The Level-Headed Thread About the Defense.

[pbmax]

I like this view a lot. Still, I also like the view of firing a few coaches too. Recall the famous Jack Welch business model when he was CEO of GE. You periodically get rid of the lowest 10% or so of your performers - it works generally as motivation to perform and it works to get rid of the garbage and maybe bring in some really talented fresh blood. How about a college assistant from a school that effectively runs the read option? Hint, hint.

It also helps if you cook the books in leaner years.

[pbmax]

Well of course it can be done, TT did it with the full roster when he first came to GB. He also started the process again this year on defense, adding nine new defensive players to the roster. With the four from last year and holdovers like Matthews, Raji and Pickett, the question is are they well into the rebuild, or did they miss the mark so that they have to start over?

I'm not sure we have a good idea what they have in players like House, Perry and even a FA like Richardson because of their injuries. Some who played. like Worthy, Daniels and others could come back a lot better players in 2013.

So, do you need to blow-up the defense and start over, or expect the natural development of the 10-14 going into their 2nd and 3rd years and add 4 or 5 new players for next year?

This is my fear. That an entirely rational decision will leave a typical draft and UDFA class as the lone additions to the defense next year. And then it will be proven again that the front 7 players from the 2012 draft are still misfits in the base D.

[mraynrand]

It also helps if you cook the books in leaner years.

I'm OK with that too: 8-8 in 2008 sounds fine to me.

[mraynrand]

This is my fear. That an entirely rational decision will leave a typical draft and UDFA class as the lone additions to the defense next year. And then it will be proven again that the front 7 players from the 2012 draft are still misfits in the base D.

Patler said 4-5 new players; he didn't specify they have to be rookies and UDFAs; might be the time to mix in an actual FA or two with known, developed, proven skills.

[pbmax]

Here is the first edited version of the Twitter conversation about what happened to the Packers

This is edited from Smart Football's Timeline to put comments into categories of similar topics or answers.

On Why San Fran Altered Gameplan for Packers
Aaron Nagler @Aaron_Nagler
RT @smartfootball: Had fun convos today with some college coaches laughing about the GB/SF game. GB was awful
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
@Aaron_Nagler @smartfootball How so?
Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler Bottom line, to give up most playoff yards the 49ers have ever had in their storied history is a bad day on defense
Smart Football @smartfootball
@TortiousTroll @Aaron_Nagler I think that's one reason why SF used it so much, as Rodgers was fairly hot and wanted to keep scoring
Smart Football @smartfootball
@Tre9er Yeah, I think they just went to it as it was clear GB had no answer plus it was a playoff game and felt need to outscore Rodgers
Smart Football @smartfootball
@Aaron_Nagler @RapSheet Can't do that vs SF as they use the pistol and change around blocking schemes and use the FB/TE on the arc stuff
Joey Ickes @JIckes1
@smartfootball @aaron_nagler @rapsheet I think the arc stuff is what may make it viable longer term. Hard to dissect it till QB is gone...
~~~~
Bart Hubbuch @HubbuchNYP
@smartfootball Agreed. Although a couple of Niners told me they added read-option plays after watching how GB struggled early with Webb.


On talking to college coaches about Packer D and why San Fran and 49ers are Different offenses with mobile Quarterbacks
Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler Said reminded them of college Ds defending read game 10 years ago in terms of bad technique/no alley defender/etc
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler SEA's read game though is much more vanilla than what SF does. SF just throws a lot of offense at you
Aaron Nagler @Aaron_Nagler
@smartfootball @RapSheet Found it interesting that Wilson didn't keep it once against ATL. Edge was there to be had. Kept giving it to Lynch
Smart Football @smartfootball
.@Aaron_Nagler @RapSheet SEA ran zone read one way all year, never moved RB presnap/etc. ATL keyed formation, sat and forced give & squeezed
David Agostino @Dave_agger
@smartfootball how does SF run its read option? More diverse?
Smart Football @smartfootball
@Dave_agger Check this out: http://www.sbnation.com/longform/201...l-redskins-rg3 … - a lot of "arc" stuff. Arc guy will even read the DE whether to block or bluff him
David Agostino @Dave_agger
@smartfootball so to say that atlanta has "solved" pistol b/c they limited Seattle would be very inaccurate? SF different animal
Smart Football @smartfootball
@Dave_agger That's my opinion
Smart Football @smartfootball
.@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler To be fair, GB hadn't seen anything like this all year and SF only uses it situationally - a lot to prepare for
Tre Faaborg @Tre9er
@smartfootball funny how ignorant so many are to Kap's usage. Read option was tiny play-package most of year.
Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler SEA's read game though is much more vanilla than what SF does. SF just throws a lot of offense at you
View conversation
6h Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler ATL played the read stuff well but got hurt in man coverage w/ Wilson scrambles and then found open guys vs zone



Why the Vikes REALLY Weren't Good Preparation for the 49ers
Bart Hubbuch @HubbuchNYP
@smartfootball GB saw it the week before, actually. Joe Webb ran the read option the first couple of drives for Minnesota.
Smart Football @smartfootball
@HubbuchNYP Yeah but Vikes slapped it in their playbook last minute. SF has had it in package all year and much more sophisticated w/ it



Capers Guilty of Malpractice?
Aaron Nagler @Aaron_Nagler
RT @smartfootball: Had fun convos today with some college coaches laughing about the GB/SF game. GB was awful
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
@Aaron_Nagler @smartfootball How so?
Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler Said reminded them of college Ds defending read game 10 years ago in terms of bad technique/no alley defender/etc
Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
@smartfootball @Aaron_Nagler Oh damn. Well, it kinda did. But that's cold. Does not bode well for Dom Capers.
Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler A lot of it was just bad technique, hesitation, no LB scraping and then no secondary support.
Aaron Nagler @Aaron_Nagler
@smartfootball @RapSheet That last part is really apparent on the tv copy so far - SFs wideouts did a great job on the perimeter.
Matt Koth @mattkoth
@smartfootball @rapsheet @aaron_nagler enough for a change at DC? Dom hasn't ever seemed to "adapt" in game
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler SF has a very nifty scheme as their FB/H-Back actually reads the DEnd like the QB does - very tough to defend
~~~~
Smart Football @smartfootball
.@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler To be fair, GB hadn't seen anything like this all year and SF only uses it situationally - a lot to prepare for
~~~~
Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler Were confident NFL DCs will be on the phone all offseason with their buddies in college and will be tougher next yr
Smart Football @smartfootball
@RapSheet @Aaron_Nagler Biggest advantage for the NFL is the hesitation it puts on DEnds. They can't crash on 1st/2nd down passing
~~~~
Smart Football @smartfootball
@mjbarone21 @siwashmatt Ultimately it's less of a "scheme" thing or "outsmarting" than technique. GB was like a bad JV team out there

