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Let's Talk Ball!The defensive think tank from Cody Alexander. Learn to master Spatial Darwinism and the art of constraining space. Author: Cody Alexander & Felix Johnson
High-level football discussion for coaches and serious fans. Join Cody Alexander of MatchQuarters and Felix Johnson as they break down defensive schemes, offensive trends, and interview the best minds in the game the home for real X's and O's talk. www.matchquarters.com Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Divisional Reactions: Sean McDermott Fired, John Harbaugh to Giants & Championship Sunday Previews
Episode 38
Wednesday, 21 January, 2026
We break down the Bills' firing of Sean McDermott after their loss to the Broncos, analyze the hire of John Harbaugh to the Giants, and preview the Championship Sunday matchups: Patriots vs. Broncos and Rams vs. Seahawks. Plus, was that the best throw of Caleb Williams' life?—In this episode:The McDermott Firing & Coaching Carousel: We analyze the Bills’ decision to move on from Sean McDermott, the hiring of John Harbaugh by the Giants, and Kevin Stefanski landing in Atlanta.Playoff Recap & Controversy: We break down the controversial finish to the Bills-Broncos game, the “meta” flip that doomed Buffalo’s roster construction, and Caleb Williams’ insane throw in the Bears’ loss.The CJ Stroud Dilemma: We discuss the Texans’ offensive collapse against New England and debate whether Houston is stuck in “quarterback purgatory” regarding Stroud’s next contract.AFC Championship Preview (Patriots vs. Broncos): We look at how the Patriots can attack Denver’s pass rush and how the Broncos will adjust with Jared Stidham stepping in for the injured Bo Nix.NFC Championship Preview (Rams vs. Seahawks): We preview the Round 3 matchup between Seattle and LA, focusing on the Stafford vs. Darnold quarterback battle and the Jaxon Smith-Njigba X-factor.—Timestamps:» Part I: The Coaching Carousel & Front Office00:00 The Bills Clean House Discussion on the firing of Sean McDermott and the promotion of GM Brandon Beane.00:47 Roster vs. The Meta Analysis of how the Bills built a roster to beat the Chiefs/Bengals but failed to adjust to the league-wide shift toward 12 personnel.05:43 The “Intellectual” Defensive Coach: A look at candidates like Brian Daboll and the trend toward hiring “intellectual” defensive minds similar to Mike Macdonald and Brandon Staley.07:53 Stefanski to Atlanta Breakdown of the potential fit for Kevin Stefanski with the Falcons’ offensive weapons (Bijan Robinson, Drake London).10:38 Ulbrich & The Wide-9 Shift: Why keeping Jeff Ulbrich signals a commitment to the Wide-9/Quarters-heavy defensive structures popularized by the Saleh tree.12:50 The Harbaugh Clause: John Harbaugh to the Giants, and the unique contract clause stating he answers only to the owner.» Part II: Schematic Analysis & Game Recaps21:03 Gap Schemes vs. Speed: How the Bills utilized Pin-Pull concepts to exploit Denver’s speed, noting Denver’s 20th rank against Duo runs.22:33 Motion to Disrupt Coverage Denver used motion on 75% of plays (a season-high) to force communication checks and disrupt Buffalo’s split-field rotations.24:22 Erasing the Deep Ball Denver’s secondary held Josh Allen to 0-for-6 passing with 2 INTs on attempts of 20+ yards.27:03 Texans Offensive Collaps:e A breakdown of C.J. Stroud’s struggles and the Texans’ inability to counter the Patriots’ game plan.30:08 Patriots MOFO Spike The Patriots increased their Middle of Field Open (MOFO) usage to 60%, using weak rotation vs. 3x1 and split-field vs. 2x2 to eliminate crossing routes.» Part III: Previews & Adjustments32:59 Patriots vs. Broncos Preview: The matchup of the Patriots’ Man-Blocking/Duo schemes against the Broncos’ fast-flow defense.40:35 The Caleb Williams Throw Reaction to the 45-yard cross-body throw from Caleb Williams in the Rams-Bears game.46:02 Pressure vs. Condensed Sets Dennis Allen’s adjustment to blitz the edges and use DB pressure specifically against 12/13 personnel condensed formations, forcing the Rams into spread looks.» Part IV: NFC Championship Preview48:41 #1 Offense vs. #1 Defense Setting the stage for the Rams (Outside Zone) vs. Seahawks (Wide-9/Cover 2).50:00 The Schematic Conflict The clash between the Rams’ outside run game and the Seahawks’ defensive front is designed to force runs inside.51:27 The Cover 2 Weakness Identifying the Seahawks’ 16th-ranked DVOA vs. Tight Ends as the key area for Stafford to attack the interior of the Cover 2.55:53 The JSN Factor: Why Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the X-factor for breaking down zone coverages in this matchup.—» Join Felix and Cody each Wednesday as we dive deep into the game we love!MatchQuarters is a reader-supported publication. So, make sure to subscribe.—© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.matchquarters.com/subscribe
