Analysis Paper 4- Missing in Action

In ESPN Magazine, the article Missing in Action which was written by Seth Wickersham, David Fleming, and Eddie Matz was published on October 20, 2008. This article is about defensive players who discuss how they have had a hard time tackling some of the best players in the NFL. Also, the article has seven reasons that describe how difficult it is for defensive players to tackle.
First, the article mentions some of the best offensive players in the NFL such as Brandon Jacobs, Brandon Marshall, Reggie Bush, etc. The three writers also made a list of the top three players in the NFL that are the best and the worst players as well as the toughest and fastest players in the league. The three writers made five lists that only refer to the top defensive players while the last three refer to the top offensive players. Some of the players that are on the top lists of the defense include Rodney Harrison of the New England Patriots, Boss Bailey of the Denver Broncos, Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys, etc. As for the top offensive players that are on the list, they include Marion Barber and Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys, Jeremy Shockey of the New Orleans Saints, etc. The writers listed these individuals because they have had a big impact on the NFL, and they put some fear into both offensive and defensive players around the league. Therefore, this list supports the writers’ article since the NFL has become a popular sport in America.
The second thing that the three writers use to illustrate the title of the article is that they came up with seven reasons why defenders can’t stop offensive players. The reasons are explained in detail about certain players, and they have a few quotes from the defensive players who responded to the reasons based on how they would tackle a player and what they could do to improve their game. For example, the writers used Brandon Marshall as an example to explain the first reason, mobility, because Marshall has the ability to get around defenders and catch the football through the center of the defense without any defenders near him to make a tackle. Also, the writers use the West Coast offense as one of the reasons because this offense is designed for quick plays that will cause the defense to be off- balance and react at a slower pace than normal. Therefore, the West Coast offense can make defenders miss tackles.
Another thing the writers used to explain the title of the article was the problem of not practicing as a pro athlete. Basically, the writers asked defensive players what would happen if they did not practice everyday to prepare for a game. For example, the writers asked Colts’ defensive tackle, Dwight Freeney why it is important to practice on how to tackle a player. Freeney simply told them that if they did not learn how to tackle a player, then they would not perform to the best of their abilities and would miss a clean tackle during a game. The writers also include Mother Nature as reason why defenders can’t stop players. The writers illustrated this by referring to the 2007 NFC Championship at Green Bay when the temperature was below zero degrees and the football field itself was like a giant block of ice. Both the Giants and the Packers had a difficult time moving the football down the field, and they had trouble tackling players due to the extreme cold. Basically, this example shows why it is difficult for defenders to tackle. Therefore, Mother Nature can have a negative impact on the game for both teams because of the brutal temperatures and their inability to adjust to the harsh conditions.
The final reason that the writers use to show why it is difficult for defenders to tackle is that the NFL’s policies are constantly changing year after year. The writers use a timeline that shows a list of rules that are applied to the defenders which gives them a disadvantage. For example, the rule about horse-collar tackling came into effect in 2005 because too many athletes have had neck injuries that paralyze players for life. Therefore, this rule has a big impact on defenders because they can’t tackle a player by grabbing him by the back of his pads.
Finally, the writers asked players how they try to tackle a player. Some of the responses have been interesting because each defender gave an answer about his own method on how to tackle. For example, Texans linebacker, DeMeco Ryans said that, “In today’s game, you’re almost never in the position to make the clean-form tackle you’re taught in drills” (ESPN 47). Ryans then gave the writers some valuable information for defenders on how to tackle. The three important guidelines that Ryans uses every game are anticipation, roll with the play, and always have a plan for your hands. Basically, these guidelines are what help improve Ryans’ tackling which will make him a better player. Therefore, these reasons support the title of the article and add credibility for all three writers.
In this writer’s opinion, the article is well presented and well written for a few reasons. One reason is that the seven reasons illustrate how defenders have a difficult task just to make a tackle, avoid getting penalized, and learning to adjust to different weather conditions. In other words, defenders must make a lot of adjustments and improvements so that they won’t be humiliated for missing a tackle.
Another reason why this article is well written is that the writers use recognizable players that sports writers and fans know simply by how they play the game of football. Basically, the writers came up with a list of the best offensive and defensive players in the NFL and what they do during a football game. Therefore, using key players allows the reader to know what position they play and for what team they play.
The final reason why this writer believes that the article is well- presented is that the writers use images of players. The images show a defender trying to tackle a player forcing that player to lose the football. Basically, the defender is trying to strip the football out of the player’s hands. Therefore, the images can make readers look at the players and possibly take interest in reading the article.
After reading this article, this writer thinks that Wickersham, Fleming, and Matz did an excellent job writing a story about current NFL players and what skills they bring to the football field. Therefore, this article could teach young football players how to make a clean tackle and not be “missing in action.”