Promotion

Getting ready for the season

By Thurman Thomas

As any football fan can tell you, this is the best time of the year. Preseason is over, the rosters are set, expectations are high and the smell of NFL football is in the air. I was a fan long before I was a player in the NFL. My Dad played, my uncle played, my cousins played. I spent many Sunday afternoon's watching my boyhood idol, Earl Campbell play for the Houston Oilers. I've come full circle now, having been retired from the NFL for almost seven years, I am a fan again, in fact, most of my weekend is spent watching football. This past weekend I watched my nephews play Little Loop and High School ball respectively. But this is the big weekend, the anticipation starts to really build around Friday afternoon and hits fever pitch on Sunday at 1:00 eastern.

From a fan standpoint there are many questions to be answered, questions the preseason can't answer, like, will our young quarterback improve from last year, will our veteran quarterback play well one more year, will our free agents meet our expectations.

Here's what I look for on offense:

  1. Does the offense look "comfortable" or is there a look of confusion, demonstrated by several false start and delay of game penalties and missed assignments.
  2. Can the quarterback make sight adjustments (reading the blitz) and hit the hot receiver or check out of a play?
  3. Can the running back get the "tough" yards? The third and two's, the second and goal from the four, late in the game.
  4. Can the offense sustain drives on the road? If not, forget the playoffs and start planning your draft pick.

Here's what I look for on defense:

  1. Third down conversion rate. Can the defense make the big third down play? It's alright to give up yards, as long as you make the crucial stop on third down inside your own territory.
  2. Pass rush, can you get pressure on the quarterback with your front four, or do you have to constantly send five or more? If your defense can generate pressure with four guys, it's a tremendous advantage for your defensive backs and your whole pass defense, that's why pass rushing defensive ends get big money.
  3. Turnovers, whether by design or luck, they are the great equalizer, your defense can get run over the whole game. But if they get two or three key turnovers, come Monday, your not talking about how your defense got run over, you are talking about how your team won and what a great play the interception or fumble recovery was.
  4. Does your defense perform as well on the road as they do at home? If not, again, forget the playoffs and start watching the college games for your next draft pick.

Here's what I look for on special teams:

  1. Consistency in all phases, there has to be confidence that the special teams will do their job when called upon or it will start to negatively effect decisions being made on offense and defense.
  2. Ability to make a couple of big plays during the game ie; blocked kick, big return or a big hit. These things fire up the whole team!
  3. Can your punter consistently get the ball inside the twenty, or are his kicks too often going into the end zone.
  4. Can your place kicker make the big kick on the road late in the game? If not, well you know the rest.

Finally, let me know how you watch the NFL on Sundays when you are not at the game. Since I just recently moved back to Buffalo, I will be watching the action on a big screen with my brothers' in law (four of them) and nephews, listening to their "expert" opinions, ok, they are right sometimes. And eating plenty of good food. Don't forget to let me know how you do it.

Thurman Thomas

Buffalo Bills legend Thurman Thomas rushed for 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons, was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls, and was named NFL MVP in 1991. Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.