Sam Shields

[HarveyWallbangers]

I must say that after worrying about him having a sophomore slump earlier in the year, he stepped up his game vs. Chicago.

[Bretsky]

gotta agree; he has a sub par preseason and game one was junk
But he stepped it up against the Bears; maybe since he's only in yr two he needed more time and is effected by lack of practice time.

[pbmax]

He pulled a great Woodson on that last tip. He was a millisecond away from PI and got away with it with good timing and technique. I also am glad to see him battling Hester, even if he shoved or punched once more than was probably safe.

[Pugger]

I suspect Hester was getting frustrated because he was up against a guy who could actually run with him.

[vince]

gotta agree; he has a sub par preseason and game one was junk
But he stepped it up against the Bears; maybe since he's only in yr two he needed more time and is effected by lack of practice time.

+1 He either needed more time or learned something about what he needs to do to come into camp ready to play.
Hopefully he becomes more consistent from here on out.

[bobblehead]

He pulled a great Woodson on that last tip. He was a millisecond away from PI and got away with it with good timing and technique. I also am glad to see him battling Hester, even if he shoved or punched once more than was probably safe.

Sometimes you have to stand up to a bully. Backing down would only embolden him. If Devon Hester starts shit with you, you can't back down, sometimes even if it costs you 15 yards. Its a fine line, but psychologically you NEED to win that battle to finish your domination of him on the field. Once you finish it, he will always be intimidated facing you.

I know it sounds like I'm reading too much into it, but I think many an athlete would agree with me.

[pbmax]

Sometimes you have to stand up to a bully. Backing down would only embolden him. If Devon Hester starts shit with you, you can't back down, sometimes even if it costs you 15 yards. Its a fine line, but psychologically you NEED to win that battle to finish your domination of him on the field. Once you finish it, he will always be intimidated facing you.

I know it sounds like I'm reading too much into it, but I think many an athlete would agree with me.

They might, but I think the number of players mentally weak enough to "lose" forever to another player over a physical confrontation is relatively low. If Hester was a classic middle school bully, maybe. But he has been competing at a high level like this as an adult for years.

More likely, its an adult who is very frustrated and thinks he has been wronged and acts impulsively in response. And I doubt too many minds were changed over slapping helmets. Shields would be best served, as most would, by simply showing up each play and playing it the same way over and over again. That was what caused Hester's frustration in the first place. Shields was winning already, both on the scoreboard and with their individual battle.

[Deputy Nutz]

Sam Shields is still a great value to this team, although I am wondering if he is going to be skilled enough in the coming years to be a solid starting cornerback in the NFL. He plays almost 90% of the snaps now, but let Packer fan hope he is not another flash in the pan type player(Sam Gado).

[rbaloha1]

IMO SS may have too much confidence. Relies too much on closing speed. Getting beat too often.

It would be nice to see Davon House.

[sharpe1027]

Sometimes you have to stand up to a bully. Backing down would only embolden him. If Devon Hester starts shit with you, you can't back down, sometimes even if it costs you 15 yards. Its a fine line, but psychologically you NEED to win that battle to finish your domination of him on the field. Once you finish it, he will always be intimidated facing you.

I know it sounds like I'm reading too much into it, but I think many an athlete would agree with me.

I would agree to a point. But does he need to smack Hester upside the head in order to stand up to him? Standing in there after Hester gives Shields his best shot and then staring Hester down (or even laughing at him) to let him know his best shot didn't phase him might even be more effective.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I must say that after worrying about him having a sophomore slump earlier in the year, he stepped up his game vs. Chicago.

I thought Shields played well. McGinn was pissy.

Capers moved Morgan Burnett from strong safety to free safety as an accommodation for Charlie Peprah, the replacement for Nick Collins, who has proven to be better-suited near the line. Burnett keeps demonstrating that he can be a complete safety, intercepting two passes off the hash. On the first, Burnett trusted his eyes and vacated the middle at the right time when Cutler pump-faked right and threw deep right to Roy Williams. Then he came across and, when the ball was thrown a bit inside, vaulted high for a leaping pick. His second interception, reading an overthrow by Cutler from deep in a two-safety shell, wasn't as spectacular, but many safeties have dropped that same type of ball. Burnett had a bad open-field miss on Davis' 32-yard touchdown, as did Sam Shields. There also was another miss by Shields, who just isn't playing well. Woodson replaced Peprah at safety a few times in the base defense, giving Capers a better player in coverage. Late in the second quarter, Capers made a major coverage decision after Johnny Knox was wide open on the deep sideline for 40. Playing zone, neither Woodson nor Shields got proper depth to help Peprah, who got turned and burned on the play. After that, Capers played nothing but man-to-man under his two-deep looks. Williams, Shields and Woodson all had plays in which they were beat deep but for various reasons the passes weren't completed. Jarrett Bush's sack might have been the best play of the game. Blitzing off the slot to Cutler's right, Bush defeated Forte and then actually trashed the 315-pound Omiyale. Nobody plays harder than Bush.

[mraynrand]

Standing in there after Hester gives Shields his best shot and then staring Hester down (or even laughing at him) to let him know his best shot didn't phase him might even be more effective.

He did that too.

[Partial]

I'm far from an expert but I feel like he may have been better last year. Hopefully now that Tramontana is back, he will be matched up with a less capable receiver and have more success.

[Fritz]

Man, people are harsh. He's still a young player, still developing. What is he, like 23 years old? He's still learning the craft.

[Guiness]

Man, people are harsh. He's still a young player, still developing. What is he, like 23 years old? He's still learning the craft.

No kidding, eh? A UDFA who played in 14 games as a rookie, was listed as a nickle back, but was really essentially a starter. Tramon didn't start until he was in the league for 2 1/2 seasons, he sat behind Woodson ad Harris and learned.

There isn't a team in the league that doesn't look at Shields and kick themselves.