stevewin Posted October 21, 2005 Posted October 21, 2005 Hopefully this will be the last week we have to read quotes from players on our defense saying they need to stay in their gaps and do their jobs "On the first one, we got caught on a quick snap," linebacker Angelo Crowell said. "On the other we just weren't gap sound. You have to control your gap." "We stress everybody staying in their gap responsibility," linebacker London Fletcher said, "and also getting off blocks. We have to do a better job of disengaging from blocks." ... "It's obvious we're not where we want to be, but at the same time we can't worry about statistics," defensive end Chris Kelsay said. "We have to stay focused and keep our individual jobs within the defense on our minds."
San-O Posted October 21, 2005 Posted October 21, 2005 Sounds like there may be some issues with the "gaps" between their ears.
John from Riverside Posted October 21, 2005 Posted October 21, 2005 This post is interesting to me as we were going over our defensive gap responsibilities last night on my youth football team... It is two fold..... It is the defensive linemens (interior) who are getting caught out of their gap assignments (not a lot....they are right the majority of the time) It is the linbackers who are not shedding blocks well (mostly Crowell and not a lot....they are right the majority of the time But when you put the 2 TOGETHER thats when you get a Curtis Martin big run
jarthur31 Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 Hopefully this will be the last week we have to read quotes from players on our defense saying they need to stay in their gaps and do their jobs 482021[/snapback] To answer you question: apparently, they don't! Sorry, but such assignments are supposed to be learned by the end of training camp, not when the season starts or is well underway. I guess preseason games do mean something after all.
/dev/null Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 bet the Minnesota Vikings all knew how to cover those gaps...
ganesh Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 bet the Minnesota Vikings all knew how to cover those gaps... 482427[/snapback] Especially a PWs... I still like the decision to let him go....He might have done better than Anderson this year...but he was on the wrong side of his career and' to put that kind of money on him was risky....plus it stops Andersons development.
Nanker Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 To answer you question: apparently, they don't! Sorry, but such assignments are supposed to be learned by the end of training camp, not when the season starts or is well underway. I guess preseason games do mean something after all. 482425[/snapback] Don't be so hard on them. Some teams line up with a 6 man line: 1 center, 2 guards, 2 tackles and 1 tight end. Other teams line up with a six man line: one center, two guards, two tackles and one tight end. So it can be complicated.
stuckincincy Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 So it can be complicated. 482539[/snapback] Especially when guards are pulled or traps are run...nothing quite like seeing a DL clawing at air or bleeding from the ears
Nanker Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 Especially when guards are pulled or traps are run...nothing quite like seeing a DL clawing at air or bleeding from the ears 482547[/snapback] That was Bee-oo-tee-full!
Mark VI Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 The coaching has been stellar. It's quite normal for your DE's to line up 5 feet outside of the OT, with a blitzing OLB lined up even further outside. That leaves large gaps in the middle of the line. It's all the players.
UConn James Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 The coaching has been stellar. It's quite normal for your DE's to line up 5 feet outside of the OT, with a blitzing OLB lined up even further outside. That leaves large gaps in the middle of the line. It's all the players. 482551[/snapback] Yes. Jerry "Blitz" Gray should have gotten that HC job in Texas. That AD must not have known what he was doing. </sarcasm>
Nanker Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 The coaching has been stellar. It's quite normal for your DE's to line up 5 feet outside of the OT, with a blitzing OLB lined up even further outside. That leaves large gaps in the middle of the line. It's all the players. 482551[/snapback] You're right. I think it was Simon who had an excellent analysis about (especially) Sam shooting a gap instead of holding his ground. When he's guessed right - he's in great position to reign hell in the backfield. The rest of the time - when he's guessed wrong he's taken himself out of the play. I've only seen the JESTS game this year and was surprised by Sam's impersonation of Freddie Smerlas - showing up early to work on a few plays. Has this been a trend this year for him - or was he just excited to punch Kevin Mahwae's face?
stevewin Posted October 22, 2005 Author Posted October 22, 2005 The coaching has been stellar. It's quite normal for your DE's to line up 5 feet outside of the OT, with a blitzing OLB lined up even further outside. That leaves large gaps in the middle of the line. It's all the players. 482551[/snapback] Mark - you seem kinda cranky lately - getting enough sleep? I agree the coaches have to put the players in a position to win - but also seeing quotes from players week after week that players themselves are not in the right position or not executing their assignment is getting kind of old/frustrating.
jester43 Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 It is the linbackers who are not shedding blocks well (mostly Crowell and not a lot....they are right the majority of the time 482267[/snapback] that is my main beef with this defense. sorry to be so cranky about our favorite team (my title used to be "unabashed homer," but 5 years w/ no playoffs has made me "ornery and pessimistic"), but one of the reasons all this talk of being such an "all-time great defense" has me laughing out loud is that our linebackers can barely get off their blocks! i saw it last year when we were feasting on bad teams and winning with gimmick defenses, and i see it this year. i have to cut crowell some slack because he's so inexperienced, but imo, fletcher is just as bad. he rarely makes tackles anywhere but 3-5 yards from the l.o.s. he never fills a hole and stuffs guys at the line like the linebackers on our 99-00 team did. now THAT was a great front 7, one you go to the superbowl with. these guys? yikes. i don't think we will never win a playoff game with london fletcher as our middle linebacker.
Mark VI Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 Mark - you seem kinda cranky lately - getting enough sleep? 482564[/snapback] No Sam Adams until 4pm. I'm a bear until then.
R. Rich Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 I think Jordan does not get 100 yards. 482207[/snapback] I sure as heck hope so, but they have to show and prove. Until the Bills do so, I'm starting any RB that plays against Buffalo in my salary cap fantasy football leagues.
R. Rich Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 The coaching has been stellar. It's quite normal for your DE's to line up 5 feet outside of the OT, with a blitzing OLB lined up even further outside. That leaves large gaps in the middle of the line. It's all the players. 482551[/snapback] Shhh!! Stop giving away trade secrets.
Coach Tuesday Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 At times the D gets confused by shifting and motion, which happened a lot against Tampa Bay. BTW, before Spikes' injury, he wasn't getting off of blocks much, either, to the point where I thought he somehow had regressed as an athlete over the offseason. Turns out, that's exactly what happened, as we now know that he started the season at less than 100%, and admitted his explosiveness was down, because of that lingering feeling in his leg that turned out to cause a blown-up achilles. BUT, I don't think our linebackers not getting off blocks is the problem, and it's RIDICULOUS to say that we'll never win a playoff game with Fletcher at MLB. First off, he won a Superbowl. Second, the real problem is that Milloy and the corners have been missing "second level" tackles. Now, I know some of you will say that there shouldn't ever have to be "second level" tackles, but that's just the style of D we play - RISK/REWARD. Gray is willing to guess wrong to give up the occasional 8-yard run, because just as often he guesses right, which forces a second- and third-and-long, which in turn forces game-changing turnovers. That's how we're set up. It's the OPPOSITE of Cotrell's system, which favored consistency over pressuring the ball. And you know what? It's hard to argue with the results.
jarthur31 Posted October 22, 2005 Posted October 22, 2005 Don't be so hard on them. Some teams line up with a 6 man line: 1 center, 2 guards, 2 tackles and 1 tight end. Other teams line up with a six man line: one center, two guards, two tackles and one tight end. So it can be complicated. 482539[/snapback] I'm not good at maths. Please explain.
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