Apologies for repeating the post, but the edit option had expired on the original post and I wanted to add some correlation to the gamebook and an important correction on 3rd - 12:54 which gives credit to Beisel for a tackle and changes that rating from a Terrible to a Good (my bad).
Going through all of Beisel's plays in the Atlanta game, I had the following tally:
1 Really Good
2 Good [edit] Was 1 before - see 3rd - 12:54
1 OK ??
4 Poor
1 Very Poor
1 Bad
7 Terrible [edit] was 8 before - see 3rd - 12:54
I think you have to read what he is doing to get an idea of whether there is any hope of him improving enough to start or even make the team. One thing is for sure - If the ratio of plays where he gets taken out of the play to plays where he does OK or Good doesn't change, I can't imagine how the team can get by with him playing ILB.
2nd - 12:33 - 1st and 10 - terrible
Run to Beisel's gap. He moves up DIRECTLY behind DE (Thomas) rather than rushing his gap. Thomas is double teamed by OLG and OLT so Beisel is effectively blocked by the same guys blocking Thomas. After the intial double team of Thomas, the OLG slides thru and picks Beisel off of Thomas' back and blocks him outside and back completely away from the runner. Beisel ends up 5 yards from the LOS on his back. The runner makes 4 yards thru the OLG gap.
2nd - 11:50 - 2nd and 6 - good
Run to Beisel's gap. He does a really good job of meeting the block and holding position so runner cuts outside of block. Thomas pursues quick !! Sullivan did a pretty decent job of sliding off of his block to get the legs of the runner.
2nd - 11:21 - 3rd and 1 - terrible
Run over ORG which is Beisel's gap. Meets block but let's it tie him up and move him outside away from gap rather than taking the block so he's on the gap side to get the RB or at least hold the block to clog the hole. This is totally Beisel's gap to seal. Result: 21 yard gain.
2nd - 10:42 - 1st and 10 - can't tell anything
2nd - 10:01 - 1st and 1 - can't tell anything (incomplete pass)
2nd - 9:56 - 2nd and 1 - can't evaluate
Beisel at LILB. Rushed up and took on block in gap. Run went to the other side of the line. Not really any way to tell what would have happened if the run had come thru Beisel's gap, but it looked like the way he was blocked it left his gap open - the way he was blocked looked eerily similar to the play where the run did go thru that gap and picked up 21 yards.
2nd - 9:10 - 1st and 10 - can't tell
Pass to TE who had come from the left TE position across the middle with Banta-Cain pursuing. Catch ended up on Beisel's side of field. I don't think he was Beisel's coverage altho Beisel might have had some underneath responsibility once he crossed to that side of the field. Beisel did end up dropping to that area but was maybe 5 yards from the TE when he made the reception. [edit] Gamebook gives Beisel a tackle on this one. I thought Banta-Cain touched the TE as he fell to the ground, but let the scorer prevail. Beisel's 'tackle' was to reach down and touch the TE while he was on the ground.
2nd - 8:32 - 1st and 10 - bad
Beisel rushes forward but is met by blocker who blocks him straight back 5 yards from the line of scrimmage before Beisel gets off of the block.
2nd - 7:54 - 2nd and 8 - very poor
Quick pass to TE coming over the middle - Beisel's coverage. He was 4 yards off of TE, basically giving him the reception. Poor tackle - TE picked up 2 or 3 yards after the catch. 5 yard gain.
2nd - 7:10 - 3rd and 3 - don't think Beisel was in play - incomplete pass
2nd - 5:32 to 3:45 - Beisel not in
2nd - 2:19 to 0:36 - Beisel not in
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3rd - 13:30 - 1st and 10 - poor
Run thru other ILB gap. Beisel steps up and stops 3 yards from the LOS waiting for blocker to come out. Runner comes thru about a yard from Beisel but he can't get up quick enough to try to tackle. Not Beisel's gap, but he didn't shed block to be able to come across and help. Result: 11 yard gain.
3rd - 12:55 - 1st and 10 - good [edit change from terrible]
Run thru Beisel's gap. Beisel doesn't rush his gap, but pulls up 1 yard directly behind NT. Why does he do that ?? ?? ?? Then as FB comes thru gap, Beisel starts to slide toward gap but he's moving toward the gap and not set up in the gap so the FB [edit] just takes him on and shoves him back inside to the ground away from the runner coming thru. Result: 5 yard gain. [edit] My bad. Looked like the play was designed to go off guard, but Pierre Woods did a great job of fighting off his block and turning the runner to the guard gap which is where FB had pushed Beisel. Beisel got an arm tackle on RB and hung on. Santonio Thomas came from other side RDE to also wrap up RB (popped up from ground and pursued well). This was Beisel's gap and a good ILB play. I would rate it very good except that since Beisel was still tied up with the block he couldn't stop the runner dead and the pickup was 5 yards. Gamebook gives Beisel solo credit for tackle which looks proper.
