for a complicated day against Vic Fangio's plastering defense; Why the Packers have offensive problems even if Aaron Rodgers is back; Why last week's reductive approach for Patrick Mahomes will not work against the Raiders; and... Why you really don't want to be Kyle Shanahan on Monday night.

Week 9 of the NFL season is here, and as usual, Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield are here to break it all down with tape notes and advanced metrics!  Among the topics discussed this week: Was Mike White's historic first start for the Jets about anything more than the Bengals playing a really passive defense? The Colts are about to tell us; How can the Browns solve the Odell Beckham problem? (Hint: It involves making him more than a decoy on deep passes); What can the Broncos to to stop a Cowboys offense that is performing at an historic rate no matter who's playing quarterback? Now that the Dolphins are "stuck" with Tua Tagovailoa, how can they maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses in the structure of their offense? Why Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen deserves a whole lot of head coach interviews in the offseason, and how Sean Payton must outdo himself with his quarterback situation; Why we're all about to remember just how much Lamar Jackson has improved as a pure passer; Whether the Eagles can continue what has been a rough stretch for Justin Herbert; Jordan Love or Patrick Mahomes: Which quarterback has more attendant issues at this point in the season? (And yes, we can't believe we just asked that question); The one thing that could get the Cardinals bounced right out of the playoffs if they don't fix it; How Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing can re-do an offense that has lost its identity without Derrick Henry, and... Why the Bears should keep Matt Nagy out of the building if they're to have any hope against the Steelers.

As the 2021 NFL season nears a halfway point that can no longer be calculated with a 17-game season, it's time for Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield to get into all the Week 8 matchups with their usual tape breakdowns and advanced metrics!  Among the discussion topics this week: How Aaron Rodgers could be in a world of trouble down his top targets against Arizona's severely underrated defense; How Joe Brady and Matt Rhule can adjust the timing of the passing game to eliminate Sam Darnold's "vapor-lock"; Why the Dolphins would be wise to bet long on Tua Tagovailoa, as opposed to going all in on Deshaun Watson (and why this matchup against the Bills is a terrible week to make that decision); Two more ways in which Matt Nagy has practiced extreme coaching malpractice in the case of Justin Fields; How Kevin Stefanski proved the doubters wrong without Baker Mayfield, and why he should do it again against the Steelers; Why the Eagles need to start doing more than just hoping their garden grows; Why the Titans need to be taken very seriously, despite a banged-up pass defense; How Joe Burrow continues to grow as a quarterback beyond his years, and why Doug had to apologize to Lou Anarumo); How the Texans have managed to play pretty decently in Cover-2, and why it won't matter at all against Matthew Stafford and the Rams; How Bill Belichick will array his defense against Justin Herbert this time around; and... How Tom Brady is about to do the most incredible thing in NFL history.

Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season is here in bulk, and as is the case every week, Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield are here with stats and tape notes to break it all down. Among the topics discussed this week: Why Trevor Lawrence is much, much, much better than you may think; Why the Bills' problems with Derrick Henry were more about an MVP running back than a serious backslide from a great defense; Why the Browns might be in trouble against the Broncos on Thursday night even if everybody on the roster wasn't injured; Why Aaron Rodgers has a deep-ball problem all of a sudden, and how even the Washington Football Team might be able to exploit it; Why Patrick Mahomes both does and does not have problems against two-high coverage; How the Dolphins turned from allegedly sneaky playoff contender into the NFL's most disappointing team; What Zach Wilson can do against the Patriots to avoid a re-run of the worst day any rookie quarterback has ever had against a Bill Belichick defense; Why Marlon Humphrey doesn't get the credit he deserves, and why his matchups against Ja'Marr Chase will be must-see TV; How the Raiders have developed a big-play perpetual motion machine; Why the Lions don't even have a halfway decent bridge quarterback in Jared Goff (bad time for a "revenge game" against the Rams); How the Bears can use Justin Fields as a runner to poke holes in Tampa Bay's usually impossible run defense; Whether Carson Wentz is really all the way back; and... Why the Seahawks' defense might look better than it actually is for the second straight game.

