Best defensive heads 2021. Top 25 Lacrosse Heads: Comprehensive Guide to the Best Sticks in the Game

What are the top lacrosse heads of all time. Which lacrosse head offers the best performance for attackers. How do defensive lacrosse heads differ from offensive ones. What features should you look for when choosing a lacrosse head.

The Evolution of Lacrosse Heads: From Classics to Modern Marvels

Lacrosse, a sport with deep historical roots, has seen significant advancements in equipment over the years. One of the most crucial pieces of gear is the lacrosse head. As the game has evolved, so too have the designs and technologies incorporated into these essential components. This comprehensive guide delves into the top 25 lacrosse heads, exploring their unique features, strengths, and the impact they’ve had on the sport.

The Importance of a Quality Lacrosse Head

Why is the choice of lacrosse head so critical? A well-designed head can significantly impact a player’s performance, affecting crucial aspects of the game such as:

• Ball control and retention
• Shooting accuracy and power
• Passing precision
• Defensive capabilities
• Face-off success rates

With these factors in mind, let’s explore the top 25 lacrosse heads that have left their mark on the sport.

Versatility Champions: Heads That Excel in Multiple Positions

While many modern lacrosse heads are designed for specific positions, some stand out for their versatility. These heads can be effectively used across different roles on the field, making them valuable assets for players who like to adapt their game.

STX X10: The All-Rounder’s Dream

The STX X10 stands as a testament to versatile design. What makes this head so adaptable? Its balanced construction allows for:

• Effective use in both offensive and defensive positions
• Sufficient stiffness for defensive checks
• Enough flexibility for precise shooting and passing
• Compatibility with both field and box lacrosse

How does the X10 compare to position-specific heads? While it may not excel in any one area to the same degree as specialized heads, its jack-of-all-trades nature makes it an excellent choice for players who find themselves in various roles or those still exploring their ideal position.

STX Proton U: The Underrated Powerhouse

Often overlooked, the STX Proton U deserves recognition for its versatility and durability. What sets this head apart from its flashier counterparts?

• Robust construction suitable for all field positions
• Balanced design allowing for both offensive creativity and defensive stability
• Stringing options that cater to various playing styles

The Proton U’s understated design belies its effectiveness on the field, making it a favorite among players who prioritize performance over aesthetics.

Defensive Dominance: Heads Built for Tough Plays

Defensive players require heads that can withstand the rigors of constant checking and ground ball battles. Several heads have risen to prominence in this category, offering the strength and design features necessary for lockdown defense.

Maverik Tank: The Aptly Named Defensive Juggernaut

True to its name, the Maverik Tank is built like a fortress. What makes this head a favorite among defensive players?

• Exceptional durability to withstand aggressive checks
• Wide face shape for improved interception capabilities
• Reinforced sidewalls to maintain shape under pressure
• Optimal weight distribution for controlled defensive maneuvers

How does the Tank’s design influence defensive play? Its robust construction allows defenders to play with confidence, knowing their equipment can handle the physical demands of the position.

Offensive Weapons: Heads Designed for Scoring

For attackers and midfielders focused on putting points on the board, certain lacrosse heads have become go-to options. These heads prioritize features that enhance ball control, shooting accuracy, and quick release.

Warrior Evo 5: The Offensive Maestro

Considered by many to be one of the greatest offensive heads ever created, the Warrior Evo 5 builds upon its predecessors’ success. What improvements does it offer over the Evo 4?

• Narrower face shape for enhanced ball control
• Extended throat for improved leverage on shots
• Optimized stringing options for customized pocket placement
• Sleek design with attention to aesthetic details, like the injection-molded throat jewel

How does the Evo 5’s design translate to on-field performance? Players often report increased shot velocity and improved accuracy, particularly on quick-release shots from tight angles.

STX Surgeon 10 500: The Precision Instrument

As an update to the original Surgeon line, the STX Surgeon 10 500 addresses previous shortcomings while enhancing strengths. What key improvements does this iteration bring?

• Lighter overall weight for improved maneuverability
• Updated materials for enhanced durability
• Refined stringing options for greater pocket customization
• Sharper design elements for improved aerodynamics

How do these updates affect gameplay? The Surgeon 10 500 allows for quicker stick handling and more precise shot placement, making it a favorite among players who prioritize finesse in their offensive game.

Innovation Leaders: Heads That Changed the Game

Some lacrosse heads earn their place in the top 25 not just for their performance, but for introducing innovative features that pushed the entire industry forward.

Epoch Hawk: Pioneering New Designs

The Epoch Hawk stands out for its departure from traditional lacrosse head designs. What innovations did it bring to the table?

• Unique sidewall design for improved strength-to-weight ratio
• Novel face shape that influenced subsequent head designs
• Integration of advanced materials in construction

How did the Hawk’s innovations impact the lacrosse community? Its unconventional design sparked discussions about head geometry and materials, encouraging other manufacturers to think outside the box in their own designs.

StringKing Mark 1: Mesh Experts Enter the Head Game

When StringKing, known for their high-quality mesh, decided to create a lacrosse head, the result was the Mark 1. What made this head stand out in a crowded market?

• Narrow face shape optimal for box lacrosse and creating a pinched channel
• Designed with stringers in mind, offering versatile pocket options
• Lightweight construction without sacrificing durability

How has the Mark 1 influenced StringKing’s subsequent head designs? Each iteration has built upon the strengths of the original, refining the concept and cementing StringKing’s place in the lacrosse head market.

Face-Off Specialists: Heads Designed for the X

The face-off position requires highly specialized equipment to gain that crucial possession advantage. Certain heads have become legendary in this niche.

Warrior OG Blade: The Face-Off Legend

Few lacrosse heads have achieved the cult status of the Warrior OG Blade among face-off specialists. What made this head so coveted?

• Extremely stiff construction for maintaining shape during face-offs
• Optimal flex points for quick clamps
• Durable design capable of withstanding the intense pressure of repeated face-offs

Why has the OG Blade remained popular even after being discontinued? Its effectiveness at the X created a legacy that newer face-off heads are still measured against, with many players seeking out original OG Blades for their proven performance.

The Future of Lacrosse Heads: Emerging Trends and Technologies

As lacrosse continues to evolve, so too do the heads used in the sport. What trends are shaping the future of lacrosse head design?

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing

How are new materials influencing lacrosse head performance? Manufacturers are exploring:

• Carbon fiber reinforcements for increased strength and reduced weight
• Thermoplastic composites that offer improved durability and consistency
• 3D printing technologies for rapid prototyping and customization

Position-Specific Optimization

While versatile heads like the STX X10 remain popular, there’s a growing trend towards highly specialized designs. How are manufacturers catering to position-specific needs?

• Face-off heads with asymmetrical designs for improved clamping
• Defensive heads with reinforced throats and sidewalls for aggressive checking
• Offensive heads with precisely engineered release points for accuracy

As the sport continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more specialized and technologically advanced lacrosse heads entering the market, each pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on the field.

Choosing the Right Lacrosse Head: Factors to Consider

With so many excellent options available, how can players select the best lacrosse head for their needs? Consider the following factors:

• Playing position and style
• Level of competition
• Personal preferences for weight and balance
• Stringing requirements
• Budget constraints

By carefully evaluating these aspects and understanding the strengths of different head designs, players can make informed decisions that enhance their performance on the field.

The world of lacrosse heads is diverse and ever-evolving, with each design offering unique benefits to players. From versatile all-rounders like the STX X10 to specialized tools like the Warrior OG Blade, there’s a perfect head for every player and playing style. As the sport continues to grow and technology advances, we can look forward to even more innovative designs that push the boundaries of what’s possible in lacrosse.

Explaining the Top 25 Lacrosse Heads

It’s not easy, but I’ve embarked on explaining my top-25 lacrosse heads of all time.

How many years have you played lacrosse? 

How many different heads have you used? 

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How many have you loved, and how many have you hated? 

Over the years of playing, I have compiled my personal list of the top-25 lacrosse heads. Some of these are new, and some not so much. All are totally opinion based from both using these heads in games or stringing them up for friends and teammates. I should also add that these are in no particular order as I would have too many close ties. I hope you’ll find a few on here that maybe you too have liked or used in the past. Maybe you’ll even see your all-time favorite on this list. 

Now to present my top-25 lacrosse head list…

Tucker La Belle’s Top 25 Lacrosse Heads

25: STX Proton U

Quite possibly the most-underrated head on this entire list. If you ever owned one of these, you know why it made it in here. A work horse of a head that had no flashy elements yet could be used by almost any position, if strung correctly.

24: Maverik Tank

Let’s just say it wasn’t called the Tank for no reason. Maverik’s prime defensive offering for a long time brought durability and strength to a well-designed defensive head.

23: Epoch Hawk

The original head from Epoch that introduced a different sidewall design and face shape compared to many other lacrosse heads of the time. This one gets on the list for innovation and development. 

22: Warrior Rabil 2X

The only player signature head I will likely ever mention in a favorite list of any kind. This head was just a classic for many players during the big era of Rabil being with Warrior. I can remember a lot of players in high school using these heads and particularly liking the weight and design elements. It says something if Rabil continued using this head after separating from Warrior. Again, just a well-built head.

21: Maverik Centrik U

To me, he Centrik U was one of the best Maverik lacrosse heads to be released. I found this head to be very durable and had just enough stringing holes to have some options. I appreciate that this head was simple yet well built without adding too many fancy design elements. 

20: ECD Rebel Offense

I personally haven’t used one of these, but I have strung a few with complete ease. I love having a company that appreciates stringing jump into the head game and think about how a head will string up.

19: STX Surgeon 10 500

The update that was needed to the Surgeon, from lighter weight to different material. This version of the Surgeon brought the head into the modern era with sharper design elements and better stringing options. 

18: STX X10

Simply put, the STX 10 was a very solidly-built head. I’ve seen it on the offensive head pinched in the box game, and I’ve seen poles using it in the field game. Versatile, well built, and an all-time classic without question.

Lacrosse heads today are often designed for ONE position, and that’s cool, but what are the best heads for ANY position (outside of goalie of course)?

My pick would probably be the old STX X10.

What’s yours?

— Connor Wilson (@ConnorWilsonLAS) February 28, 2019

17: Nike Lakota 2

My personal favorite updated version of the Nike Lakota. The Lakota 2 brought an X-spec legal-face shape and a bulked-up throat. While the bulked up throat may seem like just a minor update I found it to add quite a bit of stability to the head.

16: Warrior Evo 5

The GOAT? Pretty close, in my opinion. A close tie between the Evo 5 and Evo 4 for me, but I loved the development and thought put into the Evo 5. The addition of a bit narrower face shape and longer throat made the Evo 5 quite the offensive weapon. I will also add the throat jewel was very clean with what looks to be injection-molded plastic.  

15: True Temper HZDRUS

One of the newer lacrosse heads on this list but what I believe will become a classic over the years. A face shape that seems to be a hybrid of an Under Armour Command and one of my favorites, the Evo 5. If you’re a stringer who likes options for creativity, this may just be the head for you.

14: Stringking Mark 1

This head was the big bid into the lacrosse head game by the mesh giant StringKing. I personally found this head to be particularly good for the box game as it had a more narrow face shape that could easily take a good box pinch. Since the original Mark 1, there have been newer versions released that get better and better each time.

13: Warrior OG Blade

Very little need to describe why this is on the list. It’s a classic and true gem in the history of lacrosse heads. The OG Blade was a weapon of choice for so many FOGOs for so long. It was re-released under a new version several years back but still not the same as the original coveted OG Blade. 

12: STX Stallion

Ah yes, the good ol’ STX Stallion. This head was and still is one of my favorites. From the original version and its different-textured areas to the way it took a nice mid-pocket, this head was sick. Much like the other heads, the Stallion lives on through many updated versions. Most notable of the newer versions in my mind was the Stallion U 550, which complied with newer spec rules and also took a mid-pocket very well. 

11: Under Armour Command X

Now this was a head you either loved or hated. I personally had a special affection for this head as it was durable, easy to string, and dyed quite well, in my experience. This updated version of the Command was also a major improvement on the original, which featured a much more matte finish plastic and had some warping/pinching issues over time.

10: Nike Lakota

The original Lakota was a major bid in the lacrosse game for Nike. It came in several colors, including a volt (neon yellow) colorway that players seemed to particularly like. While it had its durability issues over time, it was still a major head at the time. The updates made to newer versions have even further cemented the Lakota series in the lacrosse world. 

9: STX Surgeon

As we know now, there are many many versions of the STX Surgeon that have been released over the years. From the X6 spec to the Surgeon 900, Surgeon heads have always been an lacrosse attackman’s dream. The original Surgeon had a very sharp and aggressive face shape that featured a heavier smooth plastic build. It was a tight face shape that flared up at the top, allowing for a lot of ball control before the X-spec heads kicked in. It was especially lethal with two U shooters and a nylon.

8: STX Super Power

I can’t lie to you: the first time I saw a Super Power, I thought it was the strangest-looking head I had ever seen. It had a strange futuristic look to it with a very short throat and limited stringing holes. Despite these unusual design attributes, it became a quick classic for many players at the time. While it had its stringing challenges, it was a very trustworthy head.

7: Maverik Optik U

Maverik has always been known to make quality heads and gear, but one head that I feel gets often overlooked is the Optik U. This head wasn’t flashy or over designed, but it did the job and then some. For a lot of players I know, it was their first U spec head they used. I personally appreciated the face shape and large top string holes for triangle top strings. 

6: STX Hammer

The weapon of choice for so many defenders. A head that allowed for monster checks and easy ground ball battles. When I think of defensive lacrosse heads to include on this list, the Hammer belongs in the top 25 with no questions asked. Like many heads, it has been updated since it’s original release for added durability and less warping; however, the original Hammer is one still used by many players I come across.

5: Brine Clutch X

Easily the best head Brine has ever produced in my mind. I should also note that if I left this head off the list, I have several friends who would immediately remind me I forgot about their favorite head. All jokes aside, the Brine Clutch X held up to the test of time. I can recall seeing these heads used from my early days of playing all the way up to the last several weeks at IBLA Nationals. A truly timeless head. I will also add that the Clutch X carved out a solid section in the game when the college spec heads kicked in as well. 

4: Warrior Evo 4x

While I loved the whole Warrior Evolution series, the 4x has a special place in my heart. This was the ideal head for an attackman for quite a bit of time. It made picking off passes a dream, with a wider X-spec face shape but still had the durability to hold up to major checks. This was also the dream head for a mid/low pocket that allowed for great one-handed cradling.

3: Warrior Noz X

This is a personal classic to me. Back in early high school, my brother and I traded one of these back and forth at least five times. The Noz X is one of those heads every lacrosse gear head has had in their collection at some point or another, so it has to be in the top 25. From the hollowed out sections of this head to cut down weight to the boxy face shape that took U shooters so well, this head was incredible.

2: Nike CEO

Best name for a lacrosse head award winner? Possibly. The CEO was the coveted gem of faceoff guys and midfielders for such a long time. I can remember players in high school trading three or four heads just to get their hands on one CEO. This head brought a new aggressive face shape to the game that many players loved. I still see many original CEOs floating around. 

1: Gait Torq

A true classic that belongs on anyone’s top lacrosse heads list. The original Gait Torq dominated the box and field game with its unusual but loveable design. From the amount of sidewall holes to the bulked up throat, this is a head for the history books.

Defensive line rankings entering the 2021 NFL season | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics

While we at PFF have made the argument that coverage is more valuable than pass rush, elite pass rushers are more reliable from year to year than elite coverage defenders. The defensive line is at the center of both the pass-rushing unit and the run-defense unit. As a result, it’s difficult to field a great defense with a below-average defensive line.

Here are PFF’s top defensive lines heading into the 2021 NFL season, with 3-4 outside linebackers included since they fall under the edge defender label.

View PFF’s 2021 position rankings: 
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DI | EDGE | LB | SCB | OCB | S

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

One would think that Pittsburgh’s defensive line is slated to take a step back after replacing Bud Dupree with Alex Highsmith. But that step might not be as large as many expect. Highsmith finished his rookie season with a higher pass-rush win rate (16.5%) than Dupree (13.7%) last year. He joins a group that already features T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu, all of whom made PFF’s list of the top 32 players at their respective positions entering the 2021 NFL season. That group will look to match a league-leading 45.1% pressure rate in 2020.

2. Washington Football Team

When a team invests four consecutive first-round picks into one unit, this is the result they’re hoping for. Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat and Chase Young all look to be impact starters through the early stages of their NFL careers. Allen and Sweat, in particular, took clear steps forward last season. 

