The Art of Smart Football

by Chris B. Brown

Masterfully blending thought provoking analysis with engrossing storytelling, The Art of Smart Football examines football’s most innovative and enduring strategies and ideas, through the lens of the sport’s best coaches and players. The Art of Smart Football is an eye-opening, fascinating and accessible contribution to our understanding of America’s favorite sport. The Art of Smart Football features analysis of football's top strategists and schemes,

Pete Carroll's aggressive defense Chip Kelly's spread offense and new-school methods The roots of Bill Belichick's defensive genius Gus Malzahn's up-tempo offense The strategies Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers use to shred defenses Art Briles and Baylor's wide open attack Nick Saban's defensive evolution

The book also includes explorations of the newest trends in football, including "packaged plays" that combine runs and passes into one play, "pattern match" defenses that blend man-to-man and zone pass coverages, how defenses are responding to the spread offense, and much more.



Praise for The Art of Smart

"The Art of Smart Football made me a smarter football writer . . . Football, as presented by these coaches and by Brown, is such an imaginative game. It’s a great Go buy it." -- Peter King, The MMQB/Sports Illustrated

"A must read if you are a football junkie." -- Trent Dilfer, ESPN/13-year NFL Veteran Quarterback

"The best analysis in the game today."-- Rolling Stone

"Awesome stuff. I recommend The Art of Smart Football to any coach or fan." -- Matt Bowen, ESPN Columnist/NFL Veteran

"When Chris B. Brown releases a book, you should buy it."-- Bill Barnwell, Grantland/ESPN

"A deep dive into football. Highly recommended."-- Field Yates, ESPN

"The Art of Smart Football is a perfect read for anyone looking to take their knowledge of the game up a notch."-- ElevenWarriors.com

Genres: Sports, Football, Nonfiction

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2015

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a lot of fun--and educational, too. The book speaks to the evolution of the passing game and the major schools thereof (e.g., West It also speaks Coast offense). The volume also speaks to defensive elements, such as Nick Saban's approach as well as Bill Belichek. Both college and professional football are catalogued.

We learn about Baylor's high octane offense, different defensive schemes, and learn quite a bit about the language used by coaches.

I've bee following football since first grade (in the days of Ed Brown and Harlan Hill of the Chicago Bears). I wish I had had access to this work many years ago!

Lots of fun AND educational. . . .

[Matt Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was expecting, but still entertaining and insightful. I was expecting more of an in-depth dive into different football strategies, but what I was met with instead were a collection of stories and narratives about different innovative coaches. Through this perspective, Brown then dived into the actual strategies schematically that set the program apart. In this way, I gained a lot of beginning knowledge about a lot of different systems, and it was all in an easy-to-read and enjoyable way. I don't know how impressionable the knowledge actually was though, most chapters were too short for me to feel like I actually learned a lot or enough to commit it to long term memory. Will need to re-read more thoroughly again sometime.

(Note: Actually began reading this book sometime in 2018, but got distracted and never finished it. Finished in 2019)

[Matt Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of technical football knowledge packed into a short, easily accessible book. This made me realize how much of the game I don't understand and how there is so much about football that you cannot learn by just watching the game on TV.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little opening day reading. Pretty high level but some good tidbits on play design and scheme evolution. Definitely dated but still has some timeless bits of information.

[Adam Hawkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a football fan, either college or pro, you will love this short, easy to read book. Getting insights on how a defense/offense adapts over time, the little tweaks made by the innovators of the game even how high school football tactics end up being used in the NFL, you'll get all that and more. Great use of diagrams by the author, really gives you an idea of what is (supposed) to happen on the field.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for football nerds!

I greatly enjoyed Chris Brown's deep dive into football theory and tactics. With each chapter, I learned new tendencies to look for on Sundays. Before reading this book, I was pretty "meh" about the upcoming season (with all the scandals and whatnot). Now I'm not quite as "meh"!

[Ben Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light, entertaining read on football strategy - modern day and historical. Brown mixes football ideas with entertaining anecdotes.

[Dan Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unusual read for me, since I have only a casual interest in football.

I fully expected to be intimidated and confused by the Xs and Os of playbooks. There was some of that, but the book is surprisingly readable since it focuses on the stories and philosophies of the coaches.

Eight years after publication the book seems somewhat outdated, since none of the coaches of recent Super Bowl champions are mentioned, nor are the successful new generation of coaches like Shanahan, McKay and McDaniel. It's interesting to note that some of the coaches featured in the book have lost their jobs and their good reputations, like Chip Kelly and Art Briles, though that's more because of failures in their personal conduct than in their play calling.

[Tray Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book. Brown did a fantastic job of explaining football terminology and the history behind several well-known football formations. This book would be a great gift for anyone, especially new or aspiring coaches, wanting to understand football better or any coach who is just trying to get the edge.

[Asher Hour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for beginners

I am pretty new to this sport but want to understand the intricacies and tactics is this sport, as it interests me all the thought that goes into the game, however this book assumes that I already know a lot of stuff and terminology that I don’t. Still, it’s a very good book, and I will reread it after I learn more with more introductory books.

