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Time of India
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Aaron Rodgers made NFL history by turning defender mistakes into record-breaking free play passes
Aaron Rodgers made NFL history by turning defender mistakes into record-breaking free play passes (Image Via X) Aaron Rodgers built a career from one smart tactic. Whenever defenders jumped early or got caught offsides, Aaron Rodgers snapped the ball fast and took big shots downfield. Since 2006, no quarterback has thrown more passes on these 'free plays' than Aaron Rodgers. Fans and experts say he turned small mistakes into huge gains. How did he do it so well, and why did it work so often? Let's see his top free-play moments and what they say about his skill and timing. How Aaron Rodgers turned every defensive mistake into a big scoring chance Aaron Rodgers became known around 2010 for drawing offside calls consistently. When a defender jumped early or an extra player was on the field, he would still start the play. If the pass failed, the team took the five‑yard penalty. If it worked, they gained big yards. According to NFL Football Operations, Aaron Rodgers had 84 passes on free plays from 2006 to now, more than anyone else. He averaged about 25 air yards per free-play pass, racking up nearly 2,000 downfield yards, far more than any other quarterback. Even top QBs like Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes couldn't match his numbers. A 2015 SBNation report showed Aaron Rodgers averaged nearly 80 yards per game from free plays alone, turning offside calls into massive gains. That year, he used a fast snap method when the defense was late or had 12 men on the field, so every free play helped his offense. Also Read: 'Impressive Antagonist': Aaron Rodgers Slammed As 'Isolated' And 'Dismissive' In Shocking Claims From Ex-NFLPA Chief DeMaurice Smith Aaron Rodgers smart timing impressed fans and commentators Aaron Rodgers' free-play tactic earned praise from commentators and opponents. Mike Tirico, then on ESPN's Monday Night Football, said, 'Free play Rodgers has made a living on this' after Aaron Rodgers hit deep touchdown passes in 2015. Even rival coaches took note. Former Green Bay Packers coach Jim Tomsula said he had 'game-taped long' Aaron Rodgers using hard counts and no-huddles to trick the defense. Atlanta Falcons coordinator Marquand Manuel said teams struggled to stop Aaron Rodgers because he changed his cadence and snap count so well. These comments show how Aaron Rodgers turned free plays into weapons. He knew defender habits, called shifts to force offsides, and snapped at perfect times. The result? More deep throws, more yards, and more big plays all with low risk. Aaron Rodgers' mastery of free plays shows his smart mind and game-ready timing. By turning small defensive lapses into powerful gains, he changed what a simple penalty can mean for an offense. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies' Recent Offensive Struggles Reveal Major Drop in Production Against Breaking Balls
Phillies' Recent Offensive Struggles Reveal Major Drop in Production Against Breaking Balls originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Phillies were just swept by the Houston Astros in a three-game series in which they allowed a total of five runs. The three losses came by the scores of 1-0, 2-0, and 2-1. Advertisement The Phillies scored a total of one run across 27 innings this week. However, the team is still averaging 4.57 runs per game, which ranks No. 11 in MLB. The main reason for that is the Phillies' ability to hit the fastball. They have the best batting average and the seventh-best slugging percentage against the fastball in the league. But, on the flip side, the Phillies have severely struggled against the breaking ball. SB Nation's Anthony Esbenson took a deep dive on how the breaking ball has crippled the Phillies in 2025. Since 2021, the fastball usage across the league has dropped from 35.2 percent to 31.6 percent, and the breaking ball usage has risen by 31 percent. Advertisement The Phillies hit the breaking ball relatively well in 2024, ranking inside the top five in both batting average and slugging percentage. But the numbers have told a much different story in 2025. Philadelphia is hitting just .214 with a .338 slugging percentage against the breaking ball this year, which ranks 18th and fifth-worst, respectively, in MLB. Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) looks on from the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC LeClaire-Imagn Images Many mainstays in the Phillies' lineup have seen their numbers drop dramatically, which has caused this trend. Kyle Schwarber went from hitting .244 and slugging .500 in 2024 to hitting .144 and slugging .330 against the breaking ball in 2025. JT Realmuto's numbers have dropped from .296 and .500 to .185 and .209 in 2025. Alec Bohm has dipped from .306 and .518 in 2024 to .242 and .295 in 2025, and Bryson Stott has fallen from .304 and .457 to .231 and .292 in 2025. Advertisement Meanwhile, others like Trea Turner and Nick Castellanos have stayed consistent with their numbers from 2024, and Brandon Marsh has improved his numbers. But, they haven't been enough to offset the drop from the rest. One of the largest reasons is the Phillies' swing-happy tendencies. They have a chase percentage of 29.1 percent, which ranks in the bottom ten in MLB. The breaking ball has given the Phillies obvious problems, and the more visible it becomes, the more teams will attack the weakness. The Phillies need to find a solution because they can't afford to score one run across 27 innings when October comes around. Related: Phillies 'Growing Frustrated' With Lack of Production From Starting Outfielder This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Where do Cowboys' Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach rank among Super Bowl-era QBs in panel vote?
