Issues

[GoSU96]

1. RT, 'nuff said.

2. Run defense. Biggest single hole on either side of the ball. Improve on that and this team will be REAL good.

3. PK, this needs to get fixed fast.

4. Early offense. Need to leverage the yds into early points. If this team can ever get up more than a score, it could be blow out time.

5. Inconsistent punting. The regular guy is all over the place, and the placement guy hits flyers out of the rough.

6. Giving up big plays on defense. Against some of the crap offenses we will see in the next month giving up cheap scores could kill, because those teams do play defense very well.

 

[Upstate]

I think the slow start on O could draw from not going with many dynamic plays/playmakers. In other words, I think we should be seeing AB on the field, in space, with the ball, ever first series of the game

 

[SoBristol]

Run defense/pass defense -- have to give SB credit for its RBs and a big strong line -- those guys could play for us or several teams we will see later. On the other hand, their QB had time, missed a lot of throws, they had only one WR, and fortunately other receivers didn't catch when the throw was there. Can't just judge our defense by what SB could and could not do.

Week over week, we need to improve pass rushing & coverage -- basically, all phases on defense. Other teams will bring a better passing game than what we just saw.

PK should be fine. We have an accurate kicker (by history) who had a bad night.

Offense/slow starts -- maybe we should see AB earlier, but Gulley & Smith were doing their parts, and that RB rotation is a good thing. Seemed like it was more coaching decisions to make SB respect the run; and then open up for Sales & West.

 

[jekelish]

Thankfully at least the issue at tackle will be solved whenever Pugh comes back. As soon as that happens we will have two future NFL players at the tackle spots.

 

[baggerbob]

We need to try something different, like take the opening kickoff and score, put the opposing team in a hole. Maybe by getting the ball first, the offense will wake up sooner possibly in the 1st half.

 

[MadNY3]

7. Cure our R'ishardisms. He was picked on often during USC (hey, it is USC) but also believe he was burnt a few times against SB. He will be picked on often as Reddish seems like a budding star, but has to maintain his assignments.

8. Play smarter. Not sure what our penalties #s are, but we shoot ourselves immensely on the foot too often there. Then to see a Kobena self-pin himself out of bounds on a kickoff piles on to the many ST issues that should be chalked up to discipline and execution moreso than straight talent.

This team has a lot of fight and is a very tough out. Similarly, you don't smell they this team knows how to play like a winner for 60 minutes. Heading into game four, a bye week then league play means we need to see bnetter preparation and execution for those first 30 minutes.

 

[dasher]

if you can't stop the run, you can't win.

 

[retro44]

7. Cure our R'ishardisms. He was picked on often during USC (hey, it is USC) but also believe he was burnt a few times against SB. He will be picked on often as Reddish seems like a budding star, but has to maintain his assignments.

8. Play smarter. Not sure what our penalties #s are, but we shoot ourselves immensely on the foot too often there. Then to see a Kobena self-pin himself out of bounds on a kickoff piles on to the many ST issues that should be chalked up to discipline and execution moreso than straight talent.

This team has a lot of fight and is a very tough out. Similarly, you don't smell they this team knows how to play like a winner for 60 minutes. Heading into game four, a bye week then league play means we need to see bnetter preparation and execution for those first 30 minutes.

kobena did not play...injured

 

[GoSU96]

if you can't stop the run, you can't win.

That's why it's an issue. Numbers are skewed because they have given up some long plays, but they have got to tighten that up without a doubt.

 

[OttoMets]

7. Cure our R'ishardisms. He was picked on often during USC (hey, it is USC) but also believe he was burnt a few times against SB. He will be picked on often as Reddish seems like a budding star, but has to maintain his assignments.

Anderson's hurt us. Bad job on the deep pass for the score, really seems to be struggling out there. In terms of pass coverage, he doesn't look like one of our two best corners.

 

[MadNY3]

kobena did not play...injured

You are right. Rene. Good catch.

 

[CbusCuse]

We need to try something different, like take the opening kickoff and score, put the opposing team in a hole. Maybe by getting the ball first, the offense will wake up sooner possibly in the 1st half.

