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The Injuries, the Defense and the Offense (and the Special Teams)
- Thread starter rossihunter2
- Start date
UPennChem
Hall of Famer
Totally agree. But that's just a further indictment of the OL construction. It has neither starting quality nor depth quality
UPennChem
Hall of Famer
Even he cant whisper magic into bums
Guess the ravens could just moved Ben Cleveland back to center given that he played their last year.
allblackraven
Hall of Famer
What can he do when DC pulls Mike Green into coverage?
Agreed. If Nick Bolton doesn't stunt, we would've gotten every rusher covered. The flow was dictated as soon as Tyler Linderbaum went for Derrick Nnadi. Could Faalele have combo blocked Nnadi, allowing Linderbaum to free up for the Bolton stunt? Perhaps. But with Bolton visually in front of him, it was difficult to foresee the stunt incoming. And we still had roughly 3.5 seconds to throw on a play that sent 6 defenders. Derrick Henry's pick up there was also outstanding.
I've went back and reviewed some of the Tennessee short-yardage scenarios from 2023. Derrick Henry was statistically the 4th best short-yardage back at 83% on 3rd and 4th downs with 1-2 yards to go. That percentage would probably be higher if the 2nd downs were counted, or at least the goal line carries regardless of downs. It was about what you'd expect. A bunch of dives, maybe a few stretches. Biggest different was that Henry an I-Back on most of them. The vast majority were Henry plowing through contact given that his OGs, Peter Skoronski and Daniel Brunskill, were absolutely nothing to write home about.
That's probably the best explanation. Which I could understand to an extent. Bullock's positional lineage is that he was haplessly thrown around LT, RG and LG in his first year at NC Central. He was then the full-time LT the following year and was surprisingly stout as a pass blocker, though that was against lesser competition so it's hard to take completely at face value. He transferred to Maryland and started as their LG for the first 3 games, wherein he was decidedly just above average. They switched him to RG and he immediately found his rhythm. Maybe that's the drawback. He's looked super formidable so far at RG and C going back to Division I, but from my studies, I know how difficult it can be to switch sides. There's a non-zero chance that his worst football could be on the other side. But to your point, the bar in terms of our best five isn't exactly out of the atmosphere.
I think unfortunately it's part of the, sometimes unnecessary, ladder climb of a late rounder or UDFA. You see guys slip that arguably should've been selected and weren't. They shine in limited looks, whether it be preseason or when sparingly playing during the year, and are mostly shelved until they work themselves into a role in year two, three or four. And those are often lauded as positive stories of progression, but that's only if you take their draft position as the starting point. I'm sure we all have our stories of multiple favorites we were high on that were in those shoes, and it's almost bittersweet when they do make it because you realize maybe the path for them was longer than it should've been. Or worse, for how many the pathway never comes, you know? Personally, I can tell you that I had a 4th round grade on Bullock and saw him as an early starter, upside wise. That doesn't mean this is what he is. But he's only looked promising so far, so it's hard for that thought not to claw at the back of my mind while we don't get the concrete answer.
He's not exactly your stereotypical pass rusher, but the tape says Tavius Robinson had a good game. He's strong and physical at the point of attack. Feel like he struggled a bit holding the edge against Detroit but this game looked more like him. Even got a sack and was in the backfield a little more than I expected out of a guy with his skillset. He doesn't wow you but he does his job. I see why coaches love him.
ive been thinking about the scheme and i think there's too much focus on "sound" football and contain with regards to our pass rush vs letting guys actually attack on passing downs
makes sense why they were reportedly really high on Tyler Booker then i guess...
JoeyFlex5
Hall of Famer
Harbaugh has always been a little too fundamentalist for my liking, I’ve never liked the insistence on guys needing to play the run, play multiple spots, and play special teams, before they can get reps doing what they do well. They’re putting green out there, but the only time he’s looked effective has been when he’s blown “contain” so he actually has a chance to bend the edge.
Let the mf rush the passer man.
CJ Okoye has a long way to go still, but his ability to stack and shed is a positive sign for someone so fresh to football. Wasn't a great game overall but the flashes are still there. Will be really curious to see him heading into next season, assuming he doesn't get more opportunity to play this season.
the raw tools are so exciting, and with the injuries we had last week, it makes sense to call up the guy who has the right athletic makeup vs guys who might be sounder but won't win really at all
definitely more interested in seeing okoye than tupou
Agreed at this point. I don’t think he’s ready to take snaps on a contending team, but we’re not that right now, so let him rock. Opportunity for him to get better right now.
same reason peebles should be playing a lot more too
was disappointing that josh tupou massively outsnapped both of them
not the be-all-end-all - but especially when the whole starting DL is out...
why not let these guys play more