Al Golden

[Dale]

None of these lists day after should ever be taken too seriously, but the biggest sign here is that there is no AD to even make the hire yet.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

None of these lists day after should ever be taken too seriously, but the biggest sign here is that there is no AD to even make the hire yet.

Right. So rattling off nearly twenty names in a tweet is bullshit.

 

[Dale]

Haven’t understood it from Golden in the slightest. Noticed it week 1 vs OSU but figured vanilla was just a OSU thing. Once they still weren’t doing much with the DL week 2 it officially became weird.

Is it Washington’s call/input? Washington was LBs with OSU but has coached DL. Golden maybe familiar with coverages but not DL schemes? NFL thing to just expect someone to win 1-1? I don’t think so. Would be really curious if he’s answered or been asked about it.

 

[T-Boone]

Surely between him and freeman they can work it out.

 

[T-Boone]

Even the 3rd and very long that are successfully stopped the opponent is getting close enough to cause fans a heart attack. It is painful.

 

[stpeteirish]

Most of the teams we've played do not have OLs that are highly thought of. Some, like Stanford, we're supposed to be really bad. So i think we've gone in to most of these games (except BYU and Ohio St) thinking we can win one on one. But we aren't.

Need to change it up some. More blitzing isn't the answer unless our defensive staff can iron out why we never get home when we blitz.

 

[stlnd01]

Most of the teams we've played do not have OLs that are highly thought of. Some, like Stanford, we're supposed to be really bad. So i think we've gone in to most of these games (except BYU and Ohio St) thinking we can win one on one. But we aren't.

Need to change it up some. More blitzing isn't the answer unless our defensive staff can iron out why we never get home when we blitz.

It might help if our most athletic linebacker (who plays, anyway) didn’t seem to actively seek out blockers to run into every time he blitzes.

 

[NDFAN2008]

The defense has been fine but not good enough this year and there's a big difference between this year and last and there shouldn't be the defense should be way better.
1. Folskey is non existent? HE was all over in the back field last year.
2. We are barely getting to any QB at all this year.
3. There is hardly every any safeties Blitzing or LB's

 

[arrowryan]

I thought he was supposed to run a Freeman style defense? Freeman ran a aggressive defense that forced turnovers and splash plays.

Golden’s defense is quite literally the opposite.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

NFL thing to just expect someone to win 1-1?

I don't believe this is the case. Not sure if you watched any of the Jets against the Packers on Sunday? They stunted left and right with their front 4 and wreaked havoc for the Packers OL.

Idk, my only theory is that Golden and Freeman assumed that the front 4 would be monsters and could get home on their own? It hasn't really panned out. Absolutely maddening to watch this team fail on third and long as much as they have.

 

[1rishftw]

Haven’t understood it from Golden in the slightest. Noticed it week 1 vs OSU but figured vanilla was just a OSU thing. Once they still weren’t doing much with the DL week 2 it officially became weird.

Is it Washington’s call/input? Washington was LBs with OSU but has coached DL. Golden maybe familiar with coverages but not DL schemes? NFL thing to just expect someone to win 1-1? I don’t think so. Would be really curious if he’s answered or been asked about it.

Oh man. That late 3rd and 17 conversion by BYU gave me nightmares.

 

[pumpdog20]

3rd down this year has been atrocious. Now we have injury/transfer issues on the interior.

 

[irishff1014]

I don't believe this is the case. Not sure if you watched any of the Jets against the Packers on Sunday? They stunted left and right with their front 4 and wreaked havoc for the Packers OL.

Idk, my only theory is that Golden and Freeman assumed that the front 4 would be monsters and could get home on their own? It hasn't really panned out. Absolutely maddening to watch this team fail on third and long as much as they have.

So it takes 6 weeks to learn this?

 

[NDdomer2]

16

 

[NDFAN2008]

His defense has been okay but it's like they are playing safe to protect the DB's, I'd like the aggressive style defense freeman had last year.

 

[Irish#1]

Haven’t understood it from Golden in the slightest. Noticed it week 1 vs OSU but figured vanilla was just a OSU thing. Once they still weren’t doing much with the DL week 2 it officially became weird.

Is it Washington’s call/input? Washington was LBs with OSU but has coached DL. Golden maybe familiar with coverages but not DL schemes? NFL thing to just expect someone to win 1-1? I don’t think so. Would be really curious if he’s answered or been asked about it.

