Is Cullen Jenkins correct?

[MOBB DEEP]

On NFLN he was complaining about the defensive schemes. He feels that the team has players who can make plays but arent being put in the proper position to max their talent. Me thinks Kampman inst a happy kamper as well....

I know alot of us were excited about Capers during the pre-season....

[Deputy Nutz]

I think Jenkins needs to grow up. He has played this game for a while and should realize the game at any level breaks down to a couple of simple things. In this case scheme is only going to have so much to do with getting your ass kicked. No defense is that bad where you can blame the scheme for getting beat on all day. It comes down to beating the man in front of you, especially in the trenches.

If he is trying to defend Woodson and Harris, he could have made their jobs a lot easier in beating the guy across from him and putting pressure on Favre. He didn't, Kampman got owned every time even when he put his hand on the ground, he might have had one pressure.

Beat the man across from you on a consistent basis and there is no need to go crying to the media.

[rbaloha1]

Yes. Capers is too dogmatic with his scheme. Let the players utilize their strengths more.

[denverYooper]

Funny that in the article Defense vents frustration, trying to make the same complaint against scheme, most of the quotes are from players saying that the scheme isn't the problem because:

a.) Favre is good against a blitz (Bishop)
b.) the players need to do their parts (Barnett and "others")
c.) They did pretty well, considering the Vikings played on a short field (Al Harris)

[denverYooper]

People forget that we're doing well against the run and are still doing the thing we were good at last year: generating turnovers. Their utter uselessness game after game against the run was something that everyone was bitching about last year.

Our pass rush still needs to show some improvement but the defense is the least of our worries right now.

[rbaloha1]

People forget that we're doing well against the run and are still doing the thing we were good at last year: generating turnovers. Their utter uselessness game after game against the run was something that everyone was bitching about last year.

Our pass rush still needs to show some improvement but the defense is the least of our worries right now.

Yes and No. The D has only proven it can dominate bad teams but collapses against good teams.

[g4orce]

Has the players on the team spoken out like this and so often in the past years? I don't really recall this, calling out coaches/schemes, and what not?

[Partial]

Has the players on the team spoken out like this and so often in the past years? I don't really recall this, calling out coaches/schemes, and what not?

That's because they were so dominant in Preseason and everyone had them as a contender. Hell, I even started drinking the kool-aid and predicted 4 losses and 12 wins.

The guys are frustrated. I would be, too. I think the fact that Favre is beating them so handedly is just adding salt to the wounds. I've gotta imagine the "win-now" guys are pretty cheesed off.

[rbaloha1]

Has the players on the team spoken out like this and so often in the past years? I don't really recall this, calling out coaches/schemes, and what not?

Vanilla Bob was called-out less directly. Recall Barnett mentioning some stuff. Maybe the players liked Vanilla Bob's personality better than the highly paid and highly acclaimed Capers.

[mraynrand]

Kampman got owned every time even when he put his hand on the ground, he might have had one pressure.

Beat the man across from you on a consistent basis and there is no need to go crying to the media.

bottom line

[wist43]

I agree with some of the complaints from the players insofar as they relate to the game plans, and play calling... nothing wrong with the scheme.

Before the Minnesota game I said to effectively thwart their short passing game, Capers needed to press off the line, and contest the ball at the point of reception - he did not do that. Harvin, Rice, Berrian... were all regularly given free releases into their patterns. If Capers blitzed and forced an early throw, receivers were open, ball was out... not rocket science.

I said this last spring when they announced the switch... we have half a roster full of mediocre 4-3 defensive personnel - it is unrealistic to expect that mediocre 4-3 personnel are suddenly going to morph into kick ass 3-4 personnel.

Kampman is a DE, and needs to rush with his hand on the ground; Woodson and Harris are both talented bump and run corners; none of the LB's, sans Matthews, are well suited to the scheme, etc...

Capers needs to take all those things into consideration when putting together game plans... he doesn't seem to be doing that. Kampman covering Harvin 15 yards downfield???

I don't see Capers changing his tune though... so it could be a long remaining 9 games.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Ever ask yourself why it's Woodson, Jenkins and Jolly that are the emotional leaders of the team INSTEAD of McCarthy?

Is McCarthy capable of taking the emotional reins of this team?

It's good to have a team of stallions that are filled with emotional fire, but in order to get the stallions to pull together toward the same goal, you need a head coach to break them and then ride them in the right direction.

[pbmax]

Jenkins needs to look at himself first. He was a pass rushing D Tackle before he was a DE. He was excellent in that role. He was moved outside to provide the run support KGB refused to even try to provide at that point. He was great playing the edge versus the run and last year (before the injury) had developed a good pass rush.

That lasted all of four games. Now Cullen has a new role and while it probably means more work and study, he needs to learn to rush from his new position. Neither he nor Kampman (who struggled last year in his pass rush) are good enough to consider switching schemes even for just the pass rush.