3rd - 12:12 - 2nd and 5 - terrible
Run thru Beisel's gap. Beisel doesn't rush his gap - AGAIN - but keeps sliding over and over staying DIRECTLY behind the DE. Why does he do this ?? ?? FB comes thru the gap and picks up Beisel still behind the DE. From this leverage it is simple for him to keep Beisel outside away from the gap. RB comes thru and picks up 8 yards.
3rd - 11:32 - 1st and 10 - no evaluation
Pass play to TE out in right flat. Pierre Woods pursued and made tackle but gave up 6 yard gain.
3rd - 11:07 - 1st and 10 - terrible
RB starts to Beisel's gap. OLT and OLG double team DE. Once again, I simply don't get it - Beisel rushes up DIRECTLY behind DE instead of rushing into his gap. Why does he do that ?? ?? So, by doing that, he basically lets the ORG do his double team on the DE AND then slip off and totally block Beisel away outside from the gap - which is left wide open. Why the RB doesn't go thru the gap, I don't know but he pulls up and cuts outside. Looks like he messed up the play. By the way, Mincey stood up the RB and fought him off to step up and stop the RB at the LOS. Kid could have potential.
3rd - 10:29 - OK ??
Pass - designed roll out. Pass intended for TE who has left other side of LOS and come across into Beisel's drop zone. Beisel is 5 yards off of the TE when the pass misses. TE is 15 yards from LOS so this could well be past Beisel's zone unless he's supposed to stay with the TE in man coverage. No way to tell
3rd - 8:50 - 1st and 10 - Poor ?
Pass. Pretty clear that Beisel had coverage on TE coming across the middle. When ball was thrown (not to his guy) he was about 3 yards off of his guy. He couldn't have defensed a pass to his guy - and if his guy had caught a ball in full stride I doubt that Beisel could have caught him for the tackle. The TE was only 11 yards from LOS. Isn't Beisel supposed to defense the pass in that zone ??
3rd - 8:44 - 2nd and 10 - terrible
Deja Vu all over again (as Yogi would say). Run to Beisel's gap. This time he doesn't move up directly behind the NT, But he does push up directly against the blocker who has blocked the NT toward the center of the LOS. Why doesn't he push up into the gap ?? ?? ?? This is exceedingly strange. Result is same as on several previous plays. The FB comes thru and since Beisel is still behind the other blocker, simply seals Beisel to the inside. Result: RB goes thru Beisel's gap for 9 yards.
3rd - 8:05 - 3rd and 1 - terrible
I have mentioned this in the past. Even with the 3-4 defense, the DL doesn't always line up in the 'conventional' manner of NT over OC and DEs over OT. In this play, the RDE lined up on ORG. So in this defense, the gap that Beisel is responsible for is between ORG and ORT or over ORT. Beisel rushes up to the ORT and takes him on. The ORT blocks him back and to the outside several yards clearing the hole. RB comes thru and makes 1st down.
3rd - 7:27 - 1st and 10 - terrible
Run to other ILB gap. Beisel again moves up DIRECTLY behind NT and sticks his hands out against NT and blocker. When he sees RB heading towards other gap, he bounces back and BACKPEDALS without anybody blocking him for 3 1/2 yards until he is 6 1/2 yards behind the LOS before he starts to cut back towards the RB. Needless to say, starting from that far back he is nowhere near the play.
3rd - 6:52 - 2nd and 10 - can't evaluate
pass play. no action in Beisel's area
3rd - 6:09 - 3rd and 1 - Poor
broken pass play. QB ends up scrambling thru LOS directly at Beisel. But before he gets to Beisel, Beisel gets pushed sideways to the ground and QB runs right thru where Beisel was. QB picks up 29 yards.
3rd - 5:32 - 1st and 10 - really good
This was a really good play. RB heading thru other ILB gap. Beisel pushes up to LOS and stands up blocker and then turns and dives across players on the ground to grab the runner. Best play I've ever seen him make. Textbook ILB play. 3 yard gain. Gamebook gives him solo tackle which looks correct.
3rd - 4:54 - 2nd and 7 - You tell me
Quick pass play over the middle. Beisel had dropped back maybe one yard or so when the QB zipped the ball right at him. Who is it that does the drill with the LBs throwing balls right at them as hard as he can ? Scarnecchia ? Whoever - whatever practice Beisel had in that drill didn't seem to do him much good. By the way, the drive then went on to score a TD.
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Didn't see Beisel anymore after that play. Maybe just a coincidence.
