All things defense

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

Maybe it’s just me but I’ve never liked anything about Jack to begin with.  Never been impressed with his defenses, don’t care how they rank.  He’s a fossil that has no answers for modern offenses, with the audacity to be ****y to boot.  

[goskins10]

11 hours ago, Conn said:

I hate to repeat myself, but these guys are so ****ing arrogant in this building with their road-to-nowhere roster, it’s actually insane. If these guys weren’t at least technically qualified to coach at this level I’d call it the Dunning-Kruger effect. But that would be arrogance on my own part, because these guys do know enough to be in their positions (even if they are bottom of the barrel at their own level). 
 

But to have a defense performing this badly, and have this sort of ego on display makes it 10x worse. They really think their decisions are unassailable, that no one is qualified to question the job they’re doing as they tell their locker room to “Do Your Job”. No humility or self-awareness at all. 

It makes me actually dislike these guys instead of just wanting them to be replaced. 

 

 

Ok, so I was one of probably the last hold outs for JDR basing it off performence which generally good until this year. But thier performance this season outside a few decent quarters, followed by an interview llke this makes me sick to my stomach. No accountability at all. And Ron should stop bunkering and make a change, now. I am sure there is some componenet of thier poor play that is on the players. But it does not take a football genius to see they are not being put in position to be successful. 

 

The primary question needs to be why is the front 4 not getting pressure? The talent is there. He is not getting it out of them. They are not giving 100% from what I see. Are they hurt? If so, get them out of there. Otherwise this is a direct failure of the coaches. The talent is there. But by them not getting pressure guys like Fields have time to make big plays. Yea the secondary is suspect. But if the front gets the pressure they should then they do not have time to make those plays. It all starts with the front on this team which is criminally underperforming overall. 

 

Not saying anything new or that hasn't been said by others. Just doing my own venting at this point. 

Edited October 13, 2023 by goskins10

[FootballZombie]

Peeps know how I feel about JDR via the multiple subjects we are not allowed to talk about any more. 

 

I don't see it happening in the short term but I'll be happy when he is gone.

Getting the lions share of the assets and getting substantially worse is criminal. His D was the crutch we were supposed to lean on this year and even tho it started out well, it has been dissolving to the point that it can support no weight.

Edited October 13, 2023 by FootballZombie

[Skins24]

I dream of the day when a QB finally has a bad day against our defense. It'll be a story to tell for generations....

 

[tomwvr]

4 hours ago, goskins10 said:

 

 

Ok, so I was one of probably the last hold outs for JDR basing it off performence which generally good until this year. But thier performance this season outside a few decent quarters, followed by an interview llke this makes me sick to my stomach. No accountability at all. And Ron should stop bunkering and make a change, now. I am sure there is some componenet of thier poor play that is on the players. But it does not take a football genius to see they are not being put in position to be successful. 

 

The primary question needs to be why is the front 4 not getting pressure? The talent is there. He is not getting it out of them. They are not giving 100% from what I see. Are they hurt? If so, get them out of there. Otherwise this is a direct failure of the coaches. The talent is there. But by them not getting pressure guys like Fields have time to make big plays. Yea the secondary is suspect. But if the front gets the pressure they should then they do not have time to make those plays. It all starts with the front on this team which is criminally underperforming overall. 

 

Not saying anything new or that hasn't been said by others. Just doing my own venting at this point. 

Before game one Allen was reported to have plantar issues in one of his feet. This is not a fun thing constant pain, cramps and discomfort. Only time and treatment can fix it. Havent heard anything since the first report , but it doesnt go away that quickly.

 
 

Allen has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports. Head coach Ron Rivera indicated the issue is not serious.Aug 19, 2023

[goskins10]

1 hour ago, tomwvr said:

Before game one Allen was reported to have plantar issues in one of his feet. This is not a fun thing constant pain, cramps and discomfort. Only time and treatment can fix it. Havent heard anything since the first report , but it doesnt go away that quickly.

