Defensive changes

[Junior]

It comes down to Bo being stubborn................he hasn't learned as a head coach that sometimes you have to adjust things to work with the talent that is around you. Right now we might not be able to run the 2-gap with what's around us. So change it and maybe next year or the year after that you'll have the talent to run the 2-gap because you've developed that talent. Obviously I don't know as much as I should probably know about football considering how much I watch it and the 7 years I played it, but I do remember the basics. If we change our defense and it stops the opposing offense, what's it hurting?

 

Agreed. One of the hallmarks of a good coach is that he adjusts his system to fit his players - rather than forcing players to fit into his "system". And you might as well get the best talent on the field as soon as possible. Because the only thing that will happen if you don't, is 2 years will go by and they will still be inexperienced and have less time to flourish if they do get it.

[SODAKSKERSFAN20]

I dont post on here often but figured I might.. I still think our secondary will be one of the best. Our defensive ends look SLOW and no push from the DT's at all.. One scheme that needs to change is Compton guarding the running back out of the backfield. I have never seen such an easy play go for 10+ yards at a time.

[knapplc]

Bo is bringing these guys along, and if he thinks they can play, he'll put them in. The best example under Bo I can think of is DeJon Gomes. Gomes played sparingly during the Sun Belt games early in 2009, then played a lot at Missouri (hauling in that crucial interception which helped turn the tide), and started thereafter.

 

I would imagine we'll be seeing a bunch of the younger guys getting more playing time as the season progresses and they stop "swimming in it," to use a Bo-ism.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I know that I couldn't sit down and read a huge binder and grasp the entire defense. I'm a "learning by doing" type of learner, I'm sure Bo knows everyone learns differently.

[True2tRA]

I don't think there's even a slight chance Bo Pelini changes the way his defense plays. Maybe we see some new faces rotated in on the defense a bit more, but Bo strikes me as quite a stubborn individual. The type of guy that won't admit defeat on the fact that really at Nebraska, without Ndamukong Suh wreaking havoc every down, Bo's defenses have not been stellar. Of course, I never have bought the "bend don't break" philosophy. I always thought it made more sense for defenses to "break" the opponents in half. Kind of like the way UCLA attacked and mauled us every chance they could. We got taught a thing or two the other night, it happens. But I don't see us scrapping the whole thing and starting over because of that loss. Maybe after a few more losses this season and some real soul searching may have to happen.

[girlknowsfootball]

There are a couple of glaring problems I see with our defense this year.

 

1) Compton and Whaley are too slow to play in a nickle/dime defense package. We miss a guy like Lavonte (SPEED!).

 

They look like they have 4.7 lateral speed. When an opposing team lines up with 3 wide outs and a tight end we have mis matches. 2 receivers get covered well by the Corners. One receiver is picked up by a Nickel, and the TE is picked up by a dime. What ends up happening is that leaves the defensive linemen and one LB to tackle the RB and QB. So you end up with a 4.4 guy running the ball against guys who are 4.7 and 4.8. By the time one of the Backfield guys comes up to make the tackle, the RB already has 6-8 yds if not more... AND if one guy mistackles then the RB has open field, leaving other safeties and corners to come around to make tackles.

 

 

2) Our DT's can not contain their Gaps. They do not have the upper body strength, technique, timing to get off their blocks and into the run gap... causing the DE's to have to stay on the line to help cover, rather than get in the QB pocket. We have had the problem of containing the Run gap since Suh left.

 

If you look at our DT recruiting you can see why we have issues... we haven't been able to bring in highly regarded DT's.. our DT's are slow and fat and average from the get go!

- Thad Randle was a 5.7 :star from TX who weighed 255. (looks about 325 and slow now... a lot of fat)

- Baker Steinkulher (would have been an all american OL, but is an average DT)

- Jay Guy was a 5.6 :star from TX who weighed 300 (has struggled keeping weight off)

- Chase Rome was a 5.8 :star :star from MO who weighed 290 with 4.7 speed (should have been quick and strong for us, but looks fat now)

- Todd Peat Jr. was a 5.8 :star :star from AZ who weighed 300 (has put on weight, is slow and fat).

- Kevin Williams was a 5.7 :star from OH who weighed 275 (was supposed to be "special" according to Bo Fresh yr, but kid got injured and now doesn't see field much)

- Aaron Curry was a 5.6 :star from TX who weighed 300 (is playing but is slow with a 4.9/5.0 speed on reserve duty)

- Vincent Valentine was a 5.7 :star from IL who is 320 (supposedly very strong but wont see field this year)

 

We don't have any guys who have stepped up at the DT position. That's why Bo is playing Randle, Rome, Steinkuhler, Curry, Williams, etc... they're all about the same in their performance.

