Speaking of Everything with Doug Farrar

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!