Andre Looks Completely Lost At LB.

[skinsfan07]

AC is an awful LB and is the main reason he came here from San Fran to be a DE. When he played at DE his first couple seasons in SF he was solid, but when they tried to move him to LB he was awful. Same goes here. He is not fit to be an LB and never will. I really hope that we do a mix of 4-3 and 3-4 schemes, b/c if we strictly stick to the 3-4 D all season, we will seriously experience some "growing pains on D".

[justice98]

They should just make him a 3rd down pass rusher and minimize the charade that is Carter at LB. I mean, that was the knock on him in SF when they went to the 3-4, why'd they think he'd magically be a 3-4 linebacker when he's established he sucks at it?

Either that or dangle him in a trade. I'd imagine coming off the year he had last year, he'd have some value for a 4-3 team. Maybe if there's an injury around the league that might present itself.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

The switch to the 3-4 is what's holding me back from being totally confident in this new regieme.

Offensively we have some of the best minds in the game. Mike's zone running scheme combined with the passing offense that Houston has had recently? Absolutely amazing. Now, we don't have the weapons necessarily but I'm confident in the coaching.

Defensively? Ick. Haslett is going to have to win me over this year, I'm less than confident in him. Plus...this 3-4 business. We have one natural NT on the roster in Kemo and really no one that qualifies as a 3-4 LB.

Orakpo is a 4-3 DE, same as Carter. Fletcher and Rocky are 4-3 LBs and I think could get exposed. We just don't have the pieces. Its not about the alignment, its about the coaching and the people on the squad. Blechh failed because he was too vanilla and was convinced that sacking a QB wasn't of utmost importance. Decent statistical year but I think we could have had a much better defense.

The concept that the switch to a 3-4 will solve our turnover problems is utter nonsense to me. We have the pieces in place to have a a great 4-3 defense, so hopefully Haslett and Shanny will at the very least have the brains to use both formations.

[skins4ever17]

Well, I don't have a lot of confidence in AC at the LB position either. I mean, who in their right mind would? What's even scarier is that Orakpo is on the other side. Who is going to cover Jason Witten this year?

That said, I think it's still a little early. Lots of football left to be played before the season opener.

I wouldn't mind seeing Landry lined up at outside linebacker on 1st and 2nd down, and Andre coming in to rush the passer on 3rd. We are deep at safety and Laron is much better around the line of scrimmage and matched up against a TE or RB out of the backfield, imo, than he is against a wide receiver.

AC's a very under-rated pass rusher and I think he can be very effective in a situational role.

Wow, this totally. I completely agree with every word.

[Tarantula]

We need to start Carter @ DE, Haynesworth @ NT, and Orakpo @ DE. I just cannot imagine Carter playing LB anymore, because he's obviously a DE.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

We need to start Carter @ DE, Haynesworth @ NT, and Orakpo @ DE. I just cannot imagine Carter playing LB anymore, because he's obviously a DE.

Orakpo isn't a 3-4 DE.

He's a 4-3 DE, and he excelled at it in college.

He shouldn't be at LB, he needs to be a "hand in the dirt" 4-3 DE. Imagine what he could do if he weren't preoccupied with covering TE's? Not that his previous year wasn't excellent but he's not a 3-4 LB.

In a 4-3 we could have Carter and Orakpo at DE and Haynesworth and Kemo at DT.

Fletcher, Rocky and someone else at LB (this is where we'd need a suitable replacement, I think Riley or Wilson could fill in)

That is a much more formative defense than a 3-4 with the same guys in my opinion.

[HBnotBlades]

We need to start Carter @ DE, Haynesworth @ NT, and Orakpo @ DE. I just cannot imagine Carter playing LB anymore, because he's obviously a DE.

Unless he gains 40 lbs, he's not a 3-4 DE. Neither is Orakpo. Haynesworth is much closer to a typical 3-4 DE than either of the other guys you mention.

[planter]

Our new 3-4 defense did NOT impress, especially AC. We'll learn MUCH more about the Redskins' defense next week when we play the Ravens.

On the positive side,#5 and the offense looked better, especially the O line.

[heathonater]

i want to give this group a couple preseason games before making any judgements about this group. you could obviously tell the guys were pretty jacked up to play and overpursued a few times. i think this week against the ravens we will get a better idea of where our defense is because they actually have a qb that can make all the throws.

[bulldog]

Well, from Shanahan's comments today he feels differently from most of us. He thinks Carter has done 'very well' in his transition to OLB in the 3-4 and will only continue to improve.

Of course that could very well be coach-speak

But you will know in the third preseason game when you see whether Alexander or Carter is getting time with the first unit as the tuneup for the opener.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Well, from Shanahan's comments today he feels differently from most of us. He thinks Carter has done 'very well' in his transition to OLB in the 3-4 and will only continue to improve.

Of course that could very well be coach-speak

But you will know in the third preseason game when you see whether Alexander or Carter is getting time with the first unit as the tuneup for the opener.