It's time to get ready for Week 6 of the NFL season, and that can mean only one thing: The Touchdown Wire Week 6 NFL preview podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield! In this episode, Doug and Mark discuss these important things, along with many others: Is it time for Kyle Shanahan to make Trey Lance the guy? How Matt Ryan totally saw Kyle Pitts' breakout game coming; Why Jalen Hurts vs. the Buccaneers' beleaguered secondary is the matchup that will decide Thursday night's Philly-Tampa Bay game; How Trevor Lawrence presents a difficult test for the Dolphins' defense in London; How teams are forcing Aaron Rodgers to check to certain things based on the safety look, and how the Bears can take advantage; (Also: MATT NAGY UH-OH PLAY-CALLING ALERT); Why Chidobe Awuzie could be Jared Goff's worst nightmare; How the Colts had better get their pass defense together against a Davis Mills we did not expect; Is it time to worry about Matthew Stafford's deep ball? Whether opponents getting a on bead on Patrick Mahomes in coverage, and why none of that matters against Washington's alleged defense; Why the Panthers' offensive line could doom them this season, no matter how great their defense is; Why Chargers-Ravens should have you looking with a smile at the future of the quarterback position; Why Kevin Stefanski's plan against the Chargers wasn't wrong... it just didn't work, and why he might have to make a similar set of decisions against the Cardinals; Why the Broncos, not the Chargers, are the NFL's best fourth-down team this season; How the Cowboys are winning by giving Dak Prescott an average of second-and-4.3; and Why the Bills should get ready for a February trip to Los Angeles.

It's time for Week 5 of the 2021 NFL season, which means it's also time for the Touchdown Wire Preview Podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield! This week, our intrepid analysts pose the following questions: Why is Russell Wilson a slugger when he should be a volume puncher?  Why does Zach WIlson have the worst pre-snap motion stats... maybe ever?  Why should the Packers avoid any Cover-0 looks against Joe Burrow?  Why do the Steelers keep running that flat pass to Najee Harris on fourth down when it never works?  Why can't the Dolphins decide on an offensive philosophy, and why should we give Richard Sherman after his tough outing against the Patriots?  Why is Washington's defense a complete tire fire?  Why is Jalen Hurts leaving so many big plays on the field, and what does the Stephon Gilmore trade tell you about Carolina's defensive philosophy?  Why does Trevor Lawrence not have the head coach he deserves, and can we just be done with the Urban Meyer thing already?  Will Mac Jones get off the Chad Pennington plan this season, and why does New England's 2021 defense look a lot like New England's 2019 defense (which is a really good thing)? How will the Raiders counter Justin Fields and Bill Lazor's mercifully great passing plan? (Hint: It's not with that spot-drop country Cover-3 you guys play all the time).  Why should the Browns be concerned about Baker Mayfield all of a sudden?  And why are the Bills' and Cardinals' defenses leading the way for those teams, above and beyond their high-powered offenses? 

It's time to get ready for Week 4 in the 2021 NFL season, and there's a lot more to this week than the Brady-Belichick game, though that's where Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield start in this week's preview/matchup podcast. Using tape study and advanced metrics, here's what Doug and Mark discussed this week: Why Mac Jones, and not Tom Brady, will be the difference in Brady's "revenge game;"Why Trevor Lawrence is better than you may think, but it's Joe Burrow who now has a full passing game to exploit;Why Washington's defense is struggling from front to back, and how even the Falcons (who rank dead last in Offensive DVOA this season) can make something of it;How the Lions can get their first win of the season against a Bears offense that should have Matt Nagy escorted right out of Halas Hall;Why the Panthers-Cowboys game might be the most interesting this week from a schematic perspective;How Patrick Mahomes has gone from consistency to randomness, though it may not matter, as the Eagles' offense has no identity;Why Kirk Cousins will not find Cleveland's new-look defense to be an easy test at all;How the Cardinals can keep up with a Sean McVay/Matthew Stafford offense that has weaponized both McVay's and Stafford's best traits;Why Pete Carroll had better throw the LOB out of his head and put a defensive game plan together for the players he actually has;How the AFC West became a total toss-up, and why Jon Gruden might be doing the best coaching of his career; And why the Steelers had better start thinking out loud about the game's most important position.

