Guide to Biomechanical Efficiency Part 2

(if you haven’t already, you can read part 1 of this series by clicking here)

Mammalian Development

Mammalian development can be seen as a microcosm of tetrapod evolution.  Mammals begin life as fertilized eggs– as do fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.  At the earliest stages of fetal development, mammals appear like tadpoles (amphibians) with buds for limbs.

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Guide to Biomechanical Efficiency Part 1

The following guide will attempt to explain what exactly is meant by the term “biomechanical efficiency”. Since this is a complex topic that requires far more space than is available here, the guide will be a simplified explanation, broken down into three parts: part one will introduce the evolution of biomechanics in human ancestors, part two will explore mammalian biomechanics (and how mammals came to dominate most ecosystems), and part three will examine how modern human biomechanics have diverged from those of our ancestors. 

Part One 

In its simplest definition, biomechanical efficiency is a measure of blood-flow– areas that are efficient receive and release blood very quickly on demand, whereas inefficient areas show interrupted or stymied flow.  By a slightly more expanded definition, efficiency is also a measure of musculoskeletal development, lymphatic flow, and muscle response time.  However, what truly determines biomechanical efficiency– and is the biomechanical mesh underlying each of these measures— is the human fascial system.  The fascial system feeds and drains blood/ lymph (and thus supplies oxygen/ removes waste), builds tissues, and provides its own muscular action.  As such, a measure of biomechanical efficiency is actually a measure of fascial development. 

Measuring biomechanical efficiency can be very useful for analyzing, understanding, and predicting the patterns of athletes (particularly NFL players).  The best players show high levels of efficiency in fascial areas most relevant to their playing position, while poor efficiency can be predictive of non-contact injuries and/ or ineffective traits. 

But in order to understand the human fascial system, we first need to understand its evolution.  Beginning with our very first vertebrate ancestors and the common ancestor to all non-insect land animals:

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Biomechanical Review: Dwayne Haskins Update/ Revision

(To see the original top 3 QB article, click here)

When evaluating tape and building biomechanical profiles, there generally comes a point when the profile “clicks”- when predicting the outcome of a play changes from a matter of mystery to a matter of mechanics. While I reached this point with Drew Lock several weeks ago, I never truly reached this point with Dwayne Haskins- when continuing to review his tape, I would still find myself surprised with the outcome of certain plays. Given that I had carefully mapped 5 out his 6 major areas (anterior cervical/ thoracic/ lumbar and posterior thoracic/ lumbar), it was therefore clear that I had to focus my attention on Haskins’ posterior cervical area if I were to reach a satisfying biomechanical catharsis.

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Large-Scale Trends and the 2018 Season (part 2)

(part 1 of this two-part season review can be found here)

While anterior-dominant wide receivers such as Emmanuel Sanders, Corey Davis, and Tyler Boyd bounced back from injury-induced inefficiency in recent seasons (and pretty much every anterior-dominant WR saw at least some boost in productivity), arguably the biggest beneficiary of recent rules changes has been pass-catching anterior-dominant RBs.  The combination of the rule banning tackling defenseless receivers with the rule removing the helmet tackle has made stopping these RBs (the most dominant being Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley) extremely difficult. In previous eras, these two RBs would likely have been confined to 3rd downs- their lacking posterior lumbar efficiency (run power) makes them ineffective at pushing the pile, and on short catches they would have absorbed many damaging hits.  However, first the removal of hits to defenseless receivers, and now the removal of the helmet tackle, has made these types of players extremely productive every-down players (and able to sustain the hits). While they may not push the pile or grind out consistent 4 yds gains, their short-area quickness and pass-catching versatility make them indispensable offensive playmakers in the post-2017 era.

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Large-Scale Trends and the 2018 NFL Season (part 1): Revenge of the Ants

The 2018 NFL offseason saw some of the most impactful rules changes in recent memory. The new rules reversed years of NFL biomechanical trends. Scoring was vastly increased, while injuries decreased. In combination with other recent rules changes regarding tackling helpless receivers, certain types of players/ offenses benefited disproportionately from these changes, even as all offenses saw their production increase. From a biomechanical standpoint, 2018 saw the return to prominence of the anterior-dominant players- cheekily referred to here as the “Revenge of the Ants”.

Continue reading Large-Scale Trends and the 2018 NFL Season (part 1): Revenge of the Ants