By John Sarianides The 2017 Hall of Class was revealed tonight at the NFL Honors. Here my thoughts. 1. LaDainian Tomlinson getting in on the first ballot is not a surprise. Tomlinson is the fifth leading rusher all time and one of the five best offensive players of his generation. 2. I’ve come around to Kurt Warner getting in. The career numbers aren’t going to jump out at you but…
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Super Bowl LI Five Keys Preview: New England Patriots (14-2) vs. Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
By John Sarianides Super Bowl LI is finally upon us. After two weeks of breaking down the game and talking about it incessantly, it is time to play football. On paper, both of these teams are pretty evenly matched. Even Vegas thinks so. That is why they have installed the Patriots as three point favorites. Both teams are led by their quarterbacks. Matt Ryan has had a terrific season for…
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High School Football: Thoughts on National Signing Day in Massachusetts
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Super Bowl LI: Breaking Down the Position Match-Ups and Who Has the Edge.
By John Sarianides The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are mirror images of each other in all three phases of the game. Both teams have elite quarterbacks, diverse rushing attacks and play makers at wide receiver and tight end. Defensively, both teams play team oriented defense. It is about proper pursuit angles and team tackling. There are some good players on both defenses but there is no J.J Watt…
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Vallee’s View: Super Bowl LI Preview
By Michael Vallee OK, so it’s not the sexiest opponent the NFC could muster for the final game of the 2016 season. The Falcons franchise conjures up memories of the Patriots opposition in Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Carolina Panthers, another AFC South franchise with minimal history and zero titles. While the Falcons have been around significantly longer than the Panthers they haven’t exactly accomplished much in that time,…
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Screaming Eagles Blog: The Eagles Put Together a Solid 2017 Class
The late addition of Lawrence Academy ‘s A.J Dillon was a big time pick for Steve Addazio and his staff. By John Sarianides The Boston College football staff finished recruiting off on a high note, picking up some key last minute commitments from some of the best three star recruits in the country. Steve Addazio and his staff rode the wave of a strong finish to the regular season and…
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Scouting Report: Six Ways the Falcons Use Their Running Backs in the Passing Game
By John Sarianides The Atlanta Falcons scored 540 points this season utilizing a diverse passing attack that featured a talented collection of wide receivers lead by Julio Jones. The receivers weren’t the only ones who caught passes from quarterback Matt Ryan. The running back did damage in the passing game as well. Running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman combined for 883 yards and five receiving touchdowns this season. Freeman…
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Super Bowl X’s and O’s: Running Off-Tackle Could Be Key for the Patriots
By John Sarianides The Patriots will have their hands full with Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley and defensive ends Tyson Jackson, Dwight Freeney and Brooks Reed. All four players are active and disruptive off the edge. Not only can they get pressure on Tom Brady but they can also penetrate and make plays in the back field against the running game. It is imperative that they are accounted for….
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Super Bowl X’s and O’s: The Patriots Need to Confuse Matt Ryan With Multiple Fronts and Coverages
By John Sarianides I often hear people say that veterans quarterbacks have seen everything, that you can’t confuse them. I disagree. I think you can confuse any quarterback if you show them enough fronts, coverages and pressure packages. Even smart quarterbacks like Matt Ryan could get confused. That is why I think the Patriots should take a similar defensive approach in this game to the one they took against the…
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The The 49ers Have Nothing to Lose By Hiring John Lynch
By John Sarianides The San Francisco 49ers surprised the football world on Sunday night when they hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos strong safety John Lynch as general manager. Unlike other former players who have made the jump to the front office, Lynch has no coaching, scouting or front office experience. Lynch’s only experience in the NFL is as a player. His hiring is truly an outside the…