Now that we have two full weeks of NFL action in the books, we can start to read a few trends, both good and bad, and get a sense of where teams are. This was the focus of our matchup preview podcast in preparation for Week 3. Among the topics Mark Schofield and Doug Farrar discussed:  Why Davis Mills is totally hosed against the Panthers' amazing defense, and why it's not Davis Mills' fault;How Washington can continue what has become a worrisome trend regarding one Josh Allen;Why both Justin Fields and Baker Mayfield might look great in the Bears-Browns matchup;Why the same could be said for both Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins when the Seahawks take on the Vikings;Why Matt LaFleur's insistence on halftime adjustments isn't a big deal... but the overall state of the Packers' defense very much is;How the Chargers can take advantage of the Chiefs' current glaring weakness;Why the Patriots aren't turning Mac Jones loose just yet;Why the Dolphins should look at Jacoby Brissett in 2016 to get a bead on the Raiders;Why the Jaguars should never play man coverage, and should especially never do so against Kyler Murray;And how Jordan Mailata is the name to remember when the Eagles and Cowboys go on Monday night. 

After a rather wacky Week 1, Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield had all kinds of things to discuss in their Week 2 preview podcast. We started with a review of Mark's brilliant article on how quarterbacks looked to beat two-high coverage in Week 1, and went from there.  Among the topics discussed:  How Jason Garrett actually did something to help Daniel Jones, and why he should do it again against Washington;Why the only explanation for Matt Nagy's quarterback decision-making is that he hated football in a past life;Why the Texans could be a tough out for the Browns, and why the Browns have a problem both creating and stopping explosive plays;How the Colts, who are recovering from what Seattle offensive coordinator Shane Waldron did to them, now have to deal with Waldron's former teacher, and Matthew Freaking Stafford;Why the Dolphins would be wise to match Pittsburgh's no-blitz template against Josh Allen;How Nick Sirianni set Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith up for success at an optimal level;The one thing Jacksonville's coaching staff needs to give Trevor Lawrence;Why Kirk Cousins could be in bug trouble against Arizona's multiple and newly-effective defense;How Todd Downing needs to channel his predecessor if the Titans are to avoid an 0-2 start;Why the Ravens are incredibly vulnerable against the Chiefs on both sides of the ball;And the one thing that could spell trouble for Aaron Rodgers beyond his Week 1 disasterbacle against the Saints. 

It's game week, folks, and that can mean just one thing -- the return of the Touchdown Wire preview podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield! Every week, Doug and Mark will use tape study and advanced metrics to dive into the important matchups from every game (yes, even Jaguars-Texans), and here's the 2021 regular-season premiere. Among the topics discussed:  Which offensive and defensive trends we should be watching this season; Why the Cowboys and Saints, respectively, should NEVER play single-high coverage against Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers; The one personnel package that might save Dallas' defense against the Bucs; How Dean Pees will bring all kinds of things for Atlanta's defense, and how Jalen Hurts can deal with it; Why the Steelers' defense should be the team's real concern, especially against the Bills' empty packages; Why we're definitely concerned about Ja'Marr Chase, even against the Vikings' cornerback group; Why Jimmy Garoppolo might have a shot at a good Sunday against the Lions; Why Kliff Kingsbury had better shake his offense up against Tennessee's improved pass defense; Why the whole "Just give Carson Wentz a bunch of quick passes to get him comfortable" thing might not be the fix Frank Reich hopes it will be; How Justin Herbert can solve Washington's top-notch defense; Why Zach Wilson vs. Phil Snow looks like a sneaky-good matchup; How the Texans can make the most of Tyrod Taylor, and how the Jaguars had better make the most of Trevor Lawrence with scheme; Why Jason Garrett needs to let Daniel Jones turn it loose;  And why we have no earthly idea what Matt Nagy is doing with his quarterbacks... especially against the pressure the Rams will bring.

How Jameis Winston won the job, how Sean Payton could save him, and why Marquez Callaway looks primed to help; Why the Malik McDowell Rehabilitation Tour could be a real thing; Why Elijah Molden could save Tennessee's pass defense; Why the Ravens don't need to look for a backup quarterback; Why two Packers offensive linemen could compete for starting reps based on strong preseasons; Why "Rhamondre" is the name to know in Foxboro; Why Justin Fields should be the Bears' starting quarterback, and everybody seems to know that except for Matt Nagy; Why the Steelers' rebuilt offensive line might not be a problem, and how Pat Freiermuth could live up to his "Baby Gronk" nickname; And the rich get richer, as the Bucs have two standout new defenders. 