[pbmax]

Patler said 4-5 new players; he didn't specify they have to be rookies and UDFAs; might be the time to mix in an actual FA or two with known, developed, proven skills.

Of course, but my fear is based around a typical offseason for TT and the judgement, which is fair, that much is unknown about the D player upgrades from 2012 yet.

[Smeefers]

Was A-ROD dropping a dream? My only point is to acquire Teo if there is a legit opportunity.

A-Rod dropping was a dream. It was unbelievable. Nobody could believe it. Looking back, everyone knows they were nuts for letting him go by them. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To depend on things like that to happen in order to improve our football team would be unhealthy and unrealistic.

I agree that if he's there, you snap him up and laugh all the way home. I believe that with any player who's graded that highly. I don't care if another top ten QB falls to us (which I know won't happen this year), you grab his ass and be happy with what you've got.

[sharpe1027]

This is my fear. That an entirely rational decision will leave a typical draft and UDFA class as the lone additions to the defense next year. And then it will be proven again that the front 7 players from the 2012 draft are still misfits in the base D.

I take it that you think that Worthy and Daniels are misfits in Caper's 3-4? Do you include Perry in that assessment too? I think Perry is OK in the base D, although he shouldn't be dropping into coverage very often (neither should his replacement, Walden).

I think the biggest problem is with Jones and Walden, not necessarily with the DL.

[pbmax]

I take it that you think that Worthy and Daniels are misfits in Caper's 3-4? Do you include Perry in that assessment too? I think Perry is OK in the base D, although he shouldn't be dropping into coverage very often (neither should his replacement, Walden).

I think the biggest problem is with Jones and Walden, not necessarily with the DL.

I think its possible they are, esp. Daniels. And its Daniels who shined brightest this season. Worthy is big enough to be a DE in a 3-4, just not tall enough to disrupt a passing game or to get supreme leverage from his frame. But Jolly wasn't ideal sized either and he played great in base.

Each will need 2 years to show us what can they can do. My concern is that by splitting the D line depth into base versus pass rush, you are hurting your chances of developing a three down DE who can protect the LBs. Biggest upside here is a healthy Mike Neal.

Your point is well taken though. The total amount of talent is lower at LB. The biggest upside there is Perry, who is a conversion project, but one that has been done successfully before. And he is not lacking in size or pass rush, just coverage experience.