If I've learned anything about Mike Shannahan at all, it's that he knows 'coach-speak'.

I'm not convinced just yet.

[KDawg]

The Bills had 121 yards of offense going in to the fourth quarter.

I'll take such horrible play any week.

I don't think I said the entire defense was horrible, did I?

I believe I said one position and two of its players were not very good. The Bills didn't gameplan for us. They weren't looking for holes. There were things they wanted to see.

[MumboSauce]

He has poor change of direction/agility, is stiff and over runs plays...mis-direction, cut backs, counters, reverses will kill him...and like you pointed out lost in space, cover issues. He just doesn't "appear" to be a good fit there. Other than Orakpo all of the LB's are pretty slow, no real sideline to sideline speed. I'm a tad more worried with the personnel and the switch to a 3-4 than the offense at this point as offensive as the offense was last season.

[Skin'Em84]

Let's watch a few more games first.

[NoCalMike]

Well the fact is, this could be part of the natural growing pains process of switching to a 3-4. I think there is a good chance our defense slips a little in 2010, because Haslett is basically installing his defense with personnel he had no part in bringing in.

The hope is that our offense is improved enough to make up for it.

[Butz65]

Wow...jumping off the ship before it even sets sail. I thought I was cynical. I was actually impressed that the defense didn't struggle more. I expect some shootouts early on during the regular season as players adjust to new roles. I think we'll see a number of fronts. No team runs just 4-3 or just 3-4. Many of the Skins players have said that they ran some 3-4 last season. I'm just happy to see some aggressiveness again. Who cares that your D ends up in the top 10 at the end of a meaningless season when you could have generated 3-4+ more wins with actual turnovers? The D created some the other night. Haynesworth looked good against the 2nd & 3rd stringers. Once they put him in with the first line I think the entire D will look better. You'll always have a weak player or two on defense. The hope is the rest of your D will be aggressive enough to disrupt or bring a play to a halt before that weakness can be exploited. I think Haslett is creative enough to make that happen with the talent he has to work with.

[WilberMarshall]

So I am not crazy afterall? I thought he was out of his depth all game long... maybe he is having some family issues or somn.

[KDawg]

Some of you are reading entirely too much into this thread

No one is saying we're screwed. There's concern over a spot, folks.

[HailGreen28]

Some of you are reading entirely too much into this thread

No one is saying we're screwed. There's concern over a spot, folks.

IDK. What about Rak's coverage skills?

[Butz65]

Some of you are reading entirely too much into this thread

No one is saying we're screwed. There's concern over a spot, folks.

Ok - explain this:

this team does not have the personnel to run the 3-4. i think it's gonna be ugly.

whole experiment is going to bite the skins in the ass soon.

For the first time since I can remember I have a bad feeling that the defense is going to be a sore spot. Not like 2006 when it came out of no where.

Their coach said they are getting used to the 3-4 so he wasn't worried about a not-so-great showing either.

We'll see if we're any different. I predict...DOOM AND GLOOM!

Reading too much into the thread... Just concern over one spot?

[#1skinsfanever]

I agree we need OLB's & quick

[darrelgreenie]

1.He doesn't even look comfortable in the upright position. Clearly he'd rather put his hand in the dirt.

I think most pass rushers would rather rush from a down stance, so he isn't unique with that; and you thinking he looks uncomfortable in his stance doesn't mean that he's actually uncomfortable.

2.He doesn't appear to have football "instincts" at the LB spot and it appears he is thinking entirly too much.

Even though we're probably playing vanilla schemes its to be expected that he would be thinking too much and hasn't developed the requisite instincts yet.

3......If I'm an opposing team I would run bootlegs all day to AC's side because he bit on every one that I saw with him in the game and instead of staying home he let the Bills gain way too much yardage.

You don't think that^^ is something they'll coach him up on?

4.His coverage skills or lack thereof must be making opposing TE's/RB's salivate when their number is called to his side of the field.

Most LBs and even some FS/SS struggle covering TEs and RBs.

I'm sure the plan isn't for Carter or any LOLB or any LB in general to cover RBs and TEs man-to-man.

Most of the LB especially OLB coverages in a 3-4 are short/shallow zone coverages.

Again, overall there was plenty to be happy about from the game, but I am definitely concerned about Andre manning that spot.

I have a low level of concern.

Is don't think Carter is the best coverage LOLB in the league but then again you generally don't expect a whole lot of covering from your LOLB anyway.

If Carter at LOLB is the weakest spot on our defense i'll can live with it.

[Leonard Washington]

Bring back the 4-3 and play to our strengths.

[KDawg]

Reading too much into the thread... Just concern over one spot?

Of 96 replies, you posted four.

[KDawg]

IDK. What about Rak's coverage skills?

Far superior to Andre Carter's. He's an athlete. He can play the spot. He's a better 4-3 DE than he is a 3-4 OLB, for sure, but he's better than serviceable at the OLB spot.