When looking at Oregon’s linebacker unit from 2014, a common theme often arises — inconsistency. FishDuck.com discussed it here and here, as others did here. In my experience, inconsistency typically stems from player inexperience and mental overload, both of which seemed to be confounding factors for the Oregon linebacking crew — as they were a bit inexperienced and working under a new …
Every spring when the NFL Draft rolls around, scouts and analysts look to compare the best collegiate players to established professional stars. This makes sense to a certain extent, as it provides a level of comfort and perspective for teams deciding between different prospects. The problem is that this process assumes every player entering the draft is comparable to someone …
Most of the buzz from the 2015 Oregon Spring Game centered around the superb performances of quarterback Jeff Lockie and Uber-dude, Charles Nelson – and rightly so. Typically, at FishDuck.com, we like to analyze the areas that most analysts do not examine, and I found some amazing performances buried in the trenches by none other than the “Pre-Freshmen” enrolled at Oregon early …
Marcus Mariota to the Titans, Arik Armstead to the Niners, Jake Fisher to the Bengals, Hroniss Grasu to the Bears, and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu to the Browns. These are the names of the Oregon players we heard called by Roger Goodell in this year’s NFL Draft. Now I think it’s obvious that Mariota was a once-in-a-lifetime player. The Ducks are also not …
Every so often, an athlete emerges whose abilities exceed the boundaries of convention and provide a new bright-line of distinction. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and LeBron James are among the special few whose personal contributions, sportsmanship, and competitive drive forever altered the landscape of professional sports. They became legends who brought hope and championships to their loyal fans. And they were fun to watch, too. So, who will be this generation’s …
Past accolades do not matter to Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. He has never been afraid to find an upgrade at the quarterback position. Jeremiah Masoli, Darron Thomas, Michael Vick, and Nick Foles can attest to this. Though Kelly acquired former Rams starter Sam Bradford and insisted he will not “mortgage our future,” reporters like Tony Pauline and Mike Florio …
On April 30, the 2015 NFL Draft festivities will begin. And while Oregon Ducks football fans eagerly await the fate of their former star quarterback, Marcus Mariota, there is another former Duck who is projected as a possible first round selection: OL Jake Fisher. Arguably the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback’s most effective guardian, Fisher has persevered through the tectonic grind of the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, heightened …
I used to have a coach that said the key to winning football games was winning the war in the trenches. Obviously, there are many factors involved in winning football games, but it is hard to argue against the importance of controlling the line of scrimmage. Early in 2014, Oregon suffered multiple key injuries to the offensive line, resulting in a scenario …
It is well documented that a franchise QB is required in order to win the Super Bowl — at least, that is the common concept. However, this idea has two problems: First — and obvious issue — is that franchise QBs are extremely hard to find; there are many more franchises in the NFL than there are franchise QBs. The second …
Last year Oregon’s defense was characterized by a bend not break mentality, allowing a ton of yards but keeping their opponent out of the end zone. It worked, evident by their 13-2 record, but it wasn’t perfect. After the departure of six starters on defense, Oregon is now in a peculiar position. To some, 2015 might seem like a scary …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out Some things never get old. Remembering wonderful things that came our way out of the blue always brings a smile. For sheer joy, it’s a toss-up between that and remembering the most outlandish, hilarious misfortunes that happened to those whom we might consider our enemies. Three defining moments of Oregon Football 2014 are the subjects of this …
What if it were possible to detect with nearly 100% certainty whether or not the defense is bringing pressure before the ball is snapped? How exactly would you find something like that out? The answer is simple, yet complicated at the same time. You would just need to find what’s called a “blitz key.” A blitz key is a pretty general …