Monday, November 23, 2009

2009 Scouting Matchups: Week 11

Scouts Inc.

After watching the film and studying personnel packages, players' strengths and weaknesses, team tendencies and schemes, Scouts Inc. breaks down every game each week.


Scouts Takes
Thursday, November 19, 2009
miaDolphins at Panthers
8:20 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Dolphins-Panthers matchup.


1. Don't get overwhelmed on the road: Thursday night games are very difficult on players' bodies, and this would tend to favor the home team. Compounding matters, the Dolphins have won only one game on the road this year. They also are not well-equipped to play from behind, so starting fast is important on this national stage.


Complete advance scouting report
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Sunday, November 22, 2009
wasRedskins at Cowboys
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Redskins-Cowboys matchup.


1. Washington needs balance offensively. This Cowboys defense is very talented, and the Redskins will need a good mixture of run and pass on early downs to keep Dallas off balance. Washington ran the ball well in its Week 10 victory but will be facing a much tougher task in this matchup. Look for more play-action passes and quick hitters from the Redskins' offense on first down.


Complete advance scouting report
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cleBrowns at Lions
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Browns-Lions matchup.


1. Cleveland needs to get physical in the trenches: Detroit's defense has been inconsistent defending the run. With the Browns' Wildcat formation likely on the shelf with Josh Cribbs banged-up, look for Jamal Lewis to establish the tempo up front.


Complete advance scouting report
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sfo49ers at Packers
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's 49ers-Packers matchup.


1. San Francisco needs to pressure the pocket: San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky is not afraid to dial up the heat to force the issue. The 49ers, under his tutelage, have become one of the toughest teams to run on, but they lack a great pass rush. With the Green Bay Packers giving up a league-high 41 sacks, San Francisco needs to bring a big blitz.


Complete advance scouting report
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pitSteelers at Chiefs
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Steelers-Chiefs matchup.


1. Pittsburgh needs to establish the run on the road: The Steelers have to pound the ball better to set the tone in the trenches. This is a goal not only in this game but also moving forward in AFC North competition. The Chiefs are marginal at defending the run (giving up 141 yards per game), so Pittsburgh should be able to impose its will and control the clock.


Complete advance scouting report
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seaSeahawks at Vikings
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Seahawks-Vikings matchup.


1. Seahawks must establish running game: Seattle can't come into the game this week thinking it can't run the football. The Seahawks have to make sure they have offensive balance. They need to be able to run the ball early and maintain time of possession, keeping an all-of-a-sudden high-powered offense on the sideline. Minnesota has not been nearly as dominant this season against the run.


Complete advance scouting report
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atlFalcons at Giants
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Falcons-Giants matchup.


1. Atlanta needs to establish the run: With or without Michael Turner, the Falcons' offense needs to rush the football against this inconsistent Giants defense. Giving QB Matt Ryan more manageable third-down conversions will give him more options to move the chains.


Complete advance scouting report
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norSaints at Buccaneers
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Saints-Buccaneers matchup.


1. The Saints can't look ahead: New Orleans should have no problems handling Tampa Bay here -- assuming the Saints can avoid looking ahead to next week, when they play the New England Patriots on "Monday Night Football." They need to look at this game as a statement game in which they show that they can jump on an opponent and dominate. With a win over a quality Packers team, the Bucs have shown that they can play good football.


Complete advance scouting report
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bufBills at Jaguars
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Bills-Jaguars matchup.


1. Will Bills' QB change make a difference? Dick Jauron has been fired as coach, and interim coach Perry Fewell has picked Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback over Trent Edwards. Fitzpatrick is a little more active and mobile within the pocket. He is more effective than Edwards at making throws on bootlegs or rollouts. He can scramble for first downs. His biggest advantage, though, is his ability to make better decisions.


Complete advance scouting report
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indColts at Ravens
1:00 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Colts-Ravens matchup.


1. Limit Ray Rice: Rice can explode and take over a game as a runner and as a receiver. But the Colts are very good at getting receivers to the ground quickly after the catch and have a good tackling defense as a whole, often getting many defenders to the ball carrier. Also expect to see Baltimore use a sixth offensive lineman to enhance its size advantage in the run game.


Complete advance scouting report
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ariCardinals at Rams
4:05 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Cardinals-Rams matchup.


1. Arizona needs to apply defensive pressure from the start: The Cardinals came out strong defensively in their win against the Seahawks on Sunday and will want to set the tone early again in St. Louis. With their odd front, the Cardinals are blitzing more often under new defensive coordinator Bill Davis this year. If they manage to get a quick jump on the Rams and force St. Louis to play catch-up football, it definitely will help their cause.


Complete advance scouting report
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sdgChargers at Broncos
4:15 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Chargers-Broncos matchup.


1. San Diego wants to run the ball early and gain positive yards: Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson had his best game of 2009, finally averaging 4.0 yards a carry or more as he gained 96 yards on 24 carries against the Philadelphia Eagles. When the San Diego ground game is running on all cylinders, QB Philip Rivers is most effective throwing off the play-action fake. After not allowing a team to run for more than 100 yards in their first seven games, the Broncos haven't held a team to fewer than 120 yards in their past three.


Complete advance scouting report
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cinBengals at Raiders
4:15 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Bengals-Raiders matchup.


1. Cincinnati needs to apply pressure with its base front: The Bengals did a good job of pressing the pocket and forcing Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger with just their base four-man rush in Week 10. This allowed defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to devote maximum numbers to coverage as Cincinnati's defense turned in a four-sack, one-interception game. The Bengals could see even better results against the Raiders, who have struggled all year to protect their quarterback.


Complete advance scouting report
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nyjJets at Patriots
4:15 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Jets-Patriots matchup.


1. The Jets need to control the clock with a physical ground attack. New York has the most productive rushing game in the league (170 yards per game), and New England has been inconsistent defending the run. Look for offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to attack the Patriots' defense from all angles (between the tackles, off-tackle and on the perimeter). Keeping the ball away from this explosive Pats offense gives the Jets their best chance for success.


Complete advance scouting report
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phiEagles at Bears
8:20 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Eagles-Bears matchup.


1. Philadelphia needs to establish a ground attack: The Eagles produced only 79 yards on the ground in the Week 10 loss to the San Diego Chargers. The Eagles haven't been running well, but the Bears have been inconsistent at stopping the ground game. Even without a healthy Brian Westbrook, Eagles coach Andy Reid is likely to pound the ball more in this matchup.


Complete advance scouting report
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Monday, November 23, 2009
tenTitans at Texans
8:30 PM ET

After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Titans-Texans matchup.


1. Vince Young must throw the occasional deep ball. Young is doing a good job of managing the offense and not turning the ball over, but this passing game is also very predictable. It's easy to plan against: Most of the passes come on check downs and to the flats to backs and tight ends. With no real vertical options and a cautious Tennessee Titans coaching staff, opposing defenses are loading up in the box to stop the run. They can play tight coverage schemes outside, and that makes it tougher to run the ball. Young has a big arm, and if he tests the Houston Texans' secondary, it will force the Texans to play more honest. That opens up the run game for Chris Johnson -- and for Young's scrambles.


Complete advance scouting report
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