13. Know Your Opponent

The most important thing a modern football player as an individual, and players as a team, should know are the men they are to play against each week. I have never known two players to be exactly alike. For example, Ernie Stautner of the Steelers and Big Daddy Lipscomb of the Colts play the same defensive tackle, but use different techniques.

Stautner charges like a bull that has had the toreador's cape waved in its face. He does this on every play, charging as hard at the end of the game as he did at the start or the middle.

Big Daddy, on the other hand, is the "soft" type of tackle, although you would hardly associate softness with this mountain of flesh, gristle, and muscle. What I mean is that Lipscomb very rarely trundles his 290 pounds across the line of scrimmage. He is what we call a "piano player." He puts his huge paws on the guard's shoulders, takes a look at the action, and then pursues. Both these techniques are very effective. Stautner and Lipscomb are two of the best tackles in the league using radically different styles.

Every player should know well the techniques and habits of the fellow across the line from him before the game starts. Coaches give you detailed scouting reports of the various opponents and show you movies of different games. This is very good. But, for a player to be really effective instead of just average, he should look at game films before practice and at home all during the week on his own time. So you have to buy a projector! But you also become a better player who takes in more at the payroll window!

Although the coaches can tell you all about your opponents, remember that the coaches do not have to play against them. Once the game starts, it's just you and the other fellow, just as it is in the prize ring. If you are not prepared, it can be a long, hard afternoon.   And a losing one, too.

QUARTERBACK'S CHECKLIST FOR A GAME

As the opponent changes each week, so must the quarterback's thinking in terms of personnel. In reality, the offense is trying to beat personnel, and not so much the defense which, after all, is manned by personnel. The quarterback must know the individual characteristics of his opponents, as well as their tendencies when working as a unit. Some of the problems that the quarterback must face up to each week are set forth in the following paragraphs.

1. What  is the  basic  defense employed  by the  upcoming opponent? What change-ups do they show on defense?
2. What are the first-, second- and third-down tendencies of the team when on defense?
3. Are they a blitzing team, or do they play pass defense exclusively? On what down do they like to blitz?
4. Who  calls   the  defensive  signals?   Check  the  files  for a   historical report on this individual's tendencies.
5. Who is their best pass rusher?   Does he rush hard on every play, or merely when the defense signal calls for it?
6. Who  is  the  passive  type  of rusher?   Is  he  passive  because  of  the defensive calls, or because of his own characteristics?
7. Is one of the defensive linemen very aggressive?   Or are all of them aggressive.   Conversely, is one of the defensive linemen of the passive type?
8. Can any of the defensive linemen be trapped?   Which one?   Which two, or three, or even four?
9. Does the defense "read" offensive linemen, or does it charge on a predetermined call?
10. What defensive end is hardest to run outside of?   Does he square off?   Does he pinch?   Does he float?   Can we run inside of him?
11. What end can we screen?   And on what down?
12. Do  the  defensive  linemen   use  their  hands  effectively?   Are   they catchers or throwers?
13. Do any of their linemen rise up to charge?
14. Which linemen have the good lateral pursuit?   Which do not move well laterally?
15. What types of players are their linebackers?   Are they comparatively small and fast?   Big and slow?   Do they close the off-tackle hole well, or just fair?   Do they play good pass defense?   Do they get back fast or slow? Do they take player number fakes or not?   Are they fast blitzers, or slow on the stunt?   Which one, if any, is likely to make a mental error on pass defense?   Which one gets back deep on passes or do they all?   Do they hold up ends well, or poorly?
16. What types of players are the defensive secondary?   Who are the fast boys?   Slow boys?   Which one comes up the fastest?   Slowest?   Which back or backs can be beaten on the long pass?   Who are strong against the long pass?   Do the corner backs react swiftly to a quick pass in the flat? Slow?   Who can we work on best on the third down to sustain a drive? Which back, if any, lies back and plays cautious?   Which one has a history of making mental  errors?   Are there any backs who  like  to gamble on interceptions in an attempt to make the headlines?   Who?
17. Who are their best tacklers in the secondary?   The weakest?
18. Is there one defender who is so good that we should avoid throwing in his area?   Pick him, or them, out and keep them firmly in mind.
19. Who are the leaders on defense?   Which individual seems to in­
    spire the others?
20. What player or players discourage easily when his team falls behind?
21. Does the opponent have anyone who "dogs" it during a part of the game?   Why?   Is he out of condition, or mentally lazy?
22. Are there any unpredictable players on the opposing squad?   What are their unpredictable characteristics?
23. Who are the head hunters?   Meaning the rough characters.
24. Does the opposition gang tackle?   Or do they have a number of spectators on their squad?
25. With this information, then, draft an over-all  method of beating the particular opponent.