 

 

3) And another problem... How many times did we see a D-End get to the QB, reach his arm out, touch the QB and yet run right past him and fall on the ground with a mistackle. Joe Carter got one sack... and had 2 missed sacks cause he only got one hand on the QB at an arms length away. Meredith did it several times. Ankrah did it several times. Martin did it a few times. Then the QB would escape past the LOS and our LB's/ DB's would come up and 2-3 would get a hand on the guy and mistackle!!!!! We had so many opportunities to get guys down but we were always an arms length away and a few feet away from smacking the guy down.

[MichiganDad3]

There are a couple of glaring problems I see with our defense this year.

 

1) Compton and Whaley are too slow to play in a nickle/dime defense package. We miss a guy like Lavonte (SPEED!).

 

They look like they have 4.7 lateral speed. When an opposing team lines up with 3 wide outs and a tight end we have mis matches. 2 receivers get covered well by the Corners. One receiver is picked up by a Nickel, and the TE is picked up by a dime. What ends up happening is that leaves the defensive linemen and one LB to tackle the RB and QB. So you end up with a 4.4 guy running the ball against guys who are 4.7 and 4.8. By the time one of the Backfield guys comes up to make the tackle, the RB already has 6-8 yds if not more... AND if one guy mistackles then the RB has open field, leaving other safeties and corners to come around to make tackles.

 

 

2) Our DT's can not contain their Gaps. They do not have the upper body strength, technique, timing to get off their blocks and into the run gap... causing the DE's to have to stay on the line to help cover, rather than get in the QB pocket. We have had the problem of containing the Run gap since Suh left.

 

If you look at our DT recruiting you can see why we have issues... we haven't been able to bring in highly regarded DT's.. our DT's are slow and fat and average from the get go!

- Thad Randle was a 5.7 :star from TX who weighed 255. (looks about 325 and slow now... a lot of fat)

- Baker Steinkulher (would have been an all american OL, but is an average DT)

- Jay Guy was a 5.6 :star from TX who weighed 300 (has struggled keeping weight off)

- Chase Rome was a 5.8 :star :star from MO who weighed 290 with 4.7 speed (should have been quick and strong for us, but looks fat now)

- Todd Peat Jr. was a 5.8 :star :star from AZ who weighed 300 (has put on weight, is slow and fat).

- Kevin Williams was a 5.7 :star from OH who weighed 275 (was supposed to be "special" according to Bo Fresh yr, but kid got injured and now doesn't see field much)

- Aaron Curry was a 5.6 :star from TX who weighed 300 (is playing but is slow with a 4.9/5.0 speed on reserve duty)

- Vincent Valentine was a 5.7 :star from IL who is 320 (supposedly very strong but wont see field this year)

 

We don't have any guys who have stepped up at the DT position. That's why Bo is playing Randle, Rome, Steinkuhler, Curry, Williams, etc... they're all about the same in their performance.

 

 

3) And another problem... How many times did we see a D-End get to the QB, reach his arm out, touch the QB and yet run right past him and fall on the ground with a mistackle. Joe Carter got one sack... and had 2 missed sacks cause he only got one hand on the QB at an arms length away. Meredith did it several times. Ankrah did it several times. Martin did it a few times. Then the QB would escape past the LOS and our LB's/ DB's would come up and 2-3 would get a hand on the guy and mistackle!!!!! We had so many opportunities to get guys down but we were always an arms length away and a few feet away from smacking the guy down.

 

Is this a typo? Did you mean 5.7?

[Husker John]

Right now we're ranked 98th in total defense at 456.5 yards, and ranked 85th allowing 28 points per game.....

[EZ-E]

It isn't the athletism, it's the pure fact that we can't tackle and our outside backers and safeties take god awful tackling angles.

[Goal-line]

Have a question for those on the board. Any chance that we see some personnel changes next week? What about scheme.

 

What about the possibility of moving SJB,Smith or Stafford to a role like Super D in 2003. IIRC, he was a safety moved to LB. SJB is at 215-220, Stafford and Smith a little smaller. It would give us a lot more speed at the LB position. David proved you do not have to be "big". Also looking at the roster, Rose, Santos and Roach are on the "smaller" side for typical LB's. Seems like the DL, while getting pushed around, still kept the OL from getting hats on our LB's. Perhaps significantly quicker LB's could blitz quicker, recover faster and sure as heck cover receivers better. Or is it too late to try any of this.

 

Thoughts?

 

Find 11 guys, (regardless of the number of years on the team), that want to play, play hard for 4 quarters and want to win the damned game. The defense played like some third rate Pop Warner misfits.

[girlknowsfootball]

There are a couple of glaring problems I see with our defense this year.

 

1) Compton and Whaley are too slow to play in a nickle/dime defense package. We miss a guy like Lavonte (SPEED!).

 

They look like they have 4.7 lateral speed. When an opposing team lines up with 3 wide outs and a tight end we have mis matches. 2 receivers get covered well by the Corners. One receiver is picked up by a Nickel, and the TE is picked up by a dime. What ends up happening is that leaves the defensive linemen and one LB to tackle the RB and QB. So you end up with a 4.4 guy running the ball against guys who are 4.7 and 4.8. By the time one of the Backfield guys comes up to make the tackle, the RB already has 6-8 yds if not more... AND if one guy mistackles then the RB has open field, leaving other safeties and corners to come around to make tackles.