Allen’s 2020 campaign was somewhat overshadowed by Washington’s starting edge tandem, but he was excellent when rushing the passer. His 17.1% pass-rush win rate was a top-10 mark among all interior defenders. Matt Ioannidis and Tim Settle provide the Football Team additional interior pass-rushing threats beyond the starters, as well.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

General manager Jason Licht managed to bring back every starter from last year’s championship team this offseason. That includes key players along the defensive front in Shaquil Barrett and Ndamukong Suh. It was a unit that played both the run and pass at an elite level in 2020. The Buccaneers ranked fifth in the NFL in team pressure rate (37.1%) and first in rushing yards allowed before contact per attempt (1.0). Those numbers could even improve with a healthy season from Vita Vea in 2021.   

4. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams don’t have the same quality of depth as the other top-five defensive lines in these rankings. But does it matter when they boast the single most disruptive force in the NFL? Aaron Donald’s 456 pressures over the past five seasons are 86 more than any other defender despite the fact that he saw a consistent barrage of double and triple teams. The attention he commands frees up other players to enjoy career years, as Dante Fowler Jr. and Leonard Floyd can attest. Los Angeles will have to replace Michael Brockers, whose 5,658 regular-season snaps since joining the Rams in 2012 rank ninth among all players at the position.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia’s defensive line has consistently been one of the NFL’s best at generating pressure without blitzing. That was the case again last season, as the Eagles were one of just two teams with a pressure rate above 40% without the aid of the blitz. 

The Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham pairing has been at the core of the unit for nearly a decade, but Javon Hargrave’s addition in free agency last offseason gives Philadelphia another player on the interior who offenses must contend with on passing downs. Hargrave ranks in the 91st percentile of qualifying interior defenders in pass-rushing grade since 2019. 

6. Chicago Bears

Despite what his sack totals in recent seasons may suggest, Khalil Mack is still the NFL’s most dominant edge defender on a snap-for-snap basis. He was the most valuable edge defender in the league last season by PFF’s Wins Above Replacement metric, and he holds the same title across his three seasons with the Bears.

The unit loses Roy Robertson-Harris and Brent Urban heading into 2021 but returns nose tackle Eddie Goldman from an opt-out. Goldman’s run-defense grade across the 2018 and 2019 seasons ranked in the 92nd percentile among all players at the position.

7. New York Jets

The Jets were not a good football team in 2020. But they did have several promising seasons from young defensive linemen, namely Quinnen Williams, Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers. Those three all finished among the top 35 interior defenders in the NFL in overall grade last season.

New York proceeded to add Sheldon Rankins, Vinny Curry and Carl Lawson to the group in free agency, placing an emphasis on improving the unit. Lawson should provide much-needed pass-rushing ability off the edge. No edge defender graded higher as a pass rusher on true pass-rushing snaps than him in 2020.

New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) and cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) celebrate after a quarterback sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

8. New Orleans Saints

Last offseason, Trey Hendrickson’s departure wouldn’t have represented a major loss. But it does now after his 50-pressure, breakout season in 2020. Whether the unit misses a beat in 2021 relies on Marcus Davenport’s health, which has been the opposite of reliable for much of his NFL career. 

Davenport has impressed when at full strength over the past two seasons, though. He ranks in the 82nd percentile of players at the position in pass-rush grade and in the 88th percentile of edge defenders in run-defense grade since 2019. The Saints need that performance over the course of a full season opposite the always-reliable Cameron Jordan.   

9. San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco’s defensive line went from borderline unblockable in 2019 to underwhelming in 2020. That’s to be expected after the team traded away one of the NFL’s best interior defenders (DeForest Buckner) and was without Nick Bosa and Dee Ford for all but 80 combined defensive snaps in 2020 because of injury. Bosa and Ford’s return to play alongside Arik Armstead could give the 49ers one of the best edge rotations in the NFL. San Francisco will also need Javon Kinlaw (54.1 PFF grade as a rookie) to make a second-year jump to get back toward the elite group we saw two years ago.

10. Denver Broncos

Von Miller recently said he’s “still running around here beating everybody’s ass” when discussing his return to form from an ankle injury that kept him out of the 2020 season.

The Broncos could very well have the best edge duo in the NFL with Bradley Chubb and Miller if Miller does return to 100%. But that’s a big ask, as he’s 32 years old. In 2019, he earned a sub-90.0 PFF season grade (79.3) for the first time in his career, ending an absurd stretch of dominance. Even with Miller at a level or two below his peak, Denver has a lot of talent up front. Shelby Harris, coming off an 88.3 overall grade in 2020, is one of the more underrated interior defenders in the NFL.   

11. Cleveland Browns

Jadeveon Clowney has seemingly gone from being overrated to underrated in the span of a few seasons. Injuries hindered his impact in stops with Seattle and Tennessee, but he has still been disruptive when healthy. Across the past five seasons, Clowney ranks in the 86th percentile at the position in pass-rushing grade and in the 97th percentile in run-defense grade. Clowney’s presence should keep teams from focusing all of their attention on Myles Garrett, creating more one-on-one opportunities for both players. 

Jordan Elliott is a name to watch in his second season out of Missouri. He earned PFF grades of at least 85.0 in each of his final two college seasons and could earn a more prominent role on Cleveland’s defensive line in 2021.        

12. Arizona Cardinals

Between Chandler Jones, J.J. Watt and Markus Golden, the Cardinals have an impressive collection of players who can win off the edge. All three have recorded at least 250 pressures since 2015 despite significant stretches of missed time due to injuries. The questions for Arizona arise on the interior, where Watt should see more time than he has in the past few seasons with Houston. Jordan Phillips did not make the kind of impact the Cardinals hoped for in 2020, earning a 54.4 overall grade before a hamstring injury cut his season short.   

13. Green Bay Packers

Kenny Clark and Za’Darius Smith are tremendous individual talents. They rank eighth and seventh, respectively, in PFF WAR at their positions since the start of the 2019 season. But Green Bay’s surrounding pieces keep this unit from ranking inside the top 10. Rashan Gary did raise his overall grade from 55.8 as a rookie to 68.1 last season, though. The Packers will need continued improvement from him next season opposite Smith.     

14. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings’ defensive line ended up as one of the NFL’s worst in 2020. The group ranked 30th in expected points added allowed per run play and had the lowest pressure rate in the league both with and without blitzing. The 2021 version should look significantly different — Danielle Hunter and Michael Pierce are expected to return from injury and an opt-out, respectively. Minnesota also brought in Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. 

Pierce and Tomlinson both rank in at least the 83rd percentile of interior defenders in run-defense grade over the past four seasons. The recent addition of Sheldon Richardson also gives them a more viable pass-rushing threat on the interior than either Pierce or Tomlinson. It still remains to be seen whether they have enough pass rush outside of what Hunter is able to provide.   

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) rushes the quarterback during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Bank of America Stadium. Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

15. New England Patriots

The Patriots’ defensive line and linebackers were problem areas last season. The team had few players who could create consistent true pressure while fielding one of the worst defenses in the league against the run. New England invested heavily in improving that group this offseason, adding Matthew Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Davon Godchaux, Henry Anderson, Montravius Adams, Christian Barmore and Ronnie Perkins across free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft. It should be a much-improved unit heading into next season.

16. Carolina Panthers

Youth is the theme across Carolina’s defense. The defensive line is no exception, with the Panthers expected to start Brian Burns, Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos next season. Brown and Gross-Matos still have plenty of room to grow heading into 2021, but Burns already began to show signs of becoming one of the NFL’s elite pass rushers last year. He improved his pass-rushing grade from 68.7 in an injury-plagued rookie season to 86.9 in 2020. The next step will be adding more of a power element to complement his high-end burst and bend.  

17. Buffalo Bills

A.J. Epenesa, Gregory Rousseau and Carlos Basham Jr. all represent added youth and depth to the Bills’ edge defender rotation. However, their 2021 contributions may be limited due to Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison still being in place as the starters at defensive end. Hughes might be one of the more underrated edge rushers in the league based on sack totals. He hasn’t recorded double-digit sacks in a season since 2014, but he ranks in the 81st percentile of all players at the position in pass-rush win rate over the six years since.

Part of the reason Buffalo ranks merely in the middle of the pack here is that Ed Oliver hasn’t produced to the level the Bills expected when they selected him in the top 10 of the 2019 NFL Draft. He earned just a 30.0 run-defense grade in 2020.  

18. New York Giants

Dalvin Tomlinson won’t be easily replaced in the middle of New York’s defensive line. Luckily for the Giants, the interior defensive line was their deepest position group last year. Leonard Williams (79.8 PFF grade in 2020) and Dexter Lawrence (79.7) remain one of the best inside duos in the NFL. The concerns begin to arise on the edge. New York’s top four pressure producers in 2020 were all interior defenders. A lot of weight will fall on the shoulders of second-round pick Azeez Ojulari as he looks to contribute early in his NFL career.    

19. Indianapolis Colts

DeForest Buckner was everything Indianapolis hoped he would be last season. He earned a career-high 89.6 overall grade in 2020 and was the sixth-most valuable interior defender in the league, according to PFF WAR. And due to the Colts’ inexperience on the edge, he may need to carry the unit next season. Indianapolis will be relying on rookie Kwity Paye and several players yet to produce at a high level in starting roles (Al-Quadin Muhammad, Tyquan Lewis, Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu and Isaac Rochell). 

20. Los Angeles Chargers

Joey Bosa may be the best non-Aaron Donald pass rusher in the NFL. His 22.0% pass-rush win rate since entering the league in 2016 is second to only Donald (23.4%). Bosa’s rate was even higher last season (23.5%) than his career average. Aside from that one-man wrecking crew, this defensive line has clear concerns heading into 2021. Jerry Tillery has been the least valuable defensive lineman in the NFL over the past two seasons, worth -0.22 wins above a replacement-level player over that span. Los Angeles will hope new head coach Brandon Staley can get the most out of the former first-round pick.  

21. Baltimore Ravens

Much of the Ravens’ pass-rushing success in recent years has been a function of scheme rather than individual talent. And Baltimore lost two of its best individual pass rushers — Yannick Ngakoue and Matthew Judon — in free agency this offseason. 

The trio of Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams and Derek Wolfe on the interior is an impressive collection of run-stuffers, though. All three ranked in the 83rd percentile or better at the position in run-defense grade last season. 

22. Kansas City Chiefs

Clearly, this is not where a team paying two defensive linemen north of $20 million would like to be ranked. Chris Jones has matched his contract with elite production. The only interior defensive linemen worth more wins above replacement than Jones last season were Aaron Donald and Cam Heyward. 

Frank Clark, on the other hand, has not, earning PFF grades of 63.3 and 54.3 in his two seasons with the team. His inability to play up to the level he performed at in Seattle has left Kansas City thin along the defensive line beyond Jones, even after the team signed Jarran Reed this offseason. 

23. Tennessee Titans

The Titans paid Bud Dupree and Denico Autry a combined $23.7 million per year to improve this unit heading into the 2021 season. They needed more of a pass-rushing presence after ranking 29th in the NFL in team pressure rate a season ago. Their best defensive lineman — Jeffery Simmons — graded over 10 points higher as a run defender than as a pass rusher in 2020.

Dupree will be asked to pick up a lot of that slack, but his pass-rushing stats didn’t always accurately reflect his level of play in Pittsburgh. He was the beneficiary of a favorable defensive environment where teammates drew much of the attention from opposing offensive lines. It’ll be a different story in Tennessee, putting more pressure on Dupree to elevate his play.

Lions defensive end Trey Flowers. Credit: © Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

24. Detroit Lions

Detroit’s defensive line unit finished the 2020 season ranked 30th in PFF grade, ahead of only the Vikings and Texans. Several offseason additions on the interior — such as Michael Brockers, Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill — along with the return of a healthy Trey Flowers should improve matters in 2021, but the Lions still have a ways to go to get back to average. 

It’s easy to forget, given how bad Detroit’s defense has been these past two seasons, that Flowers is one of the better defensive linemen in the league when healthy. He is coming off four straight seasons with overall grades of at least 80.0.    

25. Cincinnati Bengals

It’s not often that a team signs a defensive end to a four-year, $60 million contract in the offseason and gets worse at the position. We saw it this offseason in Cincinnati. Trey Hendrickson will likely be a downgrade from Carl Lawson, considering what he accomplished as a pass rusher last season. D.J. Reader‘s return should give Cincinnati a major boost on the interior, though. He recorded a career-high 85.4 PFF grade back in 2019 with Houston before injuries cut his 2020 Cincinnati debut short after just five games. 

26. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders have struggled to generate any kind of pass rush for years now. The addition of Yannick Ngakoue and his 80th-percentile pass-rushing grade since 2017 should help in that department. Ngakoue, Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby at least give Las Vegas an intriguing mix of young edge rushers. But the Raiders are thin on the interior. Johnathan Hankins, Quinton Jefferson and Solomon Thomas as the top three options on the defensive tackle depth chart form one of the weaker interior groups in the league following Maurice Hurst‘s release.  

27. Dallas Cowboys

Randy Gregory will have an opportunity to finally put it all together as the starting left edge defender in Dan Quinn’s new defense in Dallas. The first six years of his NFL career have featured up-and-down play and extended suspensions, but he was playing the best football of his career down the stretch of 2020, earning an 80.5 overall grade on his 270 defensive snaps. He still needs to show he can play up to that level as a starter over the course of an entire season.

While Dallas’ edge group features some promise, the team needs several interior players to take big steps forward. The Cowboys allowed 2.3 rushing yards before contact per attempt in 2020 — a half yard more than any other defense in the NFL. 

28. Miami Dolphins

A team can lean more on the blitz when its starting cornerbacks are Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. Miami did just that, blitzing at a top-five rate of 41.2%. The Dolphins still ranked only 14th in team pressure rate, in part because there aren’t many above-average pass rushers on their roster. Emmanuel Ogbah was their most productive pass rusher in 2020, but even he finished the year with only a 64.5 pass-rushing grade. 

First-round rookie Jaelan Phillips could begin to change that next season, coming off an 86.6 PFF grade last season at the University of Miami.   

29. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks’ inability to generate pressure with their defensive line last season, especially early in the year, became a national storyline. Safety Jamal Adams led the team in total pressures (25) through the first 13 weeks of the 2020 campaign. Seattle has made several additions to help alleviate those issues, starting with trading for Carlos Dunlap in 2020 and signing Kerry Hyder this offseason. This group’s success next season will largely depend on the impact of younger players such as L.J. Collier, Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson.

The Seahawks will also need to replace Jarran Reed at the 3-technique position, but they’re without any candidates they should feel comfortable with as things stand. Poona Ford could receive more time there in 2021. 

Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) runs the ball against Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson (45) during the first half at TIAA Bank Field. Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson have the tools to develop into a dynamic edge-rushing duo, but 2021 may still be a year too early for that to take hold. Allen has already proven to be an effective pass rusher across the first two years of his career, earning pass-rushing grades between 70.0 and 75.0 in both 2019 and 2020. Chaisson came on stronger down the stretch last season but recorded just a 9.2% pressure rate overall. With work still left to do for those two and little to get excited about on the interior, this should be one of the lower-graded units in the league again next season.

31. Atlanta Falcons

This ranking doesn’t feel fair to Grady Jarrett. He’s been the sixth-most valuable interior defensive lineman in the NFL over the past four years, per PFF WAR. There just isn’t much around him on Atlanta’s defensive line. Dante Fowler Jr.’s first year with the team was nowhere near what the Falcons were expecting when they signed him to a multi-year deal last offseason. He recorded a run-defense grade below 40.0 and a pressure rate well below 10% for the season.

The Falcons will be eager to see better seasons from both Fowler and a healthy Marlon Davidson in his second season after he earned a 58.1 grade on just over 100 snaps as a rookie.

32. Houston Texans

Houston’s defensive line ranked dead last in overall PFF grade as a unit (47.0) in 2020. And that was despite J.J. Watt earning an 85.4 overall grade on over 1,000 defensive snaps. Things aren’t getting any better with Watt no longer in town. The Texans will need younger players, such as Charles Omenihu (52.1 overall grade in 2020) and Ross Blacklock (30.2), to take big steps forward if their defensive line is to be anything other than the NFL’s worst such unit again next season.  

6 Best Defensive Lacrosse Heads for the Defensive Player.

One of the key roles of a lacrosse defensive player is preventing the offensive players from scoring goals. He must be adept at passing fast shots and intercepting passes from the offensive players. To effectively deliver during a lacrosse game, the defensive player needs a lacrosse head suited to his playing position.  Using the best defensive lacrosse heads helps the lacrosse defensemen to scoop and control ground balls with ease. The wide face, deep pockets, and strength to weight ratio of the defensive heads enable the defensive players to perform well.

This article focuses on the six best defensive lacrosse heads. The specifications, advantages and disadvantages of each defensive head were also discussed.

When and why do you need a defensive head?

In a lacrosse game, the key players are the defensemen, attackers, midfielders and goalkeepers. These lacrosse players require different types of lacrosse heads to perform their respective roles. A defensive lacrosse player needs to be able to react quickly to the playing conditions.

