Secondary Problems

[Hunter94]

just like i said last week, good qb's, will continue to torch our secondary.....the front 4 can't pass rush, Fish and Compton can't cover good TE's and our secondary, with the exception of Fonzi will be often beat.....Green shows no mprovement yet.

[Husker Richard]

 

I do not agree with this at all. He played a great game. Where was Baker Steinkuhler? On the bench for Moore most of the second half. Chase Rome backed up Moore later on. Steinkuhler is not playing well at all. Crick had a few great plays, was doubled nearly every play, held continually, and generally dominated the third quarter. The DE, whoever it is at the time, opposite of Meredith has been blown off the ball all season as well. Ankrah, Williams, Carter, all getting smashed.

 

Not sure if serious.

 

Crick was whipped all game, just as he has been this year. I said it a week ago that Crick has constantly been washed out of plays and his motor just hasn't been there all year. Today was no different. Very bad game from him.

 

Not disagreeing with you, but today was by far his best game this season. That's not saying much considering you wouldn't even know he played in the first two.

[melscott62]

just like i said last week, good qb's, will continue to torch our secondary.....the front 4 can't pass rush, Fish and Compton can't cover good TE's and our secondary, with the exception of Fonzi will be often beat.....Green shows no mprovement yet.

 

 

I dont remember ciantes guy getting many catches... did I just miss it? It seemed like it was always #11

[Husker Richard]

just like i said last week, good qb's, will continue to torch our secondary.....the front 4 can't pass rush, Fish and Compton can't cover good TE's and our secondary, with the exception of Fonzi will be often beat.....Green shows no mprovement yet.

 

 

I dont remember ciantes guy getting many catches... did I just miss it? It seemed like it was always #11

 

 

Just a few times. Nothing out of the ordinary for a decent DB.

[zoogs]

I did not think Crick did that poorly today, but I would be hard-pressed to question Willie's judgment here. he just watches the game in a different way. I catch player's names being announced and notice Crick the times when he gets in the backfield and gets around the ball. Willie knows how often our backup interior lineman gets in and the kind of individual performance he puts up on the guy he's lined up against.

 

Crick has obviously had his share of bright moments in *each* game this year, but through the first two games the overall body of work was underwhelming. I guess that was also the case today.

 

Is it me though, or has the entire defense not really been playing on fire for much of the season? They must be missing Fonzie's swag. It is like they haven't really built up confidence as a unit yet, and are behind even the offense at least in that area.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I would agree that Green needs to go..........he is always out of position or just getting slammed around. I expected more out of Cassidy.......he made some good plays, but it isn't making up for the bad one's IMO. I thought the defensive line played better today along with the offensive line.

[HuskerGBR]

First time seeing us play and our secondary looks pretty bad. I know the B1G has strict rules on physical corner play, but they need to interrupt timing on the slants or it will be there all game long. They are young though. Communication looks like it is lacking, so there isn't much help over the top from the safeties either. This is a very average defense at best...looking forward to seeing them get better throughout the year. Fonzie will help, but not like people are thinking....our offense (weird to say this) is going to carry us this year.

[Husker Richard]

Enunwa should play both offense and defense ala Charles Woodson. He's a physical freak and he's not scared to hit someone. He's had a highlight reel block/tackle/stiff arm in every game thus far.

[Husker Richard]

First time seeing us play and our secondary looks pretty bad. I know the B1G has strict rules on physical corner play, but they need to interrupt timing on the slants or it will be there all game long. They are young though. Communication looks like it is lacking, so there isn't much help over the top from the safeties either. This is a very average defense at best...looking forward to seeing them get better throughout the year. Fonzie will help, but not like people are thinking....our offense (weird to say this) is going to carry us this year.

 

Good call on the communication aspect. I noticed a lot of plays where the defensive players were using hand signals trying to get lined up correctly/shift/change the coverage/etc and they didn't get it done before the snap. That seems like stuff that can easily (hopefully?) be fixed.

[HuskerGBR]

Enunwa should play both offense and defense ala Charles Woodson. He's a physical freak and he's not scared to hit someone. He's had a highlight reel block/tackle/stiff arm in every game thus far.

 

Enunwa had a really nice stiff arm. I kinda laughed, because he actually threw the guy's head into ground too. I liked seeing that.

[HuskerCarter]

This was the first time i saw flashes of good plays from the secondary. I am not saying they did a good job, because they didn't but there was a few times that a ball was batted away or the cornerback was physical with the receiver which was lacking in the previous two games. It shows me that the technique is being taught, its just not being applied to the game by the players. That will come with more practice and game time experience.

 

I have to agree with Irafreak, that we have had the luxury of a very good secondary for two years and when we fall into a reloading year without a star corner, we go into meltdown mode because the new guys aren't anything like Prince Amukamara, Dejon Gomes, Eric Hagg, Alfonzo Dennard, Rickey Thenarse, Matt O'Hanlon, Larry Asante and such.

 

It may not be this year, but our secondary has the potential to be good, just give it time.

[PaulCrewe]

The reason it seemed that Ciante didn't give up many catches was because he was basically out there as the nickel back. Josh Mitchell played more corner in the base set today.

 

I would love to see PJ for Austin. Cassidy got burht twice badly for jumping underneath routes letting WRs run free behind him. Today there were a couple of instances today where LBs(both David and Compton) were harping on Austin for not having over the top coverage on guys that made catches. WRs that appeared open but the throw could have been tougher with proper coverage.

 

The Peso would be the ideal position right now for Stafford. He is good at covering short routes on TEs and RBs but the deeper the route and longer the time his coverage skills get pretty poor. And let's not get going on his lacking of wrapping up on tackles. In fact that is pretty poor for the whole team through three games.

 

Finally I agree with Willie. Crick has not played to the expectations of many even himself. He hasn't even seen double teams every down. Last week I personally though Baker blew him out of the water with his play and played the best out of the guys on the DL. The lack of holding calls against the front four is a farce, but the lack of pressure they are generating is just as much. Basically was Pierre Allen the X factor for the line last year, because it is the same crew. They just look tired and low energized this fall.

 

When Zo returns that will help this defense a ton. He can shut down half of the field(when 100%) himself, which will allow one of the safeties(Stafford hopefully) to slide down into the box to help shore up the run defense. We will see.

[Enhance]

Rewatching some of the defensive highlights, I think one of our most glaring problems in the secondary right now is Andrew Green's play on the football field. He was covering three plays that resulted in touchdowns for Washington - the one where he stumbled and got beat deep, the one where Price scrambled around and found a receiver in the end zone, and one where the receiver caught the ball just inside the sticks at the goal line. All defended by Green and all touchdowns.

 

He's a young player, but it's obvious to me at this point that he's thinking too much and not playing to the ball the correct way. It's only week three and quarterbacks are already picking on him a lot on his side of the field. Who do you think Wyoming's spread attack and Russel Wilson are going to key in on when they're throwing the the ball in those respective games.

 

When Dennard gets back, what is our starting five going to look like? I don't want to harp on the kid but I think he needs to spend a little more time off the field or playing back-up once Dennard is back.

[HuskerNiner]

Maybe our Secondary coach should be doing film study instead of staying out at Amatuer Strip Night until 2 in the morning on a Wednesday night

[melscott62]

Maybe our Secondary coach should be doing film study instead of staying out at Amatuer Strip Night until 2 in the morning on a Wednesday night

??? could you elaborate on this one?