If you look one by one at the actual on-field track record of our defenders, there really isn't much there. A lot of it seems based on potential: draft position, flashing during training camp, and standard preseason optimism.
Thibodaux- high draft pick, second year pro, made some plays a rookie.
Ojulari- track record is that he plays half a season and get some sacks.
Ward- journeyman, sets a good Edge.
Robinson- good career, aging, coming off injury.
Nunez roches- one dimensional run stopper.
Leonard Williams- high draft pick who fell short of expectations, best season was last year though.
McFadden- backup on a good team.
Okereke- made a million tackles downfield on a bad franchise.
Pinnock- 14 months off of jets practice squad, flashes now and then.
Belton- played parts of one season, made some plays.
Banks- rookie, no track record
Hawkins- rookie, no track record
McKinney- occasional playmaker, lived up to second round draft pick status, not the same since injury.
Simmons- exciting Talent, hasn't excelled in the league yet.
Lawrence- the one exception, top of the league player.
Wink coached his ass off last year, and it was a ton of fun.
But the players haven't done much in this league, and few of them have been critical pieces towards winning anything in the league.
Right now, I'm just feeling like I had no actual on the field reason to support the optimism I had.
I still believe in Wink and the above assumption. So, I will flip your point
Why hasn't it worked?
1. Wink's defense is not easy to master and too many players are thinking vs doing.
2. Several assumed studs aren't....for what ever reason.
3. The offense and specifically, the OL are not holding up to their part....putting too much on the defense.
I wrote this on a thread the other day:
Maybe part of the problem is that we are starting 2 rookies at CB, Adoree Jackson is playing a new position and there's no Julian Love out there to play traffic cop. Oh, and did I mention that our veteran Xavier McDaniel looked like he forgot how to tackle and mailed it in on several plays.
[quote] The assumption was.....when he got "his" guys, this defense would excell.
I still believe in Wink and the above assumption. So, I will flip your point
Why hasn't it worked?
1. Wink's defense is not easy to master and too many players are thinking vs doing.
Bingo,…… paralysis by analysis !
They result from poor effort, bad technique.
I think our play shows a mixture of both.
by AAV they have the 7th most active cap on their defense.
their DL has the 4th most AAV on it behind the Jets, 49ers, and Bengals. they have more spent than philly and dallas (though dallas will move up as soon as they extend parsons).
they have 3 first round picks, 2 top 10's, in the front 7. 2 are on their 2nd contracts.
okereke is one of the highest paid off ball lb's in football.
last year they were 17th in points allowed.
this year they were supposed to be better than that.
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/positional/defense/ - ( New Window )
Wink is coaching a talented unit. They all need to do better.
by AAV they have the 7th most active cap on their defense.
their DL has the 4th most AAV on it behind the Jets, 49ers, and Bengals. they have more spent than philly and dallas (though dallas will move up as soon as they extend parsons).
they have 3 first round picks, 2 top 10's, in the front 7. 2 are on their 2nd contracts.
okereke is one of the highest paid off ball lb's in football.
last year they were 17th in points allowed.
this year they were supposed to be better than that. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/positional/defense/ - ( New Window )
A bit unrealistic to think they were going to be much improved out of the gate with new key players, and especially with rookie corners.
Maybe pre-2020 when they were allowed real training camp. Not any more.
Why can't they tackle?
Why are they playing so soft?
The defense is devoid of talent, but talent is irrelevant to most of their struggles thus far.
The Giants over the last four games have been outscored 136-50. Never were they this bad during the Handley years or more recently under the three Howard brothers.
So yeah, it's a bit of a problem considering the only shot we would have had this year at making the playoffs was to be a dominant and suffocating top ten defense....
Silly me.
I still believe in Wink and the above assumption. So, I will flip your point
Why hasn't it worked?
1. Wink's defense is not easy to master and too many players are thinking vs doing.
2. Several assumed studs aren't....for what ever reason.
3. The offense and specifically, the OL are not holding up to their part....putting too much on the defense.
So you're saying basically the players are too dumb for Winks defense, additionally they suck for unknown reasons, and , finally, it's the offense's fault?
Really, sir. your argument is unconvincing to say the least, no offense.
The Giants over the last four games have been outscored 136-50. Never were they this bad during the Handley years or more recently under the three Howard brothers.
So yeah, it's a bit of a problem considering the only shot we would have had this year at making the playoffs was to be a dominant and suffocating top ten defense....
Silly me.
I think with Wink's style of defense, you really have to have the right type of personnel, not sure he has that here at the moment. They are lacking some talent. Trying to play two rookie corners is tough to do in this league. That is just one example, there are a couple others.
I wrote this on a thread the other day:
Maybe part of the problem is that we are starting 2 rookies at CB, Adoree Jackson is playing a new position and there's no Julian Love out there to play traffic cop. Oh, and did I mention that our veteran Xavier McDaniel looked like he forgot how to tackle and mailed it in on several plays.
When you demean a player, is it too much to ask that you get his name right?
It’s a young defense that is starting 4 new players/guys in new positions in the secondary when they go to nickel.
Okereke and Simmons ares new to the scheme too.
Thibs and McKinney have not played anywhere near what they are capabale of.
by AAV they have the 7th most active cap on their defense.
their DL has the 4th most AAV on it behind the Jets, 49ers, and Bengals. they have more spent than philly and dallas (though dallas will move up as soon as they extend parsons).
they have 3 first round picks, 2 top 10's, in the front 7. 2 are on their 2nd contracts.
okereke is one of the highest paid off ball lb's in football.
last year they were 17th in points allowed.
this year they were supposed to be better than that. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/positional/defense/ - ( New Window )
Quote:
I wrote this on a thread the other day:
Maybe part of the problem is that we are starting 2 rookies at CB, Adoree Jackson is playing a new position and there's no Julian Love out there to play traffic cop. Oh, and did I mention that our veteran Xavier McDaniel looked like he forgot how to tackle and mailed it in on several plays.
__________
When you demean a player, is it too much to ask that you get his name right?
Same goes for Williams whose only play of note this year as far as I can tell was bellyflopping on a QB and drawing a penalty. Hadn't noticed him this year before that.
It’s a young defense that is starting 4 new players/guys in new positions in the secondary when they go to nickel.
Okereke and Simmons ares new to the scheme too.
Thibs and McKinney have not played anywhere near what they are capabale of.
I'm sorry but we must beat Seattle to make a season out of it cause the schedule after that is brutal for awhile. Get the home win on national TV and breathe a bit as you work the youth.
I believe we can build around Lawrence, Riley, Davidson, Thibs, Okerke, McFadden, Banks, Hawkins and Pinnock. I would not be surprised if Williams, McKinney and Jackson were gone at season's end to create cap space and just walk as UFA. Wink will want his players and the ammunition (money) to get them.
It takes 3 years to finish a rebuild they say or something like that so next year we should be ready but that is only true if we are sure Jones is the answer and the young OL moves up a lot by season's end.
I don't think he's purposefully doing that. He's hesitating and not hitting the gaps hard, and as a result, he gets blocked when he shouldn't if he was just playing faster. Hoping that as he becomes more comfortable in this scheme, he starts reacting and stops thinking.