Well he's coached in the collegiate ranks as well, so I think he understands to nuances between the NFL and college. Given the drop in talent one could say it should be easier to win the 1 on 1 battles at the college level.

I really don't have an issue with Golden overall, but there are two things that bug me. Teams seem to have success on their opening drive of the game and the blitzing up the middle. It's not working having both guys come at the same time. Teams are handling that. Do something different. Delay the second guy until the line has committed, bring them from the outside, loop them. Just try something different.

 

[Dale]

 

[Dale]

Kind of implied less stunts from the DL versus mobile QBs

 

[Dale]

Some interesting #s:

Red Zone TD %: 131st
Turnover %: 130th

% of Drives to Reach Red Zone: 11th

 

[Free Manera]

Some interesting #s:

Red Zone TD %: 131st
Turnover %: 130th

% of Drives to Reach Red Zone: 11th

Interesting = batshit crazy lol. This team makes no sense. More blocked punts than forced turnovers? Really good at stopping teams until they get inside the 20, but once they pass the 20, Chris Farley "no idea" gif?

 

[StPaul_Irish]

Some interesting #s:

Red Zone TD %: 131st
Turnover %: 130th

% of Drives to Reach Red Zone: 11th

Our D is such a mystery. Super solid between the 20s, except 3rd down maybe? But in the Red Zone, other teams are just automatic. Ive watched and watched and can't seem to wrap my head around what we are doing wrong.

 

[JamIrish]

When Freeman hired Golden he was asked if Golden was going to be running his defense or bring in his own concepts. Freeman said it was Golden's defense. A follow up question was what was a difference he noticed between his own defense and Golden's. He pointed out that Golden brought a more NFL approach of situational defense and they spend a lot of time on redzone/goal line and 3rd down situations. So it's crazy to see how they struggle in the redzone.

 

[Dale]

The good thing is the turnovers are truly an anomaly IMO. Forget INTs, they’ve forced fumbles and had awful luck. And we already saw some positive regression versus Cuse

Red Zone has less clear answers.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Not that this is pertinent to any solution to the problems above, but concerning the defense as a whole: I felt that for the past several years, our defensive strength was that we could roll out almost three full DLines of truly excellent players --- players anyone would like to have --- and that these guys would stand up in the face of anybody battling them for four quarters. How are we this year on DLine rotation, and the general All-Game-Warriors, circumstance? Still good to outstanding? Thin? Differently utilized in Golden's schemes?

 

[IrishLion]

Some interesting #s:

Red Zone TD %: 131st
Turnover %: 130th

% of Drives to Reach Red Zone: 11th

Have we reached the polar opposite of the Clark Lea model?

Clark Lea's defenses gave up a lot of yards between the 20's, but red zone efficiency was off the charts.

Al Golden's defenses are comfortable 20-to-20, but fall apart when the opposition is either pinned back, or closing in on the end zone.

Even more wild when you consider the reported emphasis that Golden brought from the Bengals was situational, redzone, and goal-to-go defense.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Have we reached the polar opposite of the Clark Lea model?

Clark Lea's defenses gave up a lot of yards between the 20's, but red zone efficiency was off the charts.

Al Golden's defenses are comfortable 20-to-20, but fall apart when the opposition is either pinned back, or closing in on the end zone.

Even more wild when you consider the reported emphasis that Golden brought from the Bengals was situational, redzone, and goal-to-go defense.

Well, for one thing we're dealing with a small sample size.

But my two cents is that linebacker play is particularly crucial in the red zone and ND's linebacker play has been disappointing. I do think Bertrand played an outstanding game last week so maybe we're getting past scheme discomfort.

 

[Dale]

Another former assistant aside, I knew their record was good, Elko has Duke forcing a TO on 25% of drives! 1st in the country

 

[rtrn2glory]

we can hate on how poor they were as recruiters, but Elko and Lea had us playing the best we've played on defense in the past two decades easily.

 

[irishff1014]

Another former assistant aside, I knew their record was good, Elko has Duke forcing a TO on 25% of drives! 1st in the country

He jumped ship at the right time. He may never be a great coach but he isn’t at A&M lol.

 

[StPaul_Irish]

Well, for one thing we're dealing with a small sample size.

But my two cents is that linebacker play is particularly crucial in the red zone and ND's linebacker play has been disappointing. I do think Bertrand played an outstanding game last week so maybe we're getting past scheme discomfort.

18 for 18 or whatever it is, is no longer a small sample size.

Its what we call in the business... "A Problem"