Analyzing schematic failures, the decline of the Pete Carroll system, and 2026 coaching pivots for the NFL's bottom-tier units.

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In this episode:

Examine the league’s bottom-tier defenses, which struggled to execute complex, positionless systems they did not fundamentally understand.

Why the blueprint of the Pete Carroll defensive system has officially reached its end as a winning model in 2026.

Explain the Dallas Cowboys pivot to Christian Parker’s 3-4 base Fangio scheme that utilizes 4-3 spacing and shades.

How the Cincinnati Bengals stabilized their season by shifting toward five-man pressures and multiple fronts after the bye week.

Dissect how the New York Jets reached a historical low by failing to record a single turnover despite employing a defensive head coach.

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Timestamps:

00:01 Introduction: NFL Defensive Dumpsters

01:31 Dallas Cowboys: The End of the Carroll System

10:33 Washington Commanders: Restructuring and Outliers

15:15 Cincinnati Bengals: A Tale of Two Halves

26:08 New York Jets: The Improbable Turnover Drought

34:49 Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh’s Wide-Nine

39:33 San Francisco 49ers: Personnel Struggles and Transition

43:37 New York Giants: Recreating the Ravens Model

54:02 Chicago Bears: Volatility and Secondary Decisions

55:02 Conclusion: Offseason Outlook

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» Join Felix and Cody each Wednesday as we dive deep into the game we love!

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

This week on Let's Talk Ball!, Cody and Felix dive into the first official show of the 2026 offseason. It has been a historic cycle with nearly 10 head coaching openings, and we are breaking down the hires, the schematic shifts, and the "bald-headed" defensive tree taking over NFL staffs.

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In this episode:

The Dolphins’ Hard Reset: We analyze Tyreek Hill's release and the probable move to Quinn Ewers as Miami's starter.

The Giants’ New Power Dynamic: John Harbaugh is now the clear alpha in New York, with the GM reportedly sequestered to a scouting-only role.

Raiders’ Youth Movement: The Raiders are leaning into innovation with Clint Kubiak and quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The “Bald-Headed” Defensive Tree: We noticed a hilarious trend—Robert Saleh’s staff in Tennessee is officially the baldest in football history.

Best & Worst Hires: Kevin Stefanski to the Falcons earns our vote for the best hire, provided Michael Penix Jr. stays healthy.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro: The first official show of the 2026 offseason

00:50 Bengals: Al Golden’s defensive salvage job and Twitter "A-non" trolls

01:37 Dolphins: The Tyreek Hill release and the start of the Quinn Ewers era

06:11 Tua Tagovailoa: Injury risks and the "Chad Pennington" comparison

10:37 Raiders: Rob Leonard promoted to DC and Patrick Graham’s exit

15:59 Giants: John Harbaugh’s total control and Matt Nagy’s role

20:32 Denard Wilson: Why Wilson is the perfect "course correction" for the Giants

25:10 Ravens: Jesse Minter as the "McDonald Light" hire

29:25 Titans: Robert Saleh and the baldest "Milk Dud" staff in NFL history

33:17 Raiders Pt. 2: Clint Kubiak, Fernando Mendoza, and the "child head coach" strategy

39:59 Bills: Jim Leonard’s Wisconsin defense and the Joe Brady/Saints tie

42:17 Falcons: Kevin Stefanski and the potential Michael Penix Jr. explosion

45:32 Steelers: Mike McCarthy’s retread staff and Patrick Graham's arrival

47:35 Dolphins Pt. 2: Jeff Hafley and the front-office Packers reunion

49:21 Cardinals: Mike LaFleur and the family-owned internal hire trend

50:37 Browns: Todd Monken, Deshaun Watson, and "one and done" potential

55:34 49ers: Raheem Morris’s schematic pivot in San Francisco

56:10 Packers: Jonathan Gannon and the Brandon Staley comparisons

56:38 Chargers: Mike McDaniel and the Joe Alt/Rashawn Slater tackle duo

57:14 Jets: Frank Reich and the "Justice for Steve Wilks" debate

59:12 Chiefs: Eric Bieniemy returns, and DeMarco Murray joins the staff

01:00:23 Broncos: Davis Webb’s retention as a "Bo Nix move"

01:00:42 Commanders: David Blough’s fast rise to Offensive Coordinator

01:01:49 Cowboys: Christian Parker and the cerebral shift on defense

01:03:06 Lions: Drew Petsig and the transition from Dan Campbell’s play-calling

01:04:53 Buccaneers: Zac Robinson and the ever-growing Rams tree

01:06:43 Sean McDermott: Why the cycle’s top candidate didn’t get a job

01:07:46 Outro: MatchQuarters subscription and getting Felix out of the basement

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» Join Felix and Cody each Wednesday as we dive deep into the game we love!

MatchQuarters is a reader-supported publication. So, make sure to subscribe.

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.

From the 'B-Gap Blueprint' to the 'Modular Defense,' we go inside the film to see how the Seahawks squeezed the life out of Drake May and the Patriots’ offense.

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In this episode:

Mike Macdonald’s Defensive Masterclass: A deep dive into the “modular” defense and the surgical B-gap pressure that neutralized the New England Patriots.

Sam Darnold’s Redemption: The narrative of the 29-year-old quarterback exercising his career demons to become a Super Bowl champion.

Kenneth Walker’s MVP Performance: Analyzing the persistent Seahawks run game that eventually broke the dam and secured Walker the MVP.

The “Early” Patriots: Why Drake May and a young New England roster struggled to find comfort against a top-tier defensive unit.

Lessons for Young Coaches: Why this Super Bowl serves as a “pure” coaching blueprint for teaching modern defensive leverage and complexity.

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Timestamps:

00:00:01 - Super Bowl Viewing Rituals & Family Dynamics

00:01:49 - Post-Game Tape Study & Initial Reactions

00:02:13 - Sam Darnold’s Super Bowl Championship & Career Redemption

00:03:19 - Drake May’s Development & The “Early” Patriots

00:05:47 - Box Score Nuance: Kenneth Walker vs. Trash Yardage

00:09:40 - Mike Macdonald & The “Defensive Sean McVay”

00:10:44 - Building the Coaching Tree: Baltimore/Michigan Pipeline

00:14:43 - The Non-Negotiables: Turnovers & Explosives

00:17:36 - Defensive Schematic Breakdown: Harassing the B-Gap

00:19:44 - 5-Man “Dog” Pressures & Odd vs. Even Spacing

00:23:25 - Coverage Masterclass: Quarters, Tampa 2, & Match Concepts

00:26:33 - “Hot” Blitzes: 6-Man Pressure on 3rd & Long

00:28:43 - Devin Witherspoon: The Ultimate Defensive Leveraging Tool

00:30:22 - The Educator Mindset: Coaching the Player First

00:33:30 - Patriots Defensive Game Plan & Christian Gonzalez Analysis

00:38:56 - Offensive Turning Points: AJ Barner & Wide Zone Play-Action

00:43:03 - Drake May’s “I’m Young” Wall & Tight Window Struggles

00:47:33 - Offseason Outlook: Can the Seahawks Run it Back?

01:03:03 - Final Referendum on the 2025 Defensive Season

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» Join Felix and Cody each Wednesday as we dive deep into the game we love!

MatchQuarters is a reader-supported publication. So, make sure to subscribe.

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© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.