As the Cowboys have had triumph in their past two games, we find their achievements do not lie solely on talent. Whether it is the NFL or college football, everybody is “the best of the best”. However, it is knowing your strengths that can help you beat your opponents. In the realm of football, what separates the best players from the average players are the intangibles. In order for teams to find what the rival’s weaknesses are, they must intently study film from games past; in other words: study the opponent. By carefully studying a series of team’s past events, players and coaches can gain a lot of insight on what plans to make and what strategies to prepare against their upcoming opponent.
So how do players and coaching staff study film? Though each team uses a different method, there are six main components that outline the general approaching of reviewing film.
The primary factor that is examined is focusing on the players you will be personally competing against. Say for example you are in the cornerback position. Your main focus would be on the actions of the quarterback and wide receivers. By having players do this they are given the chance to develop an advantage that will make their game days go by a lot smoother.
The next component would be watching for player-specific, pre-snap giveaways. In summary, this means watching for body language that gives away the disguise for when the player is about to snap the ball. If players can do this, they are able to anticipate the opposing team’s next move.
Another thing that players and coaches look at while viewing football film is their opponent’s favorite moves. Knowing the opposing player’s favorite moves and tricks not only anticipates you for what moves they will make next but also how to handle particular moves as well.
Watching for tendencies also is an important part of studying film. Generally, coordinator or position coaches provide players with tendencies for different down and distance situations for their different oppositions. For example, players use tendencies when determining what plays the other team tends to run more often than others.
For defensive players, figuring out who will be blocking them is a major component. If a defensive player is able to read a key that tells them a certain play is coming their way then they will know in advance who’s going to be blocking them.
Finally, a team must be able to utilize their scouting report wisely. When doing this, players focus on the plays that coaches have uncovered as high tendency plays in certain situations. A team obviously wants to be as prepared as possible to stop any play that comes their way. For example if you are on offense, if the other team runs Cover 2 most of the time, which plays are best against cover 2? When viewing these reports, players look heavily at the technique of the safeties too. How good are they at getting off the hashes and making plays on the ball? Which safety has the best and/or worst ball skills?
Taking time to study film gives both players and coach’s valuable insight, which can be the difference between victory and defeat. As the Cowboys begin to wind down the end of their season, the team will continue to study film for hours on end, assuring that they are well prepared for their final games to come.