The defensive position demands strength and agility. The heads should be able to sustain an hour of the lax game without breaking. It should also be durable enough to last for several seasons. Hence, defensive heads are built to withstand hard checks, pick-up balls, make passes and knockdown opponent’s shots. Defensive lacrosse heads have wider faces and good stiffness that enable defensemen to perform efficiently.

This is why a defensive player should use a defensive lacrosse head. To get exceptional results, it is advisable to choose the best defensive lacrosse head.

Comparison Table of 6 Best Defensive Lacrosse Heads for defenders

DEFENSIVE LACROSSE HEADS REVIEWS

 This review has been compiled after series of research on the existing defensive lacrosse heads in the market.

Maverik Lacrosse

Rating: 9.6 / 10

The Maverik lacrosse tank head is currently the best choice of the defensive head for lacrosse players.

It has many stringing options that the defenseman can use to customize the pocket position to his preference.  It has a wide face that is perfect for intercepting an opponent’s ball passes. This feature also makes it easy to scoop ground balls.

It has a 4-strut design that impacts stiffness and strength to the head. Its level 5 bottom rail arrangement helps the defensive player to achieve good groundball control and quick release. Its wide face makes picking up groundballs easy for the defensive player.

It includes a True Form technological design which helps it maintain its shape without warping when subjected to hard checks. It has two screw holes that the head is firmly secured and rattle free.

This head complies with NCAA and NFHS rules. Therefore, it is acceptable for all levels of play.

Features

• 4-strut side rail design.
• Weighs 5.5 ounces.
• Multiple stringing holes( 17 stringing holes)
• Wide face.
• Two screw holes.

PROS

• Strong and durable
• Eliminates head rattle.
• Good stiffness.
• It can sustain hard checks without warping or breaking.

CONS

• Poor fit to sticks.
• No bumper.

We highly recommend this lax head for defensive lacrosse players who want to transcend to an advanced level of play. Its wide face, stiffness and technological design makes it a desirable defensive

STX X10 Men’s Lacrosse

 Rating: 9.5 / 10

This head is perfect for lacrosse players regardless of their skill level. https://www.stx.com/mens-lacrosse/team-stx/athlete/michael-ehrhardt MVP of the 2018 championship has made use of this lacrosse head.

Defensive players who want to deliver top-notch performance can use a strong and durable head. Made after the STX XCalibur head, the X10 head is by far, an improvement of the Xcalibur in every area.

This head is fitted on the STX hammer 7000 shafts which are made of 7075 alloys. This makes it strong enough to be subjected to hard checks and playing without breaking. The X10 head has a sandblasted finish that makes it easy on the hands and very comfortable to handle.

The STX trestle sidewalls are designed to make the head very stiff and strong while maintaining a lightweight. It also has many stringing holes that give a wide option of stringing patterns. The scalloped shape of the head makes it easy to pick up ground balls and score goals. Its deep offset allows for mid-high pocket placement.

The STX Forward Cant design makes this defensive head able to retain balls, improves shooting and passing speed.

The STX X10 head meets the specification and standards of the NCAA and NFHS.

Features

• Numerous stringing holes hence many stringing options
• STX trestle sidewall design that confers stiffness and strength.
• Scalloped scoop shape.
• Weighs 5.4 ounces.
• Mid-high pocket placement.
• STX Forward Cant technology.
• Accepted and legal universally.

PROS

• Comfortable on the hands.
• Durable and strong.
• Easy to string.
• Stiff.

CONS

• Expensive.
• Sidewalls can get loose over time.
• Intense checks can cause the head to warp.

This head is built for the intermediate and elite defenders. We strongly recommend it to the defensemen for its durability, pocket options and construction design,

East Coast Dyes Rebel Defense Lacrosse Head

Rating: 9.4 / 10

This head is designed to dominate in a lacrosse game. From delivering hard checks, fast passes to controlling groundball, the ECD rebel head is the dream of every defensive player.  It has an aggressively pinched face with a scoop that picks groundballs effortlessly. This also helps to improve accuracy.

The rebel head is made of hard plastic that can be subjected to intense checks without breaking. It has maximum stiffness which makes it able to not only take but also deliver beatings. It is very durable and can be used for many seasons.

It has many stringing holes, six top stringing holes, four bottom stringing holes and eighteen side-walks. For depth control and ball retention, it has a bottom string that can be adjusted. This head is strung with ECD’s Hero 2.0 mesh which is lightweight and suitable for all weather conditions.

It meets the specification of NCAA and NFHS. This implies that it is legal for use in high schools and college lacrosse games.

Features

• Round shaped scoop.
• Mid pocket.
• Wight of 6.2 ounces.
• Wide face (3.125 inches)
• Many stringingholes.
• Ultra stiffness construction.
• ECD’s Hero 2.0 mesh

PROS

• Easily strung
• Ultra-stiff
• Durable.
• Versatile.
• Can be strung to suit the defenseman’s preferences.

CONS

• The plastic can break easily.

From the features listed above, we agree that this head is a true rebel. Sturdy, stiff with good ball control capabilities, we agree that it is an excellent choice of the lax head for the defensemen.

Brine Lacrosse King II ST

Rating: 9.3 / 10

The wide and stiff head of the Brine lacrosse king II ST is perfect for defensive play. This defensive lax head is designed to be light and can withstand warping or bending.  Plastic material is removed from some areas in this head to achieve it lightweight. Its scoop is built to pick up ground balls from all angles. It can be used in any weather type.

 It has a lock throat feature that keeps the head and handles attachment secured. This feature also eliminates the rattle from the head. 

It fosters good ball control. This can be attributed to its bottom rail design that makes it possible for mid-high pocket placement.

It has vari-flex in its scoop and bottom rail that accounts for consistent performance in any weather condition. It is universally accepted for play both at the high school and college level.

Features

• Core tech technology
• Lock throat mechanism.
• Mid / high pocket.

PROS

• Durable
• Lightweight
• Stiff
• Easy to string.

CONS

• Can be heavier than other defensive heads.

Overall, this is a good choice for the elite defensive player. The durability and stiffness of the head overshadow its high cost as it would last for many seasons without warping.

StringKing Men’s Mark 2D Defense Head Strung

Rating: 9.3 / 10

The Stringking Mark 2D head is built for defense and offense. It incorporates features that it stiff and strong enough. This head is designed using advanced bone-growth optimization software to make it strong and stiff. The head is made lightweight by reducing the number of materials in the low-stress areas.  This is made for a head that can sustain brutal checks and very fast shots. The increased stiffness makes the StringKing Mark 2D efficient and durable.

The scoop of the head is engineered to easily pick up ground balls at any angle. Its wider face shape also helps to increase ball control. 

It has twenty-nine stringing holes and a pinched throat that makes it possible to achieve any pocket preference.

The head is firmly tightened by the means of a two-piece locking bolt that goes through the shaft. This makes the head rattle free.

It is accepted universally. It is compliant with NCAA AND NFHS rules.

FEATURES

• 29 stringing holes.
• Weighs 5.1 ounces.
• A two-piece locking throat screw.
• Pinched throat.
• Ultra stiffness design.

PROS

• No head rattle.
• Lightweight.
• Many stringing holes.
• Very stiff.

CONS

• There have been reports of breaking

We recommend this head for its versatility in two playing positions (offensive and defensive). Its stringing options, wider face and lock throat mechanism make it a powerful weapon in the hands of the defensive player.

STX Lacrosse Hammer U

Rating: 9.2 / 10

This head has many features required by every defensive player.  The hammer U head is a great lacrosse head choice for the defenseman. Its wide face makes it easy to pick and control the ground ball. The head is designed with the c channel technology. The C channel feature provides support and stiffness that helps the head to sustain poke and slap checks. The head distributes stress throughout the bottom rail, making the head flexible and stiff.

The hammer U has 13 stringing holes that affords the defensive player flexibility in stringing up their pockets. It supports the mid to high pocket placement. This head has 3 sidewall braces that deliver more stability to the head. It

The lightweight of the hammer U head is a result of its four-chambered throat design. Excess materials were removed from the head making it light.

This head also incorporates the forward cant technology.

The scoop serves to make the head very stiff. It also improves the head’s ability to withstand hard checks.  

It complies with the rules and standards of NCAA/NFHS.

FEATURES

• 4 chambered throat design.
• C channel technology.
• 3 sidewalls holes
• 13 stringing holes.
• Nine factory colour options.
• STX forward cant Technology.
• Weight of 5.7 ounces.

PROS

• Good strength to weight ratio.
• Durable.
• Does not break easily.
• Good for scooping ground balls.
• Customizable pocket position.
• Good for slap and poke checking.

We recommend the STX Hammer U head a good choice of the lax head for the defensemen. Its lightweight, ground ball control and other features make it a great weapon for the defensive player.

BUYERS GUIDE: BEST LACROSSE HEAD FOR DEFENSE.

Below are some important features that you have to consider before buying the lacrosse head for defenders. It should be noted that the skill and preferences of the defense-men can influence their choice of defensive lax head. However, the players who are new to the game should adhere to standard recommendations in choosing a head.

The Width of the Mouth:

The mouth of the defensive lacrosse head has to be very wide. The lacrosse defender has to catch and control the ground ball to keep the offense team from scoring goals. The wider the mouth of the head, the more chances of possessing the ball.

The Pinch

The space between the sidewalls of the head is called the pinch. A pinched head helps to improve the accuracy of the throw of the defensive player. However, the more pinched a head is, the more difficult it becomes to use it to catch balls. Therefore, the inexperienced defensemen should go for heads with less pinch. The skill level and preference of a defensive lacrosse player would determine how pinched the sidewalls of his lacrosse head can be.

The Sidewalls

The sidewalls refer to the plastic material on the side of the head and pocket. The sidewalls influence the weight and stiffness of the lacrosse head. The more plastic the sidewalls have, the more stiffness and weight the head would have. For defensive lacrosse players, a stiff and heavy head is recommended.

Pocket Placement

Most defensive lacrosse heads prefer high pocket placements. This pocket position helps defensemen to pick up and control ground balls easily. The high pocket positioning allows the defensive player to make quick passes and long clear balls.

The mid pocket is also suited to defensive lacrosse players and other lacrosse players. This pocket position is quite versatile and allows for a quick release of the ball. With the mid pocket, the defenseman can cradle his stick one-handed without worries.

The number of stringing holes

Choose a lacrosse head that has multiple stringing holes. This will allow the defensive player to customize the pocket to his preference.

Durability

Defensive lacrosse players have to deliver brutal checks during games. The head of their stick needs to be strong and durable enough to sustain these checks without warping. Hence it is important to consider the durability of the head under different weather conditions.

Strung Vs. Unstrung Head

Strung heads are manufactured in factories and have fixed pocket positions. These types of heads are perfect for players who do not know how to string their heads without help.

The unstrung heads allow players the freedom of customizing the pocket placement according to their taste. They are usually less expensive than the strung heads.

Consider your ability to string while selecting your defensive lacrosse heads.

High School & College Head Rules

The NCAA (collegiate level) and NFHS (high school level) have similar sets of rules for the lacrosse heads’ specifications.

If you purchase a head-produced year before 2018, you have to make sure they comply with the requirements of these regulatory bodies. They could be illegal according to the new rules by these organizations. If the lacrosse heads are produced after 2018, they are likely to have been designed in accordance with NCAA and NFHS standards. Hence, the heads would be legal for use in a lacrosse game.

The rules for lacrosse heads are

1. The width of the widest part of the head should be at a minimum of six inches.

2. The front section up from the throat of the head should have a minimum width of three and a half inches. The back section up from the throat of the head should have a minimum width of five inches.

3. At the height of three inches from the throat, the minimum width is three inches.

4.  At the height of one and a quarter inches from the throat, the minimum width is three inches.

FINAL THOUGHTS

You need to understand why you want a lacrosse head; your playing position and your expectations.

There are numerous brands of defensive heads available in the market. This can make the process of selecting a head, long and tiresome.

You can use our buyers guide to inform your buying decision. You can also select from our best defensive lacrosse heads guide. This review on the best defensive lacrosse head discussed their features, legality, advantages and disadvantages.

Maverik lacrosse tank head is our top choice for a defensive playing position.

The second best choice is the STX X10 Men’s Lacrosse Head.

StringKing Men’s Mark 2D Defense Head Strung can be used for offensive and defensive positions.

Our budget-friendly recommendation is the Brine Lacrosse King II ST.

STX Hammer U is best for speed shots.

Maverik Kinetik 2.0 is our multipurpose defensive lacrosse head choice.

Your level of experience and taste should be the determinant for the type of defensive lax head you decide upon.

Good luck with your selection and purchase!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is LSM in Lacrosse?

LSMstands for long stick middies. These are lacrosse players that use a long pole while playing on both sides of the field i.e offense and defense. These players use their Lacrosse heads to perform a variety of functions in the course of a game. They clear the ball up, face up the ground ball and create scoring opportunities. They perform all the functions of a defensive lacrosse player at a faster speed.

What is the best lacrosse head for LSM?

Maverik Havok LSM Lacrosse Head is the best lacrosse head for long stick middies. It has features like lightweight, Xrail Technology, stiffness and a tight face that makes a great choice for defensemen and Long Stick middies.

Are defensive Lacrosse heads different from midfielder and attacker heads?

Defensive Lacrosse heads are different from the heads used by attackers and middies.

Defensive lacrosse heads are made with materials that improve strength e.g Titanium. The material of construction for the heads used by lacrosse attackers and midfielders is made of aluminum or titanium.

The shape of the head used by defenders and midfielders in a lacrosse game is usually wider than that of the attacker’s head.

What does the U mean in lacrosse heads?

The Letter “U” denotes that a lacrosse head is accepted universally. This kind of head can be used for play at all levels. In 2018, there was a change in the rules governing lacrosse such that heads labeled “HS” became illegal for use. However, lacrosse heads labeled “X”, “X6”, “10” and “U” are NCAA and NFHS approved.

What is the Level 5 Bottom Rail?

The bottom rail refers to the plastic with side walls stringing holes. The mesh is strung through these holes. The orientation of these sidewall holes and the bottom rail will influence the lacrosse stick’s throw.

The level 5 bottom rail is for players with a preference for a high pocket. Level 5 bottom rail placement is great for long-range shooters as it adds more velocity to their shots.

Why are Defensive Heads Stiffer than other Heads?

Stiffness is an important property a defensive head must-have. This is because the defensive position is quite rough. The defensive head has to be very stiff to make aggressive checks without breaking. Defensive heads are used to transfer energy to the stick of an opponent. The aim is to dislodge the ball from the opponent’s lax sticks utilizing the energy transference.

2021 NFL Defensive Secondary Rankings, by Positional Unit

As a new feature in the 2021 Sharp Football Preview Book, the Sharp Football Analysis team ranked positional units across the league for the 2021 season. The ranking guidelines were up to the specific voter with the only requirement that the focus is on the upcoming season only, not the future outlook.

With a combination of numbers, film, and projections, the rankings were averaged for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers/tight ends, defensive front seven, defensive secondary, and head coach.

We’ll be running each position separately. For the defensive secondary the entire units were considered with weight given to the starters.

Quarterbacks | Wide Receivers/Tight Ends | Running Backs | Offensive Line | Front 7 | Secondary

32. Las Vegas Raiders

Over the last three drafts, the Raiders have spent four first or second-round picks on the secondary and have nothing to show for it. Perhaps rookie safety Trevon Moehrig will buck the trend, but so far Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden are churning out busts. To have our 32nd-ranked secondary with that much draft capital invested in the unit is beyond inexcusable. 

31. New York Jets

The 31st-ranked secondary is likely to struggle again, as there were no significant offseason additions. Brian Poole (not re-signed) was the only cornerback to hold opponents to negative EPA per target in 2020. 

30. Houston Texans

When the quarterback was not pressured, Houston allowed 8.5 yards per attempt last season (ranked 29th). This 30th-ranked secondary unit does not appear capable of improving, despite adding corners Terrance Mitchell and Desmond King.

29. Atlanta Falcons

Among 82 players with at least 300 coverage snaps at cornerback, A.J. Terrell, Isaiah Oliver, and Kendall Sheffield ranked 69th, 72nd, and 81st, respectively, in yards allowed per coverage snap. Three rookies join the secondary but, barring some shocking production from the youngsters, this will again be one of the league’s worst units. 

28. Detroit Lions

For the secondary to outplay our expectations, 2020 first-rounder Jeff Okudah needs to take a big step forward. Okudah allowed the offense to gain +1.0 EPA on 43.2 percent of his targets in coverage, the worst rate in the league 

27. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles tried to improve the secondary last offseason by betting on Darius Slay bouncing back after a change of scenery, but it backfired. Slay allowed 9.6 yards per target and looks washed up. Unfortunately, minimal changes were made and they’ll still be relying on Slay. 

