Here we will give a preview of tonight’s Monday night football game if you were coaching youth football.
You have finished coaching your youth football season and it is Monday night, and we are about to watch the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Carolina Panthers football game on Monday night football. Tampa Bay has nine wins and three losses, and they are traveling to Charlotte to take and the Carolina Panthers , who also has nine wins and three losses. This game will decide who’ll have the lead in the NFC South division of the NFL.
Even though we repeat many times that coaching youth football is not the same as the NFL or college football. We still find it very valuable to watch as much football as one can and figure out how we can apply it to our youth football coaching.
Both teams are extremely defensive orientated, and we expect the low-scoring game. This is the usual way of coaching a youth football game where there’s not a lot of scoring and tough defense usually decides again. Again this is the rule and there are exceptions to the rules we’ll see how it pans out, as we watch tonight’s game.
Also similar to youth football is how the impact players will help decide the game. It is very important to make sure that the impact players are put in every possible situation to where they can succeed. This is also a divisional game, and if you coach youth football in a league were you play an opponent more than once,it is very important to make sure that you control your division. Earlier in the year when the two teams met, Tampa Bay destroyed Carolina by 24 points so it should be very interesting to see how Carolina responds. Tonight’s announcers are commenting last time Carolina threw too often and it really hurt them. This is one of the major mistakes, we see in coaching youth football. Too many times we see coaches running way too many pass plays or trying to pass when there’s no reason to. When coaching youth football a coach should concentrate on running the ball down the opponent’s throat. A perfect youth football offense is the Power I or the Single Wing.
When coaching youth football you want to make sure the quarterback is stable. In the NFL you need a play maker at the quarterback position, but just an error free player in youth football.
Kick off
The Carolina Panthers had won the toss and decided to defer to the second. I always defer when coaching youth football. If you score before the half or have a lead it’s nice to know you are getting the ball and can focus on running some clock. This is one of the smartest moves, you can make it any level all the football The advantages to deferring our many including field position, and getting a preview of how the game is going for half before deciding whether you want to take the ball or go on defense. If you happen to have a lead going into the half its even better to have a chance to and get that all-important two score lead.
As expected, the first offense and series for Tampa Bay is tough since the Carolina Panthers are really fired up. When coaching youth football on the road, make sure you run your safest plays your team is good at during the first drive. You want to take any early momentum out of the home team. The defensive line is living in the backfield and the line blocking schemes will have to be adjusted as the game goes on. Blocking schemes are another area that is grossly ignored when coaching youth football level for your players. It is not only important for your youth players to know how to block, but also who to block. It is very interesting to watch the Carolina Panthers on their first drive, as they have momentum. It’s nice to watch a player like Mohammed having a big first drive, some see as one of the best downfield blocker’s in the game. We teach great techniques in our Youth Football Drills Playbook. In coaching youth football you do not have players going from team to team like in the NFL. So it is good to see someone like Mohammed back in Carolina. This drive is completely stalled once the Panthers got into the red zone. At all levels of football, it is extremely important to have a good red zone offense. At the very young age group level it is hard to find a kicker. If you find a kicker, that is wonderful, because then you can attempt field goals. Carolina has just kicked a field goal to make the score 3-0.
On the Buccaneers second series we are starting to see Tampa Bay attempt wide receiver screens and quick passes. They are attempting to do this to help counter the Carolina pass rush. But Buccaneers are also using a quick count, which is a fantastic thing to do while coaching youthful football. I know a lot of youth football coaches ignore the snap count, and I believe that is a big mistake. We worked very hard at going on, multiple sounds including silence snap. It has really helped keep the defense on edge over the years. As the first quarter winds down, we’re seeing more of the same as the Tampa Bay offense is completely struggling against a good Carolina defense. Tampa Bay misses a field-goal attempt, as the first quarter comes to a close and Carolina will take over in the second quarter.
At the start of the second quarter we are watching Caroline put together a very nice drive. When coaching youth football, especially the younger kids. It is very hard to put together long sustained drives. One of the hardest parts is a penalty since it is hard enough to get 10 yards in 4 downs but a penalty makes the even harder. The one thing that stays the same between youth football and the NFL is turnovers will kill you. No sooner had I made the statement, as I watch Carolina throw an interception. Tampa Bay is putting together a very nice drive and they have just completed a 50 yard pass to get the ball first and goal within the yard line. This is pretty typical of what you’ll see what they’re coaching youth football is the long pass play.
