Remember When We Knocked The Snots Out Of Receivers?

[IcyPatriot]

We don't play like that anymore...it's all ankle tackling...leg tackling and pushing people out of bounds. So now I'm looking for opinions here.

Is it because we are a bit small back there?

Is it because of all the injuries the last 2 years?

A combination of those two?

Is it a method to keep penalties down? They are down BTW.

Is it the way the rules are being applied?

Lots there....cast your opinion at will...add your owjn of course if need be.

I'm not saying we have the best secondary in the league...but none of these guys is Otis smith either...they are all supreme athletes...very quick, very fast and all have the attitude needed...but there are no snots left on the grass...of this I am sure.

Receivers are not afraid to go over the middle like the Rams have been...like the Colts have been...when they are not afraid of being popped the field is much bigger.

I will never forget beating the Rams...by the 4th quater the entire middle of the field was empty. Every receiver on the Rams was running sideline routes...the strategy worked that day...I miss it but if it's intentional...i will understand.

 

[BelichickFan]

I don't have the answer but there's some really good safeties this year (Landry from LSU, Merrieweather from "The U" and the guy from Texas - lost his name for a second). With two #1s, we have a decent chance at one, I would think, and I am interested.

 

[emoney_33]

Yea, I'm watching the redskins knock the snot out of the cowboys receivers... We need to start making receivers pay. TO dropped a pass because he took his eye off the ball because he knew the hit was coming.

 

[letekro]

More importantly, remember when we used to force turnovers?

 

[holyredeemer]

Yea, I'm watching the redskins knock the snot out of the cowboys receivers... We need to start making receivers pay. TO dropped a pass because he took his eye off the ball because he knew the hit was coming.

ALso, Harrison is helping the opposition up and patting them on their asses after every tackle he makes. Seems to me like he is just happy to be back on the field. So, I personally will give him some time (mid-season maybe?) before I cast judgement. But, we have gone out two games and allowed players like J.P. Losman and Chad Pennington come out and look like ALL-PROS. I wonder whats going to happen when we face Peyton Manning or other upper echelon Qb's? I am just hoping that this is just a sign of the familiarity growing between our divisional opps.

 

[Richter]

Yeah, I remember those days. The rules were different then, and the team was far less talented than it is now. We still lay plenty of big licks on guys, that's not the problem - the tackling needs to improve, plain and simple. Going for a big hit cost us that first touchdown, when wrapping the guy up would have sufficed.

 

[R_T26]

More importantly, remember when we used to force turnovers?

Post of the day.

And i agree with the original post as well. I think the d is good, somethings missing. maybe they have become too conservative. I think also having Law all those years allowed the defense to take more chances knowing that one side of the field could be shut down.

 

[Big_Os_Hometown]

We don't play like that anymore...it's all ankle tackling...leg tackling and pushing people out of bounds. So now I'm looking for opinions here.



I'm not saying we have the best secondary in the league...but none of these guys is Otis smith either...

Hey! i like O-T-I-S

 

[thewaylifeshouldbe]

More importantly, remember when we used to force turnovers?

Agree with this observation.

 

[BruschiOnTap]

More importantly, remember when we used to force turnovers?

I miss those days... but hey, defenses early in the season take time to get in synch, maybe they haven't gotten into a groove yet.

 

[MDPATSFAN]

I miss those days... but hey, defenses early in the season take time to get in synch, maybe they haven't gotten into a groove yet.

Oh please...The problem is fundamentals. Asante and the ***** cats in the secondary need high school remedial tackling drills this week. The front seven played great. It's a shame to see such an effort smeared by non-NFL level tackling in the secondary.

Shanahan is probably licking his chops...all he's got to do is get the ball past the linebackers and let his athletes outperform ours.

 

[jeffd]

This is what's turned our defense from great to just good enough. BB's schemes have always allowed the little gains, the soft underneath coverage. But his scheme also relies on making them pay for small gains and forcing mistakes. That hasn't happened in nearly 3 years. I think that Teddy coming back to full strength will help that a little but really the secondary first needs to step up and make the damn tackle, then step it up more and lay the smack down again!

 

[Lansdowne]

I hope the Patriots are watching this game tonight. The Jaguars are flattening Steelers players after they catch the ball. Just crushing them.

 

[Stokes]

Oh please...The problem is fundamentals. Asante and the ***** cats in the secondary need high school remedial tackling drills this week. The front seven played great. It's a shame to see such an effort smeared by non-NFL level tackling in the secondary.

Shanahan is probably licking his chops...all he's got to do is get the ball past the linebackers and let his athletes outperform ours.

You could not be more right. Waaay too much launching at the receiver/RB going for the knockout punch instead of hitting and wrapping. They also were diving/guessing on cuts rather than breaking down first, and to top it all off took poor angles pursuing the ballcarrier. Otherwise the tackling in the secondary was great!