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

The 26th ranked secondary may struggle this year, but at least there’s youth to develop. 2020 first-round pick C.J. Henderson allowed 8.6 yards per target in coverage and has been a topic of trade talk during camp, but perhaps the new staff can get him on track. Rookies Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco could also compete for playing time.

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25, Dallas Cowboys

Rookie Kelvin Joseph might help a struggling secondary, but the unit will remain in the bottom tier as long as Trevon Diggs is a liability. Diggs allowed 1.6 yards per coverage snap, ranked 80th out of 82 qualified cornerbacks. 

24. Carolina Panthers

On targets 15+ yards downfield, the Panthers’ secondary allowed a disturbing 51.9% completion rate. Perhaps the addition of Horn helps, but this unit is still a weak link in the otherwise improving defense. 

23. Tennesee Titans

With Adoree’ Jackson, Malcolm Butler, and Desmond King gone, Tennessee is breaking in a brand new secondary. Ranking this unit was difficult because so much relies on rookie Caleb Farley, who is coming off back surgery after opting out in 2020. If he can immediately produce, perhaps we’ve dramatically undervalued this group.

22. Chicago Bears

The secondary was dealt a significant blow by the loss of Kyle Fuller, and Desmond Trufant is not an adequate replacement. Trufant has been torched in consecutive seasons, allowing 10.3 yards per target in 2019 and 8.4 in 2020. This unit is trending in the wrong direction fast. 

21. Arizona Cardinals

The departed Patrick Peterson and Dre Kirkpatrick accounted for 82% of the team’s snaps at outside cornerback last season. So this new-look secondary will need to gel fast in a division stacked with talent at receiver. The unit ranks in the bottom half of the league on every ballot. 

20. Seattle Seahawks

If not for Jamal Adams, the secondary rankings would likely fall significantly further. Teams were (correctly) unafraid to throw downfield against Seattle in 2020, averaging a league-high 13.3 attempts at 10+ yards downfield per game, at a completion rate of 54.7%. 

19. Los Angeles Chargers

The secondary ranks in the bottom half of the league, but a healthy Derwin James could easily push them up the board this year. With just five games played in two years, however, it was difficult to rank them higher based solely on an assumption of good health. 

18. Cincinnati Bengals

Jessie Bates has emerged as one of the top safeties in the game, leading a solid secondary. Replacing William Jackson, however, will be a challenge.

17. Minnesota Vikings

The secondary underwent an offseason makeover, leading to votes ranging from 11th to 25th. Those who are optimistic believe cornerback Patrick Peterson and safety Xavier Woods will provide the necessary upgrades. Opponents threw 10+ yards downfield 11.9 times per game versus Minnesota (seventh-most) and completed 56 % of those throws (fifth highest), so clearly there’s work to be done. 

16. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts’ secondary landed in the middle of the pack, but it’s anchored by one of the best in Xavier Rhodes. In 2020, Rhodes led the league in Next Gen Stats’ Catch Rate Over Expected metric. 

15. Kansas City Chiefs

The secondary allowed 6.3 yards per coverage snap in 2020, placing 11th overall. However, the loss of Bashaud Breeland possibly lowered our confidence in the unit. Breeland ranked 14th (out of 94) cornerbacks allowing 0.7 yards per coverage snap when lined up on the outside. 

14. New Orleans Saints

The Saints played the highest rate of man coverage last year, but they lack a lockdown corner. Marshon Lattimore allowed an EPA of +1.0 or higher on 39.5% of his targets in man, ranked 39th out of 46 qualified corners. He needs to return to the form he showed early in his career for the unit to elevate its production. 

13. San Francisco 49ers

Among the 49ers’ primary cornerbacks in 2020, only Ahkello Witherspoon (now in Seattle) held opponents to a negative EPA per target. Jimmie Ward remains a steady influence at safety, but the corners need to elevate their production in a division loaded with talent at wide receiver.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh lacks a lock-down stud in the secondary, but the unit has been strong. In 2020, the Steelers allowed 4.0 yards per coverage snap when the front seven failed to get pressure on the quarterback, tied with the Rams for the league’s top mark.

11. New York Giants

The secondary got a nice boost this offseason with the additions of free agent Adoree’ Jackson and rookie Aaron Robinson to go along with last year’s additions of James Bradberry and Logan Ryan. Isaac Yiadom was the weak link last year (7.9 yards per target) but should see a significantly reduced role. 

10. New England Patriots

The secondary lands in the top 10, but that’s subject to change based on Stephon Gilmore’s status一he’s reportedly been on the trade block all offseason. Otherwise, the entire secondary returns.

9. Washington Football Team

The loss of Ronald Darby hurts the secondary, but William Jackson looks like a quality replacement. Darby allowed 0.02 EPA per target in 2020, while Jackson actually outpaced him at -0.16. Jimmy Moreland’s emergence as a quality slot corner (4.6 yards per target allowed) also played a significant role in this unit solidifying itself among the best in the league in 2020. 

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Though the front seven’s dominance certainly helps the pass defense, Tampa’s secondary is dominant in its own right. When opposing quarterbacks were not under pressure, Tampa allowed just 7.1 yards per attempt, the third-lowest rate in the league. 

7. Green Bay Packers

The secondary was easily Green Bay’s best unit on defense in 2020, but cornerback Kevin King was often a weak link一as evidenced by his playoff performance versus Tampa Bay. Perhaps first-round pick Eric Stokes will be the upgrade the unit needs to elevate to a truly elite level. 

6. Cleveland Browns

The Browns’ secondary was a mess in 2020, but injuries to Grant Delpit and Greedy Williams played a role in the issues. In addition to getting them back healthy, slot cornerback Troy Hill, safety John Johnson, and rookie Greg Newsome join the crew. This should be one of the most improved units across the league. 

5. Los Angeles Rams

Among outside cornerbacks, Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, in yards per coverage snap. So while Los Angeles needs to replace safety John Johnson and slot corner Troy Hill, this should remain an elite unit. 

4. Miami Dolphins

The top unit on this roster is the secondary, which ranked in the top six on every ballot. Xavien Howard has emerged as one of the best in the league, forcing opponents into -1.0 EPA or worse on 30% of his targets in coverage, the third-best rate in the league. 

3. Denver Broncos

We’re extremely optimistic about Denver’s rebuilt secondary, which added Ronald Darby, Kyle Fuller, and rookie Patrick Surtain. With Bryce Callahan deserving of a role as well, this looks like the deepest cornerback depth chart in the league. 

2. Buffalo Bills

Tre’Davious White, who allowed -0.16 EPA per target in 2020, anchors our second-ranked secondary, which returns every starter including one of the league’s best safety duos in Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. 

1. Baltimore Ravens

Our top-ranked secondary split the first-place votes with Denver, and finished no worse than third on any ballot. Not only is the unit anchored by high-end production from Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, but the depth is as strong as any in the league. 

Ranking each NFL Unit for 2021:

Quarterbacks | Wide Receivers/Tight Ends | Running Backs | Offensive Line | Front 7 | Secondary

For all of the team-by-team unit rankings and full team chapters, including a dozen more visuals & info-graphics, defensive breakdown, and detailed Fantasy football implication — plus the other 31 team chapters — pick up a copy of Warren Sharp’s new ‘2021 Football Preview’ book

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The five best defensive plays of the Yankees season

The 2021 Yankees were not known for their defensive ability, and rightfully so. Statcast has them worth -17 Outs Above Average, FanGraphs values them at -43 Defensive Runs Saved, and their 98 errors were more than any AL team except the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. Completely true to their identity as a pinstriped contradiction, however, they somehow managed to spin a number of web gems throughout the season, many of which came at the hands — err, gloves — of those who scored the worst defensively according to all the metrics.

In fact, making a list of the five best defensive plays of the season proved to be so difficult that I had to set a couple of ground rules for myself. First, no player could be the center piece of more than one play. Two, no two plays could be identical (or nearly-so). Three, and most amusingly…well, you’ll see when you get to number three on this list.

5. Clint Frazier goes Superman

By no stretch of the imagination did Clint Frazier have a good season for the Yankees, either at the plate (76 OPS+) or in the field (-8 OAA), although it is fair to wonder whether or not an unannounced injury may have had something to do with it (all of the physical attributes that Statcast measures, such as hard hit percentage and sprint speed, saw a sharp decline from 2020). Despite this bad performance, Frazier regularly found himself on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays with a series of diving catches.

Which one was the best? Was it his diving catch on a shallow fly ball against the Braves on April 21st? His dive a week later in Baltimore? Perhaps it was his diving catch on May 16th when he rolled over his sunglasses?

In truth, I’d say it’s a tie between two. First, on May 7th, Frazier made what is arguably the most difficult catch of his career, diving away from home plate and catching the ball while horizontal to the ground.

Now you’re probably asking, “What could possibly be tied with that?” That would be a diving catch a little less than a month later in which Frazier adjusted himself mid-air to save at least one run by nabbing a ball that by all accounts looked destined to fall in No Man’s Land.

4. Cedric Mullins is Guilty

Since his rookie season, Aaron Judge has established a reputation as one of the best defensive right fielders in the American League with a cannon of a right arm that certainly ranks among the league’s best. Early on, Judge used that cannon to regularly throw out runners trying to take an extra base, but since he obtained a reputation, those opportunities have come few and far between. Every once in a while, though, a speedster takes a chance on a ball in the gap, only to be found guilty of attempted robbery.

That’s exactly what happened on August 4th, as speedy Baltimore center fielder Cedric Mullins and his 86th-percentile sprint speed went for two bases on a ball off the right field wall. Judge played it perfectly and delivered a line drive strike to Gleyber Torres.

3. A three-for-one package

Two runners on, nobody out is a pitcher’s nightmare. In that moment, a double play is often described as a pitcher’s best friend, because even if one run scores on the play, the chances of a big inning dissipate. The only thing better than a double play? A triple play that erases the threat by ending the inning, the type of play that has happened only 727 times since 1876, roughly five per season. Coincidentally, that’s exactly how many happened in all of baseball in 2021. Miraculously, three of them were turned by the Yankees — within a month of each other.

On May 21, Aroldis Chapman opened the ninth inning of a tie game by allowing the first two runners to reach base. Andrew Vaughn then proceeded to lace a groundball down the third base line. Gio Urshela snagged it and stepped on third for the first out, threw to Rougned Odor at second for the second out; Odor then sent it around the horn to Luke Voit at first to complete the trifecta.

Three weeks later, Michael King got into a jam in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays, with runners on second and third and nobody out with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the plate. Guerrero grounded it softly to King, who threw him out at first. Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette, however, both took off for third base, allowing the Yankees to catch both in rundowns to record your conventional 1-3-6-2-5-6 triple play.

Less than two weeks after that, on June 20th, Aroldis Chapman was charged with preserving a one-run lead against the Oakland Athletics, and he had absolutely no sense of the strike zone, walking the first two batters of the inning. Just when things were looking bleak, however, Sean Murphy grounded the ball to Urshela at third base, who began yet another around-the-horn triple play (Urshela to DJ LeMahieu to Chris Gittens) in the ninth inning to end the game.

2. The Cub and Kraken mesh instantly

First basemen rarely get much credit for their defensive ability, even one with a Platinum Glove and multiple Gold Gloves like Anthony Rizzo. In just his second game as a Yankee, however, Rizzo partnered with catcher Gary Sánchez to pick off the speedy Bryan De La Cruz.

Back when I recapped this game on July 31st, I commented on the difficulty of this play:

While Sánchez deserves a ton of credit for this play, and rightfully so, the way this particular play went down requires the type of trickery only possible with an elite defender at first. Not many first basemen could make this play, and certainly none that the Yankees have trotted out there since Mark Teixeira.

He hadn’t even donned the home pinstripes yet, but Rizzo already showed why he has a reputation as such an elite defender.

1. Gio Urshela lays it all on the line.

Arguably the best catch of the year came on the final day of the season. Two weeks into his tenure as the Yankees starting shortstop and with a Wild Card berth on the line, Urshela channeled his inner Derek Jeter by covering an immense amount of ground to catch a pop up in foul territory, ultimately tumbling into the Tampa Bay Rays dugout.

Think I’m exaggerating? In case you somehow didn’t see it the first time, take another look (actually, even if you did see it the first time, take another look, it’s beautiful).

Was it a reckless play? Probably — but it’s the exact sort of reckless play that a team fighting for their postseason lives needs to make on a regular basis. Fortunately, although he came up limping, Urshela emerged without any serious injury and was in fact able to remain in the game for a bit.

Bulls’ Alex Caruso turning heads with defensive play in camp

The Chicago Bulls have only completed three practices in training camp, but recent free-agent signing Alex Caruso is already turning heads.

And the fifth-year guard is doing so in exactly the way he was advertised: By putting his nose to the grindstone on the defensive end.

“We were doing just dribble-handoff drills today and working on guards busting through screens and not getting screened, and one of the assistants brought me over and said you do such a great job of getting through screens,” Caruso said after Thursday’s practice. “I told him, ‘Well, for three years that’s all I was allowed to do.’”

That quip references Caruso’s specialized role with the Los Angeles Lakers, wherein he focused on disrupting opposing ballhandlers all over the floor. 

But for a guy who went undrafted in 2017 and began his NBA career bouncing around Summer and G League rosters, even the opportunity to roll around in the mud had to be earned.

“When I was on two-way (contract), fighting for a spot and a little bit that first year trying to earn my role in LA, I had a limited role on offense. I was more of a spacer, screener, ball-mover. But I knew I was out there to play defense, and I knew that got me playing time,” Caruso said. “I was just trying to get on the court and did what I could to get out there, and a lot of that was the defensive side of the ball. And the more reps you get the better you get at it, and I’ve been doing that for a couple years now.’’

In fact, Caruso has blossomed into one of the league’s best point-of-attack defenders, an area in which the Bulls mightily struggled last season. Their perimeter players’ inability to consistently shed screens too often unlocked easy pick-and-roll reads for opposing guards, and easy at-the-basket opportunities for opposing bigs.

Caruso, along with Lonzo Ball, can go a long way toward changing that, according to Billy Donovan.

“I think some of it was youthfulness — you know, like, those guys learning that stuff. And kind of also anticipating, ‘OK, here’s what’s coming,’” Donovan said of the 2020-21 Bulls struggles defending at the point of attack. “I think Alex has got a real good understanding of how to defend in pick-and-roll. I think Lonzo does too. Those guys can be physical guards and they have some length and size.”

Bulls pick-and-roll defense 2020-21

Donovan crossed paths with Caruso in the past as an opponent on the collegiate level, and as a coach during Caruso’s 2016-17 stint with Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate.

“Really smart. I love the fact that he’s a verbal player. He’s always talking, trying to get guys in the right spot and communicating on both ends of the floor,” Donovan said. “I’ve always been impressed (by him). Good size. Really good with his feet defensively.”

Even offensively, the Bulls’ head coach said he has seen growth in Caruso’s game, particularly as a shooter. He canned a career-high 40 percent of his 3-point attempts last season with the Lakers, and Donovan noted improvements in his mid-range and floater game as well.

But Caruso’s defense is unquestionably his biggest strength. The Bulls hope he brings that in droves, and that it can trickle down to the rest of the roster, where defensive questions abound.

“That’s part of being a great team is recognizing weaknesses and working on getting better at them,” Caruso said. “For me, I don’t have as many defensive weaknesses as some other guys, and they might have more offensive strengths than me. It’s just that leaning on each other and getting better.’’

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Kirby Smart, defensive players talk 2021 SEC opener vs. South Carolina

UGA football head coach Kirby Smart and two defensive players, Travon Walker and Ameer Speed, spoke with the media on Tuesday about the Bulldogs’ 2021 SEC-opener against South Carolina.

Georgia and South Carolina will square off at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Sept. 18 (Buy Tickets). The game will be televised by ESPN at 7:00pm ET.

Sean McDonough will call the play-by-play, Todd Blackledge will provide analysis, while Molly McGrath will report from the sidelines.

Below is a transcript of the comments on the SEC opener against the South Carolina Gamecocks which was provided by UGA.

On Jack Podlesny… 

“Yeah, he’s battling through it, he’s pushing through. I thought he kicked the ball well today. We actually just walked off the field and did field goal periods, and I probably kicked the ball well. But yeah, you know, we’re always in competition as you well know, Chip, it’s one of those things that we got to help him out and push him to he’s been really consistent in his career as a starter here, still believe in him and we’re gonna work through it, and I think he’s still got a great leg you know he’s hit a clutch field goals multiple times but we’re pushing through it and you know (Jared) Zirkel out there kicking and so is (Jake) Camarda so those guys are kicking as well.”