 
 

Allen has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports. Head coach Ron Rivera indicated the issue is not serious.Aug 19, 2023

 

Thanks. I have Planters in both foot so I am very well aware of it's pain. It's so painful. As soon as you stop moving it's like someone is taking 1000 needles and cking them in the bottom of yourt feet. They can get rid of the pain though. It jsut takes some time. 

 

 

 

 

 

[RandyHolt]

I really think JDRs failed defensive scheme starts with his lack of pressure up front.

 

I want advanced stats. Of the league leaders in sacks, how many came in 4v5. Or pressures. Or hits on QBs. How many came when there was deception attempted by the defense pre-snap. How many resulted when there was a blitz. Beat their man clean 1v1. When there were stunts. Whats the team blitz rate of the leagues sack leader? Show me those stats by quarter. I think the record will show sack leaders aren't producing most of their sacks in vanilla 4v5. Regardless, JDR clearly thinks what he is doing is working and will not change until we lose a few more weeks.

 

I also want to know who are the best coverage linebackers in the league specifically vs TE's.  For some reason those compiling advanced stats seem to not bother with this one. Its corners vs receivers and then crickets. I have been pointing out the only place our defense is showing anything is coverage vs TEs. Is Barton a good coverage backer since he does nothing in the run game, where does he rank?   Yes I know Pitts is now going to have a long overdue career day.

 

If JDR didn't get fired after losing 4 straight and 4 straight seasons of failing to implement a viable scheme to start the season, he is here for the rest of the year.

Edited October 14, 2023 by RandyHolt

[Koolblue13]

This is usually about where Jack gets his **** together, so we'll see what happens. It's a good time for it playing the Falcons and Giants.

 

Hopefully the offense can establish themselves and get some ToP. There is no way we start going 3 and out the first few drives and the Falcons run it up on us.

[RandyHolt]

29 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

This is usually about where Jack gets his **** together, so we'll see what happens. It's a good time for it playing the Falcons and Giants.

 

Hopefully the offense can establish themselves and get some ToP. There is no way we start going 3 and out the first few drives and the Falcons run it up on us.

I can see the game going both ways.  I can see Atlanta slow playing on offense feeding Algeier and controlling the TOP and it being an under game. But I can also see EB refusing to play along and going pass happy and ride the most productive component on offense, Sam Howell. FWIW teams cannot game plan against any single component of our offense. Our identity isn't running the ball, its unpredictability. No one predicted we'd pass 55 times in a row last week. No one knew Logan would be our target leader/game played or whatever that stat was. Sam distributing the ball is our best attack method.

 

JDR talks about turnovers. Stressing them to the DBs to the point they are predictably gambling to get INTs and getting burned.  Stop stressing turnovers and start stressing pressuring the QBs and the turnovers will just magically come. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Jack ass.  Sticking to my guns, 2 more losses before we see JDR attacking QBs to start games.

Edited October 14, 2023 by RandyHolt

[Koolblue13]

9 minutes ago, RandyHolt said:

I can see the game going both ways.  I can see Atlanta slow playing on offense feeding Algeier and controlling the TOP and it being an under game. But I can also see EB refusing to play along and going pass happy and ride the most productive component on offense, Sam Howell. FWIW teams cannot game plan against any single component of our offense. Our identity isn't running the ball, its unpredictability. No one predicted we'd pass 55 times in a row last week. No one knew Logan would be our target leader/game played or whatever that stat was. Sam distributing the ball is our best attack method.

 

JDR talks about turnovers. Stressing them to the DBs to the point they are predictably gambling to get INTs and getting burned.  Stop stressing turnovers and start stressing pressuring the QBs and the turnovers will just magically come. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Jack ass.  Sticking to my guns, 2 more losses before we see JDR attacking QBs to start games.

I think it's fair to say that our TE1 is going to get the most targets and that we're going to constantly get away from the short and medium passes and send it deep (Bates III is tied for first in INTs) when we don't need to and often. They also know our running game sucks and we'll dump it immediately too. There is no mystery to our offense. We also won't be keeping TEs or RBs in to block too often either, so they need to be watched.

