Roll The Tape: Who Has The Advantage In The Ben Johnson-Brian Flores Chess Match?

Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season remains in the books, and it definitely didn’t dissatisfy. Specifically if you’re a fan of excellent offense.Each week, I dive into the All-22 coaches’ movie before using 5 insights to view. Do not be shocked if the points are

here to remain.

That’s the million-dollar concern drifting around league circles today with the Vikings set to handle the league’s most explosive offense Sunday in Chicago. Ultra-aggressive protective planner Brian Flores has actually bewildered quarterbacks throughout the league with his complex six-man pressure plans and hot protection ideas. He has actually likewise included different zones with unique positionings to evaluate the persistence and discipline of QBs sidetracked by the consistent harassment from Minnesota’s disorderly pressure courses.Interestingly, Bears coach Ben Johnson holds a 5-1 record over Flores in their head-to-head matches as playcallers. Johnson will challenge the Vikings with a several offense including lot developments, pre-snap shifts and misdirection to decrease an aggressive defense that wishes to assault on every down. He will likewise make use of the running video game to manage the pace and force Minnesota to use Chicago’s terms. With a set of explosive runners (D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai) in the backfield with big-play capacity, the Vikings can’t entirely concentrate on QB Caleb Williams and the death video game otherwise risk of seeing the Bears run for 200-plus lawns on a selection of within and boundary runs that attack the weak point of the protective plan.Flores will invite the obstacle as an astute chess master and usage fixed zones that let his protectors play quick as “see ball, get ball” protectors who will pursue the ball at a breakneck speed. The veteran protective assistant will put the video game on Williams’ shoulders to play effectively without a crucial error. In spite of his success as an improvisational playmaker with a big-play mindset, Williams does require tosses into protection under pressure.Moreover, he loses his discipline versus soft protection when he is required to choose checkdown after checkdown when he wishes to press the ball down the field. In a marquee video game that is predestined to be chosen in the last 5 minutes, Johnson versus Flores will boil down to the techniques and deals with that neither playcaller took out of his bag in Week 1.And based upon their head-to-head performance history, I provide Johnson the edge in Sunday’s face-off.

It did not take wish for the Ravens ‘brand-new offending organizer to determine how to open the explosive capacity of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. The two-time MVP and two-time NFL hurrying champ appeared like an unstoppable force torching an overmatched Indianapolis Colts’ defense in Week 1.