On improvements and William Poole…

 “Yeah, he’s ineligible for the first four games due to academics but he is. He did a tremendous job to get himself in that position to get back. So, he was not, he was not gonna be able to play this year, he was able to get a waiver, and he now is eligible, after the, what would that be Vanderbilt game I think he’ll be back with us so we’re looking forward to getting his depth back to help us out. Improvement wise, you know, we really probably did not play as well in the second game, you know, as we did in the first, we really did not strike blockers and play run fits to the standard that we expect. We did get some turnovers, which we didn’t get in the first, but the biggest thing was playing our gaps, strike and blockers, and, you know, communication, there’s still breakdowns that we have if we’re trying to get right defensively. We’re fast enough, we’re big enough that we haven’t been exposed to some of those. We’re gonna do a better job of definitely playing the run.”

On when it’s too late to adjust defense… 

“I don’t think it’s ever too late to adjust it’s probably too late for them to hear us, you know what I mean like at some point, they’ve got to go get ready to play the play but that is probably simultaneous with snapping the ball, in terms of we always say the hays never in the barn in Georgia, you’re always getting ready before the game, we’re going over adjustments, you want everything that can happen, halftime we’re going over everything that’s gonna happen, in drive we’ll pull a guy out and go over something new they did to say hey this is how we got to play this. But a lot of times you see us doing that it’s a guy’s not lined up right, wanting to get wider, or we might know a tendency the other team has and we’re trying to help somebody out with what we think it is, because ultimately offense is trying to copycat other offenses right so if we’ve given up whatever the play might be an inside zone, this formation, they might try to copy that, and so we’re trying to let our guys know we’d sometimes know the answer to the test better than a player, so we’re trying to help them out, but a lot of time it doesn’t help. We just confused them more.”

On recruiting and hiring David Cooper… 

“Yeah, it’s extremely competitive. It’s the number one, you know attribute to having success is getting good players, you got to develop them, you got to make sure they go to class and do their academics and they develop as a player, but number one thing you can do is be able to sign players and we’ve got a tremendous recruiting staff. The group we have is just awesome. They’re a joy to be around, they’re smiling every day. I just passed by two of them in the hallway coming up here and you know they’re always recruiting. This recruiting world has changed so much, they used to be, you know the coaches did the recruiting, they did it when they got off the field and now, it’s I mean, it never stops. It’s like, year-round, and the staff we have with David and so many others, Katie does a great job, Angela, Logan, and Christina, we just have a wonderful staff that works, works really, really hard to do that. Cam is another guy that helps us. We got a great recruiting staff.”

On the reserve offensive line… 

“Well, they’re probably right at 789 10 is where they are, they’re getting a lot of reps and a lot of work, you know Devin has gotten a tremendous amount of work at twos with the guard at guard and Amarius has gotten a ton of work at right tackle. And we’re trying hard to bring those guys along but it’s not just on us to bring them along you know it’s their responsibility to fight, scratch, claw for every inch, for every rep they get and you have to be careful that they don’t fall in a comfort zone right, I’m comfortable being right here there’s no pressure on me versus I’m hungry, and I want to be the best, and I want to go out and compete to be the best every single day. I want those guys to continue to get better, but they need playing time to get better and they got to earn that and that’s not gonna be given to them, like they got to get some of this last week but for the competitive game time reps and the SEC they got to earn that.”

On JT Daniels’ injury and the quarterback situation… 

“Yeah, JT feels much better. He’s continued to improve. I think he’s better now than he was on Saturday. I don’t know if he’s 100 percent but he’s certainly getting closer to that. Stetson is repping, JT is repping, and Carson’s repping. Stetsons actually got some lower back issues that he strained some stuff but he’s able to go but I don’t know if he’s 100 percent. He’s been dinged up since Monday morning, but he went out and practiced as well, so they’re all three practicing, and I wouldn’t say 100 percent, I think Carson is 100 percent healthy but the other two are still pushing back”

On rotating cornerbacks…

“To me, I want the best players to play, right, so the guys that practice the best, the guys that compete out there and make plays. Part of it is not necessarily just the fastest, best player, it’s knowing the system and understanding the checks and alignments and knowing how to play in our defense. I think that all the guys that have played can do that. DK (Derion Kendrick) has played quite a bit of snaps, so has Ameer (Speed), so has Kelee (Ringo), (Jalen) Kimber got in some, (Jake) Camarda got in some, so we’re continuing to bring that and develop that position along, but I’m not gonna sit here and say I want two guys to play, three guys to play. I want guys that are capable of playing to be able to play, I’m always trying to create depth so that if we have injuries, or if a guy doesn’t have a hot hand, we can play the other guy.”

On having a coaching tree that texts about him…..

“No, I don’t think that they would have that. I definitely don’t see them as my tree because, you know, two of them are my elders and I learned a lot from them, you know, Mel (Tucker) has a ton of experience, a lot more experienced than I do, and he’s been all over NFL staffs and he was on Nick’s (Saban) staff, he’s been really successful so I was very blessed to have somebody of Mel’s nature to help me start this program and build this thing. Sam (Pittman), the same way you know, Sam was great for us here and good friend, so I don’t take credit for either one of them and then you know, Shane went and he wanted to learn a different way and he went to Oklahoma to do that, he’s part of our trees part of his dad’s tree, part of Lincoln Riley’s tree, so he’s kind of his own person and he’s cut his own claw, so I doubt those guys have time to have a text thread to complain about me.”

On preparation for South Carolina in the quarterback position…

“It really doesn’t. I mean, everybody always asked that. The plays are the plays. Now the person running the plays and the mobility of the quarterback certainly changes, I think it probably changes third down. Maybe more than anything else. Is he a pocket passer? Are they gonna move the pocket? Is he a scrambler? Is he a guy that’s gonna sit in the pocket? You know, it’s just, everyone’s a little different, but the plays they run that aren’t designed for the quarterback, are the same. So, the offense doesn’t change based on the quarterback, not a lot of times the mobility might change, but that’s really about it.”

On wide receiver updates and injury updates for Kearis Jackson and Dominick Blaylock….

 “Kearis (Jackson) is improving by the day. I felt that Monday coming off of a light Saturday for him. And they were off Sunday, I thought Monday looked really good. Today, I didn’t notice him as much, but he’s working his way back, I feel like he’s closer than he’s been, you know, we felt like Dom (Blaylock) was a little ahead of him in terms of cutting and breaking and doing that and confidence is now he’s like right there and he’s also doing a little bit of a hamstring issue so it’s not so much the knee now with him, it’s a little bit of a hamstring and that sometimes happens because he hasn’t been doing this kind of volume. So, we’ve been trying to walk him along as we bring him back, but I couldn’t tell you when they’re gonna be able to go. I feel like Kearis will be able to play some this week, he’s played, right, he’s playing punt returner, it’s just getting him out there and getting him in the offense and getting them cutting and breaking more. But outside of that, you know AD (Adonai Mitchell), Marcus (Rosemy-Jacksaint), Arian (Smith), Jermaine (Burton), Justin (Robinson), Jackson (Meeks), all those guys are working hard, Arik (Gilbert) is not back with us yet. We don’t know when he’ll be back.”

On John Rhodes being named 2021 Game Warden of the Year…

.“The Rhodes family is a wonderful family. I felt like it was a home away from home for me in college, being from a long way away, Greensboro, which is right down the road actually Union Point is where his dad had a store, and I’d go down there with him a lot and grew up kind of in college with Trey and John, his younger brother, and we kind of took John in and he came up, stay with us all the time and he finished up at Georgia Southern and he does a great job with DNR. I run into him sometimes on the lake, so he’s always a joy to be around. He’s always got a smile on his face, so he’s one of the best at it, I’m glad he got that award.”

On lack of run gain against UAB…

“Yeah, you know, you gotta do it better. You can’t do that now. We may not have a running back get over 100 (yards), but that can happen because we may split them up, you know, we may share it out, but certainly, we thought we would’ve had more than 34 (yards) and should. We gotta work hard at that, we got to be able to create run gained. Some of our passing gains come from the run gain, right, the play-action. So your play action is not going to be real good if you’re not a good run team, that’s part of the success we have on defense is we don’t have to honor play-action because we got a good run defense, so we got to be able to make that a threat, we got to be able to make that count and hit people and we did not do that at a high rate. Now, how much I had to do with UAB and how much they had to do with us, you know, I don’t know. I still think UAB has a pretty good team and a pretty good defense, but we did hit them on some explosives.”

On Arian Smith and Jermaine Burton….

“It was big for him. He’s practicing with us, he’s not 100 percent, but he is practicing with us. He did get dinged up, but it was a bruise so we’re pushing through and he’s doing the things he can do to be healthy and Jermaine had a good game and hopefully got some confidence, both of them got some more confidence, but Arian is still a work in progress in terms of developing as a route runner and in growing as a player has been really valuable in terms of special teams with his speed.”

#44 | Travon Walker | Jr. | DL

On how the defense has prepared so far and how it’ll translate to South Carolina….

“My thoughts on the defense so far, we’re doing pretty good, playing some good ball right now but as always looking out, we always have things to improve on. This upcoming week, playing South Carolina, an SEC East opponent, we just have to play to our expectation, and just keep improving as a defense every week.”

On how much pride the defense takes in outscoring the opponents…

“We really haven’t talked about it too much but that is something we do take a lot of pride in because we always emphasize getting the ball on defense and pointing up points on defense. As long as they don’t score, they don’t win and if we’re putting up points on defense then that’s just a positive contribution to the win.”

On the biggest thing that South Carolina presents as a challenge….

“Putting the ball on the perimeter. Like you all stated earlier this week, we didn’t do too good against the run and that’s something that we’re working to do this week – stop the run more and less yards.”

#9 | Ameer Speed | Sr. | DB

On the memories with Shane Beamer [South Carolina Head Coach] and being on special teams….

“I believe I was on punt return and kick return then, but yeah he’s a good guy, you know I had him here so I’m looking forward to that match-up.”

On what has worked well for the defensive backs through two games and how to improve…

“I think honestly, we all have areas we can improve on. But I think that we’ve just been emphasizing takeaways and working on getting the ball out of people, so I feel like that repetition and putting those words in our heads are starting to pay off and a lot has made plays with the ball.”

On Will Muschamp’s impact during his time here…

“He’s had an amazing impact. He’s just a scheme person, he’s very smart with knowing defenses and everything so he’s been very helpful. His energy also is just immaculate, just his energy that he brings to me and the way he talks to us, it gets people going. Having him around – on top of Kirby is definitely a good combo.”

The best mattresses of 2021 from Blue Sleep

Why do you need a protective pillow cover – many customers of our store ask this question, because few people know why it is needed and what functions it has.
There are two types of products, some serve as a decorative function, others serve as an additional layer between the pillowcase and the pillow itself.

The first type refers to the so-called interior elements. The fact is that each of us strives to decorate our home, to introduce elements of comfort, coziness and beauty into it, so that it would be pleasant to return home after a long day at work and the eye would enjoy the home environment.For this, little things dear to the heart are suitable, such as pillows of different sizes, vases and photo frames, the imagination in this matter can be limitless. But back to the subject of our discussion.

The second type can be purchased on our website.

Why do you need a pillow cover

The conclusions are quite interesting, because everyone knows that you can buy pillowcases and they, in principle, perform the same protective function. But there is, of course, a big but. Beautiful pillowcases are mostly thin textiles that do not in any way prevent the accumulation of dust, moisture and germs.

The decorative cover can be presented in several interior styles, in various fabrics, and decorated with a huge number:

• embroidery;
• applications;
• ornament.

You can choose a protective cushion cover based on the following criteria:

• dimensions;
• material;
• protective properties.

The dimensions of the product depend on your needs and the size of the pillow.To protect your sleep, it is important to choose a hygroscopic material that will allow air to pass through, prevent dust from accumulating in the padding, and maintain a comfortable temperature.

Selection of material and design of the protective cover for the pillow

The materials used for sewing products are quite diverse. Natural fabrics such as satin, cotton and linen are in great demand. Such materials are very resistant to ultraviolet light and external influences. They do not dry themselves, do not cough, rub or fade.In care, these fabrics are not whimsical, all that is needed is periodic washing on a gentle cycle.
As for synthetic fabrics, the variety is more tangible. These include:

• viscose;
• satin;
• tapestry;
• matting;
• burlap;
• gabardine;
• pile fabrics.

Terry cotton is mainly used for sleepwear.

What is the difference between a regular pillowcase and a protective cover

As we wrote above, the main difference is in the fabrics used and the purpose.Of course, you can choose a protective cover for the pillow and from the fabrics that are used in the production of pillowcases, but most likely they will differ in design and cut.
The pillowcase is the last barrier between the human skin and the product. Unfortunately, it does not prevent the manifestation of allergies from a huge amount of dust or microbes, and will not save the pillow from spilled coffee or tea.

Protective cover for Blue sleep pillow

Blue Sleep Cushion Cover

This cover is designed exclusively to protect your pillow for everyday sleep from excess moisture, germs, dust accumulation.Thanks to innovative materials, it does not allow moisture to pass through, prevents dust from settling on the padding of the product and protects against stains, you can avoid the manifestation of allergic reactions.

The dimensions of the item are 50 × 70 × 21 cm. The weight is rather small – 200 grams. The product is made of terry cotton. The surface of the material will prevent the pillowcase from slipping. Terry cotton is a natural pile fabric. These products do not irritate the skin.

A pillow in a Blue Sleep pillow of the same size is ideal for this product.It differs from other analogs in its unusual configuration. You can adjust the density and size you want thanks to the outer layer, which can be removed if necessary. The composition is 20 percent bamboo and 80 percent polyester.

Pillow in pillow Blue Sleep

You can not only sleep on it, but also use it while awake. For example, put it under your back while watching a TV movie, playing on a console, place it under your legs or stomach.

What other pillows can be purchased

You can buy:

• Blue Sleep Memory pillow with foam rollers of different heights and dimensions 46 × 36 × 17 and weighing 1.7 kg;
• anatomical pillow Blue Sleep measuring 40 × 60 × 11.5 cm, weighing 2 kg and filled with innovative foam;
• Hybrid Pillow Blue Sleep pillow 40 × 60 × 13 cm, weighing 2 kg.

Pillow Blue Speep Hybrid Pillow

The

Hybrid Pillow Blue Sleep was developed based on technology used by NASA.It makes sleep comfortable, redistributing the load evenly.
All products are filled with memory foam.

What sizes can be used for protective cushion covers

Regular pillows have standard sizes:

• 70 × 70;
• 50 × 70;
• 40 × 40;
• 50 × 50;
• 60 × 40.

It is worth starting from these figures when choosing protective covers, but it is worth taking into account the height of the product so that the product fits it tightly without voids and gaps.Height also affects the comfortable and correct position of the neck and head during sleep, and a wrong parameter can have far-reaching consequences. Foam, for example, does not lose its properties, does not deform and does not get confused in the process. If you prefer to sleep on your back, choose a lower product.
It is worth choosing the right size for sleeping products. Non-standard models are most often referred to as orthopedic options. It is more difficult for them to choose a pillowcase, so it is better to buy those products in which the pillowcases are included.

Where to buy a protective pillow cover

In our store bluesleep.ru you can buy a protective cover for the pillow, which will protect it from all external influences. Also on the site you can pick up various types of mattresses, a set of linen and a blanket from the manufacturer. The cost and delivery time for your order should be checked with our manager. You can leave your details and we will call you back as soon as possible.

90,000 We forget why Cech wears a safety helmet.But he was saved from death – Five Corners – Blogs

The story of a terrible trauma and operation.

This text was first published on Sports.ru in September 2018

Mourinho has never been seen so fierce. “This is a real nightmare,” he resented after the Reading-Chelsea match in October 2006. – I want someone to explain to me: how can my goalkeeper wait for an ambulance for 30 minutes ?! They could not pick him up directly from the locker room, but Cech was not able to leave it.He had to get to the car in a wheelchair. If my goalkeeper died while waiting, then English football would have something to think about. ”

Everyone understood the feelings of the coach. The game has not yet boiled, but it has already become clear that the result will be secondary. At 17 seconds, Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt flew towards the ball after a long throw. Cech was faster at the exit, Hunt did not have time to brake and punched the goalkeeper with his knee in the head . It didn’t look scary at first – well, a typical collision.But Judge Mike Riley immediately called doctors. “The decision came extremely quickly, I made it literally in a second,” he told Bleacher Report. – As a rule, you expect the player to rise, but then instinct suggested: something bad has happened. The Czech did not get up. ”

The pause stretched for four minutes and Riley asked the goalkeeper to leave the field. For this, the Chelsea fans were angry with him for a long time: they were outraged that Cech had to crawl behind the front. “But I was following the rules,” Riley explained.”The episode was examined by the commission, and there were no complaints against me.”

