DLine play was pretty scary

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

I don't know about beastly guys. We got gouged pretty consistently on the run. I'm happy about the pressures but would have liked the Run D being a bit more stout... in saying that... Enter Vince Wilfork and Albert Haynesworth and problem solved.

I haven't seen the game but looking at the computer stream, it was several "3 and outs".

In a 16 game season, the opponent will sometimes gets some yards, first downs and heaven forbid score some points.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

I may be in the minority but I really don't get excited about play on EITHER side until maybe the last preseason game.

I just hold hope we keep the right guys and let the worthless go hoping they don't become a star elsewhere like the 2 that didn't make our team but playing well in TB (Mckenzie,Larsen)

Remember that the Lions went as a forceful 4-0 in the 2008 preseason only to go 0-16 the rest of the year.

That being said,preseason is fun to see the WTFs play and the new guys on the team as well as realizing the REAL game is close by....

but excited because of a pretty solid looking preseason game?....nah

If we lost 47-12 it would not have made a difference at all to me on my hopeful outlook for this team and the 2011 season.

 

[Gumby]

Cunningham had a nice sack of course, but I think what makes him unnoticeable sometime is that we have a bunch of guys who have great motors on the team now. He gets lost in the background arond some very high energy guys.

One of the overview articles said it was a good sack; the other said it was a gimme and that he wasn't doing a lot.

You seem to be more in the camp that he was productive? Or was that a backhanded slap ('a bunch of guys who have great motors') .... does Cunningham not have a motor?

Not defending or saying cut him tomorrow. Since I missed the whole first half so don't have much of an opinion myself on him based on the game.

 

[supafly]

Yes.

.........

Nice to hear from you again Box. I have been wondering where you've been? I figured you were in your pre-season/summer hibernation, and would be waking up soon

 

[RayClay]

Re: No props for Daryl Richard?

I wouldn't be surprised if NE received offers for Hoyer today, and some teams really have to be kicking themselves over not drafting Mallett.

For all those who thought Hoyer was a lock for a 2nd round pick in trade, a game like this might illustrate my point there.

I've liked Hoyer every time I've seen him, but we tend to think every other team projects our backups to be stars, when in fact they have their own backups with potential, ones they see in their division and ones who get a lot of exposure due to injuries.

Having said that, this was the first game and only game last night, people were watching and Hoyer looks great. For a guy who hasn't been in a real pressure situation, he sure looked lie an NFL QB last night and there was nothing else to watch, maybe he gets some interest.

Having the new draft pick look good just enhances the narrative, Pats are loaded at backup.

As far as the D line goes, with all these vets, I think it might be a matter of who picks up the gauntlet. When you're a 7th or UDFA, desire might mean more than talent.

 

[Patspsycho]

Re: No props for Daryl Richard?

2 sacks and just hustling all over the place.

2 sacks, one tipped pass, and a few pressures.

 

[Patspsycho]

Re: No props for Daryl Richard?

Richard and Love, plus whomever they were platooning with did a nice job of keeping Fletcher clean. I watched a live stream with hiccups so I won't have a lot of detail until I get the NFLN replay recorded this afternoon, but I read a comment from AWTE on another board crediting some good DE play turning the run back inside too.

I also liked the O-line play, Maneri struggled a little in pass protection at LT, but seemed to do better at RT and looked pretty good on some of the run plays. I thought Orhnberger played well at Center, certainly the endzone replay they showed of him on Ridley's 4th down run to set up first and goal showed him getting a piece of two defenders and moving very well.

I wouldn't be surprised if NE received offers for Hoyer today, and some teams really have to be kicking themselves over not drafting Mallett.

Good to see you back, Box.

 

[Haley]

Re: No props for Daryl Richard?

I was impressed. This guy caught me totally by surprise in that totally awesome way! While one good showing does not a player make, it was a great start!

 

[HomerSchooled]

Rewatching the game now. Firstly, I'm pretty sure Jacksonville has most of its projected starters out there early on (definitely saw E. Monroe for the whole first half). Trying to focus on the edges, because I think that's where we have the most doubt.

-On passing downs in the 1st half, M. Anderson was winning quite a bit. His pressure led to a sack for a DT, and he had at least one more hit. He was close a few more times, forcing Gabbert to get it out really quickly. Started demanding double teams. Very promising as far as pass rushing goes.
-Cunningham's sack was a right place, right time sort of thing. Gabbert rolled out right towards him. Overall, had some more okay plays, but a bad one here and there, too. Didn't show any major flashes.
-Ninkovich, who alternated LB and DE duties, looked pretty good. Beat the RT on passing downs pretty often.

Not a bad night , especially considering we didn't have many of our presumed top guys out there (Wilfork, Haynesworth, Ellis, A. Carter, G. Warren saw no action). Our back ups went up against a starting OL, got some sacks, and really opened things up for Fletcher. I'm excited to see the rotation at peak strength.

 

[ALP]

im starting to wish that the new CBA had expanded the roster a little....we have so MANY players I would have liked to keep

 

[RayClay]

Why did the thread title get changed?

It makes a lot of the posts sound stupid.

"That guy" played great. (the scary guy?) Seriously.

 

[37Harrison]

Much like the change in offense philosophy a couple years back, bb has to change the d. If I'm right, which on alot off occasions I'm not, the 34 was more of a run stopping d. With the passing game much more prevalent these days, pressure on the qb is much more important than ever before.. As evident in the game that shall not be named and the other payoff game losses.

