Alfie Dogs

  How do we measure CB play? In most cases it can be measured by comp% allowed. Revis, Champ, Peterson, players that where absurd in lockdown coverage in their prime. Xavien Howard is NOT a lock down corner, evaluating him by critiquing his lock down coverage is to misunderstand his talent. X is a ball hunter! A talent he exhibited early in his college career. He registered 10 ints in 29 games at Baylor! For Perspective, The GREAT Jalen Ramsey registered 3 Ints in 41 games at Florida State.  The “X” factor. It is a pervasive reality that sport fans only focus on a players weakness. Yes, X isn’t a lock down corner, HE NEVER WAS! I understand that there are instances where he is victimized in coverage and the optics look bad. Nevertheless I would argue that he is the most influential winner in the secondary for Miami since Jake Scott. X creates turnovers and scores at a high rate for his position historically. Turnovers is the overwhelming winning stat, and scoring? well I would...

I want to be clear, my knowledge of Hockey in no way makes me qualified to have conviction of the observation I am about to express. Hockey/Baseball are incredible similar in more ways than we may have thought. Let me unpack. The Object of player focus (Baseball/Puck) These two objects are similar in weight, both are manipulated by a stick in some way, they both travel at extreme velocity, and both can cause devastating injury if a player is struck above the shoulders. If that was every similarity it would still be a reasonable observation of similarity, but for me the greatest similarity is the nature of their unpredictability. For a baseball, the unpredictability is how the baseballs rotation is always a variable force, For a Puck its the nature of its glide on the ice, and that it has two separate surface realities -- It can glide on the flat, and roll on the tread. The Sticks The concept of manipulated a puck/ball that already has a level of unpredictability baked int...

Speed does not make a great RB. It is true, the cliche “speed kills” is very real. Skill position players that possess the gift of elite speed are far more likely to have successful careers than those who do not; the metrics are quite clear. However, there are other variables that play a key part in this objective conclusion. A few considerations must be examined to unpack this ultimate conclusion. 1.) Is speed the most important trait to a successful skilled player, Or does speed just supplement a more important skill set depending on position? Can track stars unquestionably be football players? 2.) Is our perception of speed based on a non contact, non padded sterile environment truly define a physical elite trait? Can we really measure speed of a skilled position player in a controlled uncontested environment? Carefully considering those two examinations, I am of the opinion that speed is an auxiliary skill set, although incredibly necessary, ultimately useless if the skilled player...