 

 

2) Our DT's can not contain their Gaps. They do not have the upper body strength, technique, timing to get off their blocks and into the run gap... causing the DE's to have to stay on the line to help cover, rather than get in the QB pocket. We have had the problem of containing the Run gap since Suh left.

 

If you look at our DT recruiting you can see why we have issues... we haven't been able to bring in highly regarded DT's.. our DT's are slow and fat and average from the get go!

- Thad Randle was a 5.7 :star from TX who weighed 255. (looks about 325 and slow now... a lot of fat)

- Baker Steinkulher (would have been an all american OL, but is an average DT)

- Jay Guy was a 5.6 :star from TX who weighed 300 (has struggled keeping weight off)

- Chase Rome was a 5.8 :star :star from MO who weighed 290 with 4.7 speed (should have been quick and strong for us, but looks fat now)

- Todd Peat Jr. was a 5.8 :star :star from AZ who weighed 300 (has put on weight, is slow and fat).

- Kevin Williams was a 5.7 :star from OH who weighed 275 (was supposed to be "special" according to Bo Fresh yr, but kid got injured and now doesn't see field much)

- Aaron Curry was a 5.6 :star from TX who weighed 300 (is playing but is slow with a 4.9/5.0 speed on reserve duty)

- Vincent Valentine was a 5.7 :star from IL who is 320 (supposedly very strong but wont see field this year)

 

We don't have any guys who have stepped up at the DT position. That's why Bo is playing Randle, Rome, Steinkuhler, Curry, Williams, etc... they're all about the same in their performance.

 

 

3) And another problem... How many times did we see a D-End get to the QB, reach his arm out, touch the QB and yet run right past him and fall on the ground with a mistackle. Joe Carter got one sack... and had 2 missed sacks cause he only got one hand on the QB at an arms length away. Meredith did it several times. Ankrah did it several times. Martin did it a few times. Then the QB would escape past the LOS and our LB's/ DB's would come up and 2-3 would get a hand on the guy and mistackle!!!!! We had so many opportunities to get guys down but we were always an arms length away and a few feet away from smacking the guy down.

 

Is this a typo? Did you mean 5.7?

 

 

It wasn't a typo... 4.7 is pretty slow for a line backer who has to cover someone with 4.4 speed. HECK most of the NFL DE's who are 6'5" 270 run 4.5 or 4.6 40's.

[ladyhawke]

And I know we don't know all the things going on behind the scenes, we are just assuming things here, but it makes no sense to most of us here.

Doesn't make sense to me either. I don't get it-(why he doesn't play younger players) I guess he does-right?

[girlknowsfootball]

It isn't the athletism, it's the pure fact that we can't tackle and our outside backers and safeties take god awful tackling angles.

 

I agree with this in addition to what I stated above. After the 1st quarter I started counting guys around the ball diving for the ball carrier and on several plays there were 3-4 guys who mistackled. I can't tell you how many times a D-end came around the edge about to get a sack but they took a bad angle or over ran the QB. Meredith was the worst at it last night. Then the LB's and Safeties were taking HORRIBLE angles and missing.

 

On each of the running plays and a lot of the passing plays where they gained yardage... there was AT LEAST 1 mistackle.

[BigRedBuster]

It isn't the athletism, it's the pure fact that we can't tackle and our outside backers and safeties take god awful tackling angles.

 

I agree with this in addition to what I stated above. After the 1st quarter I started counting guys around the ball diving for the ball carrier and on several plays there were 3-4 guys who mistackled. I can't tell you how many times a D-end came around the edge about to get a sack but they took a bad angle or over ran the QB. Meredith was the worst at it last night. Then the LB's and Safeties were taking HORRIBLE angles and missing.

 

On each of the running plays and a lot of the passing plays where they gained yardage... there was AT LEAST 1 mistackle.

Another problem is that when we have that one LB or D-end coming around the end and they miss the tackle, there isn't anyone there to help.

 

How many times when we have a good defense did we see the first man miss on the sack but that makes the QB have to adjust and the next guy come in and cleans him up. That is how many sacks happen. That isn't what is happening here because instead of the D line attacking and everyone getting after the ball, most of them are dancing with the O line trying to see what gap the ball is going through.

[The Dude]

I'm stoked to see the likes of Curry, Moss, and Valentine. The coaching staff sure talked them up in fall camp. I think we're now seeing why these true Frosh d-line guys were pushing for playing time right from the get-go. If people start getting restless to see these guys, that's on the staff for bringing it up in the first place. Put up or shut up.

 

We saw a lot of Kevin Williams during the UCLA game, I think. Don't really remember how he did. I can't bring myself to rewatch it yet, but I remember the announcers mentioning him several times. I suspect we'll see some more of him this season.

 

I'd like to see Santos take some of Whaley's snaps and see what he brings to the table.