Neal The Tweener

[3irty1]

I remember watching clips of Jason Taylor from that year and thinking he was a beast at first, but he played with some very talented and underpraised people around him. The real question is who do we have that could fill Kevin Carter's role? Is JOnes that guy?

I think so. He's about the right size and has college experience playing outside and inside. CJ Wilson was a 4-3 DE in college as well so he could probably handle an assignment like this. Not sure Wilson will make the team this year though, touch competition on the DL and it could well come down to 1 cheap year of Wilson vs 3 cheap years of Boyd. Daniels is a possibility as well, he's pretty stout for a man of his dimensions.

Another player this could really work for is Raji. For him this would represent a shift from a NT position to DT superstar 3-tech position which is exactly where a lot of folks on this board feel he would do the most damage. Big fat Keith Traylor was the Dolphins NT in 2006 and unsurprisingly collected a career high in sacks.

[denverYooper]

So thats why he bulked up in prison

It's funny that not a whole lot is being made about Jolly's comeback attempt. With Vick, there was a humongous media circus and much was made about the second chance that the league and the Eagles were giving him. With Jolly, it's pretty quiet.

[cheesner]

It's funny that not a whole lot is being made about Jolly's comeback attempt. With Vick, there was a humongous media circus and much was made about the second chance that the league and the Eagles were giving him. With Jolly, it's pretty quiet.

The big difference is that Vick was a boderline superstar and #1 overall pick. He also hurt animals and in this country, that is viewed by the media as worse than rape, murder, or raping a murderer; let alone taking a little codeine.

[Fritz]

I'm interested to see how this plays out with Neal. I'm wondering if this means they keep seven defensive linemen now: Raji, Pickett, Wilson, Jones, Daniels, Neal, and Jolly, with Neal also serving as a backup outside linebacker, thus keeping one less of those. Perry, Matthews, Moses, Neal, and Jones sliding outside if need be?

[pbmax]

I think Jolly's weight is mainly a byproduct of his choice of mixer. Should have used Diet Dr. Pepper.

[Maxie the Taxi]

pb, here's an interesting take on Neal...the possibility of reviving Mathews' role as a "spy." I remember a few weeks ago I suggested the Pack play a "spy" defense to contain mobile QB's and you weren't to keen on it.

Does this article change your mind?

[Maxie the Taxi]

Oops. Forgot to post the link:

http://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/packers-point-of-veau-mike-neal-to-free-up-clay-matthews-to-spy-mobile-qbs

[bobblehead]

Hmmm. Not sure what's going on with the Jets but Mike Neals experiments at OLB probably have more to do with Clay Matthews than with Mike Neal. If Neal can stand up and shift into Matthews spot, Matthews is free to go anywhere.

Funny, I think it has everything to do with Neal.....and the fact that his next suspension will be huge so he went off the juice and can't hold 300 lbs anymore.

[pbmax]

I definitely think Neal's change in role will affect Matthews job. However, Kapernick is not Rothliesberger and represents a different threat. So yes Matthews role will change but I am not sure spy is that role. I think it might be more Woodson's rover role occasionally.

That BR video demonstrates a weird use of a spy. BR is not a threat to run, he is a threat to bounce off sack attempts, stand tall and force your coverage to breakdown from exhaustion. He stays in the pocket like Favre used to, keeping plays alive past 6 seconds. That Zombo sack was coverage plus a good Matthews force. By the way Cullen Jenkins didn't go anywhere, but he did draw a double team.

CK is a danger to break the pocket. I agree with the author that Walden was a poor spy as he is WAY late in committing when he is in space. Matthews might do better dedicated to that role in passing downs.

But CK is also a danger to run the read-option. The offense gets to pick which side it runs an option to and WHO to option (someone is ALWAYS unblocked). I am not sure a spy helps in that case and I think its a simple answer to a very complicated scheme question: how to defend the option. So I would not be surprised to see Matthews roam free on passing downs but I would be surprised to see him roam free when the read option is in play.

[mraynrand]

Kapernick can run away from a LB spy, even Matthews. To me the difficulty seems to be how to defend against a mobile QB when you're running man coverage. If Capers and Co. don't have that figured out (either a way to defend during man coverage or improved zone coverage) I think they get lit up again. They seemed to be able to defend Vick, but I think they didn't worry as much about his passing game because it lacked accuracy. Also, Vick wasn't running the same way as CK. The Packers have had a whole offseason to prepare for this, and the Niners have had a whole off season to prepare counter measures, which makes game one especially interesting.

