When you trot out two DL, the opposing offense is going to run and it's going to be a gash play that eviscerates your defense. Jihad Ward is NOT a DL, he's an oversized slow OLB or a 4-3 LDE who cannot hold the point of attack. James Conner and Josh Dobbs..yes Josh Dobbs made your defense look like a rec league team for the better part of 3 quarters. I know you love the 8 DB alignment but it gets its um..feces pushed in at every single turn in short yardage and inside the 10 yard line. Big on big wins, stop freaking out about a deep ball and playing 8 in coverage because your coverage is soft too. You're a professional coach, I'm a regular dude who watches football and for two weeks now, I've paused the game when I see two DL and I ask my wife "How many bigs?". She says two, and the result is a huge run or a TD. If you can't stop the run, you can't win in football. It's a passing league yes, but remember what the 49ers did two years ago in the NFCG, they threw it 12 times because when they ran it was never stopped. Stop the run FIRST, or you're in for an entire year of being gassed, demoralized and clawing to win on offense.
Your 2 main DL, Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence can BOTH be double teamed and negated while TEs are eating up Ward and Thibodeaux. You leave huge run lanes open as OL are easily getting to the second level on the edge as DBs and LBs get MOWED over by 300 pounders. Start with a traditional 3-4, Leo, Dex, Ashawn, then your 4 Thibs, Okereke, Simmons, Ojulari/X/Basham. Make it your BASE front, and dare teams to throw on you. You have a LB in Simmons with sub 4.4 speed, start him at ILB and you're in a nickel in your base defense without being too small, which we are in most formations. Our DBs are getting folded in half since the cut block was outlawed and it's a field day for OL on the edge. You have not adjusted to that rule change yet, PLEASE WATCH every 2 DL play when ARI ran the ball, you can see that they recognize it and will run on it, with ease. Do your defenders a favor and start a real 3-4 that begs the opponent to throw and bring the damn heat and live with whatever happens. When we play coverage there are holes everywhere, nothing is working, so change must come.
Even in his last year in Baltimore, I believe his run defense was #1 in the NFL.
I’m optimistic they will still do that, because I agree Joey. What they are doing now just isn’t working.
Agree here too.
If the 2nd ILB is an issue, use an in-the-box S instead.
But use three DLs.
McFadden sucked against the Cardinals. But he was one of the few defenders who played well against Dallas.
Ward was singled out repeatedly by Sy'56 last year.
Look for trends when rating players.
I'm sure if Ezeudu gets roasted by Bosa, he'll be in the "bum" category after one week.
Drew Wilkins has gotten a lot of praise but his OLBs aren’t playing well.
If you tie up the 5 o line with 3 dt your linebacker should stay clean and make plays.
If you tie up the 5 o line with 3 dt your linebacker should stay clean and make plays.
I'm pretty sure Wink doesn't play two-gap. We do have the size, though. Free Jordon Riley!
I may hate the two DL look even more than Joey.
Simmons should be in the “base defense” as ILB with Okereke.
Always have 3 DLs unless he wants to have a NASCAR type package on obvious passing downs.
2 solo tackles and 2 assists in the first 2 games.
I love the agressiveness of a Wink defense but we are generating zero pass rush.
2.) Ojulari never plays
3.) McFadden sucks, they need to draft an ILB to compliment Okereke next offseason.
4.) He’s got two rookie CB’s starting
5.) He lost the QB of the secondary to FA (Love)
I think the defense will improve as the season goes on, but it’s a combination of growing pains, lack of preseason for the rookies especially, and they need a few more players at LB.
Maybe?...
2 solo tackles and 2 assists in the first 2 games.
I love the aggressiveness of a Wink defense but we are generating zero pass rush.
With Kayvon, what's changed for him between this year and last? He actually looked like he could handle the run game at points last year.
I think BD talks to Wink about his use of players and formations after giving up 60 points in 6 quarters.
I still think what he is doing in part is protecting the rookie CBs by flooding DBs into the back 4-5-6. Looks shaky at the moment though. If I’m right and Thursday night goes south quickly I think he’ll leave them on an island and go back to the traditional formations mentioned.
M.S. : 3:36 pm : link : reply
Wink’s D has the look and feel of a 2-4-5 with not enough muscle and weight at the P.O.A. to stop the run. And our EDGE is getting shattered. It’s a big man’s game at the line of scrimmage and it seems like we’re only fielding 2 of them at any one time.
I think BD talks to Wink about his use of players and formations after giving up 60 points in 6 quarters.
I still think what he is doing in part is protecting the rookie CBs by flooding DBs into the back 4-5-6. Looks shaky at the moment though. If I’m right and Thursday night goes south quickly I think he’ll leave them on an island and go back to the traditional formations mentioned.
Yep, I think they are playing it conservative with 2 rookie cb’s. You have to throw them into the fire at some point.
Drew Wilkins has gotten a lot of praise but his OLBs aren’t playing well.
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didn’t take over play calling the 2nd half😉 but did consult with Kafka on play calls.
I think BD talks to Wink about his use of players and formations after giving up 60 points in 6 quarters.
I still think what he is doing in part is protecting the rookie CBs by flooding DBs into the back 4-5-6. Looks shaky at the moment though. If I’m right and Thursday night goes south quickly I think he’ll leave them on an island and go back to the traditional formations mentioned.