 

Who knows what defense we show up with, but with Butler, Forbes and Martin in and Forrest out, pretty sure just lofting it long along the sideline to London or Pitts should work.

 

We'll sell out to stop the run or the pass.

[RandyHolt]

23 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I think it's fair to say that our TE1 is going to get the most targets and that we're going to constantly get away from the short and medium passes and send it deep (Bates III is tied for first in INTs) when we don't need to and often. They also know our running game sucks and we'll dump it immediately too. There is no mystery to our offense. We also won't be keeping TEs or RBs in to block too often either, so they need to be watched.

 

Who knows what defense we show up with, but with Butler, Forbes and Martin in and Forrest out, pretty sure just lofting it long along the sideline to London or Pitts should work.

 

We'll sell out to stop the run or the pass.

Good points. I forgot that injuries have forced JDR into adjustments if only personnel wise.  I think JDRs most glaring weakness is his inability to utilize his players collective strengths and form his default scheme.  His 2nd biggest weakness is his stubbornness and unwillingness to adjust in the face of obvious failure. 3rd his ability to find good fits for what he wants to do, whatever the hell that is. I still think he lost the respect of his entire defense from his twitter rant 16 months ago. They probably hate him.

 

Atlanta should go PAP double moves outside and go deep until JDR proves he has adjusted. FWIW it seems like our safeties have been invisible. Maybe they are moving down and helping take out TEs. He has his corners on an island and while most blame Forbes, I won't. He is what he is, a skinny corner with expectations to get INTs.

 

Random prediction guess - Martin gets an INT but not from the scheme but from freelancing on his own. He has probably been riding the pine because he's a terrible fit/having trouble adjusting to JDRs default scheme.

Edited October 14, 2023 by RandyHolt

[Koolblue13]

4 minutes ago, RandyHolt said:

Good points. I forgot that injuries have forced JDR into adjustments if only personnel wise.  I think JDRs most glaring weakness is his inability to utilize his players collective strengths and form his default scheme.  His 2nd biggest weakness is his stubbornness and unwillingness to adjust in the face of obvious failure. 3rd his ability to find good fit for what he wants to do, whatever the hell that is. I still think he lost the respect of his entire defense from his twitter rant 16 months ago. They probably hate him.

 

Atlanta should go PAP double moves outside and go deep until JDR proves he has adjusted. FWIW it seems like our safeties have been invisible. Maybe they are moving down and helping take out TEs. He has his corners on an island.

 

Random prediction guess - Martin gets an INT but not from the scheme but from freelancing on his own.

They should run the ball at Barton, until Curl drops in the box and then throw it over their heads.

[RandyHolt]

47 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

They should run the ball at Barton, until Curl drops in the box and then throw it over their heads.

100%.  You touched on the problem with the run game scheme. I NEVER see Barton filling the correct hole. Rarely even crashing down. I affectionately call it playing uphill. It's so consistently bad I theorize its not his job. No NFL LB is THAT bad. He clearly wasnt that bad in Seattle so something gives with the scheme / fit. Where's the free helping out? Chicago was consistently running on 3rd and longs and converting. It only failed when they completely ran out of HBs. I have never seen such a thing.

 

Atlanta should get 200 yards rushing on this scheme because their OC never gets impatient with the run game. He'd rather run and lose vs pass. Load up the ATL run game props overs. JDR is too stubborn to adjust from his don't get burned deep theme even when he does.  Who can be more stubborn? I am betting on JDR since Ridder got 300 yards last week.

Edited October 14, 2023 by RandyHolt

[skinny21]

I expect a lot of 5 man fronts, Curl to be in man coverage on Pitts pretty often.  If we do play man, I feel like St Juste is the best fit against London.

