Post Game Observations........

[T Town Tommy]

Because then the throw just goes to the outside........... and usually much deeper.

I would rather take my chances on them beating me to the outside than to die a slow death on the inside slant. Plus, the percentages are better for the defense making the opposing qb beat you down the sideline IMO.

The key is in the disguise of the blitz. Make the QB think more and recognize what is going on. Up till now they haven't had to think very much. If he is confused but still beats you then so be it.

 

[stlnd01]

I would rather take my chances on them beating me to the outside than to die a slow death on the inside slant. Plus, the percentages are better for the defense making the opposing qb beat you down the sideline IMO.

Thing is, that's pretty much been the opposite of our defensive philosophy for years. We rarely get beaten deep inside or out. We keep receivers in front of the DBs and wait for the quarterback to make a mistake. Then we try to create the mistakes through our pass rush.
We need to do a better job on the last part (without totally selling out the LBs), but I'm not sure we can/should re-work our entire approach to defense on the fly.

 

[irishfan]

I thought one of our stengths last year was that we took the Saban philosophy of making QBs throw to the sideline, as we did not let up many slants or anything down the seams for the most part. We've been getting torched on slants this year, and its really just unnaccpetable. There is no way Reilly or Henry are consistently completing out patterns against us (they're just not that good), but they killed us with the short stuff across the middle. Just somewhat headscratching after watching last years D.

We really don't play many great throwing QBs the rest of the year. Kelly, Hogan, and Bell are the best three and we can still close out the year 8-1 and get to the BCS if we just clean up this short-yardage pass game. Our run D is too good to let teams nickel and dime it down the field at will. The whole Oklahoma game last year was amazing D just forcing White to throw tough passes to the sideline most of the game, and I really think we have the parts on D to replicate that every week.

IMO its time to sit Carlo except for on 3rd and 4th and short. Its time to only let Shembo and Ishaq rush the passer as they're such liabilities in space in the pass game. Its time to stop having Tuitt lined up at DE on 2nd and 3rd and long and move him to DT as he's not doing anything in regards to rushing the passer from that position. Its time to stop having Fox on the field on 3rd and longs, there is no reason why he should be covering a TE or a slot WR when we have this much talent in the secondary. I'd rather see Shumate give up a few inches to a TE then have Fox/Calabrese flailing after a guy.

We have tons of speed on this D and we're not putting these guys in positions to be successful at all. End rant.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Somewhere in all this I think the loss of Spond is larger than maybe first thought. Maybe he was going to play a much larger role in the defense than most thought. His career ending health issues hit and maybe the whole defensive mindset had to regroup. Maybe it just hasn't happened yet. I don't really know to what extent Spond was going to play but it does appear - to me at least - that his loss has caused some player personnel package issues. Then again, I could be way off base or simply reaching.

 

[DillonHall]

Thing is, that's pretty much been the opposite of our defensive philosophy for years. We rarely get beaten deep inside or out. We keep receivers in front of the DBs and wait for the quarterback to make a mistake. Then we try to create the mistakes through our pass rush.
We need to do a better job on the last part (without totally selling out the LBs), but I'm not sure we can/should re-work our entire approach to defense on the fly.

Exactly.

The difference between this year and last year? DB tackling.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Somewhere in all this I think the loss of Spond is larger than maybe first thought. Maybe he was going to play a much larger role in the defense than most thought. His career ending health issues hit and maybe the whole defensive mindset had to regroup. Maybe it just hasn't happened yet. I don't really know to what extent Spond was going to play but it does appear - to me at least - that his loss has caused some player personnel package issues. Then again, I could be way off base or simply reaching.

Absolutely. Spond was reportedly the most consistent player on last year's defense-- wasn't much of a pass rusher, but was completely reliable in coverage and setting the edge. Many of us optimistically assumed that Councell and Smith would be able to pick up his slack between them, but we apparently sold Spond short.

That said, it doesn't seem like DOLB production is a major problem for us this season.

 

[STLcardz-NDirish]

I thought one of our stengths last year was that we took the Saban philosophy of making QBs throw to the sideline, as we did not let up many slants or anything down the seams for the most part. We've been getting torched on slants this year, and its really just unnaccpetable. There is no way Reilly or Henry are consistently completing out patterns against us (they're just not that good), but they killed us with the short stuff across the middle. Just somewhat headscratching after watching last years D.