Yep, I think they are playing it conservative with 2 rookie cb’s. You have to throw them into the fire at some point.
Wink is doing the same thing he did last year. Rookie CBs have nothing to do with it
If you tie up the 5 o line with 3 dt your linebacker should stay clean and make plays.
So a read-and-react system?
The linebackers are awful. Ward looks cooked, Thibs doesn’t do anything and McFadden stinks. They have to play Simmons when he’s ready.
There was one play by Thibs that was disgusting. Right after the Giants made it 20-7, the crowd was amped. Giants D looked like it kicked the intensity up. AZ ran a Read option to Conner and Thibs had a free shot at him and just stopped. An easy 2 yard loss turned into a demoralizing 16 yard run and momentum was gone. I rewound it a few times, could not believe what I saw.
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Keeps getting turned down for HC jobs. Wonder if he's getting too frustrated.
Even in his last year in Baltimore, I believe his run defense was #1 in the NFL.
My issue with Wink is he seems to be stuck on his style of D,even of we don't have the correct personnel
I am a huge Wink supporter too...
Just an observation
There's a reason NFL teams never have used a 2-man line except for us.
They faced 17 1st down situations on D.
They used a 34 10 times (5 carries, 29 yards, 5.8 ypc).
They used a 24 7 times (6 carries, 37 yards, 6.2 ypc, 2 TDs).
So it's true Wink used a lot of 34 early in the game, but to Joey's point both their rush TDs came against light fronts on 1st and 10.
I think what backed Wink out of the 34 looks was getting gashed with play action. The Cards were checking into it vs. 34 looks and having good success - it's where most of their completions came from. They were targeting McFadden from what it looked like. Shanahan will be merciless with that, this week.
Ward looks cooked right now. He was a little bit better last year. He had an issue the coaching staff kept quiet in camp, does not look like the same player right now.
Reed and Lewis left in 2012.
He did have Suggs for a year or two...
Are you thinking Campbell is Canton bound?
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Didn't Wink have a HOFer at each level (DL, LB, Secondary)?
Reed and Lewis left in 2012.
He did have Suggs for a year or two...
Are you thinking Campbell is Canton bound?
I think Wink was promoted DC in 2018...
2019 93.4
2020 - 108
2021 84 (But defense seemed to fall off, way down in rankings)
Had Campbell, Brandon Williams, Judon, Wormley (not every year)
The offensive payroll, until Lamar's payday, was seriously an afterthought.
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Never got the love for him. Big effort big character guy but he’s 15 play guy max. No idea why he’s starting.
Ward looks cooked right now. He was a little bit better last year. He had an issue the coaching staff kept quiet in camp, does not look like the same player right now.
2019 93.4
2020 - 108
2021 84 (But defense seemed to fall off, way down in rankings)
Had Campbell, Brandon Williams, Judon, Wormley (not every year)
The last year the run defense was excellent but the pass defense was atrocious because they got hammered with injuries in the backend of the defense.
There seemed to be an insinuation that Kayvon is not being turned loose on the quarterback.
His body language on the Bench suggests he s not happy about it.
Is Wink a systems guy that doesn’t take advantage of player s best skill set.
He asks more of his CBs. His front 7 is all scheme.
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Keeps getting turned down for HC jobs. Wonder if he's getting too frustrated.
Even in his last year in Baltimore, I believe his run defense was #1 in the NFL.
I think his run defense was either 1 or 2 in the NFL in 2021 but I believe the pass defense was the worst in yards given up and by a significant margin over most quality teams.
For me at least, a transitional defense would be, on run downs, Basham and Thibobeaux at the end spots and Williams and Lawrence at the tackles (Lawrence as "shade" nose, Williams at three-tech).
Ojulari would line up outside Basham as the SAM linebacker/9-tech where Basham would clog up the c-gap and Ojulari, who has more speed and bend, jams the tight end. Okereke as the MIKE linebacker. WILL linebacker is a bit more of a puzzle since the Giants have been using McFadden there but Simmons has more speed and is more of a safety, though either can be sent to blitz the quarterback.
So in the base, it would be:
LDE: Boogie Basham
LDT: Dexter Lawrence
RDT: Leonard Williams
RDE: Kayvon Thibodeaux
LLB/SAM: Azeez Ojulari
MLB/MIKE: Bobby Okereke
RLB/WILL: Isaiah Simmons/Micah McFadden
On obvious passing downs, Basham might go to the bench and Ojulari moves to his spot while Jackson, Holmes, or Belton takes the nickel.
For next year's draft, assuming we keep Simmons at WILL, finding an edge who can play 4-3 DE early on and a 3-tech who can generate pass-rush from the interior would be in the cards.
Football 101: The Defensive Front Seven - ( New Window )
They faced 17 1st down situations on D.
They used a 34 10 times (5 carries, 29 yards, 5.8 ypc).
They used a 24 7 times (6 carries, 37 yards, 6.2 ypc, 2 TDs).
So it's true Wink used a lot of 34 early in the game, but to Joey's point both their rush TDs came against light fronts on 1st and 10.
I think what backed Wink out of the 34 looks was getting gashed with play action. The Cards were checking into it vs. 34 looks and having good success - it's where most of their completions came from. They were targeting McFadden from what it looked like. Shanahan will be merciless with that, this week.