[Matt Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a high-level overview of how historical strategies built modern strategies on defense and offense. It also covers some basic terminology and concepts that many people getting into football analysis will want to know. On top of the terminology, there are diagrams and pictures from specific plays which is great for a visual learner like me.

[Ken Yager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read!

Smart, well written and researched. The author covers a lot of material offensively and defensively. This is a book for someone who wants to know how and why things work in football.

[Jonatan Sotelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Al igual que el otro libro, impecable. Lectura necesaria para entender el desarrollo de nuevos sistemas ofensivos y defensivos en el futbol americano. Corona el libro con un análisis impecable del sistema Belichick. Me encantó.

[Todd Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of us too wimpy to play in high school this book is a great introduction to football strategy. It tells a great story of the evolution and increasing complexity of the game.

The business lesson is that agility requires careful planning, focus, and repetition.

[Jose Miguel Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro que da un vistazo a los proyectos de la NFL y el college football que han impactado el juego y que proveen una ventaja a los equipos que la implementan. Se enriquece uno históricamente pero también obtienen herramientas para analizar el juego actual.

[Jake Gaiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful schematic and philosophical overview of football's most innovative coaches.

[Ashley Kanavy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Reag

Loved this book. Loved how in-depth it was and how it provided a different perspective on the game I love!

[Andreas Riedl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schönes Football Buch, das in kurzen, gut verständlichen Kapiteln, komplexe Zusammenhänge des Spiels und interessante Persönlichkeiten vorstellt. Für jeden Football Fan dadurch eine Bereicherung.

[Will Osgood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy but very joyful read

Goes in-depth but remains easy to understand. It is concise, but also detailed so both novices and "experts" could glean something from it.

[Sabina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot but had to repeatedly ask my husband for several explanations. Definitely fascinating to understand the inticracies of football.

[Jacob Piccatto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting chapters going over the whole life span of the NFL. Last chapter especially was interesting and led me to buy a separate book that further elaborates on the subject.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book of Brown's essays is quite short, and most of these pieces are available online for free, but it's worth reading in book form (and buying, simply to keep this dude in business). Brown was one of the new "how the game is played" experts who worked with the Grantland team, and outside of Zach Lowe, likely the best of them. Brown's production seems to have tapered off in recent years, but I'd like to see him back with the Ringer or some similar publication.

[Chris Kamykowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have recommended to my fellow football coaches and to superfans of the game.

[Bill Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book I had hoped "Blood, Sweat & Chalk" would be. It's sort of an analogy of offensive and defensive concepts, with anecdotal examples.

It not only explains what modern football concepts are and how they work, but it even shows actual diagrams from playbooks. So I learned about the Erhardt-Perkins offenses of the 1970s, the West Coast concepts of the '80s and early '90s, and the modern spread and read-option stuff.

What's great about the book is that it assumes you know a little about football -- so there is no tiresome rudimentary explanation of weak vs strong sides or 3-4s and Tampa 2 defenses. It takes very heady ideas and boils them down into why they work (which is usually mathematics and trickery.) I am looking forward to reading it again at the end of the season.

[Massimo Foglio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chi ama il football non può che dare cinque stelle a questo libro, nel quale vengono spiegate nei dettagli molte cose che l'occhio del semplice tifoso spesso non coglie.
Tattiche, filosofie di gioco, evoluzione degli schemi ed il ciclo continuo che riporta in auge concetti vecchi di decenni, il tutto spiegato in maniera lineare e comprensibile (ovviamente a chi di football ne mastica almeno un po').
Se possibile addirittura migliore del primo libro della serie.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart Football for casual fans

Chris Brown is a great writer who manages to make football strategy accessible to the more casual fan. While Brown's knowledge of various strategies are as strong as anyone else's his work strives to bring the masses in.

If you are somewhat interested in different strategies and their history you should read this. If you're looking for something more comprehensive this probably isn't the book for you. Regardless it's still a very good read.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to get an inside look on the NFL. It reads quick and Chris has a written voice that is easy to digest.
This book has changed the way I watch the game. I am far more engrossed into each play. The downside is I need the ALL-22 view to really enjoy the game. And, announcers really bother me with their pre-packaged statements.

[John A. Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any serious football fan

I have been a football fan for over thirty years and I learned more about football strategy and implementation of ideas and concepts then I have from any other source.

I was amazed I could learn this from a book that can be read in one day

[Złota Pochodnia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not that great. I thought it was going to be a more organized, comprehensive look at football strategies, but it felt very random, with no chronological or other order to hold it all together. The author just picked seemingly random football coaches, gave some history, and touched on some of their ideas without going into detail. Pretty disappointing.

[Addison Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great stuff

I read this to get a better feel for what I am watching on Sunday. Learning the stories and the ideas was a lot of fun and I hope to try and get a feel for what it looks like practically.