[Bossman641]

I think its possible they are, esp. Daniels. And its Daniels who shined brightest this season. Worthy is big enough to be a DE in a 3-4, just not tall enough to disrupt a passing game or to get supreme leverage from his frame. But Jolly wasn't ideal sized either and he played great in base.

Each will need 2 years to show us what can they can do. My concern is that by splitting the D line depth into base versus pass rush, you are hurting your chances of developing a three down DE who can protect the LBs. Biggest upside here is a healthy Mike Neal.

Your point is well taken though. The total amount of talent is lower at LB. The biggest upside there is Perry, who is a conversion project, but one that has been done successfully before. And he is not lacking in size or pass rush, just coverage experience.

What I don't understand is that Worthy was dropping weight during the season. I know most players wear down and lose weight, but I believe he was dropping it at the Packers' suggestions.

[3irty1]

What I don't understand is that Worthy was dropping weight during the season. I know most players wear down and lose weight, but I believe he was dropping it at the Packers' suggestions.

My guess is that Worthy's most special feature is his ability to get off the ball and they are tailoring his weight to optimize that. They are looking for someone besides Raji who can excel in 1-gap wrinkles.

[Guiness]

A-Rod dropping was a dream. It was unbelievable. Nobody could believe it. Looking back, everyone knows they were nuts for letting him go by them. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To depend on things like that to happen in order to improve our football team would be unhealthy and unrealistic.

I agree that if he's there, you snap him up and laugh all the way home. I believe that with any player who's graded that highly. I don't care if another top ten QB falls to us (which I know won't happen this year), you grab his ass and be happy with what you've got.

It was and wasn't a dream. It turned out to be, but it's not like Rodgers was a sure thing that the other teams decided they didn't need. Even two years after the Pack drafted him he still didn't look great in TC. I remember reports of him throwing the ball high, bad mechanics, etc.

TT took a highly rated player that fell in the draft, and it came up roses. He did that another time (Brohm!) and it didnt' work out. To pretend that the NFL draft is anything other than the crap shoot these two picks were is misguided.

[sharpe1027]

I think its possible they are, esp. Daniels. And its Daniels who shined brightest this season. Worthy is big enough to be a DE in a 3-4, just not tall enough to disrupt a passing game or to get supreme leverage from his frame. But Jolly wasn't ideal sized either and he played great in base.

Each will need 2 years to show us what can they can do. My concern is that by splitting the D line depth into base versus pass rush, you are hurting your chances of developing a three down DE who can protect the LBs. Biggest upside here is a healthy Mike Neal.

Your point is well taken though. The total amount of talent is lower at LB. The biggest upside there is Perry, who is a conversion project, but one that has been done successfully before. And he is not lacking in size or pass rush, just coverage experience.

On the plus side, TT has had no aversion to drafting and signing a lot of D linemen, especially considering Caper's often only uses 2 DL and at most only uses 3.

I'm not sure the talent is lower at LBer once you factor in the injuries.

The starters should have been:

Matthews, Bishop, Hawk and (Perry/Walden?)
Vs.
Pickett, Raji and (Wilson/Neal/Worthy/Daniels?).

[woodbuck27]

Next year and the one after will be interesting in the evolution of this sort of an offense, to see if it peters out.

My gut tells me that while there seem to be a few QBs out there that can run, none of them will last long, or at at least play in that style of an offense long. You just can't expose someone with a QBs build to the pounding. Vick has laster longer than any one else at it. RGIII, I'm guessing, won't be doing much of it next year. So maybe Kaepernick lasts two seasons? Three? At the outside, I don't see him running around like that 5 years from now.

Talking heads bring up 'franchise QB' so often because stability at that position is important. You can't have that if you wear them out that fast.

Sure Guiness but what does our side do if we ever have to face such again?

I'll answer that as clearly as I see it now:

That likelihood ..... isn't likely.

Colin Kaepernick played a historic game 'statistically speaking'; that won't likely be duplicated in the next decade or two. It was 'the Perfect Storm' effect.

Colin Kaepernick supplied the shock value in that shocking game and 'one sided' result. It IMO wasn't the result that was shocking but moreso how Kaepernick's performance impacted that game. Our side didn't have an answer.

[KYPack]

My guess is that Worthy's most special feature is his ability to get off the ball and they are tailoring his weight to optimize that. They are looking for someone besides Raji who can excel in 1-gap wrinkles.

They basically all 1 gap, 31.

They only play 2 gap occasionally on the nose.

In this defense.

If it's here next year.