Giants in man-to-man defense and calls a blitz...just like we want him to do...
And Aaron Ross gets beat as badly as you can get beat on what should have been a 75-yard touchdown, ending the Giants season.
But the ball is overthrown and the Giants comeback to survive.
I've given Fewell grief as have others, but perhaps that play is an indication of why he's been more conservative.
the only thing i have issues with is the 3 man rush because i feel he is taking away the strength of the defense...but dropping back into zones rather than man to man is somehting he has to do...
The D is getting destroyed by just sitting back, and I have little doubt would have given up a first down if they dropped 8 on that play.
Patrick Crayton in 2007
which play sticks out more?
It's easier to do that then actually watch the game and see what's happening.
Fewell is coaching for his coaching future. He gets fired as DC, and any plans he has to be a HC or even a DC with another team go out the window. You bet your ass that he is trying everything he can think of to stop somebody.
That's one specific instance. What about the countless other blown coverages this past game AND prior games?
He's trying not to give up the big play... which is exactly what we're prone to when we blitz in man.
I don't love Fewell but a lot of posters think it has been some blatantly obvious mistake that he's been using zone so often. I don't think he has much of a choice.
It has worked at times. It isn't the scheme to me, it is the communication issues where some guys think we are playing zone and others are playing man. Ross is one of the guys who looks serially confused at least several times a game. When even guys like Webster are confused - there's a problem.
Ross used to be a decent man corner. He didn't look it on Sunday night.
this defense is HAMMERED with injuries...
Today's league is about throwing the football, no one would dispute that. But it's also about winning the pre-snap battle. Getting a blitzer through to the QB means little if the QB diagnosed it before the snap. If you don't agree go back and see what Eli did to Rob Ryan.
Off the top of my head there were three plays where Dallas's blitz created so much immediate pressure that Eli did not have time to drop back more than a step before throwing the ball. The results of those 3 plays:
- 60+ yard bomb to Nicks
- 18 yard gain to Nicks on the wheel route
- 47 yard TD to Manningham
There's clearly something wrong with Fewell's defense, but I'd submit it's not the scheme. My uneducated guess is that he's somehow falling short in relating the scheme to the players. But philosophically I think he's right to rely on the DL alone to generate pressure.
If you're playing a smart QB blitzing is suicide in today's NFL. If you don't believe me just consider the fact that Fewell was the better defensive coordinator Sunday night.
Eric is absolutely correct about the 3 man rush and yet we see poster after poster complaining that "we always rush three and it never works." If you recall, we also played a lot of man-to-man in that game and Rodgers took off and ran.
The fact that we blitzed made romo have to make quicker decision than normal thus = overthrow.
That is the point, it need not always be a sack or knockdown.
We were leading the NFL in sacks before the 49ers game, but that was a long time ago.
guess what the giants 1 have one good defensive end thats why blitzing does not work!
let me say that again...he turned this defenses strength and made it a weakness.
i don't care what Fewell is doing or isn't doing. whatever it is, it's not working. any parallels to the 2007 season are silly because that team played great defense. i don't even recognize this team.
the safeties, in particular, are abysmal and contribute basically nothing to the effort. and they might be the highest-paid safety combo in the league, too.
ross is not a starting-caliber CB, never really was. he's a good nickle corner to have on the roster, nothing more. perhaps this defense's fate was sealed when TT blew out his knee. our secondary has been trying to regroup, unsuccessfully, ever since.
Most of the time he blitzed, Eli had an open option well downfield.
and yet, that fat fuck's face is plastered on the TV after every play. Why wasn't he getting heat from the booth?
So what happens? He let's his man get behind him for a 20+ yard completion. Unbelievable.
The overthrow and Newman dropping the pick 6.
Saved our season.
Weird how often something like that happens in football. Hell, Packers barely made the playoffs last year.
idc who the coordinator was this defense wouldnt stop anyone
and remmeber spagnuolo in 07 had 3 STUD defensive ends, a MLB who although wasnt the fastest was the smartest guy on the field
Add in the fact that we disguise nothing on defense. We don't disguise our coverages nor our blitzes. It's quite embarrassing.
Injuries have effectively made uncompetitive. The Giants are about 1 more major injury on defense from joining them
However, it's hard not to Blame coaching when you see our good old friend Wade Phillips take over a crappy Texans D and turn them into one of the top Ds in the league. But, on the other side you have little Bill who is a defensive genius and his D has been getting killed all year. Maybe he's spread too thin since he's also the head coach.