It was a pity to look at Cech. He looked powerless, but got over the line on all fours and collapsed onto the lawn again. All this time, Chelsea chief physician Brian English was nearby. “Cech’s condition was extremely unusual,” he recalled. “It’s not just intense pain. You can see in the footage that Cech raised his hand even while lying on a stretcher. He tried to indistinctly explain something to me, saying “It’s blurry” or “It’s wrong.” I understood perfectly well that he needed help as soon as possible, but hesitated, because he himself crawled out of the field. And I didn’t fix my neck ”.

Carlo Cudicini came out as a substitute, and Cech was already dragged on a stretcher into the room under the stands. When the assistants called an ambulance, English returned to the field to inspect defender Paulo Ferreira. When the doctor came back to the locker room, there was no ambulance yet. “My colleague said that he heard the paramedic say the phrase“ It’s just a minor concussion.You don’t need to call anyone. ” In fact, a special brigade was on duty at the stadium from the start of the match, but it was not possible to contact them normally, and Chelsea managed to get another ambulance to arrive.

English reckoned that arrived “in about 27 minutes,” although Reading claimed 24 minutes had elapsed. Chelsea later accused Reading and SCAS (South Central Ambulance Service) of ‘s slowness and weak organization. In response, Londoners received links to regulations that protected the actions of the local club and doctors.

“I disagree that the allegations are true,” objected to Sky Sports ambulance worker Mark Ainsworth, who was a regular at Reading’s matches. – I was sure that we were doing everything right. I’m sorry there was a delay, but Chelsea didn’t figure it out right away either – there was an ambulance team working at the stadium. Duty of doctors at games is a rule of the Football Association, representatives of clubs are introduced to it before the start of matches. I am very upset that the people from Chelsea and I did not establish adequate contact, the actions could have been much smarter. “

Czech in a wheelchair was taken to one of the exits using an elevator, and then an ambulance took him to the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The scan revealed a depressed fracture of the skull bones: fragments of them were displaced to the brain by five millimeters – this could also damage the blood vessels of . At one o’clock in the morning, Cech was transferred to the neurosurgical department of the Radcliffe Infirmary Hospital in Oxford (about 40 kilometers between cities). During the operation, doctors removed large pieces of bone and fastened the remaining ones with two metal plates, inserting them just above the left ear.

Cech was rescued.

Doctors said that injuries of this severity are usually received in serious car accidents. Peter could die or become disabled.

***

That match did not finish and Cudicini. He passed out after a collision with the Reading forward – the last minutes of the Chelsea goal had to be defended by John Terry. The team withstood and still snatched the minimum victory.

Not only Cech experienced a real drama, but also Hunt, who flew into his head.On that day, for the first time in a long time, he started at the base: the day before the game, his main rival Bobby Conwy was injured. “I guess I felt a little dizzy when I climbed into the joint, because I was charged,” explained Hunt. “The match was very important to me.”

Chelsea fans instantly hated Hunt: they never received an apology and even called the player a killer. “I don’t think he wanted to hurt Cech, but he was definitely looking for contact,” said Chelsea Fan Club head Trizia Fiorellino in a conversation with Bleacher Report.”It was like a war was going on on the field.”

The players also attacked Hunt. “Don’t tell stories, this is not an accident,” rattled Didier Drogba. “Hunt knew he was going into a collision and didn’t want to avoid it. The worst thing is that when Peter was carried off the field, Hunt stood and smiled. Do not think that I am paranoid, but many people hate Chelsea and will do anything to beat us. ”

“Do I regret that episode? Still, no, Hunt said. – Because I don’t feel like I did anything to regret .Would I wish it hadn’t happened? Of course. After the incident, I wrote to Cech and wished him all the best. We spoke to him every time we crossed paths. He’s a real gentleman. ”

Hunt didn’t even suspect that the goalkeeper had a major operation until the bell rang over dinner: “I was really proud of the way I played, I felt good. But then this call from the coach … He told me everything and added: “Do not try to lower your head.”

Cech was out for three months.At first, he was pursued by terrible headaches, sometimes he could not move. “The medication helped, but on some days I was too exhausted to do anything,” the goalkeeper told the Daily Mail. “Even watching TV for more than five minutes was difficult.” A neurologist and neuropsychologist helped Cech recover. The mood was raised by letters: in the first months, the Premier League fans and goalkeepers sent a sea of ​​messages. He tried to read everything, carefully folded and kept them in a large cardboard box – they could hardly fit.

At first, Cech was extremely angry over the injury. The goalkeeper argued with the doctors and dreamed of returning to the field as soon as possible, but over time he calmed down and obediently followed the instructions. In addition to the doctors, Frank Weigl, adidas Senior Product Director, spoke to him: he was the one who led the production of the protective helmet. Weigl performed a 3D scan of Cech’s head and constantly consulted with the goalkeeper and his doctors. “Initially, we made a plastic insert to protect the injured area.But Peter and his doctor insisted on shock-absorbing foam on the sides – Cech did not want to feel the helmet, so he chose this option. But this affected audibility. ”.

At the first training sessions after the treatment, Cech was insanely tired – in the morning he could hardly get out of bed. In January 2007, he played his first match after injury – 0: 2 from Liverpool. For a long time the Czech could not get used to the helmet and complained of discomfort: “It would have been easier for me to play without it, but filming was forbidden. It is hard to hear in the helmet, because the ears are tightly closed. “

The goalkeeper was furious that someone could doubt his courage: “I am annoyed by the talk that I wear a helmet because I am afraid or because I feel safer with it. Nonsense. People have no idea what my surgeon said, they don’t know anything about brain injury. If I needed psychological help, I would wear an American football helmet. ”

However, the goalkeeper soon got used to it, and the annoying helmet became his trademark.Cech ends his career as one of the best goalkeepers in the world and still plays so boldly as if there never was a terrible injury.

Only the helmet reminds of the terrible.

Photo: REUTERS / Kieran Doherty; Gettyimages.ru/Ben Radford, Matthew Lewis, Phil Cole, Clive Mason

“A fragment of a blade pierced his chest” How one of the best Soviet fencers almost died during a duel at the Olympics in Moscow: Summer sports: Sports: Lenta.ru

The fencing team tournament at the 1980 Olympics almost ended in tragedy.In the semifinals, 21-year-old Soviet athlete Vladimir Lapitsky was seriously wounded by a Polish rival. The blade broke during the attack and pierced the rapierist’s chest. Without their favorite, the USSR national team lost in the final to the French, and after the tournament, the winners came to visit the wounded athlete and presented him with a gold medal. After recovering, Lapitsky ended his sports career, and his teammates lost sight of him. Someone said that he was addicted to alcohol, others talked about the mysterious death of the Olympic medalist.How an accident broke the life of one of the best Soviet fencers – in the material “Lenta.ru”.

The story of Vladimir Lapitsky usually remains in the shadow of the tragedy of another Soviet fencer, Olympic champion Vladimir Smirnov, who died during the 1982 World Cup in Rome. Then the rapier of the German Matthias Bera broke during the attack, pierced the opponent’s mask and entered his head by 14 centimeters. Smirnov spent several days in intensive care, connected to life support devices, but they could not save him.The athlete was 28 years old. The world was shocked.

After the death of Smirnov, the International Fencing Federation changed the requirements for the equipment of athletes: suits made of the strongest Kevlar fabric appeared, under which it was now required to wear protective bibs. Masks and blades began to be created from heavy-duty materials licensed by the federation. The requirements for blade deflection and load on the tip of a rapier or epee have also changed. And these steps really turned out to be effective – they saved more than one athlete from death or disability.

However, many experts agree that the tragedy in Rome could have been avoided if the leadership of the federation were a little more vigilant. It was worth changing the requirements for equipment two years earlier, after the Moscow Olympics. There, during a team tournament, 21-year-old Lapitsky, another Soviet foil fencer, was seriously wounded right on the track. This, incidentally, happened in front of Smirnov, just a few days after his victory at the Games. Lapitsky miraculously survived.

1979 Vladimir Lapitsky

Photo: Irakli Chokhonelidze / TASS

Not much is known about Lapitsky.He was born on February 18, 1959 in Grodno, took up fencing in Minsk “Dynamo”, quickly began to show high results and got into the national team of the Union. In 1978, as part of the team, he took bronze at the World Championships in Hamburg, and in 1979 in Melbourne – gold. After that, he entered the national team to participate in the home Olympics. Ambitions for a personal medal were not noticed behind him, but in the team championship the chances were high. His teammates, besides Smirnov, were Alexander Romankov and Sabirzhan Ruziev.

After Smirnov became the champion in the individual championship, and Romankov won the bronze, the confidence of experts and fans in the success of the national team was greatly strengthened.One of the main rivals of the Soviet foil fencers in the team tournament was the French national team: Didier Flamand, Pascal Joglio, who lost personal gold to Smirnov, Bruno Boshri, Philippe Bonin and Frederic Pietrushka (played under the flag of the International Olympic Committee; the official delegation did not come because of the boycott Games by part of the capitalist countries – approx. “Lenta.ru” ). In terms of personalities, it was one of the most stellar national teams in the world, although the French did not always achieve team success.“Pietrushka, Flaman are world champions in individual competitions, toughness,” Romankov described his rivals. The USSR national team predictably met the French in the final.

But in the semifinals, it fell to fencing with the Poles – Adam Roebuck, Boguslav Zykh, Marian Sypnevsky and Lech Kozeevsky. It was also a strong team, a constant contender for medals in the most prestigious competitions. However, the Poles, like the French, lacked stability: two years earlier they became world champions (only Kozeevsky did not fencing at that time – Leszek Martiewicz was instead), and at the pre-Olympic world championship they did not make it to the podium at all.So the prognosis was favorable for Soviet athletes at the home Games.

The meeting with Poland was scheduled for July 26, the competition was held at the CSKA sports complex. Lapitsky had one of the last semifinal fights (Sputnik.by writes that Zykh was the rival of the Soviet athlete in the fatal battle, but a number of authoritative sources, including The Washington Post and the Team Russia portal, indicate that the Soviet athlete fenced against Roebuck. This is confirmed by the SR / Olympic Sports archive – approx.”Lenta.ru” ).

Vladimir Lapitsky

Photo: Dmitry Donskoy / RIA Novosti

As Tatiana Kolchanova (Eliseikina), the correspondent of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company and Komsomolskaya Pravda, recalled, everything happened very quickly. At the very beginning of the fight, Roebuck attacked Lapitsky, and he carried out a reciprocal technique, which in the language of fencing is called “hump” (an attack performed in a jump – approx. “Lenta.ru” ). The Soviet athlete was turning around, and at that moment the Pole’s rapier broke.Moving by inertia, the piece stuck into Lapitsky’s side. The blade hit the soft tissue and came out of the chest. Roebuck went into a frenzy.

“All participants of the Games remember this terrible moment. A fragment of the enemy’s blade pierced his chest in the region of the heart. An inhuman scream rang out on the platform. Shouted Natalya, Lapitsky’s wife (Natalya Tsygankova – Soviet handball player, two-time world champion, medalist of the 1988 Olympic Games – approx. “Lenta.ru” ), “Kolchanova said. The Soviet athlete collapsed onto the track, where doctors with stretchers instantly appeared.On the spot, they removed the upper part of the suit from the foil fencer, and tried to plug his wound with cotton wool and bandages. According to eyewitnesses, there was a lot of blood. A few minutes later, he was already being carried to the ambulance that was on duty at the tournament.

The Washington Post also has a report from that competition. Journalist Barry Lorge wrote: “Lapitsky almost lost something more than a sporting event. After being wounded, there was no information about his condition for a very long time. A Soviet spokesman said the 21-year-old swordsman’s heart was not damaged, but “a blood vessel appears to have been affected.”The doctor from the International Fencing Federation said that the athlete has no signs of internal bleeding. ”

And we see: blood. The jacket swells in the front and back. First thought: right through! They take him away, and then they say: “Alive. All right – it will be released in three or four days. ” We: “How ?!”

Alexander Romankov

Olympic champion in 1988 in an interview with Sputnik.by

Later it was confirmed that the wound was really not fatal, although the broken rapier passed three millimeters from the heart.The athlete was born in a shirt, the doctors explained. “Lapitsky was lucky. The blade slid along the ribs and did not touch any vital organ, “wrote the correspondent of” KP “. And Romankov explained: “If the rib had not caught, there would have been no options …” In the semifinals, they managed to achieve victory. “Volodya was taken to the hospital, and the meeting continued. Our foil guards barely brought it to the end, having won on the brink of human strength, ”described Kolchanova.But the Soviet athletes lost the final against the French. The absence of Vladimir, as Romankov explained, was fatal. Karagyan had, of course, not quite a suitable technique, so there was little to count on.

“He could not really do anything, the only thing we demanded of him was injections. So that, if the number of victories is equal, we have an advantage in pricks. We, foil guards, know everyone as flaky, we know what to be afraid of … It didn’t work out. If not for Volodya’s injury, they would have taken the gold without further ado, ”noted Romankov.The silver was given to Lapitsky, of course.

A few days later the French came to Lapitsky’s hospital and presented him with a gold medal. Then Vladimir received another award – the Central Committee of the Komsomol awarded him the Order For Personal Courage

As the doctors had promised, Lapitsky recovered pretty quickly. True, he never returned to sports – at first he simply did not train, and then he injured the Achilles tendon and announced his retirement. Partly because of this, there is very little data on how the fate of the foil fencer developed further.He disappeared from all radars and never spoke to reporters. According to his wife, after the incident, Vladimir began to use alcohol more and more often, to which he was not indifferent before.

The former swordsman earned a small trade and often traveled with Tsygankova to competitions – on one of these trips, due to alcohol between them, there was a gap. A handball player recalled: “In one game they broke my nose and injured my hand. I came home all wounded. And he is no longer there. Although tomorrow I had to leave for the goods – then everyone was engaged in some kind of commerce.So I said: go and don’t come back. It was clear that nothing could fix him. ”

1980. Vladimir Lapitsky after being injured at the foil fencer tournament

Photo: Lizunov Yuri / TASS

Natalya turned out to be right – Lapitsky no longer tried to return to normal life: “In Rostov, he crashed a car out of drunkenness, things went downhill. And then, as I was told, he, in fact, was already homeless … “. Tsygankova’s interview is almost the only source of information about the athlete’s fate.There is a version that the history of Lapitsky, as not the most exemplary in the USSR, was deliberately hidden, at least the KP journalist noticed that it was not customary to write about him.

In 2017, Romankov in an interview with Pressball.by said that his former teammate was recently killed, but there is no confirmation of this. “Thrown from a skyscraper. Again, according to our conversations, we have not seen his grave, ”he said in a rather casual manner. According to the Olympic champion, this seems to be true, because Lapitsky was by nature the kind of person who could easily get into a similar situation.

Manicure lunar calendar for October 2021

The phases of the moon affect the human body – even scientists agree with this statement. Numerous scientific studies can be read in world magazines – Economist, New Scientist, Greenpeace Magazin, Science News, Le Journal du CNRS and others. No wonder the lunar calendar of haircuts and coloring is so popular among girls: in each month there are favorable and unfavorable lunar days, which can positively or negatively affect the growth and condition of hair.This also applies to nails. We have carefully collected all the data and present the Manicure Lunar Calendar for a month in advance. Having familiarized yourself with it, you can plan beauty procedures in advance.

Moon phases

The phases of the moon affect our entire life.

Each month consists of four lunar phases:

• Waning Moon (1-5, 21-31 October): During this period it is generally recommended to maintain the length of the nails, as shortening their growth will slow down.On the contrary, building up is recommended. You can safely do the coating with gel polish. It is recommended to remove corns from pedicure procedures.
• growing moon (October 7-19): in this phase, nails grow the fastest, you can do whatever your heart desires with them: cut, build, paint.
• New Moon (October 6) and Full Moon (October 20): These days it is better not to do anything with your nails or go to the salon. If you want to carry out any procedures, then it is better to do them at home.

If you want to carry out any procedures, then it is better to do them at home.

Moon position

It is also important to take into account the position of the moon in relation to the constellations. It is best to work with nails when the sun is in Capricorn, Leo, Virgo, Aquarius. Unfavorable periods for manicure – Moon in Gemini, Cancer and Pisces. Other signs are neutral, and the position of the satellite in them does not affect anything.

Lunar calendar october 2021

Now let’s take a closer look at each lunar day of the month – the combination of the phases of the moon and its position in one or another sign of the zodiac favors certain procedures and negatively affects others.

1 October

25 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Leo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: a good time for a neon gel polish at home!

What is best to postpone: It is best to avoid trimmed manicure and soft squares.

2 October

26 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Leo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: The best for paraffin therapy and nail care.

What is better to postpone: it is not recommended to perform a nail design with a gradient or stamping.

Nail care.

October 3

27 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Virgo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: it is better to give preference to a manicure with a monochromatic finish.