 

Personally, I’d consider playing Mayo a bunch this week (probably our best LB in run defense), and utilizing Hudson in a Joker role at times, similar to what he played in college.  Toohill should probably get plenty of reps as a plus run defender, ditto Ridgeway, especially as a nose in 5 man fronts.  Maybe put Butler into shallow zones more often to use his speed to blitz and/or to try to beat blockers on run plays… I don’t really trust him deep at this point.  Seems counterintuitive to get Jones a good amount of snaps - I could be wrong, but I get the sense he’s better pass rusher than run defender - but in a 5 man front, take away contain responsibilities and let him get after the backfield (letting him and Toohill keep Young/Sweat fresh).  

 

I could be way off base with all of that, but regardless, I’d like to see us using guys to their strengths vs forcing them to fill a role they’re not necessarily ready/cut out for.  Easier said than done though if that forces scheme tweaks that the D hasn’t practiced much.

 

[kingdaddy]

10 hours ago, RandyHolt said:

I really think JDRs failed defensive scheme starts with his lack of pressure up front.

 

And his soft, zone coverage. His defensive scheme(s) puts fear in no one and he seems to give opponents exactly what they prepared for each week. Hell, the Bears won the toss AND TOOK THE BALL!!!!! That's a direct insult to our defense. Then they proceeded to score a very easy TD.

Disgraceful.

7 hours ago, skinny21 said:

I expect a lot of 5 man fronts, Curl to be in man coverage on Pitts pretty often.  If we do play man, I feel like St Juste is the best fit against London.

 

Personally, I’d consider playing Mayo a bunch this week (probably our best LB in run defense), and utilizing Hudson in a Joker role at times, similar to what he played in college.  Toohill should probably get plenty of reps as a plus run defender, ditto Ridgeway, especially as a nose in 5 man fronts.  Maybe put Butler into shallow zones more often to use his speed to blitz and/or to try to beat blockers on run plays… I don’t really trust him deep at this point.  Seems counterintuitive to get Jones a good amount of snaps - I could be wrong, but I get the sense he’s better pass rusher than run defender - but in a 5 man front, take away contain responsibilities and let him get after the backfield (letting him and Toohill keep Young/Sweat fresh).  

 

I could be way off base with all of that, but regardless, I’d like to see us using guys to their strengths vs forcing them to fill a role they’re not necessarily ready/cut out for.  Easier said than done though if that forces scheme tweaks that the D hasn’t practiced much.

 

You're hired.

[RandyHolt]

Football games are won up front. Surprising few here of course..

 

How can Notre Dame's blitzing be so much better than JDRs?  I guess for one is that they try. Caleb is struggling under pressure.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

On 10/12/2023 at 11:27 PM, Conn said:

I hate to repeat myself, but these guys are so ****ing arrogant in this building with their road-to-nowhere roster, it’s actually insane. If these guys weren’t at least technically qualified to coach at this level I’d call it the Dunning-Kruger effect. But that would be arrogance on my own part, because these guys do know enough to be in their positions (even if they are bottom of the barrel at their own level). 
 

But to have a defense performing this badly, and have this sort of ego on display makes it 10x worse. They really think their decisions are unassailable, that no one is qualified to question the job they’re doing as they tell their locker room to “Do Your Job”. No humility or self-awareness at all. 

It makes me actually dislike these guys instead of just wanting them to be replaced. 

So I'm going to take the other side of this VERY SPECIFIC exchange, and FWIW, Bram did as well. And I grant Bram is the play-by-play voice, but he's also EXTREMELY critical of the team, specifically Ron and Jack, A LOT on the radio.  But he's not defensive of the staff like Larry Michael was at all.  

 

I like Ben Standig enough. I listen to his podcasts, and he's generally informed and somewhat entertaining.   Ben is CLEARLY writing a piece on off-season transactions and how they failed miserably. He asked this question of Barton to Jack.  He's also the one who asked Rivera the Draft Class question which Rivera answered with "change the subject I'm going to talk about Howell."  

