The Defense - Again, the Defense :(

[pbmax]

I'll give Dom credit on this one. The defense got gashed for the first 19 minutes of the game for 180 yds and 3 TDs on 3 drives. Then for the last 41 minutes it was 8 drives for 133 yds with 3 pts, 5 punts and a turnover along with a 4th quarter stop on 4th down. He realized what he was doing wasn't working and changed things up. I've criticized him for his lack of adjustments, but he did a real good job on Sunday. They didn't get gashed on the ground after those 3 drives and the pass rush was real good as well. The beginning was awful, but I'll give credit when credit's due.

I am not sure how much was adjustments. There was a lot of 4-3, jumbo nickel (Boyd and Guion).

There might have been, oddly enough, less of Matthews at roving LB with Peppers-Jones-Daniels-Neal up front. That unit got gashed several times straight up the middle. Saw a lot more Lattimore later in the game.

[Guiness]

Gotta love that single Vick play that Mathews got a sack on! (especially since I've got Mathews in a FF league )What was Ryan thinking there???

[wist43]

We were completely outcoached to open the game - that's all on dunderdummy. He did adjust, but getting throttled like that to open a game, against an anemic offensive team?? No excuse for that.

The Jets simply don't have any firepower on the outside or at TE, and their QB is not very good - yet dunderdummy can't get it right out of the gate?? And gets gashed by more option plays??

This was the Jets - and we were a semi-bogus TO call away from being tied with them late in the 4th quarter?? What's wrong with that picture??

One play that stands out to me is Geno Smith's easy run up the middle for a 1st down. I've been saying for a long time now that Capers doesn't care about the middle of the LOS, and that play was evidence enough of how out of touch Capers is with something that is essential to playing good defense, i.e. controlling the LOS, and being tough up the middle.

I don't expect we'll be able to stand up to Detroits physicality - they stomped us 40-10 in our last meeting... Rodgers was missing then, so the score will be closer this time, but Detroit is so much more physical than our ballarina team, that I expect they'll punch us in the mouth, and there won't be anything we can do about it.

[call_me_ishmael]

I think Detroit wins big. They're a sleeping giant. So much talent...

[Pugger]

Giving that team a free TD by botching the opening snap before everyone was seated didn't do us any favors. You don't give the underdog life that like that. The one thing I did see from the D was an improvement in tackling and they didn't let the Jets' RB run wild.

[Pugger]

I think Detroit wins big. They're a sleeping giant. So much talent...

Not if they continue to play like they did yesterday.

[denverYooper]

We were completely outcoached to open the game - that's all on dunderdummy. He did adjust, but getting throttled like that to open a game, against an anemic offensive team?? No excuse for that.

The Jets simply don't have any firepower on the outside or at TE, and their QB is not very good - yet dunderdummy can't get it right out of the gate?? And gets gashed by more option plays??

This was the Jets - and we were a semi-bogus TO call away from being tied with them late in the 4th quarter?? What's wrong with that picture??

One play that stands out to me is Geno Smith's easy run up the middle for a 1st down. I've been saying for a long time now that Capers doesn't care about the middle of the LOS, and that play was evidence enough of how out of touch Capers is with something that is essential to playing good defense, i.e. controlling the LOS, and being tough up the middle.

I don't expect we'll be able to stand up to Detroits physicality - they stomped us 40-10 in our last meeting... Rodgers was missing then, so the score will be closer this time, but Detroit is so much more physical than our ballarina team, that I expect they'll punch us in the mouth, and there won't be anything we can do about it.

Detroit's offense is as finesse as they come.

Detroit in general plays a less physical game than the Jets.

[pbmax]

I think Detroit wins big. They're a sleeping giant. So much talent...

They have been repeating that mantra for 20 years of no playoff appearances in Detroit. Its soothing, but ultimately worthless.

[wist43]

Not if they continue to play like they did yesterday.

Carolina is a good team... very tough, very physical. Carolina was 12-4 last year, and a very tough out. They are well coached, and don't shoot themselves in the foot like we do. The Lions losing to the Panthers at home is not a blight on Detroit's record - Detroit was very tough in the trenches as well, and that game was close until the Panthers were able to pull away later in the game.

I cited them as a team that was better than we are, and you guys laughed. In the trenches?? The Panthers will spank us like step-children on every snap.

[wist43]

They have been repeating that mantra for 20 years of no playoff appearances in Detroit. Its soothing, but ultimately worthless.

Detroit's secondary has been a problem for them for a long time. Combine that with sloppy QB play, combined with spectacular QB play... it's been enough to sink them.

Their OL isn't great, but good enough; and their front seven are much, much, better than ours. Of course Megatron, Bush, Bell, and now Ebron?? They're better than we are at the skill positions - sans QB.

They are entirely capable of whipping the shit out of us next week.

[3irty1]

Detroit isn't to be taken lightly but the Panthers are downright scary and we match up horribly. We'll be underdogs at home for that one.

[Joemailman]

They are entirely capable of whipping the shit out of us next week.

Welcome to the NFL. Pretty much any team can get their heads handed to them if the don't play well. After 2 weeks, 18 of the 32 NFL teams are 1-1. 19 if Indy wins tonight.

[Bossman641]

I think the defense is going to be a work in progress for a few weeks yet. As a few reporters have pointed out, by keeping the 4-3 secret during the summer and only working on it in the Hutson center, the D lost a ton reps in practice and the preseason games. Except for a few Geno scrambles and the option toss to Kerley, the run D looked decent. Now if we could just clean up those misdirection plays.

[pbmax]

I think the defense is going to be a work in progress for a few weeks yet. As a few reporters have pointed out, by keeping the 4-3 secret during the summer and only working on it in the Hutson center, the D lost a ton reps in practice and the preseason games. Except for a few Geno scrambles and the option toss to Kerley, the run D looked decent. Now if we could just clean up those misdirection plays.

Geno's run was against some form of the Psycho I think. Peppers was the only lineman I saw, but it might have been a 2 man line.

The 4-3 is also having WAY too much trouble with misdirection. Part of that is Matthews who commits before he has a read and you can't do this as the second line of defense esp. when you have contain.

They are still working out the kinks.

[Carolina_Packer]

Vic Ketchman of Packers.com has mentioned that Capers has used the 4-3 before with Jacksonville. You guys who understand schemes/alignments well perhaps can shed some light on whether Capers is now doing something similar as what he was doing in Jacksonville (if you recall). Would that make Julius Peppers to this defense the equivalent of how Tony Brackens was used in Jacksonville's defense back in the day?