What is better to postpone: it is not recommended to experiment with an unusual coating color for you – it will quickly get bored.

Monochrome coating.

October 4

28 lunar day, Moon in the sign of Virgo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: It is better to give preference to cuticle care and nail strengthening.

What is better to postpone: a sharp change in the length and shape of the nails.

5 October

29 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Virgo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: Experiment with new colors, designs, and shapes.

Best to postpone: no limits.

6 October

30 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Libra, New Moon

What you can do: it is better not to do anything with your nails at all – any procedures can be dangerous.

Best to postpone: Postpone any type of manicure.

Choose the right days to build up.

7 October

1 lunar day, the moon in the sign of Libra, the growing moon 90 120

What you can do: the best time to combine several shades of gel polish!

Best to postpone: no limits.

8 October

2 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Scorpio, growing moon 90 120

What you can do: If you have broken a nail, then it is better to repair it, rather than remove the length.

What is better to postpone: it is not recommended to change the shape of the nails.

9 October

3 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Scorpio, growing moon 90 120

What you can do: A good day to experiment with nail decorations: rhinestones, sparkles, dried flowers.

Best to postpone: no limits.

10 October

4 lunar days, the moon in the sign of Sagittarius, the growing moon 90 120

What you can do: A good time to apply formulations that accelerate nail growth – the result will not be long in coming.

What is better to postpone: it is not recommended to perform extra length build-up.

11 October

5 lunar days, the moon in the sign of Sagittarius, the growing moon 90 120

What you can do: On this day, it is best to remove calluses and corns, it is highly likely that they will no longer bother you.

What is better to postpone: It is not recommended to shorten your nails too much.

12 October

6 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Capricorn, growing moon 90 120

What you can do: Great day for facial treatments such as hand and foot massages, nourishing masks.

What is better to postpone: It is not recommended to do a trim manicure.

13 October

7 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Capricorn, growing moon 90 120

What you can do: Any experimentation with color, decor, length and shape of nails is encouraged.

What is better to postpone: it is not recommended to remove calluses and corns from the feet.

14 October

8 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Aquarius, growing moon

What you can do: Anything but cuticle treatment.

What is better to postpone: do not cut off the burrs and process the cuticles – there is a risk of inflammation.

15 October

9 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Aquarius, growing moon

What you can do: a great day to paint your nails in bright colors and experiment with decor, decorate your manicure with decorative elements – kamifibooks, rhinestones, pearls, etc.etc.

Best to postpone: no limits.

16 October

10 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Pisces, growing moon 90 120

What you can do: The day is favorable for decorating of any kind and experimenting with designs. If you want to cover all your nails with rhinestones – the result will delight you!

Best to postpone: no limits.

17 October

11 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Pisces, Waxing Moon 90 120

What you can do: The day is ideal for nail extension without the risk of detachment and negative impact on the natural nail plate.

What is better to postpone: it is not recommended to apply hand masks – an allergic reaction is possible.

18 October

12 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Pisces, Waxing Moon 90 120

What you can do: The day is suitable for any type of nail care, as well as for shortening them.

What is better to postpone: we do not recommend experimenting with sliders – you can quickly become disappointed in them.

Choose the right day to build up

October 19

13 lunar days, Moon in the sign Aries, growing moon 90 120

What you can do: whatever you want.

Best to postpone: no limits.

20 October

14 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Aries, Full Moon

What you can do: today you can only clean your nails and moisturize the cuticles, no experiments!

Best to postpone: Refrain from removing cuticles – this can damage your nails.

21 October

15 lunar days, Moon in the sign Taurus, decreasing Moon 90 120

What You Can Do: A good day for skin care for your feet and hands.

What is better to postpone: edged manicure is contraindicated.

22 October

16 lunar days, Moon in the sign Taurus, decreasing Moon 90 120

What You Can Do: A good day for skincare.

What is better to postpone: it is not recommended to cover nails with gel polish – there is a high probability of chips and detachments of the material.

23 October

17 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Gemini, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: A good day to radically change your manicure – experiment with the length, design, shape of your nails.

Best to postpone: no limits.

24 October

18 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Gemini, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: It is best to remove the cuticle today – there is a great chance to slow down its growth.

What is better to postpone: It is not recommended to follow an intricate design – the result will disappoint you.

25 October

19 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Gemini, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: It is best to take time today to your usual manicure.

Best to postpone: Not a good time for radical change.

26 October

20 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Cancer, decreasing Moon 90 120

What you can do: Ideal period for covering with bright shades of gel polishes.

Best to postpone: Avoid soothing shades that can be boring.

27 October

21 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Cancer, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: Today it is better to give up manicure.

What is better to postpone: do not use rhinestones and drawings – they will quickly get bored, do not cut your nails – there is a risk of injury and slowing down the growth of nails.

28 October

22 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Leo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: The day is good for moisturizing and nourishing the cuticles.

What is better to postpone: it is not recommended to cut nails – there is a risk of significantly slowing down their growth.

October 29

23 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Leo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: The day is great for nail extension – the result will delight.

What is better to postpone: refrain from wellness procedures – there will be no effect.

30 October

24 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Leo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: Give preference to hand and foot care.

What is better to postpone: It is not recommended to experiment with design, color and decor – you can quickly become disillusioned with them. Also, you cannot shorten your nails.

31 October

25 lunar days, Moon in the sign of Virgo, waning Moon 90 120

What you can do: Day is good for nail design, choose a gradient or mirror rub!

Best to postpone: Don’t shorten your nails.

What is the best time for bright solutions and experiments?

Conclusion

We will update the Lunar Calendar every month so that you can build a schedule of manicure and pedicure procedures in advance. Stay tuned!

90,000 Best Tempered Glass Screen Protectors for iPhone Xs in 2021

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about how to provide the necessary protection for my iPhone is “Touch Screen”.Since this is the most delicate part of a smartphone, I always take extra care to protect it from scratches. And what helps me prevent damage is the high quality screen protector. This is the main reason I built the top screen protector on the iPhone Xs so that the OLED display has maximum protection.

1. Winnergear
2. i-Blason
3. DEFENSLIM
4. JETech
5. ESR
6. Maxboost
7. amFilm
8. Ailun
9. Trianium
10. TETHYS
11. Ainope

1.Winnergear

Winnergear has been producing tempered glass protectors for iPhone for the past five years. Their screen protectors are not conventional, they are nano-coated and are considered the world’s toughest glass screen protectors. Plus, this screen protector for iPhone Xs is a 3D curved edge-to-edge film, unlike other screen protectors that leave some parts open to cracks.

The best part is the installation.It comes with a handy guide to help you set it up quickly. The screen protector is bubble free and fingerprint resistant. It is five times stronger than regular screen protectors and thus protects your iPhone Xs from drops, bumps and scratches. Finally, the price is a little overpriced, but given the quality of the product, it is justified.

USP: 2 years warranty

Check on WinnerGear

2. I-Blason

This screen protector from i-Blason is designed for the long term for the iPhone Xs.The 0.3mm thickness makes the screen one of the thinnest. Mainly due to its sturdy construction, it can resist impacts.

Smooth edges also play a vital role in smoothly rolling out the screen protector. Perfect clarity makes your viewing experience better. To maintain sensitivity, it prevents dirt and dust from accumulating.

USP: impeccable purity

Check on i-Blason

3. DEFENSLIM

When it comes to maximum protection for your iPhone Xs OLED display, DEFENSLIM is up to the task.The quality that makes it so reliable is the highest quality tempered glass.

With its high hardness, the screen protector can resist scratches even from sharp objects. The rounded edges and precise cutouts allow for a perfect fit of the protective grille.

With high definition, it provides the best viewing angle. Plus, it also doesn’t leave fingerprints and smudges to keep its responsiveness for a long time.

USP: anti-reflective layer

Check on Amazon

4.JETech

At just $ 5.39, JETech’s screen protector is one of the most affordable on the market. However, when it comes to quality, it has products to compete with the best.

0.33 mm thick tempered glass with shock absorption. Anti-dust and anti-fingerprint quality helps the screen grille maintain high transparency.

Note the curved edges that ensure the touchscreen covers the entire screen.What’s more, the JETech tempered glass screen protector comes in two packs with a lifetime warranty.

USP: 9H hardness

Check on Amazon

5. ESR

ESR claims its tempered glass screen protector is 5x stronger due to its ability to withstand loads of up to 22 lbs. Based on the rating (four stars out of five out of over 1,300 customer reviews), the screen protector seems to be getting a lot of positive reviews.

Glass has precise cutouts and works great with Face ID. This gives dust, sweat and stains no chance of ruining clarity and sensitivity. So, expect the defender to maintain transparency and fluidity.

In addition, the manufacturer offers additional screen protectors for the same price, so you have an additional package in your backup.

USP: 22 lb force resistance

Check on Amazon

6. Maxboost

The

Maxboost has high touch sensitivity and is one of the best screen protectors for iPhone Xs.Premium glass for crisp HD images. With a hydrophobic and oleophobic coating, it keeps dust and sweat out of its transparency and responsiveness.

The

Maxboost features rounded edges for a flawless fit and full screen coverage. The open-edge design makes it comfortable to use. In addition, Maxboost grilles come in three packs, which are backed by a lifetime warranty.

USP: True-Touch Sensitivity

Check on Amazon

7.amFilm

amFilm is one of the most popular iPhone X / Xs screen protectors on Amazon. With four stars from over 1,220 customer reviews, a screen protector has all the qualities you need to provide uncompromising screen protection.

One notable feature of the screen protector is its user-friendly design, which helps it to work in most situations. The ability to deliver 99.99% clarity makes your viewing experience even more enjoyable.With 0.3mm thickness and standard hardness, it protects against scratches with ease.

USP: 99.99% purity

Check on Amazon

8. Ailun

With 2.5D rounded edges, Ailun fits easily onto a touchscreen. High definition picture clarity of 99.99% improves your viewing experience.

Courtesy of hydrophobic and oleophobic coating; it is able to prevent fingerprints and dust.This way, your 3D Touch continues to move smoothly.

All cutouts are in place to ensure no interference to the front camera and sensor. In addition to features, Ailun is available in three packages for one price.

USP: 2.5D rounded edges

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9. Trianium

This offering from Trianium has received a lot of praise on Amazon. Four and a half stars out of nearly 1,400 customer reviews really show how well it is perceived by users.

When it comes to features, Trianium Screen Guard completely covers every aspect. Whether it is the ability to combat fragmentation or to offer maximum clarity, it does a pretty good job. In addition, it prevents dust from accumulating and retains its sensitivity for a long time.

USP: shatter protection

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10. TETHYS

Not many of you have heard of TETHYS. However, when it comes to functionality, this option might work better.

This screen protector provides edge-to-edge protection for the OLED display so that it remains protected from any hazards. Industry standard rigidity makes it more reliable.

When it comes to clarity and sensitivity, the quality tempered glass will not disappoint you. With a lifetime warranty, TETHYS ticks all boxes.

USP: very touch sensitive

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11.Ainope

The

Ainope is a great option for providing your new iPhone’s desired OLED display screen. High quality tempered glass has a hardness of 9H, easily protecting against cracks and scratches. Mainly thanks to the HD clarity, you have improved your viewing experience.

Ability to resist dirt, sweat and fingerprints helps it stay responsive for a long time. Since it is completely bubble-free, you will have no problem installing it.Finally, the Ainope comes in two packs with a lifetime warranty.

USP: 9H hardness

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That’s it!

Your favorite touchscreen protector?

Suppose you have found a suitable protection for your smartphone’s touchscreen. May I know its name and what makes it different from the rest?

How about exploring other iPhone X cases since it has the same screen size as the iPhone Xs:

• Best iPhone X Cases
• Best Wallet Cases for iPhone Xs
• iPhone Xs Bumper Cases
• Best Battery Cases for iPhone Xs

90,021 90,000 The expert answered common questions about vaccinations against COVID-19

Vaccinations against COVID-19 are still the most discussed topic.”RG” – The week has collected the most pressing questions of our readers. They were answered by our expert, the chief physician of the second diagnostic department of the Medicina clinic (Academician Roitberg’s Clinic) Maxim Tersky.

The mild side effects described in the instructions for the vaccine after the first vaccination are not a contraindication to revaccination. Photo: Yegor Aleev / TASS

I wanted to be vaccinated with Sputnik Light, but they refused me – they said it was impossible because of my age (I’m 70 years old). And they offered to make “Sputnik V”.I don’t understand: they say that Sputnik Light is the same vaccine as the first dose of Sputnik V. It turns out that one dose cannot be administered due to age, but two is possible? Can you explain please.

Maxim Tersky: In the elderly, the reactivity of the immune system is often reduced. Therefore, in order to achieve the desired effect, it is better to complete the full course of vaccination. The instructions for the vaccine indicate that Sputnik Light is intended for the prevention of a new coronavirus infection in adults from 18 to 60 years old.”Sputnik V” – 18 years old and older.

WHO says that revaccination is not needed yet. But our Ministry of Health has different recommendations – those who were vaccinated more than six months ago should undergo revaccination. At the same time, it is not entirely clear – now it will be necessary to be vaccinated every six months, or still in a year?

Maksim Tersky: Indeed, the head of the WHO, Tedros Gebreisus, said recently that revaccination is not needed yet – it is better to send more doses of anti-toxic vaccines to third countries that are lagging behind in the first vaccinations.There is also a statement from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which also says that revaccination is not advisable at this time. At the same time, the FDA does not deny that revaccination is, in principle, possible, that it will be useful. But the statistics, which are in the United States at the moment, say that previously vaccinated people or those who have been ill, in case of re-infection, are not at risk of death and severe disease.Therefore, there is no need to revaccinate them.

In some people, even after two-fold vaccination, antibodies are not produced

The position of the Ministry of Health of Russia is different, but does not contradict what the WHO and the FDA state. With a complex epidemiological situation (and it still remains difficult in our country) revaccination should be carried out once every six months. When herd immunity is achieved (80% of the adult population will have protection), the vaccine can be given once every 12 months. That is, when the epidemic is over, vaccination can be carried out once a year – as is the case with the prevention of influenza.

Some doctors say that it is advisable for those who have had COVID-19 almost immediately after discharge from the hospital to be vaccinated. It turns out that this is actually the same revaccination – after all, after an illness, a person retains protective antibodies. Maybe those who have recovered should wait a little?

Maxim Tersky: After discharge, it is really advisable to get vaccinated. At the same time, I see no reason to vaccinate people who have just been ill and have a high level of RBD antibodies (it is shown by quantitative testing).Still, I would look at the level of antibodies, namely RBD – these are antibodies that neutralize coronavirus. If this indicator is high after the disease, there is no point in administering the vaccine. When the level drops, it is better to protect yourself with the vaccine.

Which vaccine to choose for revaccination: the same one that has already been injected before, or better another? Now, for example, “Sputnik V” and “Sputnik Light” are available for revaccination in Moscow. If we take “Sputnik V”, which component is injected – the first or the second? And if you get revaccinated with KoviVac, what will happen?

Maxim Tersky: Here is the position of the regulatory authorities: no matter what vaccine you inject, revaccinate with the one that is available.But my opinion is that if you have undergone a complete primary vaccination, for example, with “Sputnik V”, then it is better to revaccinate with “KoviVac”. Why? Because “Sputnik V” is a vector vaccine that contains a human adenovirus (this virus, in fact, delivers the genetic material of the coronavirus to the body). Therefore, after vaccination, immunity arises not only to coronavirus, but also, in fact, to the vector – adenovirus. If this immunity is still preserved during revaccination, then with repeated administration of the same vector vaccine, there may be a reduced immune response.Adenoviruses simply “will not reach” their targets, since they will be neutralized by the immune system. For these reasons, after being vaccinated with Sputnik V, it is better to revaccinate with KoviVac.

But I must note that there is another opinion among specialists, and perhaps there will be a recommendation – to be re-inoculated with “Sputnik Light” or “Sputnik V”. There will also be some efficiency after their introduction, but what kind, we cannot say yet, while there is simply no such data.

It happens that after the first vaccination (with two doses), not everyone develops antibodies.What to do in such cases? Maybe 2-3 months after the second dose it is worth taking an analysis for antibodies, and if they are not there, get vaccinated again, but with a different vaccine?

Maxim Terskiy: Indeed, in the case of Sputnik V after the introduction of the first component, according to the manufacturer, the vaccination efficiency is about 70%. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce the second component. The second component contains a different vector, a different serotype of adenovirus, and in principle we see that after the introduction of the second component, the efficiency increases, and the number of antibodies increases.Sputnik V, according to the manufacturer, has up to 91%. But in some people, even after two doses of the vaccine, antibodies do not develop. In this case, a third vaccination can be given – with another drug.