We're getting ready for the final week of the NFL preseason, which means that it's not yet time to get into game previews. Instead, on this episode of the Touchdown Wire podcast, Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield went deep on quarterback situations around the league -- how the five first-round rookies are faring, and the six teams that are stacked at just about every position, and questionable at the most important spot.  Among those topics discussed: Why Trey Lance's fastball might be tied to some diagnostic issues;What the heck is going on in Chicago with Andy Dalton and Justin Fields (Hint: IT MAKES NO SENSE).Why the Jaguars might be on the verge of ruining Trevor Lawrence's early potential;How the Jets are doing all the right things to make Zach Wilson comfortable, and what that looks like on the field;And what Mac Jones still needs to prove. Doug and Mark also discuss the quarterback dramas in Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, New England, Miami, and Washington -- six teams with playoff potential and TBD quarterback futures. 

Football is back, and Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield are back on the pod to discuss it! With a full slate of preseason games from Thursday through Sunday, it's time to discuss what to watch in every game. Before that, we get into Doug's recent piece on 15 second-year breakout players, and Mark's additions to the concept. A lot of guys who didn't have a preseason in 2020 are ready to make big moves. After that, we get into the most compelling questions of the start of the 2021 NFL preseason: How can Josh McDaniels best scheme Mac Jones up for success? And why is the answer to this similar to how Matt Nagy can make things better for Justin Fields? Is it a big deal that Zach Wilson is making mistakes on purpose in training camp? Are the Steelers using pre-snap motion just for the heck of it? And can Dwayne Haskins speed things up a little? Will the Cardinals have a plan for Isaiah Simmons? The Falcons had just 108 two-tight end snaps last season, but eight touchdowns and two interceptions. With new head coach Arthur Smith and new ultimate weapon Kyle Pitts on board, will Atlanta match that rate in the preseason alone? How will Darrell Bevell and Brian Schottenheimer maximize Trevor Lawrence as a passer? Or, if you're a longtime Seahawks observer, will they do so at all? Is it time to worry about Joe Burrow's recovery? And what the heck is up with Dak Prescott? What will the Packers finally see in Jordan Love?  Check out the pod for the potential answers to these and many other questions!

In the latest episode of the Touchdown Wire NFL podcast, Doug Farrar sits down with Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard to talk about Byard's charitable works, and the 2021 season. Among the topics discussed:  Byard's commitment to renovate a Nashville foster home in partnership with Campbell's Chunky Soup. In addition to Byard's renovations, Campbell's is donating $8,000 worth of home appliances and 200 cans of soup to the foster home's kitchen. The ribbon cutting event will be this Sunday, August 1.Raised by a single mom, Byard has a commitment to providing security and safety for youth in the Davidson County Foster System is close to his heart. The renovations by Byard and donations from Campbell's create a safe space to house some of the 750 children currently in the Davidson County Foster System. How Byard (who has been vaccinated for months) is looking forward to a different -- and less restrictive -- 2021 NFL season.His initial thoughts on trying to cover new Titans receiver Julio Jones, and what the combination of Jones and A.J. Brown will do to opposing defenses.Why the Titans' defense did not perform as expected in 2020, and how new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is planning to right the ship.Why there's more to defensive back excellence than just interceptions.His thoughts on fellow Titans safety Amani Hooker, and rookie slot defender/safety Elijah Molden.What the Titans need to do to break through a top-heavy AFC and get to the Super Bowl.

Now that we have real football again (even if it's Mason Rudolph and Ben DiNucci football, we'll take it), it's time for Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield to fire up the podcast again, and get into the season. Doug and Mark will preview every week of the season with advanced metrics and matchup notes based on extensive tape study, but since we're starting from square one with the Hall of Fame game, we thought it would be fun to discuss dueling power rankings -- to get a sense of where every team is, and how we might see things differently. Mark's power rankings: https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-power-rankings-training-camp-tom-brady-aaron-rodgers-patrick-mahomes/ Doug's Power Rankings: https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/2021-nfl-power-rankings-2021-nfl-draft-tom-brady-patrick-mahomes-lamar-jackson-aaron-rodgers/ We also get into Mark's victory in the Sports Info Solutions Data Challenge (woo-hoo!), and you can watch the presentation by Mark's team here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efSjcSl4_lA&t=5383s

In this episode of the Touchdown Wire NFL Podcast, we talk with Aaron Schatz and Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders about the history of the site, their advanced metrics, the new Football Outsiders Almanac (go buy it, kids!), and their player and team projections for the 2021 NFL season. Among the topics discussed:  In a world where advanced metrics are everywhere, how has it changed what FO (the originators of a lot of this) does? Why FO is unexpectedly high on some teams (Seahawks, Saints), and unexpectedly low on others (Browns, Chargers) What FO's projections say about bouncebacks for teams that had rotten injury luck the year before (Hello, 49ers!) Why Kliff Kingsbury needs to stop exercising his internal Chip Kelly. Whether Lamar Jackson is what he is, or whether he'll take a big leap as a passer in 2021. Why Aaron is picking the Cowboys to go to the Super Bowl (!). Why Carson Wentz is a flower, and Jared Goff is a JUGS machine. Why the Patriots might have a bigger uptick on defense than offense this season. All this and more with two of the smartest football guys around!

