I wonder how Sam gets along with the rest of the Herald staff (primarily Lee and Holy hell look at the size of my front teeth guy, whatever his name is.) I bet there's a degree of iciness. Sam doesn't EVER come off churlish or intentionally antagonistic. He just consistently churns out incredibly informative articles. I bet lee friggin hates the guy.
Anybody feel like the staff has absolutely no idea how to trigger some kind of growth or progress? I know we are really young, and we swung and missed on a bunch of guys...and man, if you're starting or giving substantial playing time to true freshmen on the line (either line) you've got about a 90% chance of having some thin borders. Peat and Rome flaming out really, really hurt. Both highly touted guys, both heavily sought after...there is SUCH a difference in physical growth between the ages of 18 and 23 that occur. Those are the man strength years, and these kids are still growing. Except for Ankrah and Randle, who are exceedingly mediocre and permanently wounded, respectively.
Just not good. The LBs...I dunno. They have some athletes. Young, again, but faster and grade out higher on the eye test than guys like Whaley and some of the other rather pedestrian guys we've trotted out the last few years. (No offense.) But I don't see anyone emerging from that pool of youth and having double digit tackle/turnover producing Saturdays yet.
I'm thinking back to when Lavonte was emerging and starting to reveal himself as the special player he was for us and is on Sundays currently. David would have these ridiculous, almost stupidly inflated stat lines: 20 tackles, FF, fumble recovery.
Every time, Pelini would almost castrate the guy afterwards. "David, actually, made a TON of mistakes out there."
At the time, my dad and I would just kinda laugh about it. Now I'm thinking, the most prolific guy on the field for our defense compiled 20 tackles and he had a terrible game? What does that actually mean?
Maybe nothing. Maybe it's a green coach flaring the arrogance of youth and staunchly believing his plan, followed EXACTLY, could yield circus tent numbers, 34 tackles, 4 picks, and a hot blonde at halftime.
Now though, when we've literally entered Cosgrove era timidity (I'll see your approaching and raise you an arrival, knapp,) those post game comments are on my mind for some reason. It's kind of...nonsensical and idiotic in a way, isn't it? If the guy making a litany of plays is playing the wrong way...is the defense conceived soundly?
I just don't know. Maybe you murder people if you have Suh or that LSU tackle whose name eludes me at the moment...and if not, you have what is in all honesty an embarrassingly confused and dazed collection of guys who are not even set 1 out of every 3 snaps. If you can't even get your guys set and ready to play...if they stand with their hands up in the universal "wha?" gesture...that's a product of inadequate coaching. These guys aren't prepared. They don't even know what they're supposed to do a third of the time. I don't know what process that entails, but it sounds like one involving some kind of permanent state of static impotence.
Ugh.