Then again if our offense seems to play better in the second half than the first isn't it better to have another possession in the second half instead of the first. Maybe that compounds our problems. Nassib has been pretty darn good but I think part of it is he isn't as comfortable early on for some reason. The whole offensive flow starts with the QB.

 

[Rocco]

How about tackling? We really need to stop upper body tackling. SB abused us because of that. If you stop the legs, you stop the runner. Wilkes tried popping Maysonet on that long TD run but it didn't work. If he had dove at his legs, the TD could have been prevented.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

If he had dove at his legs, the TD could have been prevented.

Two seconds after the RB jumped over another player trying to take out his legs.

 

[Rocco]

Two seconds after the RB jumped over another player trying to take out his legs.

You get what I'm saying.

 

[dollarbill44]

How about tackling? We really need to stop upper body tackling. SB abused us because of that. If you stop the legs, you stop the runner. Wilkes tried popping Maysonet on that long TD run but it didn't work. If he had dove at his legs, the TD could have been prevented.

Actually, if Wilkes had just wrapped him there he would have slowed him down enough for help to arrive, or more likely, he would have driven him OB. Wilkes just hit him with his arms in tight and more or less bounced off him.

 

[Chip]

How about tackling? We really need to stop upper body tackling. SB abused us because of that. If you stop the legs, you stop the runner. Wilkes tried popping Maysonet on that long TD run but it didn't work. If he had dove at his legs, the TD could have been prevented.

We have a lot of guys going for the big hit, but not wrapping up. Stop the legs is right (unless he leaps you because you sell out to it), but even if you hit high, you just have to make sure he goes down. Sometimes the big hit means it's easier to bounce off the guy. The guy you're trying to tackle probably spent as much time in the weight room as you did this offseason.

The one on the USC TE was even worse, because it wasn't about the big hit, it more looked like 4 guys trying to strip the ball. At least one guy has to be on tackling duty.

All correctable things, and hopefully will be.

 

[RICuse44]

We have a lot of guys going for the big hit, but not wrapping up. Stop the legs is right (unless he leaps you because you sell out to it), but even if you hit high, you just have to make sure he goes down. Sometimes the big hit means it's easier to bounce off the guy. The guy you're trying to tackle probably spent as much time in the weight room as you did this offseason.

The one on the USC TE was even worse, because it wasn't about the big hit, it more looked like 4 guys trying to strip the ball. At least one guy has to be on tackling duty.

All correctable things, and hopefully will be.

Agree with this. These missile hits are a huge problem and have either led to some big gains or at times with the linebackers let the ball carrier get back to the LOS. 2nd and 16 is a whole lot different than 2nd and 10. I think the run defense improves if personnel adjustments are made. Run oriented teams like rutgers and uconn should see a front four of goggins, bromley, crume, and sharpe with welsh and robinson rotating more at end and walls and jones at tackle. also would like to see more vaughn in the middle on run first teams. I think in the end dyshawn may be best at strong safety. Would reserve MPB more for passing downs. But then again, I heard he was held every play akin to Freeney's junior year. When they started calling all of the hold's on Dwight he really took off. Hopefully same with MPB.

 

[SWC75]

You are right. Rene. Good catch.

Not Rene's.

 

[SWC75]

Agree with this. These missile hits are a huge problem and have either led to some big gains or at times with the linebackers let the ball carrier get back to the LOS. 2nd and 16 is a whole lot different than 2nd and 10. I think the run defense improves if personnel adjustments are made. Run oriented teams like rutgers and uconn should see a front four of goggins, bromley, crume, and sharpe with welsh and robinson rotating more at end and walls and jones at tackle. also would like to see more vaughn in the middle on run first teams. I think in the end dyshawn may be best at strong safety. Would reserve MPB more for passing downs. But then again, I heard he was held every play akin to Freeney's junior year. When they started calling all of the hold's on Dwight he really took off. Hopefully same with MPB.

Freeney was held plenty of times when it wasn't called in 2001, too. His teammates had to readjust his shoulder pads after every play.

 

[SWC75]

On the punters, why not reverse their roles Fisher's dying quails might actually be usesful when we are tryign to pin them close to their goal line. And Dixon's 50 yarders would do us more good when punting from our own territory.