Brandon's tackle on 3rd and 15

Bostonian1962 · Nov 17, 2008

There was some discussion about this in another post last week. I'm hopeful that he can hit the weights, get bigger and stronger, and improve from that aspect. Not every player is built to handle the extra weight.

He just seems slight of build out there to me. His continual bouncing off opposing players is maddening. Did anybody teach him how to wrap up a tackler down at The U? He likes to hurl himself at the other players, and bounce to the ground as they swat him away.

Maybe he does not realize he can use his arms while tackling.

jays52 · Nov 17, 2008

He's certainly not a "soft hitter". From the looks of it, he actually looks like he can pop. In college, he would knock people around. Same with this year. His problem in the Jets game was he didn't realize he wasn't going to take Keller down with his shoulder alone. He bounced off of Keller a few times on thursday. Funny thing was, each time he came in for contact, he stoned the momentum. Had he wrapped up and drove, each one of those plays would have been limited. Same with the 3rd and long, had he wrapped up and drove after the initial contact, his help would have gotten there quickly and the game would have been over. No worries though, he's still learning.

nepatz11 · Nov 17, 2008

he is not a soft hitter he has had some great hits he just needed to form tackle on that play because he was trying to knock down a guy who weighed 30 lbs more than him. Instead he lead with his shoulder which may work against WR's and in college but not against a pro TE. It was a mental mistake.

Yorkshire Patriot · Nov 17, 2008

NFL Draftcountdown has us taking USC's Taylor Mays in their newest Mock Draft. I know its still way too early but any thoughts on a Mays and Meriweather safety partnership?

Leave No Doubt · Nov 17, 2008

jays52 said:
He's certainly not a "soft hitter". From the looks of it, he actually looks like he can pop. In college, he would knock people around. Same with this year. His problem in the Jets game was he didn't realize he wasn't going to take Keller down with his shoulder alone. He bounced off of Keller a few times on thursday. Funny thing was, each time he came in for contact, he stoned the momentum. Had he wrapped up and drove, each one of those plays would have been limited. Same with the 3rd and long, had he wrapped up and drove after the initial contact, his help would have gotten there quickly and the game would have been over. No worries though, he's still learning.

:agree:

10chas

Garbanza · Nov 17, 2008

What tackle on 3rd and fifteen? I saw no stinkin' tackle!

LOL!

captain stone · Nov 17, 2008

ALP said:
exactly, meri is an FS, more int he mold of an ed reed then a rodney...

and his strenghts come in speed and playmaking, not jarring hits...

we need an SS that can cover te's and can hit like rodney.....a sean taylor type of player

I completely agree. Lil' Jimmy Sanders is not the answer at SS.

The truly blown assignment was telling Meriweather to stand > 10m yards beyond the LOS. There should've been no effin way that he was ever that far away from Keller. Inexcusable.

ALP · Nov 17, 2008

captain stone said:
I completely agree. Lil' Jimmy Sanders is not the answer at SS.

The truly blown assignment was telling Meriweather to stand > 10m yards beyond the LOS. There should've been no effin way that he was ever that far away from Keller. Inexcusable.

i actually elieve that it was eitehr mayo/guyton who dropped too far back...(in all sense, meri should be deeper then them) or that vrabel rushed instead of fall back into covergage

Patslifer · Nov 17, 2008

Schmo said:
These things don't increase size?... I wasn't saying 20lbs of fat will help someone hit better.

He will keep progressing with his technique, but like many people have said about, oh, say Crable as one example, a little extra meat would benefit him (especially if he is going to stay at SS).

As for my original question about Harrison, I seem to remember him being quite a bit skinnier when he came into the league. Not saying Meriweather is going to become the same type of player that Rodney became, but I was just wondering what Rodney's physical changes were like over the course of his career.

What? All those lifts build lean muscle and explosion...what are you talking about?

cmasspatsfan · Nov 17, 2008

The truly blown assignment was telling Meriweather to stand > 10m yards beyond the LOS. There should've been no effin way that he was ever that far away from Keller. Inexcusable.

I think Merriweather was where he was supposed to be, someone else blew their assignment.

Schmo · Nov 18, 2008

Patslifer said:
What? All those lifts build lean muscle and explosion...what are you talking about?