Jackson tossed for 324 backyards and a goal, while running for 40 lawns and another rating as part of the Ravens ‘500-plus-yard effort in a 41-23 roadway win. Henry included 144 lawns and 3 ratings while mauling the Colts on downhill runs that evaluated the defense’s durability, physicality and discipline. With Zay Flowers amounting to 150 getting backyards in 2 quarters of work, the Ravens’ offense has the football world buzzing about its capacity under novice playcaller Declan Doyle.Studying the All-22 video game tape, there is a lot to enjoy about Doyle’s method, with an electrical quarterback and running back taking turns penalizing the Colts’ defense. Jackson, in specific, was on fire from the pocket, finishing 17 of 25 passes with a 12.96 yards-per-attempt average. The three-time All-Pro settled in rapidlydirecting an unique offense that mixed standard drop-back passes, bootlegs and alternative paths, together with the read-pass alternatives (RPOs) that have actually made him the league’s most harmful playmaker for nearly a years.Henry took advantage of Doyle’s innovative computing on the ground, with numerous movements from the tight end/H-back producing creases at the point of attack. The misleading usage of the tight end/H-back as a lead blocker on the relocation will keep protective organizers up in the evening, attempting to fix for the additional hat in the running video game. Thinking about Henry still flashes the strength and power to go through protectors in tight quarters, the Ravens’ varied running video game will be an issue for protective planners moving forward. Next in their course is the Saints, who permitted the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs (156 lawns) to cut loose in Week 1.After seeing a banged-up 49ers defense attack clubs with an uncomplicated method under Robert Saleh in 2015, 2026 challengers need to prepare to deal with a more vibrant protective plan with Raheem Morris now in charge. It’s evident after simply one video game that the previous head coach has actually improved the Niners’ vaunted plan by including more pre-snap camouflage, five-man fronts and simulated pressures to the playbook. He has actually likewise streamlined the 49ers’ protection structure to let the protective backs play quicker in the back end.Such modifications appeared versus the Rams, as the 49ers suffocated among the league’s finest offenses for 4 quarters. From packing the run with five-man structures that knocked the Rams’ blockers off their course to innovative pre-snap motion and shifts that changed five-man fronts into four-down structures, with protective linemen dropping into protection, the turmoil at the line of skirmish required Matthew Stafford and Co. to stop briefly.The Niners linebackers and protective backs took advantage of a structured method that focused on simpleness over intricacy. The 49ers have actually made use of more pre-snap camouflage to play video games with Stafford, it has actually been by buzzing into a protection that is simple to comprehend and carry out. With the 49ers stressing speed and depending on impulses as a “see ball, get ball” defense, the Rams had a hard time to deal with the speed and physicality of a defense developed to hunt from every angle.Looking at the stat sheet, the tweaks exercised well, with Stafford held to less than 200 pass lawns and Puka Nacua and Davante Adams integrating for 8 catches and 100 getting lawns. The Rams had simply one play choose more than 16 lawns throughout the day. San Francisco produced a set of takeaways and an essential goal-line stand that turned the video game in its favor.With Fred Warner and team welcoming these modifications with interest, the NFC needs to fret about a brand-new and enhanced defense potentially stimulating a title run in the Bay Area.The NFL is a copycat league, with coaches typically taking ideas from other coaches when they believe it will assist their groups win. While a few of the thievery includes brand-new, ingenious ideas swiped from the league’s innovative wizards, seasoned coach Andy Reid has a propensity for taking and carrying out plays from old-school playbooks to assist the Chiefs put points on the board.Against the Denver Broncos this previous Monday night, the three-time Super Bowl winner depended on his old techniques once again, utilizing a play promoted by Glen “Pop” Warner in the early 1900s to get Kenneth Walker III a walk-in goal in the 4th quarter.Aligning in an out of balance Single Wing development with Walker at wingback left wing, the Chiefs completely carried out a counter-shovel pass, with Mahomes running left before underhand tossing the ball to his star RB headed back to the right behind a convoy of blockers. The overload positioning and misdirection captured the Broncos’ defense by surprise, as Walker ran through a crease into completion zone.The vibrant throwback play in a marquee video game set social networks on fire, with historians and old-school football fans instantly acknowledging it. The excitement likewise triggered me to dig much deeper and find that the Single Wing has actually belonged to the Chiefs’ short-yardage plan for several years. Back in 2023, Rashee Rice scored versus the New England Patriots on the precise very same playwith Jerick McKinnon turning the goal to the wingback Rice on a within reverse/counter.Digging much deeper, I found the Chiefs broke out a toy from an old Notre Dame box in Super Bowl LIV versus the 49ers to almost score a goal with Damien Williams. Lined up in a full-house backfield, the Chiefs moved to an out of balance Single Wing development to the. The misleading pre-snap shift diverted the defense’s attention from Williams, who fielded the direct breeze and plunged in between the deals with on a fullback dive from the overload development. The Chiefs did not score on the play, the imaginative usage of a throwback-era play is another example of Reid’s determination to take from the throwback age to put points on the board.With

Single Wing lovers anxiously waiting for Reid’s newest spin on the famous development, the Chiefs’ short-yardage/goal line bundle has actually unexpectedly ended up being must-see tv.

The NFL runs in cycles, with groups going back to old-school methods every couple of seasons. This year, we are seeing a go back to old-school football, with groups accepting more under-center work and heavy workers groupings to start their offenses.Part of the reasoning is to establish the quarterback for success by utilizing the running video game and play-action to decrease aggressive fronts assaulting spaces with different pressures, stunts and video games. Furthermore, the go back to under center work belongs to a larger strategy to require challengers out of the two-high shells protective planners are including, restricting explosive plays from quarterbacks attempting to get in touch with rapid receivers on vertical paths.As groups park their securities in the arena parking area with split-field structures and more protective backs in unique sub-packages, offending planners are countering the soft protection with a run-based tactical plan out of tight end-heavy developments. Last season, the Rams intimidated challengers out of “13” workers since 3 tight ends on the field produced a physical benefit. 2 or 3 tight ends lined up together produce additional running spaces and expose small sub-package protectors who get overwhelmed as run-gap protectors.With offending playcallers blending in standard drop-back or play-action passes from under center on 5-and seven-step drops, the second-level protectors are quickly drawn to the line of skirmish, leaving spaces at intermediate variety for digs and crossers on play-action principles. Offered the “chunk” plays originated from run-action plays, it’s not a surprise more groups are aiming to energize their offenses with old-school developments and run-pass principles.

The numbers reveal the league-wide portion of under-center plays from Week 1 (23.3%), recommending groups will be more devoted to a throwback method than last season (17.6% for all of 2025). Offered the offending fireworks from season openers throughout the league– the 791 points scored connected the all-time record for Week 1– we ought to anticipate more groups to utilize numerous under-center ideas to get their offenses going. As running backs discover more traction plunging in between the deals with on downhill principles (there were 6 100-yard rushes in Week 1), the risk of the run and the effective execution of those principles will make the video game much easier for quarterbacks and playcallers this season.