""TIME FOR COLLINS TO MAKE HIS MARK""

[mraynrand]

LBs are supposed to be able to cover average TEs.

And if you block them on their ass right at the line of scrimmage, you've covered the play. No more free releases, especially to these marginal TEs. Washington's Cooley is a slower type TE, but he's stronger. But if the LB will just get a good shot in, he can disrupt the whole pattern.

On the 3rd and 2 play, I'd like to go back and see where the other safety (Bigby) was. Pops claimed he was responsible, but If Collins was supposed to be the deep safety, then he should have been deeper and stayed deep. If they were playing their typical defense, Collins should have been back.

[Carolina_Packer]

First, I have no frickin' clue compared with many of you in terms of formations, defenses, etc., but it seems to me that a safety playing that deep isn't going to figure in the play anyway if it's third and short, so he got caught "in between", kind of like when a batter gets his hands out and shifts his weight before the pitch gets there and gets fooled horribly. If he did bite on the fake outside run, how was he going to realistically make a stick to keep them from getting a first down?

So, to me, that seems like his instincts were wrong, since he bit on the outside run and lost deep contain (I have no idea what I just said, but hopefully it sounded good).

[HarveyWallbangers]

Again, I'm not sure it's instincts. If the play was designed for the DE to hold up the TE, that would have given Collins more time to diagnose the play. Say Collins had run/pass responsibilities but stayed deep, and then the TE blocked the DE and the RB ran for 3 yards for a first down. That wouldn't do any good either. I know from what the coaches have said that the DE was supposed to hold up the TE. From watching the replay, it's pretty clear that Poppinga was supposed to have the TE. He didn't read the run play or anything. He ran with the TE from the get go. It seems pretty obvious that those two messed up their assignments on that play. It's less clear on what Collins' responsibilities on the play were. It's easier to blame Collins because it "appeared" he had coverage responsibility, and people are disappointed in him.

[The Leaper]

I know it's easier to blame Collins, but LBs are supposed to be able to cover average TEs.

True...but why wouldn't Hawk be covering the TE? I'm tired of the offense being able to isolate Poppinga in coverage because we are too dumb on defense to simply adjust Hawk over the TE in that situation.

Poppinga has always been a liability in coverage. Leaving him with the primary responsibility to cover ANYONE in that situation is moronic IMO.

I didn't realize the run fake was outside. I haven't had the courage to watch that miserable 2nd half again. As I said before, it makes more sense to me that Collins would bite on an outside run fake...so he may not be the guy who is on the hook here.

[Carolina_Packer]

Well, nobody sits around after a win and says, these guys screwed it up for us, but we won despite their efforts, meaning, you win together, you lose together.

It's up to the coaches to put players in the best position to make plays. Sure would have been great to have a time out to burn at that point once we saw the set they were in, it being the most critical point of the game and all. It's up to the players to be assignment sure, so hopefully everything they do incorrectly can be corrected in practice and in the games to come. Hopefully we'll see that week to week growth.

[HarveyWallbangers]

True...but why wouldn't Hawk be covering the TE? I'm tired of the offense being able to isolate Poppinga in coverage because we are too dumb on defense to simply adjust Hawk over the TE in that situation.

Looking at the play again. Jenkins was lined up just on the inside of Clark. Poppinga was lined up just on the outside of Clark. Jenkins rushed without bumping Clark. Poppinga tried to get a bump on him at the line, and whiffed miserably. After he whiffed, he went with Clark immediately--not even looking to play run. It's clear Clark was his primary responsibility. Hawk covered a RB out of the backfield--which is probably what he should have done. It looked like Griese looked to throw it there initially, but Hawk had blanket coverage. Collins was lined up 5 yards off the line of scrimmage at the snap. It's hard to tell what he should have done. It's clear that Hawk did his job. Poppinga and Jenkins did not do what they were supposed to do. With the LBs on that side in coverage, maybe he did have run responsibility. He did bite on the play-action badly (which is hard to blame him when it's 3rd and 2 and first down wins the game for the Bears). As soon as he saw it was a pass, he looked to the flat and then high-tailed it back to Clark.

http://www.nfl.com/players/desmondclark/profile?id=CLA258726

[b bulldog]

It was primarily Poppy's screw up but both players got caught looking in the backfield on the play. 36 should have made sure he didn't get passed him and the jam at the line of scrimmage never occurred. Reminds me of 4th and 26 but in this situation, it is very difficult to stay home and not peek in the backfield and not go heavy after the run but that is why they make all the money they do.

[oregonpackfan]

I think Bigby is already a better player.

He should be working with one of those machines to improve his skills.
.

The machine is called "Jugs." It is manufactured in Tualatin, Oregon--which is just 5 miles from my house.

When I toured Lambeau before the PR game, I saw one of the Jugs machines in the hallway.

The Jugs machines CEO is a great guy. Our daughters were on the same softball team. He donated a Jugs machine for the team as well as bought individual batting helmets for the girls.

The website is:

http://thejugscompany.com/index.cfm?gclid=CIf6vtmXio8CFQO1Igod4GO5kA

[mraynrand]

The machine is called "Jugs."

There was this guy in our dorm in college who was promiscuous and liked big chested women. We used to call him the 'jugs machine.'

[KYPack]

Pop had the initial cover underneath.

But when you are a safety, in that situation, in that cover. you OWN the back door.

You have to keep the corner of your eye open for a TE or a RB slipping down the seam.

Collins never looked. The play was over when he finally read what was up.

A good safety would have at least reacted way sooner than Collins. He loses track of his job at times. This was a glaring example of that.

[Joemailman]

Collins has superior physical skills who sometimes makes people wonder if he has the instincts to play safety. Perhaps his skills are better suited for cornerback. Not likely to happen, but he did play both in college.

[esoxx]

Collins should have never been sucked up on a play fake in that situation when he has back end responsibility. He's the last line of defense on that play and failed miserably.