Sorry, my bad.

Now that I think about it, there's no way heavy squats could be one of the best mass building exercises. I concede to your vast knowledge. :rolleyes2:

Ice Cold Bruschi · Nov 18, 2008

Don't you remember when he decleated Wayne in the indy game? Meriweather is arguably our best defensive player this year and easily our best DB so far

VJCPatriot · Nov 18, 2008

I don't think that Meriweather will gain much more weight. He's a coverage safety, not a hard hitter. I'd rather he be able to keep up with guys. Yeah he didn't 'stick' that hit. I think technique has as much to do with it as physics though. Watch Bob Sanders 'stick' people, and he's not much bigger than Meriweather.

PromisedLand · Nov 18, 2008

Mack Herron said:
He only weighs 200 pounds. Not gonna push too many tight ends backwards. It's physics man. He needed to hit him a couple of yards earlier.

How big is Troy Palumalu? Bob Sanders? Those guys tackle like bullets. For that matter, how much does a bullet weigh?

Since you know physics, you should know

Momentum = Mass * Velocity
Kinetic Energy = 1/2 Mass * Velocity squared

So it's not just mass (weight), its how fast are you moving when you make contact.

ALP · Nov 18, 2008

VJCPatriot said:
I don't think that Meriweather will gain much more weight. He's a coverage safety, not a hard hitter. I'd rather he be able to keep up with guys. Yeah he didn't 'stick' that hit. I think technique has as much to do with it as physics though. Watch Bob Sanders 'stick' people, and he's not much bigger than Meriweather.

lol, bob sanders throws his body with reckless abandon on the football field...

i had rather not have meriweather do that,....sanders tackling includes going to the bal carrier in full speed, and then torpedo yourself towards the knees as strong/fast as possible and take the legs from under a guy

its effective, but despicable

captain stone · Nov 19, 2008

ALP & CMPF: you folks are probably correct that Keller was not Meriweather's primary responsibility on 3rd/15. He released cleanly on Vrabel's side, and nobody was within even camera range of him until Meriweather tackled him at the 1st-down line. Still, Meriweather should have been standing no farther than the 1st-down line when the ball was snapped. It's too bad that he didn't recognize the blown coverage a moment sooner; he might have been another running pace closer to Keller, who was probably the responsibility of either Mayo, Guyton or Sanders.

maverick4 · Nov 19, 2008

Vrabel free-lanced and completely blew the play.

Nobody else was even close to the receiver, suggesting Vrabel blew his assignment for the big play.

Patslifer · Nov 20, 2008

Schmo said:
Sorry, my bad.

Now that I think about it, there's no way heavy squats could be one of the best mass building exercises. I concede to your vast knowledge. :rolleyes2:

Thats what I was pointing out, champ. I think you need to re-read the post.

Patslifer · Nov 20, 2008

VJCPatriot said:
I don't think that Meriweather will gain much more weight. He's a coverage safety, not a hard hitter. I'd rather he be able to keep up with guys. Yeah he didn't 'stick' that hit. I think technique has as much to do with it as physics though. Watch Bob Sanders 'stick' people, and he's not much bigger than Meriweather.

Of course he can. An experienced natural lifter can expect to gain 2 - 5 lbs of LEAN MASS per year. Meri Will get more muscular....it takes time. If he is on some stuff, he can expect 10 - 15 lbs lean mass per cycle.

Patjew · Nov 20, 2008

In person I saw that after the play Vrabel looked at where the play ended from his vantage point in the backfield and put his hands out palms-up at his side. You know, the "what the hell?" hands signal. I don't know if they showed that on TV. It seemed like he was asking what the heck someone else was doing on the play, or maybe he didn't know what he was supposed to be doing. Clearly it showed some confusion.

After that play was over I said to myself "game over".

Brandon's tackle on 3rd and 15

In the Starting Line-Up

PatsFans.com Supporter

On the Game Day Roster

On the Roster

PatsFans.com Supporter

In the Starting Line-Up

PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club

Pro Bowl Player

Banned

Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal

In the Starting Line-Up

Third String But Playing on Special Teams

Pro Bowl Player

Virtual Internet Person

Pro Bowl Player

PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club

Banned

Banned

Banned

PatsFans.com Supporter

Similar threads