Run Defense

Danno · 03-10-2005, 06:51 AM

Lkelley67, I agree with you\'re analysis 1000%. In fact I have written the same thing over and over again. Smith will help. He\'ll get a few more turnovers for us that T-buck did, and he\'ll command more respect. But it won\'t help our run defense.

Here\'s what I noticed as the year went on.
Early in the year we were susceptible to the cut-back run. Charles Grant rarely held contain, just bursted upfield trying to get to the QB. But as the year went on he started to get it. He was holding contain and the cut-backs stopped working. I re-watched the Dallas game and saw him do it several times. Julius Jones\'s bread and butter is a sweet cut-back. Grant made huge strides defending this as the year went on. I credit Pease with this as I\'m sure Charles didn\'t figure this out on his own.

Same with James Allen. While I still think he\'d start on only about 3 teams in this league he did start playing smarter. I still don\'t trust him but he was also one of the cut-back culprits of 2004.

As the year went on you could slowly start to see that rotation-thing Pease implemented starting to work. The last 5 or 6 games our D-line still looked fresh in the 4th quarter.

I think as is, our run defense will be better in 2005. But still not good. I just don\'t understand why they don\'t go after a LB (or two) and a true 2-gap DT. It would make it so much easier.

03-10-2005, 06:51 AM	#11
Danno Truth Addict Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Spanish Fort, AL (via NO and B/R) Posts: 24,758	Run Defense Lkelley67, I agree with you\'re analysis 1000%. In fact I have written the same thing over and over again. Smith will help. He\'ll get a few more turnovers for us that T-buck did, and he\'ll command more respect. But it won\'t help our run defense. Here\'s what I noticed as the year went on. Early in the year we were susceptible to the cut-back run. Charles Grant rarely held contain, just bursted upfield trying to get to the QB. But as the year went on he started to get it. He was holding contain and the cut-backs stopped working. I re-watched the Dallas game and saw him do it several times. Julius Jones\'s bread and butter is a sweet cut-back. Grant made huge strides defending this as the year went on. I credit Pease with this as I\'m sure Charles didn\'t figure this out on his own. Same with James Allen. While I still think he\'d start on only about 3 teams in this league he did start playing smarter. I still don\'t trust him but he was also one of the cut-back culprits of 2004. As the year went on you could slowly start to see that rotation-thing Pease implemented starting to work. The last 5 or 6 games our D-line still looked fresh in the 4th quarter. I think as is, our run defense will be better in 2005. But still not good. I just don\'t understand why they don\'t go after a LB (or two) and a true 2-gap DT. It would make it so much easier.