In this episode of the Touchdown Wire NFL Podcast, Doug Farrar talks with longtime coach and offensive innovator June Jones. Among the topics discussed: Jones' work with the CoachTube website. On CoachTube, Jones offers football coaching courses for his famous Air Raid/Run-and-Shoot offenses; How he took the Run-and-Shoot principles he learned from Mouse Davis and took them to the NFL; How the concepts he brought to the NFL in the 1980s have shown up in different iterations in just about every modern NFL offense; How Jones' teams were very much ahead of the game with option routes; His thoughts on Warren Moon and Jeff George; Why the 1977 Falcons' "Grits Blitz" defense gave the 1985 Bears their paradigm for the 46 defense; Why Mac Jones is his top quarterback in the 2021 draft class. 

In today's episode of the Touchdown Wire's NFL podcast, Doug Farrar talks with veteran running back LeSean McCoy on a number of topics. His Shades of Greatness foundation, which touches on everything from ALS research to community outreach in multiple cities, to real estate development in outreach zones; What his NFL future looks like, and which teams would present the best fit; What he brings to a locker room; His experiences with the last two Super Bowl champs -- the 2019 Chiefs and the 2020 Buccaneers; How running backs can "matter" in today's NFL; What you may not know about Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes; How Andy Reid's offenses have changed over the years; McCoy's own Hall of Fame prospects down the road, and the legacy he wants to leave. 

The Touchdown Wire podcast returns with special guest Brian Baldinger of the NFL Network, FOX Sports, NFL Films, and several other outlets! Brian and I talked about: His involvement with the CoachTube website;What it was like working with Steve Sabol at NFL Films;The most interesting schematic trends in the NFL today;How Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, and Carson Wentz will fare with their new teams;The advent of quick game in the NFL, and how that's changed how offensive lines work;The toughest transitions for college offensive linemen coming into the NFL... And much more! Follow Brian on Twitter at @BaldyNFL, where you can find his "Baldy's Breakdowns," and check out his work at CoachTube. 

Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield are back with another podcast, and this time, it's all about the 2021 NFL draft. Doug and Mark review the following:  The QB Gauntlet: Which rookie quarterbacks best fit with their NFL teams, and where are the question marks?  Our Guys: Which players taken outside of the first round have the ability to be instant NFL stars? The best and worst team drafts: We all know that immediate draft grades are ridiculous, so let's do them anyway! Let's get going with the 2021 NFL draft wrap-up, right here. 

NFL free agency is underway in the 2021 league year, transactions are going fast and furious, and yet, there are still a ton of talented players left on the open market. It's time for Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield to break it all down! Among the topics discussed:  -- Mark's new post-free agency mock draft, which we dropped in the middle of free agency; -- The 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo problem; -- The best and worst free agency signings so far; and... -- The best free agents still left on the open market.  -- There's a lot to cover, so let's get rolling! 

It's time for NFL free agency, which means it's time for Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield to return to their podcasting ways, and break it all down! Among the topics discussed: -- The J.J. Watt deal, and how the Cardinals might use him in their multiple fronts; -- The Dak Prescott mega-contract, and the things Dak needs to improve to take his position in the NFL's top five at his position; -- How the Bucs won big by re-signing Lavonte David; -- The eight franchise tag candidates: Were there any surprises there, and were there players who should have been franchised that weren't? -- The top 51 players left in free agency; -- The most underrated players and best bargains on the open market; and... -- The players who have serious red flags, and might get more money than the tape shows is appropriate. Doug and Mark cover a ton in this one, so check it out and get ready for the biggest spending spree of the 2021 league year!