Are there any recommendations for preparing for revaccination for those who, after the first vaccinations, had a fever, had a headache, had other side effects? Who should refrain from booster vaccinations?

Maksim Terskiy: The instructions for vaccines indicate that any level of antibodies is not a contraindication to revaccination.We can give the vaccine even if the antibody level is high. Another question is why do this if we know with a high degree of probability that a person is protected.

As for the side effects of the vaccine, within the framework of what is described in the instructions for use of the preparations, this is also not a contraindication to revaccination. This is a normal phenomenon and just indirectly indicates that the body has responded to the drug. Therefore, if you were vaccinated in compliance with all preparation recommendations and followed the regimen after it, but you had side effects, this is not a contraindication to revaccination.It’s worth it.

But at the same time, I repeat, I recommend monitoring antibodies by a quantitative method. If the amount of antibodies is significantly higher than the reference value (it is indicated in the test results), then you can wait. A decrease in the level of antibodies occurs in different ways: for some, antibodies last for a long time, for others they quickly disappear, so monitoring is important.

10 best anti-dandruff vitamins

Updated: 16.07.2020 12:05:23

* Review of the best according to the editorial board of expertology.ru. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Dandruff is a piece of dead scalp that needs to regenerate naturally every 4 to 8 weeks. But when a malfunction occurs in the body, this process is significantly accelerated. As a result of this “renewal” in the hair parting and on the shoulders, there are many white flakes that do not dye their owner at all.

Often a deficiency of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial micronutrients leads to a malfunction of the normal functioning of the body. Against this background, many organs suffer. In this case, the skin is no exception. Taking this into account, experts recommend comprehensively acting on the cause of dandruff, using not only shampoos and other local remedies, but also taking multivitamin preparations and supplements.

Causes of dandruff

The main cause of dandruff is the fungus Pityrosporum ovale.It is found on the skin of almost all people. However, under certain conditions it gets out of control and causes dandruff.

Provoking factors:

1. Improper care or poor hygiene . Too frequent or infrequent shampooing, use of a hard comb, frequent use of hairsprays or hair dyes, improper use of a hair dryer.
2. Genetics . Each person has a different quality of skin and glandular secretion.Those who suffer from psoriasis or eczema have a higher risk of dandruff than healthy people.
3. Hormonal changes . Dandruff is more common among young people during puberty. It can also appear with an imbalance of male and female hormones (androgens and estrogens).
4. Metabolic disorders . In this condition, the sebaceous glands begin to malfunction. And if immunity is seriously reduced, then the skin of the head is affected by a fungus.
5. Diet errors . The fungus that causes dandruff is activated by frequent ingestion of fried, salty, and sugary foods. And with an unbalanced diet, the body may develop a deficiency of calcium, healthy fats, vitamins A, B, C, E, zinc, copper, sulfur, selenium.
6. Temperature difference . When wearing hats and in a stuffy room, the secretion of sebum increases. These are favorable conditions for the activation of the fungus that provokes the appearance of dandruff.

To successfully combat dandruff, first you need to find out the main cause of this pathology. If it occurs against the background of hormonal changes, hereditary diseases or as a result of improper care, then the use of vitamins alone may not give the desired result.

Important vitamins for getting rid of dandruff

When dandruff occurs, your body may lack the following vitamins:

1. Vitamin A.It normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands, strengthens the hair follicles, and prevents dandruff.
2. Vitamin B2. It takes care of the health of the scalp, increases the body’s defenses.
3. Vitamin B3. Normalizes the local blood circulation in the scalp, is responsible for the pigment that gives the hair color.
4. Vitamin B5. Heals minor skin lesions, relieves them of flaking, itching, promotes rapid regeneration.
5. Vitamin B6.Responsible for lipid metabolism in the body. With its deficiency, dryness of the skin often occurs.
6. Vitamin B9. Improves the general condition of the skin, protects them from the effects of various negative external factors.
7. Vitamins B1 and B12. They have a general healing effect on the scalp. Can be used internally and externally.
8. Zinc, selenium and sulfur must be present in the dandruff complexes.However, it should be borne in mind that you should not abuse multivitamins supplemented with other nutrients, since they tend to accumulate and are removed from the body for a long time. This can lead to their excess and undesirable consequences.

Regardless of the causes of dandruff, it is imperative to consult a trichologist so as not to miss something serious. But taking well-thought-out micronutrient complexes in most cases cannot do much harm.Below we will consider the best anti-dandruff vitamins that are offered by import and Russian pharmaceutical companies.

Rating of the best vitamins for dandruff

The best imported anti-dandruff vitamins

There are no special vitamin complexes where the name would include the combination “anti-dandruff”. But most of the imported hair and skin supplements contain a set of vitamins and minerals that can solve this tricho-dermatological problem.

Solgar Skin, Nails & Hair Advanced Formula with MSM

Rating: 4.9

Solgar has developed Skin, Nails & Hair Supplement, an improved MSM formula. This complex is valued for the following components: vitamin C, zinc, copper, silicon, organic sulfur and 2 amino acids. Such a composition has a beneficial effect on the work of the sebaceous glands, compensates for the deficiency of useful micronutrients, therefore it turns out to be quite effective in the fight against dandruff.

These vitamins from Solgar are fairly large, oval tablets. Their color is white. In dark glass jars, they contain 60 or 120 pieces. It is supposed to take 2 tablets of such vitamins per day. This is best done during breakfast. Some people swallow these vitamins whole without a problem, but others complain about their size. They also note that nausea is possible when using the supplement on an empty stomach.

Persons suffering from dandruff, note that against the background of the use of this dietary supplement, they noticeably improve the condition of the scalp.The sebaceous glands begin to function correctly, itching, peeling disappears. The hair itself acquires a healthy shine, falls out less, and ceases to be brittle. An additional bonus from taking this remedy is strong nails and clear skin from rashes.

Dignity

• effective components of the composition;
• normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands;
• improves hair structure;
• reduces hair loss;
• cleanses the skin from rashes.

Disadvantages

• some are confused by the size of the tablets;
• may cause nausea if consumed on an empty stomach.

Country Life Maxi-Hair

Rating: 4.8

The American brand Country Life produces the popular Maxi-Hair supplement. This dietary supplement contains: 14 vitamins, 6 minerals, including organic sulfur, 2 amino acids and horsetail extract.This product is often used to combat dandruff and other problems that can occur with hair, nail plates and skin.

Maxi-Hair tablets are rather large, oblong, oval. Their color is sandy with green and interspersed. The aroma of such vitamins is quite specific – it resembles dried vegetables or spices. The tablets are placed in a dark plastic jar in the amount of 90 pieces. The daily dose of these vitamins is 2 pieces. For better assimilation, it is more advisable to use the product with meals.

If dandruff was triggered by a deficiency of specific micronutrients, then this supplement will perfectly solve the existing problem. Already after a few weeks of using this dietary supplement, the scalp is cleansed, the hair becomes less greasy, becomes silky and dense. Also, the skin becomes moisturized, the nails are dense, smooth, even, without grooves.

Dignity

• 23 useful components in the composition;
• effectively fights dandruff;
• normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands;
• improves hair structure;
• eliminates grooves and brittle nails.

Disadvantages

• some are confused by the smell of the tablets and their size.

Lady’s formula for hair, skin and nails

Rating: 4.7

BAA Lady’s formula from the American brand PharmaMed contains the following components: 8 vitamins, 9 trace elements, 2 amino acids, 3 plant extracts. This product contains all the most essential nutrients to fight dandruff.Also, this complex eliminates hair loss, peeling of the skin and problems with the nail plates.

American dietary supplement Lady’s formula is available in the form of tablets with an oblong, streamlined shape. Their color is greenish-grayish interspersed. There is nothing repulsive about their taste. Vitamins are packaged in blisters. The daily dose is 3 tablets. It is better to take them 1 piece at breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the presence of dandruff, local remedies must also be used in parallel.

This supplement solves various dermato-trichological problems. The condition of the skin on the head is noticeably improved after 2-3 weeks of application. But in order for the result to become stable, it is necessary to continue taking the complex for 2-3 months. Some note that this pleasure is not cheap, since one package does not last long.

Dignity

• 22 active ingredients;
• acceptable tablet size and shape;
• solves dandruff problem in 2-3 weeks;
• improves the overall condition of the hair.

Disadvantages

• one package only lasts 20 days.

Garden of Life Vitamin Code Zinc RAW

Rating: 4.6

The Garden of Life brand launches Vitamin Code, Zinc RAW. This complex contains in each serving: 60 mg Vitamin C, 30 mg Zinc, Alkalizing Trace Mineral Blend, RAW Probiotic & Enzyme Blend, and a Blend of 23 Organic Fruits and Vegetables.This product perfectly strengthens the immune system, normalizes the sebaceous glands, improves the condition of the scalp.

These Garden of Life vitamins are available in standard sized capsules. They have a transparent shell and a greenish-sandy content. They are packaged in dark glass jars. The daily dose is 2 capsules. They are swallowed without any problems. And also their contents can be dissolved in water or juice. You can use this complex regardless of meals.One bottle is enough for 1 month of use.

Many praise this Garden of Life supplement. If you add it to a comprehensive dandruff treatment, then you can get rid of this problem much faster. Along with this, such vitamins perfectly increase the body’s resistance to colds. Also, this dietary supplement eliminates rashes and other imperfections on the skin. This complex is especially appropriate during puberty. Such a product is usually well tolerated, but some may develop allergic reactions.

Dignity

• well thought out, natural composition;
• there are no problems when swallowing capsules;
• can be consumed regardless of meals;
• helps to quickly solve the problem of dandruff;
• perfectly strengthens the immune system;
• eliminates skin rashes.

Disadvantages

• can provoke allergic reactions.

Balanced complex of B vitamins MegaFood

Rating: 4.5

The MegaFood Balanced B Complex Vitamin supplement is well suited for our roundup of the best. This product contains 8 essential B vitamins and is fortified with organic brown rice, kale and broccoli. This product not only perfectly supports the health of the nervous system, but also helps to fight the manifestations of dandruff.

Vitamins from MegaFood are green oval tablets. They are sold in 60 pieces in dark bottles. You should take 1 tablet per day. This can be done at any time of the day and even on an empty stomach. During the use of this remedy, the urine turns bright yellow. And also some complain that their legs may swell due to the use of this dietary supplement.

Consumers share that MegaFood B vitamins can be a real boon for those suffering from dandruff or other dermatological problems.Also, during the use of this dietary supplement, the nervous system noticeably calms down and the condition improves in case of neurological diseases. The digestive system responds favorably to this supplement.

Dignity

• good content of B vitamins;
• improves the work of the sebaceous glands;
• calms the nervous system;
• tablets can be taken even on an empty stomach.

Disadvantages

• can provoke swelling of the extremities.

Natrol

Skin, Hair & Nail Health Supplement

Rating: 4.4

An effective product is also available from the manufacturer Natrol. Its supplement contains 10 vitamins and vitamin-like substances, 3 minerals, lutein, collagen, hyaluronic acid, and horsetail extract. Thanks to the balanced composition, it is possible to maintain the health of the hair and scalp, relieving them of dandruff and other problems.

This Natrol product is available in standard sized capsules. They have a transparent shell and light sandy contents. The vitamins are placed in jars made of opaque, white plastic. Additionally packed in cardboard boxes. The daily dose of this complex is 1 tablet. The optimal time of admission is with breakfast. One bottle is enough for 2 months of use. This remedy is usually well tolerated, but it is guaranteed to change the color of urine.

Many people like that this complex noticeably improves the condition of the hair and scalp.In the presence of dandruff, he fights this problem too. After a course application of this remedy, the skin is completely cleansed both on the head, face, and on other parts of the body. Hair revives, becomes soft and silky. With the help of this additive it is possible to stop the “hair loss”.

Dignity

• well balanced composition;
• vitamins are comfortable to swallow;
• the additive has good tolerance;
• effectively removes dandruff;
• reduces hair loss;
• improves the structure of curls.

Disadvantages

• changes the color of urine.

The best Russian vitamins against dandruff

Russian manufacturers also do not produce special anti-dandruff vitamins. But they produce a large number of preparations and supplements for hair, skin and nails, which have a complex cosmetic effect and are able to fight the manifestations of seborrhea.

Femiwell Source of Beauty

Rating: 4.nine

The pharmaceutical company Evalar produces the supplement Femivell source of beauty. This product has the following active ingredients: 4 vitamins, manganese, organic sulfur, beta-alanine amino acid, collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid and immortelle extract. This complex helps to fight dandruff, hair loss, flaking, itching of the skin. The dietary supplement effectively slows down the aging process.

Femivell is produced as a source of beauty in the form of an instant drink.One package contains 21 sachets with white powder, when dissolved, a yellowish drink with pineapple flavor and aroma is obtained. It is supposed to take the contents of one sachet per day. To prepare a drink, take 200 ml of water at room temperature. The minimum duration of admission is 3 weeks.

This complex helps to improve the condition of the scalp and hair in the shortest possible time. By the end of the minimum course of application, they are completely cleared of dandruff.Also, hair stops breaking and falls out less. The skin becomes noticeably healthier, its smoothness and elasticity increase, and the appearance of wrinkles is prevented.

Dignity

• good combination of active ingredients;
• interesting form of release;
• pleasant taste and aroma of the drink;
• gives freshness and purity to the scalp and hair;
• makes the skin of the face healthier.

Disadvantages

• the composition contains a flavoring.

Ledisharm

Rating: 4.8

The Russian manufacturer Kvadrat-S produces the Ledisharm food additive. This dietary supplement contains: 6 B vitamins, 3 minerals (zinc, manganese, selenium), cystine and inulin. This complex fights dandruff, gray hair, hair loss, increased fat content, flaking and itching of the skin.This product visibly improves the structure of the growing part of the hair.

Ledisharm supplement is a round, convex tablet. Their color is pale orange, the presence of yeast is felt in the taste and smell. The tablets are small, swallowed without any problems. The additive is packaged in blisters. These vitamins are recommended to be taken twice a day for 1 piece. The average therapeutic course is 4-8 weeks. One package is enough for 15 days of use.

From the reviews it follows that the Ledisharm vitamins are quite effective if used in a comprehensive fight against dandruff.After the course application of this remedy, the work of the sebaceous glands is normalized, the hair looks moisturized and silky, the skin is cleared of rashes, irritation, and wounds heal faster.

Dignity

• effective combination of active ingredients;
• the tablets have an acceptable size;
• helps get rid of dandruff;
• improves hair structure;
• cleanses the skin from rashes, peeling.

Disadvantages

• the taste and smell of yeast is felt.

Selmevit Intensive

Rating: 4.7

The next nominee for the review was a drug from the pharmaceutical company Pharmstandard – Selmevit Intensive. It contains a complex of B vitamins and a complex of antioxidants. Minerals include zinc, magnesium, selenium and phosphorus.This remedy turns out to be quite effective in the complex fight against dandruff. Also, this drug helps to get rid of chronic fatigue and strengthen the immune system.

Selmevit Intensive is a round, convex tablet. Their color is light orange, the aroma is quite specific. But the size of the tablets is small, so they can be swallowed without problems. They are packaged in polymer cans in the amount of 30 or 60 pieces. These vitamins are recommended to be taken 1 tablet a day after meals.The duration of the course application is up to 3 months.

Many people like the complex effect of this drug on the body. They note that Selmevit Intensive gives them a surge of strength and energy. With it, they get less colds. At the same time, it is possible to get rid of dandruff, excessive oily hair roots. The curls look healthier, the skin is cleansed, the nails are strengthened. Usually the drug is well tolerated, but occasionally it can provoke the appearance of allergic reactions.

Dignity

• 16 useful components in the composition;
• the tablets are easy to swallow;
• gives strength and energy;
• strengthens the immune system;
• relieves dandruff;
• heals the skin.

Disadvantages

• can provoke allergic reactions.

Mirrolla Aevit natural vitamins

Rating: 4.6

Closes the review of the best vitamins for dandruff dietary supplement Aevit from the manufacturer Mirroll. This product contains: D-alpha-tocopherol acetate, retinol palmitate. This additive has many uses. It is effective in solving tricho-dermatological problems. However, it should be borne in mind that this product has a number of contraindications.

Aevit from Mirroll is a small, round, transparent capsule with oily contents. They can be packaged in blisters or placed in dark jars. Adults and children over 14 years of age are advised to take 1 capsule 1 time per day with meals. Duration of use is 4-6 weeks. Usually this product is well tolerated, but occasionally it can provoke epigastric pain and dyspeptic disorders.

Many people really like these “beauty” vitamins.In the reviews, they note that when this tool was connected to a comprehensive fight against dandruff, they were able to achieve a positive result much faster. This supplement improves the condition of the skin, protects against premature aging, increases visual acuity, has a beneficial effect on the reproductive system and has many other positive effects on the body.