When you’re coaching the very young levels of youth football most of the passing is chuck it deep and host somebody catches it. It is not until you get to the older levels. Or you can actually help youths passing to sustain a drive. The Carolina defense has rose to the occasion and held Tampa Bay to a field goal. This game is shaping up to be very similar to a youth game, and we’re as defense dominates. Attack laying by Tampa Bay is looking very shoddy, and it is very important that the basics of tackling our practice at all levels from the pros to Pop Warner football. There is now three minutes left, until the half, and Carolina as a first and goal on the nine-yard line. Carolina is using their strength, which is the power running game. And they have just scored to make the score 10 to 3.
Halftime
Overall we’ve seen a pretty typical, tough defensive, half a football. Tampa Bay needs to be happy that they have played solid defense and a good job of not turning the ball over. Carolina has the lead and if they can continue their power running game and tough defense they should be in great shape. Youth football is primarily power running game on offense with a strong solid defense. Our favorite defense is the 34 Defense, but the modified version shown in this book.
Second Half
Carolina has received the ball for the second half, and it looks like they’re coming out trying to establish their power running game. It is very interesting seeing that in the first meeting, Carolina had a whopping 39 yards for the whole game. And tonight, they already have 95 yards rushing in the first half only. It is interesting to watch Carolina in their opening drive, as they run a lot of counter gap by pulling guards from one side of the line to the other to treat blocking mismatches. I have done a lot of counter gap and pulling linemen at the seventh and eighth grade level, but not as much in the peewee football division. When we coach seven an eight-year-old youth football teams we will do a little pulling and trap blocking. Just as Carolina has established a power running game they once again try to throw the ball, and it is another interception. It never stops amazing me why coaches have something working and then they fill the need to change it up. I do not understand this logic for the life of me. And as usual, here is what happens Tampa Bay has just scored a touchdown on a long pass. I have seen in so many youth football games of coach be able to run the ball for 6-7 yards at a time then start throwing the ball and completely hurting their team. Hopefully on this next series Carolina will again start establishing the run. Goes to show what I know, as they throw a bomb to Steve Smith for a touchdown. The score is now 17 to 10 Carolina’s is winning.
Notice on Tampa Bay’s turn they decide to run some play action, and they have a first and goal inside the 10. Now you see the most frustrating part of coaching football and that is a stupid penalty by a selfish player. Now Tampa Bay is backed up, because the receiver could not hand the ball to the official. We make sure when we coach our youth football teams that every player understands that the team comes first. We teach no “hot-dogging” and respect for the officials. Whether you agree with them or not the officials are an authority figure. In youth football penalties will kill you . Tampa Bay has just scored again. It is an interesting observation to know that our low-scoring defensive game is starting to become an offense of showcase.
Carolina is doing a nice job of mixing up their power running game with passes. The Carolina offensive line is really starting to punish Tampa Bay’s defensive front and are starting to get big chunks are yardage on every carry. Carolina is just scored again by running the ball straight up the middle. The Tampa Bay coaches are sick, watching their defense not tackle anybody. The Carolina defense finally held, and now they have gotten the ball back. Now you’re seeing the power running game go again, as Williams is just ran one off the right side of the line for 30 yards. We always try to get at least two good backs to carry the ball for us. It is great to see Carolina share the carries, and they always have a fresh back carrying the ball. It also creates a healthy competition amongst the two backs. The Carolina offensive line is dominating and the running game is really starting to work. Carolina has scored again to make the score 31 to 17. Carolina defense has once again stopped Tampa Bay, and now old be interesting to see how the running game of Carolina does. There are six minutes left in the game and this is the perfect opportunity to take some time off the clock by running the football. When coaching youth football make sure you are good at running the football.
Tampa Bay has just scored with 2 ½ minutes to go in the game. The drives with two minutes to go in the NFL are not typical youth football drives. The quarterback play and receiver’s ability in the NFL really shines at this time of the game. In a youth football game watch out for deep trick plays late in the game.