It's time for the Conference Championships! And it's also time for Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield to break the games down with extensive tape study and statistical analysis. Among the topics discussed in this week's podcast: https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/the-all-22-how-each-of-the-four-remaining-teams-can-advance-to-super-bowl-lv/ Why one particular coverage could be the worst possible option for both the Packers and the Bucs; Why it doesn't matter whether the Packers are running inside zone or Duo (Our friend Geoff Schwartz has a great explanation of the difference here) -- the Packers will kick your ass either way; How the Packers and Bucs each get big passing plays out of "12" personnel; Why Vita Vea could be the difference in how this game goes; How the Packers can reverse what Todd Bowles did to their offense in Week 6; How Aaron Rodgers may have to revise his protection calls against Devin White; How simulated pressure could be a real pain for Tom Brady, especially when Za'Darius Smith is involved; How the Bills can fool Patrick Mahomes into red zone interceptions -- and perhaps, pick-sixes; Why Leslie Frazier is wrong about the idea that keeping Mahomes in the pocket is the best way to stop him (Hint: Mahomes killed the Bills and their two-high coverages in Week 6); Why Frazier must instead find ways to pressure Mahomes with four as he wasn't able to in that previous game; How the Chiefs were able to make Josh Allen's head explode in Week 6, and how Tyrann Mathieui and L'Jarius Sneed are the keys to making it happen again; and How Bills-Chiefs could turn on Buffalo's great red-zone offense vs. the Chiefs' league-worst red-zone defense.

Once again, Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield get into the most important matchups in the upcoming NFL week. This time, let's get forensic about the divisional round of the playoffs! Among the topics discussed: Why Davante Adams is a singularly bad matchup for Jalen Ramsey, and why Darious Williams could be the key to a Rams upset; How the Rams can get their run game going against Green Bay's nickel and dime defenses; The one coverage that seems to make Davante Adams disappear; Why the Ravens should play against type and avoid blitzing Josh Allen; How cross-checking might be the key for the Bills' iffy run defense against Lamar Jackson; How Lamar Jackson has been amazing against one of the Bills' primary coverages; Why Patrick Mahomes was unusually vulnerable in the last month of the regular season, and how the Browns can expoit that; How the Browns come up short at the one position where you don't want to be weak against the Chiefs; How Baker Mayfield MIGHT be able to shock the world against a Chiefs pass defense in free-fall; How the Saints had better realize they're getting a different (and much better) Bucs offense this time around; Why Devin White as a "spinner" could be the key to stopping the Saints' quick passing game. Let's get rolling with our divisional round preview!

In Touchdown Wire's Wild-Card Preview Podcast, Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield endeavor to answer the following questions: How can the Colts use the "Mills" concept to put the Bills' improved pass defense on edge? Why has Josh Allen become the kind of quarterback you just can't solve? Why is the "Seahawks are hopeless against Jalen Ramsey" narrative incorrect, and will Russell Wilson get in sync? Why should Sean McVay start John Wolford over Jared Goff no matter what? Which defense will the Bucs show up with against Alex Smith and Washington's reductive passing game?  How can Tampa Bay's interior offensive line (especially Ali Marpet) save Tom Brady from getting a big box of Kryptonite against Washington's ominous defensive front? How have the Ravens changed their multi-dimensional run game, and why is this very bad news for the Titans? Which kinds of throws do the Titans want Lamar Jackson to make? How have the Bears schemed Mitchell Trubisky up for pseudo-success over the last five weeks? Why does Alvin Kamara present an impossible problem for Chicago's cratering defense?  Is there any way a Browns team depleted on all levels by COVID can beat the Steelers?  

With the NFL's regular season coming to an end, and 2020 out the door (thank goodness), it's time for Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield to deal with the last week in which all 32 teams are performing, and the playoff permutations thereof.  Among the topics discussed this week: How Josh Allen's processing speed has advanced to make the Bills even more dangerous than ever; How the Seahawks' defense is getting well at the perfect time; Why we should take a second before proclaiming that the Ravens are the team b-nobody wants to face in the postseason; How the Packers proved they can beat you however they want on offense against a Titans team that should NEVER PLAY MAN COVERAGE AGAIN; How pressure has made Patrick Mahomes less than a diamond over the last month; Why a former Division III offensive guard might be the Buccaneers' MVP; and… Why the Steelers may have just figured out their passing game at the perfect time!  It's the Touchdown Wire Week 17 NFL Matchup Podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield!