SCOUTING REPORTS

This over-all draft is complemented by running and re-running the films of the opponent's game or games (National Football League clubs have an agreement among themselves to exchange films) and from personal scouting reports made by members of the coaching staff. The scouting report may be a bone of contention. Some coaches think the films are sufficient. For instance, Greasy Neale, one of the great defensive innova­tors, sent scouts to opponents' games, but only as a routine gesture. He couldn't be bothered sheafing through voluminous reports. "Tell me," Greasy would say, "what they have, and tell me quickly."

On the other hand, Paul Brown, the most successful professional coach of all time, believes in scouting opponents right down to their fingernails. For example, before the Cleveland Browns opened the 1960 season success­fully against the Eagles, Paul Brown had a scout following the Eagles for at least three successive exhibition games.

The first two reports were handed in by Paul Bixler. In Norman, Oklahoma, where the Eagles ran up a 41-10 score against the Detroit Lions, Bixler charted their offense. At St. Louis, where the Cardinals beat the Eagles, 34-13, Bixler charted the defenses. The following week, when the Eagles downed the Colts, 35-21, at Hershey, Pennsylvania, Dick Evans, another Brown assistant, had the job of charting the over-all picture.

The scouting could not have been anything but successful. The Car­dinals, for instance, gained a lot of ground against the Eagles' line by driving  it  out.   The  Browns,  while  winning 41-24,  drove   the  Eagles' linemen in, enabling Bobby Mitchell to skip around the flanks with impunity. From the way the Browns' linemen and linebackers deployed, it was obvious they had been thoroughly schooled in every possible Eagles maneuver.

The Browns' scouting reports aren't exactly public property, but naturally, I have had access to the reports of scouts for the two teams with whom I played—the Rams and the Eagles. Here is the summary of a typical Eagles' report on the New York Giants' defensive, famed through­out the league for its rock-ribbed qualities.

Primarily, the Giants use a 4-3-4 defense, meaning four linemen up front, three linebackers behind them, and four defensive halfbacks in the tertiary.

The Giants' linemen have two basic moves: (1) They charge inside, with the object of keeping the offensive lineman from blocking Sam Huff, the middle linebacker, so that he is free to play the ball carrier. (2) They charge outside, making the same Mr. Huff responsible for all plays up the middle.

The Giants' third move, used less frequently, is a stunting maneuver taken in conjunction with the linebackers. The purpose is to shoot every available gap in the opponent's line with the object of disconcerting the passer, or breaking up a running play before it can get under way.

Now, their tertiary defense. The Giants' defensive backfield employs three different types of coverage. They have the man-to-man defense, used primarily when the linebackers are going into a blitz; a combination man-to-man zone; and third, a keying zone in which they get their clues from the weak-side halfback. This means that if the weak-side halfback blocks, the weak-side safety man drops back and plays the middle. If the weak-side halfback swings tight, or quickly, the safety man assigned to him must stay in his normal position. If, however, the halfback swings wide laterally, the safety man is free to go back and play the deep middle again because the corner linebacker will cover the halfback as he swings wide.

This is the general picture of the Giants' defense. The next scouting chart covers their personnel.

Let's start with their defensive ends. Andy Robustelli, a ten-year veteran from Arnold College, 6' 1", 255 lbs., is the leader of their defensive squad, the inspirational mainspring that makes the Giants' defenders tick.

Robustelli is tremendously strong in arms and shoulders and always rushes the passer from the ouside in. He reads plays well on the run and is quick to scent a draw, screen, running play, or an orthodox pass. He is not as aggressive when there is a "tight" or closed end operating against him because he is always aware of that opponent "blocking down" on him. But if he is not thus encumbered, he loses all inhibitions and charges in like an enraged bull.