Perhaps now more than ever before, the NFL is a quarterback-driven league. As fans wait to see which passer leads his team to a title in Super Bowl LX, the squad over at SB Nation decided to take a look back at which signal-callers have most dominated the game in the modern era. They've placed two of the Cowboys' greatest legends pretty high on the list. A 13-member panel, made up of analysts and writers from major national outlets, submitted their rankings for quarterbacks of the Super Bowl era, which began in 1966. Forty-eight QBs got votes; the lists were then compared to come up with the 30 who received the best scores overall. Both Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach made the top 20. 17. Troy Aikman With three Super Bowl rings, a gold jacket, and still the fourth-most passing yards in league history, one might think Aikman is ranked curiously low here. Panel members slotted the six-time Pro Bowler as high as 13th and as low as 28th, clearly recognizing what playing with all-time rushing king Emmitt Smith in the same huddle did to Aikman's career numbers (as well as what he was asked to do within the Cowboys' system). To wit, he ranks just 68th all-time in passing touchdowns. Still, 17th on this list is no small achievement, considering Aikman placed above luminaries like Warren Moon, Kurt Warner, Bart Starr, and Johnny Unitas. Marc Sessler from Underdog notes of Aikman: 'I was once in a ponderous verbal spat with a beer-addled fellow who argued that Tony Romo was superior to Troy Aikman based on compiled numbers in an altered era of pro football. Statistics can roll down a hill into the dark sea. Aikman morphed into a wild/fiery monolith of the American Idea: Cinema-star visage, theatrical wonders in the largest gridiron showdowns, and a calm and cool demeanor most men spend their entire lives searching for – and a great broadcaster, too.' 11. Roger Staubach Staubach will always be one of the biggest what-ifs in NFL history. The 1963 Heisman Trophy winner didn't play for the Cowboys until six years later because of his post-collegiate military commitment. He proved well worth the wait, though, earning the franchise its first two Super Bowl rings en route to a Hall of Fame career that was utterly brilliant despite being somewhat abbreviated. The six-time Pro Bowler ranked as high as 6th with panel members, and no lower than 23rd. He finished ahead of a who's who of prolific quarterbacks: Fran Tarkenton, Jim Kelly, Dan Fouts, and Terry Bradshaw. Writes Aaron Schatz of FTN Fantasy: 'Because of his Navy service, Roger Staubach didn't play in the NFL until he was 27 years old. He didn't start regularly until he was 29. That was 1971, when Staubach led the Dallas Cowboys to his first title in Super Bowl VI. Despite the late start, Staubach ranks this high because he was fantastic throughout the '70s. Then he took it to another level when the NFL liberalized passing rules in 1978. No other quarterback had a better grasp of the new rules, and Staubach was statistically dominant at ages 36 and 37. He easily could have kept going when he retired after the 1979 season.' SB Nation's top 10 will be released in the coming days. Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Can you guess this Yankees catcher in today's in-5 trivia game?
We're back for another day of the Pinstripe Alley in-5 daily trivia game. If you missed any of this week's games, you will find a link below. Game instructions are at the bottom if you're new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. Today's Pinstripe Alley in-5 game If you can't see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article. Previous games Thursday, June 5, 2025 Wednesday, June 4, 2025 Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Monday, June 2, 2025 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5 MLB in-5 MMA in-5 Pinstripe Alley in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Yankees player with the help of up to five clues. We'll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS this week. It won't be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game appears in the third slot of the Pinstripe Alley layout each day this week and as noted above, will appear in this article exclusively. Advertisement After you correctly guess the player, you can click 'Share Results' to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won't go into other details about the game as we'd like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy! More from
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NYY news: Crowning Judgement?
SB Nation | Renee Dechert: Famously, after losing out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, the Yankees pivoted elsewhere, including signing pitcher Max Fried. So far, that's been quite the good pivot. After putting another very good outing against the Rockies last weekend, Fried talked with a reporter from our mothership at SB Nation about how he's been able to quickly become so good and so vital for the Yankees. FanGraphs | Dan Szymborski: Aaron Judge has picked up quite a number of accolades over his big league career so far, including a pair of AL MVP Awards. In those two seasons of 2022 and '24, he came very close to winning the triple crown of leading the league in batting average, home runs, and RBI, but couldn't quite seal the deal. This year, he's once again near or at the top of the leaderboards in those stats, so could he pull off the feat in 2025? Advertisement The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: Ryan Yarbrough has been a very nice surprise for the Yankees this season, pitching very well both out of the bullpen and as a fill-in starter after the team picked him up just before the season starter. However, this weekend, he'll be part of reliving some Yankees' disappointment. Prior to a July trade, Yarbrough was part last year's Dodgers team, and as a result will be given a ring for their World Series victory. More from