 

This is a story that needs to be written. I expect it will come out Monday or Tuesday (if it hasn't already) especially if they lose to Atlanta.  Or it might be held until the next loss.  And Bram piped in this was a story which needs to be written, and even in his response to this exchange, went on a little tangent saying how bizarre the draft appeared to be when it happened, how he questioned the picks at the time, and how it's not looking good. So, even while he was criticizing Ben in his asking of the question, he was validating the question needed to be asked and the answer isn't a good one.  

 

But Ben tried to have his cake and eat it too with the way he went about the question.  And I don't blame Jack for pushing back on "which people" and "what missing piece" and "Who's saying what."    Ben needed to just come out and ask the question directly instead of dancing around it. "I think Barton is playing badly.  Tell me where I'm wrong."  Be direct.  But he wasn't. He invoked the Junior High "Some people are saying" and Jack, I think, was right to ask, "ok, who's some people?"  

 

Apparently, and this is from Bram, Jack takes issue with PFF grades, and what Ben was trying to do was say "the PFF grade says Barton isn't playing well" without saying PFF because he was fearing it was going to derail the answer. So he went with this nebulous "some people" thing which Jack pushed back on.  

 

It's bad journalism.  Again, from Bram's show, and for what it's worth he teaches journalism courses at the University of MD, he said he was going to go "full Professor Weinstein" and critique the way the question was asked.  

 

What I wish Ben would have asked is either:

 

Option 1: (which includes reference to PFF) "Based on film study from the media and the PFF grades, it does not look like Barton is playing at a very high level. Can you please tell us what you are seeing and if you disagree, what you are seeing which the media/PFF is not catching."  NTOE: According to Bram, who was there, it appeared as though Jack was ready to respond to the PFF thing and that was going to maybe derail the question. But it's the truth and the direct question, so go with it and let Jack respond.  That's option 1. .

 

Option 2:  "In the off-season, the team let Holcomb go and signed Barton.  He is playing on 100% of the snaps, but there seems to be problems stopping the run and the shorter passes which weren't present at the end of last year, even when Holcomb was out with injury.  Can you comment on what you see out of Barton's play, and if you're still confident with him playing on 100% of the defensive snaps."

 

Option 2 takes out the "People said" and "PFF" and "media film study" stuff.  Maybe that gets a better answer. 

 

Either of these would have worked.

And NOTE: I wanted Jack fired 2 years ago and think he's an insufferable know-it-all jack ass ass hat who's not doing a good job, and I would love to see him escorted out of the building wearing a donkey costume.  So I'm not defending his coaching or approach, or even his general demeanor or ass-hattery in press conferences in general.

 

But in THIS SPECIFIC INSTANCE, I think Ben did a terrible job at journalism. 

 

Also, this isn't a PFF rant.  The PFF stuff was what Bram said and I am just regurgitating. I have no idea what Jack or anybody else in the organization thinks of PFF.  Bram joked that Jack hates the grades and bristles every time they are brought up, and Rivera likes to quote them.  So, take that for whatever you like.  It was Bram's message, not mine.  

[Daniel.redskins]

Jamin Davis is a bomb waiting to explode. Dude has every physical attribute you want in a linebacker.  

[Warhead36]

D was bad today too. Thankfully Ridder was worse.

[Redd]

Put a decent quarterback besides Ridder and we lose this game imo.

[RandyHolt]

Jamin needs to be unleashed to use his best asset - speed e.g. in press man vs standing flat footed in zone. Reading.

 

IIRC JDR blitzed on every INT we got today.  Its almost like this secret turnover formula that many DCs of ours have struggled to figure out over the past 2 decades.

 

Quan blitzing!

Edited October 15, 2023 by RandyHolt

[mcsluggo]

this defense has a lot of talent.... and is just flat out bad as a group. 

 it is sad 

[Riggo-toni]

Showing my age here, but the defense reminds me of Lefty Drisell's UMD basketball teams, where he would recruit every superstar player he could land without a coherent plan for how they would fit together. The whole is far less than the sum of the parts.  With all the assets we have used on defense at the expense of the OL, you would think they should be elite.

[JSSkinz]

If you think our pass rushers deserve new contracts just watch the last 3 offensive drives by Atlanta.