Enter the 43, a much more attacking d than the read and react 34. Not to mention almost every team put there has switched to it (34). The 43 should provide an aggresive dline to collapse the pocket and allow our lb's (mayo, the tackling machine) to gobble everything else up.

For the record I love it and if haynesworth buys in, this d has the makings to be downright nasty!

 

[cstjohn17]

Jax got some strong runs early, but once the defense settled down and made some adjustments you didn't see the runs up the middle getting anywhere.

The DTs looked pretty good but setting the edge was an issue. The 4-3 is a totally new deal, there is a lot more pressure on the front 4 to stop the run. This is going to be great, a whole new perspective, a lot to learn, I can't wait.

 

[strngplyr]

Much like the change in offense philosophy a couple years back, bb has to change the d. If I'm right, which on alot off occasions I'm not, the 34 was more of a run stopping d. With the passing game much more prevalent these days, pressure on the qb is much more important than ever before.. As evident in the game that shall not be named and the other payoff game losses.

Enter the 43, a much more attacking d than the read and react 34. Not to mention almost every team put there has switched to it (34). The 43 should provide an aggresive dline to collapse the pocket and allow our lb's (mayo, the tackling machine) to gobble everything else up.

For the record I love it and if haynesworth buys in, this d has the makings to be downright nasty!

43 can be read and react too, a lot of the sack leaders like gb and pitt run 34's, both can do the same amount of damage but it depends on which style you play and what your personnel are better suited for. We've been having trouble finding good OLB's for the 34 and there have been a boatload of solid DE's in FA, BB is smart enough to implement and run whatever defense he likes and it would appear that we just have better 43 suited personnel.

Last nights game was very vanilla, we won't be in any base package too often during the regular season, be it the 34 or 43, and I don't think BB wants to show off what he thinks his defense is truly capable of in the preseason and save it as a surprise for when it matters.

 

[TheSolderKing]

Re: No props for Daryl Richard?

For all those who thought Hoyer was a lock for a 2nd round pick in trade, a game like this might illustrate my point there.

I've liked Hoyer every time I've seen him, but we tend to think every other team projects our backups to be stars, when in fact they have their own backups with potential, ones they see in their division and ones who get a lot of exposure due to injuries.

Having said that, this was the first game and only game last night, people were watching and Hoyer looks great. For a guy who hasn't been in a real pressure situation, he sure looked lie an NFL QB last night and there was nothing else to watch, maybe he gets some interest.

Having the new draft pick look good just enhances the narrative, Pats are loaded at backup.

As far as the D line goes, with all these vets, I think it might be a matter of who picks up the gauntlet. When you're a 7th or UDFA, desire might mean more than talent.

I was determined in Hoyer netting us a 2nd rounder. I hope it happens this season/soon a 2nd was what I was saying and ppl laughed. they laughed a@ Lee Smith over Crumpler. who is the real joker?

 

[AzPatsFan]

Re: No props for Daryl Richard?

2 sacks and just hustling all over the place.

Yes! And 4 sacks overall, or projected 48 sacks/year, without playing a single "starter" on the defensive line.

 

[D-Money]

Hope this d-line is ferocious!I am watching the steelers pre-season game and Cameron Heyward has looked good.Cant believe he was there for the taking for us.

 

[sevengables_2207]

aside from getting gashed early on by some trap runs, the defensive line hunkered down and played hard from what i saw.

 

[RayClay]

Re: No props for Daryl Richard?

I was determined in Hoyer netting us a 2nd rounder. I hope it happens this season/soon a 2nd was what I was saying and ppl laughed. they laughed a@ Lee Smith over Crumpler. who is the real joker?

I laughed, because the chance of Hoyer getting that kind of exposure and playing well enough to turn heads was minimal. Remember, Matt Cassel got to lead the team to a great regular season before he was traded for a two. Just fortunate that the Pats played the first game alone with everyone itching to get back so their were lots of scouts there.

You were unnecessarily cruel to a great vet and All Pro, no matter what happened and i don't recall seeing a lot of Lee Smith. Is Will Yeatman going to let him get on the field? No glory in dissing a player because he got old and injured.

 

[Ring 6]

Much like the change in offense philosophy a couple years back, bb has to change the d. If I'm right, which on alot off occasions I'm not, the 34 was more of a run stopping d. With the passing game much more prevalent these days, pressure on the qb is much more important than ever before.. As evident in the game that shall not be named and the other payoff game losses.

Enter the 43, a much more attacking d than the read and react 34. Not to mention almost every team put there has switched to it (34). The 43 should provide an aggresive dline to collapse the pocket and allow our lb's (mayo, the tackling machine) to gobble everything else up.

For the record I love it and if haynesworth buys in, this d has the makings to be downright nasty!

We played 2gap last night.
There aren't really big differences between the 34 and 43. We are going to use the same personell. We are going to have a front 7 player across from each OL spot (meaning weak OLB is free if there is no TE, buit a play coming that way must have a pulling G or FB assigned to him)
In the 34 or 43 we rush 4 if we don't blitz.
The advantage in the passing game to the 34 is that one of the LBs will be the 4th rusher, but no one knows which (although it pretty likely one of the OLBs) and in the 43 there is no disguise.
In the run game the argument is the NT being in the middle of the field can control much of the run game, while in the 43 the MLB is tough to get a clean block on.
Really there are differences, but they are minor, and it really comes down to which alignment is a better fit for your personell, particularly the LBs, because their roles change more than the DL who simply 2gap one guy or another.