In this week's podcast, Doug and Mark analyze the following: Why pissed-off Aaron Rodgers could be a major problem for the Titans' horrible man defense;Is Jalen Hurts the next Dak Prescott?Why Dwayne Haskins has even more problems on the field than off;Why the Jared Goff plan is working better for Mitchell Trubisky than it's working for Jared Goff right now;Why the Falcons-Chiefs game could be a close one (Doug will absolutely regret making this point);A whole bunch of NFL quarterbacks who are tucking the ball instead of taking deep shots (it's not just Ben Roethlisberger!); and...Are the Bills the only NFL team without a discernible weakness? This and much more on the Touchdown Wire Week 16 NFL Podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield!

In this week's episode of the Touchdown Wire NFL Matchup Podcast, Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield roll deep on these and other questions: Who are the best play-callers on offense and defense, and what are their staple concepts? How did Doug Pederson and his staff scheme things up for Jalen Hurts, and how can that expand going forward?  What happened to the Patriots' multiple run game? What on earth is wrong with Matt Ryan? Can the Saints' defense recover against Patrick Mahomes? What the hell was Doug thinking when he compared Gardner Minshew to Baker Mayfield? This and much more in the Touchdown Wire Week 15 NFL Matchup Podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield!  

Welcome to the Touchdown Wire Week 14 NFL Matchup Podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield. I'm Doug Farrar, editor of Touchdown Wire, along with our five-tool guy, Mark Schofield, as always. This week, we're discussing these things among all the Week 14 matchups: -How both New England's offense and the Rams' offense has changed pretty drastically since Super Bowl 53; -How one of the Saints' favorite defenses could be a cheat code for Jalen Hurts; -How the Vikings game had better be a “get-well” proposition for the Buccaneers' offense; -How the Cardinals' passing game has fallen apart in the last three weeks, and why that's a very bad thing against the Giants' defense; -How the Steelers are more vulnerable than we may have thought before their first loss of the season; -And how the Ravens are seeing a very different Browns offense than the one they blew apart in Week 1. There's a lot go get to here -- we ran long this week -- so let's get going with the Touchdown Wire Week 14 NFL Matchup Podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield  

Welcome to the Touchdown Wire Week 13 NFL Matchup podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield. Mark and I discuss how things will shake out, with these as the primary questions: Is it time for Ben Roethlisberger to mix in more breaking balls, and who's Pittsburgh's best Bud Dupree replacement?  Should the Browns and Titans throw the ball at all when they face off? Does the Eagles' coaching staff have too many cooks with a really bad recipe?  Are the Falcons the only NFL team that should play more man coverage?  What does Bill Belichick like about Justin Herbert, and what might that tell us about New England's coverages against the Chargers?  Should Richard Sherman play more free safety, and should Robert Saleh start thinking about a Michigan homecoming? How will Deshaun Watson fare without Will Fuller? Why did it take so long for Sean McVay to become publicly frustrated with Jared Goff? And, should we start talking about Matt Lafleur as the NFL's best play-caller in the passing game?  There's a lot to get to, so let's get rolling with the Touchdown Wire Week 13 NFL Matchup podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield!  

In this week's episode of the Touchdown Wire NFL Matchup Podcast, Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield ask (and hopefully answer) the following questions: Can Tampa's broken passing game be fixed?  How are the Ravens going to deal with a Steelers defense that slapped Lamar Jackson around in Week 8? Will the Lions, Chargers, and Eagles stop playing so much man coverage and being really bad at it? Why do people insist that Cam Newton is Bill Belichick's biggest problem when it's really Bill Belichick's defense? Is Derek Carr a Top-5 quarterback? Are we taking Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes for granted at this point?  Was benching Tua Tagovailoa the right decision for the Dolphins? And is it past time to take the Rams' and Broncos' defenses quite seriously? It's the first bye-less week in a long time, so there's a lot to get to here. Let's get rolling with The Touchdown Wire Week 12 NFL Matchup Podcast with Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield!  

In Touchdown Wire's Week 10 NFL Preview Podcast, Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield get into the stories and schemes for the NFL's Week 10. This week, the topics include: Why Ryan Tannehill could have trouble against the Colts' defense; How the Browns are about to get a big offensive uptick; Why the Giants are interesting all of a sudden; How the Buccaneers have lost their identity on both sides of the ball; How the Bills can use last week's defensive game plan against Russell Wilson once again against Kyler Murray; And why we're absolutely, positively convinced that Jon Gruden is listening to this podcast.  All those things and more. We've got a lot to cover, so let's get rolling!