The other defensive end, Jim Katcavage, 6' 3", 250 lbs., from Dayton University, rushes with reckless abandon. This abandon, if not checked, can bowl over pass blockers like ten pins because of Katcavage's magnificent strength. This fellow should not be blocked high. He must be cut down with blocks thrown at the knees.

Now, for the defensive tackles. Dick Modzelewski, 6', 260 lbs., tackle from Maryland, is a very steady performer who carries out his assignments well. He is exceedingly strong and active, with a world of endurance. His endurance enables him to get through to the passer more frequently later in the game than in the early phases. He "stunts" beautifully in conjunction with Huff.

The other tackle, Roosevelt Grier, 6' 5", 300 lbs., from Penn State, is the "soft" player in the Giants' defense, somewhat on the order of "Big Daddy" Lipscomb. He has a tendency to be lazy, which may come naturally or be due to a lack of condition. He should be run at directly. He is not much of a pass rusher but, rather, looks for draws and screens, which makes him dangerous on these maneuvers.

The defensive linebackers: Harland Svare, 6'2", 215 lbs., from Wash­ington State, has extraordinary agility with speed enough to cover pass receivers on their swing patterns. He is tough enough to close the off-tackle hole and works the weak-side "stunt" with Robustelli to rush the passer.   Svare is one of the best all-around linebackers in the league.

Cliff Livingston 6'3", 215 lbs., from UCLA, is almost the same type of linebacker as Svare. His agility enables him to block punts occasionally, so that he should never be taken for granted in a punting situation. He has all the capabilities a linebacker should have, except that he does not close the off-tackle hole as well as he might.

Sam Huff 6' 1", 240 lbs., from the University of West Virginia, the most publicized of the Giants defenders, is also a whale of a middle line­backer. He profits from the New York defensive set-up which enables him to make more tackles than the average linebacker. The man assigned to block Huff had just better make sure he carries out his assignment if he expects the play to have any chance of success. Huff is very mobile for a man his size, and besides performing his chores in the middle, ranges all over the field. He must be taken out if the running game is to have any consistency.

Finally, the defensive secondary. Dick Lynch, 6' 1", 200 lbs., from Notre Dame, was just an average performer with the Washington Red­skins, but under the astute coaching of Tom Landry, developed into one of the finest corner men in the league. He plays a pass receiver real tight, will gamble for the ball, and is a good tackier. The scouting report suggests that the offense stay strong side to the Giants' left which is the sector covered by Lynch and Jim Patton.

Patton, 5' 10", 180 lbs., from the University of Mississippi, is the fellow the Giants like to send free to play the ball. He is stronger when he is a weak-side safety man than when he is covering the strong side. He sup­ports well from the inside safety on running plays, but has an injury record. Suggestion: throw blocks at him on every possible occasion. When playing the full game, he is a constant menace on interceptions. He must be kept busy as much as possible so that he cannot get free to play the ball.

Dick Nolan, 6' 1", 185 lbs., back from Maryland, formerly played the corner, but had trouble covering man-to-man. He is more successful as an inside man than on the wing. Just a fair tackier because he lacks strength. Suggestion: offense should stay weak side to his sector because he does not have the speed to cover the deep middle as Patton does.

Lindon Crow, 6' 1", 200 lbs., from Southern California, has sprinter's speed, is an average tackier, relies on inside help from Patton, and plays the hook and sideline patterns very aggressively. He plays the short game so tight, looking for moves, that a really fast receiver can run right by him.

The foregoing considerations are phases of the game that must be worked on each day of the football season. It is not by accident that a player liked Johnny Unitas is effective on at least 9 out of the 12 games of the season.

The Colts' star studies his profession every day of the season and many days during the off-season. By mastering the art of quarterbacking, Johnny has seized the opportunity to raise his personal, social, and financial standards. He has soared from a six-dollar-a-game sandlot player to the top quarterback in the N.F.L. by dint of hard work, self-sacrifice, and a tremendous desire to succeed. This bit of sermonizing about Johnny provides a neat springboard for some sermonizing about myself with some advice directed to the young men who are considering making a career of professional football.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...