A new wrinkle for the 3-4 defense?

[BobDobbs]

I know that the debate on this thread is mostly about our corners. But last year I thought our biggest coverage liability was our line backers combined with the scheme. After the New Orleans game when people wanted to move the ball through the air they ran TE, slot receivers and RBs on short to intermediate routes and ate us up in the middle of the field.

I mean Al had a bad day against Detroit and Woodson got beaten by Steve Smith to cost us the game, but our corners from one to three were really solid and not much responsible for all our late game collapses.

As far as depth rising to a starting position. Bush will never be the preferred starter. I'd be surprised if Blackmon rises further than a nickel. Lee looks like he physically has it. He just had no idea what the fuck was going on last year.

So, we've got two good/great corners for this year and maybe next, an heir apparent at nickel and some developmental guys who can earn their keep on special teams. Also, a coach that may be able to scheme underneath coverage to deny the short routes that killed us last year. Sounds pretty good to me.

[sharpe1027]

I know that the debate on this thread is mostly about our corners. But last year I thought our biggest coverage liability was our line backers combined with the scheme. After the New Orleans game when people wanted to move the ball through the air they ran TE, slot receivers and RBs on short to intermediate routes and ate us up in the middle of the field.

Good point. IMO, requiring your LBers to cover the TE in man coverage for any period of time is asking for trouble. Chillar was actually damn good at coverage, but I got sick of watching teams run their TE across the field until the LBer inevitably got into a trail position. Of course, that usually takes time to develop and with consistent pressure that time might not be there...

[RashanGary]

I know that the debate on this thread is mostly about our corners. But last year I thought our biggest coverage liability was our line backers combined with the scheme. After the New Orleans game when people wanted to move the ball through the air they ran TE, slot receivers and RBs on short to intermediate routes and ate us up in the middle of the field.

Good point. IMO, requiring your LBers to cover the TE in man coverage for any period of time is asking for trouble. Chillar was actually damn good at coverage, but I got sick of watching teams run their TE across the field until the LBer inevitably got into a trail position. Of course, that usually takes time to develop and with consistent pressure that time might not be there...

Good observation. Those routes killed us all year. They do take time to develop and they weren't a problem two years ago when we had a pass rush.

[Fritz]

I know that the debate on this thread is mostly about our corners. But last year I thought our biggest coverage liability was our line backers combined with the scheme. After the New Orleans game when people wanted to move the ball through the air they ran TE, slot receivers and RBs on short to intermediate routes and ate us up in the middle of the field.

Good point. IMO, requiring your LBers to cover the TE in man coverage for any period of time is asking for trouble. Chillar was actually damn good at coverage, but I got sick of watching teams run their TE across the field until the LBer inevitably got into a trail position. Of course, that usually takes time to develop and with consistent pressure that time might not be there...

Good observation. Those routes killed us all year. They do take time to develop and they weren't a problem two years ago when we had a pass rush.

To my untrained eye, this seemed to be so. How many, many times did a running back or tight end trail across the middle, with Desmond Howard or Brady Poppinga or _______ (fill in the blank with the linebacker du jour) dutifully huffing along, a step or two behind....

[SnakeLH2006]

To my untrained eye, this seemed to be so. How many, many times did a running back or tight end trail across the middle, with Desmond Howard or Brady Poppinga or _______ (fill in the blank with the linebacker du jour) dutifully huffing along, a step or two behind....

Desmond's back?? Someone wake up Bretsky, we just signed out first big-name FA!!! Yeah!!

[Gunakor]

To my untrained eye, this seemed to be so. How many, many times did a running back or tight end trail across the middle, with Desmond Howard or Brady Poppinga or _______ (fill in the blank with the linebacker du jour) dutifully huffing along, a step or two behind....

Desmond's back?? Someone wake up Bretsky, we just signed out first big-name FA!!! Yeah!!

If we signed Desmond to play linebacker, we're in trouble. Real trouble. That guy is like 160 wearing wet jeans and boots. Probably fast enough to catch Adrian Peterson from behind, but only if the guy blocking him lets him get up off the turf.

[SnakeLH2006]

To my untrained eye, this seemed to be so. How many, many times did a running back or tight end trail across the middle, with Desmond Howard or Brady Poppinga or _______ (fill in the blank with the linebacker du jour) dutifully huffing along, a step or two behind....

Desmond's back?? Someone wake up Bretsky, we just signed out first big-name FA!!! Yeah!!

If we signed Desmond to play linebacker, we're in trouble. Real trouble. That guy is like 160 wearing wet jeans and boots. Probably fast enough to catch Adrian Peterson from behind, but only if the guy blocking him lets him get up off the turf.

Hate to hijack this thread, but Desmond Howard was far from a burner, just real shifty, as Woodson used to be but looks slow and crafty now (agile gamer I like to say and love him) but look at the speed of young Woody 6 years the junior of Desmond.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQy2ohW9OaI

Desmond couldn't catch AP on his best day, but if he's our 40 year old LB now at 160, we are fucked. Seems all this heat from Bretsky to sign a name guy did us in. TT caved.

[Gunakor]

To my untrained eye, this seemed to be so. How many, many times did a running back or tight end trail across the middle, with Desmond Howard or Brady Poppinga or _______ (fill in the blank with the linebacker du jour) dutifully huffing along, a step or two behind....

Desmond's back?? Someone wake up Bretsky, we just signed out first big-name FA!!! Yeah!!

If we signed Desmond to play linebacker, we're in trouble. Real trouble. That guy is like 160 wearing wet jeans and boots. Probably fast enough to catch Adrian Peterson from behind, but only if the guy blocking him lets him get up off the turf.

Hate to hijack this thread, but Desmond Howard was far from a burner, just real shifty, as Woodson used to be but looks slow and crafty now (agile gamer I like to say and love him) but look at the speed of young Woody 6 years the junior of Desmond.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQy2ohW9OaI

Desmond couldn't catch AP on his best day, but if he's our 40 year old LB now at 160, we are fucked. Seems all this heat from Bretsky to sign a name guy did us in. TT caved.

He was pretty fast back in the mid 90's. Not Devin Hester fast, but he wasn't slow by any means. You didn't see Howard being caught from behind very often at all.

AP was an exaggeration. Though Nick Collins caught him from behind once to prevent a TD. Howard might have back in the day, I don't know. Certainly not today though.