[denverYooper]

Vick's been tuned up several more times than CK at this point, too. That will put a hitch in a guy's giddyup.

Speaking of Vick... the Eagles will be a team to keep an eye on. Will the Vick-led Chip Kelley O be the next killer app, or will it just be another pets.com?

[wist43]

The read-option becomes easier to deal with, as does any offensive alignment, when you control the LOS. Controlling the LOS isn't much of a consideration for Capers though, if it were, he'd play more DL.

If we could control the LOS, spying Kapnerfucker becomes an easier task. You don't need to be able to run with him stride for stride if you're forcing him east-west, and forcing him to wait for the play to develop. Capers may have "studied" up on how to defend the pistol, and that may help some, but he can't wait to abandon any responsibility at the LOS for coverage in the back end - which is a mess half the time anyway.

That said, I do wish they'd employ more big, athletic rovers akin to Neal at the LOS - ala Baltimore; and spying Kapnerfucker makes a lot of sense if you can at least break even at the LOS, and play more zone in the back end.

I don't expect Capers to do any of those things though. I fully expect he'll play the Niners almost identical to the way he did last year. They'll run all over us, and we'll leave SF licking our wounds and bemoaning the fact that they didn't fire Capers 8 months earlier.

[packer4life]

I definitely think Neal's change in role will affect Matthews job. However, Kapernick is not Rothliesberger and represents a different threat. So yes Matthews role will change but I am not sure spy is that role. I think it might be more Woodson's rover role occasionally.

That BR video demonstrates a weird use of a spy. BR is not a threat to run, he is a threat to bounce off sack attempts, stand tall and force your coverage to breakdown from exhaustion. He stays in the pocket like Favre used to, keeping plays alive past 6 seconds. That Zombo sack was coverage plus a good Matthews force. By the way Cullen Jenkins didn't go anywhere, but he did draw a double team.

CK is a danger to break the pocket. I agree with the author that Walden was a poor spy as he is WAY late in committing when he is in space. Matthews might do better dedicated to that role in passing downs.

But CK is also a danger to run the read-option. The offense gets to pick which side it runs an option to and WHO to option (someone is ALWAYS unblocked). I am not sure a spy helps in that case and I think its a simple answer to a very complicated scheme question: how to defend the option. So I would not be surprised to see Matthews roam free on passing downs but I would be surprised to see him roam free when the read option is in play.

Agree, that video of "allowing Zombo to sack the QB" was completely ineffective for the author's point.

[packer4life]

Vick's been tuned up several more times than CK at this point, too. That will put a hitch in a guy's giddyup.

Speaking of Vick... the Eagles will be a team to keep an eye on. Will the Vick-led Chip Kelley O be the next killer app, or will it just be another pets.com?

Had a chance to watch the first half of the Philly-Carolina game last night. Vick looked solid, and I tell ya in that offense regardless of whether the starting QB is Vick or Foles, McCoy is going to abolutely destroy opposing defenses. The good thing in this equation is that Philly's improvement will lead to more losses by NYG and the skins; also if Vick is named starting QB you know eventually shit will hit the fan and he will resort to playing horrendous, mistake-ridden football.

[pbmax]

The read-option becomes easier to deal with, as does any offensive alignment, when you control the LOS. Controlling the LOS isn't much of a consideration for Capers though, if it were, he'd play more DL.

They double team two of the lineman and the 3rd (DE/OLB) is weakside. The DON'T BLOCK the playside DE. Its not about controlling the LOS, its about assignments and speed.

The single drum in your one man band is broken. Despite having seen the physical and dominant Green Bay Packers D line destroyed by the smaller, althletic and mobile Broncos O line in the 1997 Super Bowl, you still want us to think you can manhandle any offensive line strategy and succeed.

Ask Gilbert how being beefy worked. Ask Dotson and Reggie about how their length allowed them to dominate. They got worked by the smaller and more mobile line.

Its patience, assignment and execution football (speed always helps). No amount of hand waving over toughness, size or dominance changes that fact.

Non traditional offenses are DESIGNED to neutralize an opponents natural advantage. You don't bother with this offense if all you want to do is win one on one battles on the LOS. Its built to eliminate the need.