In this week's episode of the Touchdown Wire Matchup Podcast, Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield reveal their most underrated players of the first half of the NFL's 2020 season, and go over the following matchups and more! Can San Francisco's depleted offense get it going against Green Bay's leaky defense?  Has Drew Lock improved enough to get the ball to his targets in a reliable sense? How do the Raiders solve a problem like Justin Herbert? Should we start worrying about Ben Roethlisberger? How will Kyler Murray counter Miami's Cover-0 blitzes designed to kill empty formations?  How have Bruce Arians and Tom Brady merged to improve Tampa Bay's passing game -- and what different looks might we see from Todd Bowles' defense?

Ready for Week 8 of the 2020 NFL season? We are! In this week's matchup podcast, Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield go through all the big stories and important matchups of the week, and dive into a few deals that should happen before the November 3 trade deadline.

Touchdown Wire's Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield go through all the big stories of Week 7 in the NFL. Why Carson Wentz is better than you think, Todd Bowles' Hall of Fame game plan, how the Cardinals are doing things with the 0-6-5 defense, why Cam Newton can come back, how the Steelers could be in trouble against Ryan Tannehill, why Josh Allen has a problem, diving into the Yannick Ngakoue trade (which happened during the taping of this episode!) and much, much more. 

In this episode of "Speaking of Everything," Doug Farrar speaks with George Atallah, the Assistant Executive Director of External Affairs for the NFLPA. George discusses the unique mechanisms of putting a season on in the middle of a pandemic, how the union and league are still trying to come together on everything from testing protocols to worst-case scenarios, how the union can audit a series of team doctors when the NFL's history of player safety has been less than optimal, what the union is still waiting to hear from the NFL as training camps get underway, and why now is the time for players to be socially active as they have never been before.

Today, I speak of everything with Mitchell Schwartz, the right tackle for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. We discuss the complications of starting an NFL season in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, athletic traits versus production as it pertains to offensive line play, a certain ESPN top 10 list in which Mr. Schwartz got only an honorable mention, how to merge stats with tape to evaluate players, Mitchell's response as a Jewish-American to DeSean Jackson's recent anti-Semitic posts, and what's up with the outstanding “Mitch in the Kitch” series.

In Episode 2 of "Speaking of Everything," my guest is Jason Reid, Senior NFL Writer for The Undefeated. Throughout his career with the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, and The Undefeated, Jason has been one of the foremost voices regarding the intersection of social issues and sports. Here, we talk about everything from Jason's journalistic mission, to the Washington NFL team's nickname schism, to Colin Kaepernick's past, present, and future, to the ways in which the NFL needs to do more beyond slogans and missions if it wants to be an agent for real change, and what will become of the NFL's racial reckoning.

In the premier episode of "Speaking of Everything," Doug Farrar speaks with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and performance expert Dr. Michael Gervais about their new "Compete to Create" project. Then, Pete talks about racial equality in the NFL as I've never heard from any coach at any level.

In the debut of Off the Grid, Doug Farrar's narrative podcast about all things football, we take a deep dive into the ways current and former NFL players feel about the league's recent admissions of the link between football and CTE. Hear from the safety who remains cynical, though he hasn't played since 2011. Hear from the guard who is trying to keep his place in the NFL, and is balancing that against the obvious and unavoidable risk to his future. Hear from the current starting left tackle of the Baltimore Ravens, who can't believe the NFL is as shortsighted as it's been. And hear from the former guard, only 26 years old, whose life has been irrevocably altered by the concussions he suffered in pro and college football. 

They're back! Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's NFL Matchup discuss all the big schemes and stories to get you ready for Week 3 of the 2015 NFL season.

The best NFL matchup podcast is back! Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's MFL Matchup discuss what they saw in Week 1 of the 2015 season, and look ahead to Week 2, with schemes and concepts in mind.

It's time for football again, and time for Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated and Greg Cosell of NFL Films to preview the 2015 season, division by division. We continue with the NFC North, a division with all kinds of questions: Can the Bears turn around their defense with Vic Fangio replacing Mel Tucker? How will the Lions adapt without Ndamukong Suh? Can the Packers overcome their own defensive personnel attrition and get to the Super Bowl with their high-flying offense? And do the Vikings live up to their chic pick status? Greg and Doug break it down schematically as only they can.