We really don't play many great throwing QBs the rest of the year. Kelly, Hogan, and Bell are the best three and we can still close out the year 8-1 and get to the BCS if we just clean up this short-yardage pass game. Our run D is too good to let teams nickel and dime it down the field at will. The whole Oklahoma game last year was amazing D just forcing White to throw tough passes to the sideline most of the game, and I really think we have the parts on D to replicate that every week.

IMO its time to sit Carlo except for on 3rd and 4th and short. Its time to only let Shembo and Ishaq rush the passer as they're such liabilities in space in the pass game. Its time to stop having Tuitt lined up at DE on 2nd and 3rd and long and move him to DT as he's not doing anything in regards to rushing the passer from that position. Its time to stop having Fox on the field on 3rd and longs, there is no reason why he should be covering a TE or a slot WR when we have this much talent in the secondary. I'd rather see Shumate give up a few inches to a TE then have Fox/Calabrese flailing after a guy.

We have tons of speed on this D and we're not putting these guys in positions to be successful at all. End rant.

my thoughts exactly. The personnel on D is there. We just need to have the right guys in the right packages to exploit their strengths and minimize their weaknesses

 

[kmoose]

I would rather take my chances on them beating me to the outside than to die a slow death on the inside slant. Plus, the percentages are better for the defense making the opposing qb beat you down the sideline IMO.

The key is in the disguise of the blitz. Make the QB think more and recognize what is going on. Up till now they haven't had to think very much. If he is confused but still beats you then so be it.

Have you seen our DB play, this year? The LAST thing that the coaches should be doing is putting more pressure/responsibility on them.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Have you seen our DB play, this year? The LAST thing that the coaches should be doing is putting more pressure/responsibility on them.

I agree the DB play could be better but I don't think they are getting beat long down the sidelines. They are getting beat on inside slant passes due to the blitz as well as missing tackles in space on the outside screen and short passes to the flat. I would show blitz, back off at the last minute, maybe even drop a DE in a passing lane, and hope my DBs don't get beat long and the ILB can fill the middle seams. Can't do this everytime but mixing it up on defense would be better than simply letting the other team know that you are blitzing.

 

[kmoose]

I agree the DB play could be better but I don't think they are getting beat long down the sidelines. They are getting beat on inside slant passes due to the blitz as well as missing tackles in space on the outside screen and short passes to the flat. I would show blitz, back off at the last minute, maybe even drop a DE in a passing lane, and hope my DBs don't get beat long and the ILB can fill the middle seams. Can't do this everytime but mixing it up on defense would be better than simply letting the other team know that you are blitzing.

They've been getting beat on the inside slant because they are not yet polished cover guys. And the reason that they haven't been getting beat deep down the sidelines is that we have been blitzing so much that offenses are simply adjusting to the quick inside routes. Our ILBs CANNOT fill the middle seams. They can't cover consistently at all. That's why teams have been moving the ball at will with a short passing game. Dropping a DL into an obvious passing lane might help, but if they pop a run out behind the blitz, then we will be getting killed by the running game.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Diaco's stated number one intention is to not get beaten in any of three ways:

1). long pass down the sideline;
2). long pass down the seam;
3). potential long run to the edge.

As we know from last year, he believes that if he can eliminate big chunk plays, a normal team will not play consistent dink-&-dunk [run or pass] all the way down the field error-free, and even if they do, the redzone shrinkage will stop them there.

This philosophy requires:

A). really good climax tackling;
B). better linebackers-in-space play;
C). a patient head football coach and OC, who is/are willing to start almost all drives deep in our territory;
D). a patient fanbase, who are willing to grit their teeth as the "shell defense" gives up the dinks and dunks.

Of those four things, Kelly and Diaco care about only three.

We should get used to that.

 

[tko]

Diaco's stated number one intention is to not get beaten in any of three ways:

1). long pass down the sideline;
2). long pass down the seam;
3). potential long run to the edge.

As we know from last year, he believes that if he can eliminate big chunk plays, a normal team will not play consistent dink-&-dunk [run or pass] all the way down the field error-free, and even if they do, the redzone shrinkage will stop them there.

This philosophy requires:

A). really good climax tackling;
B). better linebackers-in-space play;
C). a patient head football coach and OC, who is/are willing to start almost all drives deep in our territory;
D). a patient fanbase, who are willing to grit their teeth as the "shell defense" gives up the dinks and dunks.
Of those four things, Kelly and Diaco care about only three.

We should get used to that.

This is precisely why i have to wear a mouth piece during games.