touchdownvikings
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Going back through yesterday's game, I observed two constants: (i) poor recognition from safeties; (ii) lack of physical dominance in the interior line.
Specifically, look at the first long rush for a TD (second play of the game). What do you see? Single back. Four WR's. So they spread the defense out. Rush around the right end. Power blocking scheme. As the play unfolds, the safety and LB on the play side backpedal to respect the pass (three WR's on play side). As soon as the left tack pulls, the LB recognizes, and meets the tackle, forcing the runner up the middle to the safety. So far, so good. Where's the safety? Oh. His recognition is not so hot (freshman). When the tackle is a full three steps into his pull to the play side, the safety is STILL BACK PEDALING. Dude - you need to read the OL play. It's clearly a run at this point. You need to come up because the LB is going to turn the runner back up the field to you.
Basically, it's not so much that the safeties are slow as measured by foot speed. It's that they are young and slow to recognize what is developing on the field. This happens time and again.
Now look at EVERY SINGLE big running play. One major issue is that with OJ Smith's absence, there is literally not a single player consuming a double-team. At all. HAT ON HAT, EVERY TIME. Which leaves at least one lineman free to get to the second level and destroy a LB. Which happened a lot. I am sure Elijah Teague will turn into a great player. But right now, it is a liability to play a freshman in the trenches when he simply does not draw a double-team ever. Our LB's are exposed as hell.
Ok. Sorry for the long post. That's what I'm seeing.
Good news is that time and experience (and growth) will cure these things.
Specifically, look at the first long rush for a TD (second play of the game). What do you see? Single back. Four WR's. So they spread the defense out. Rush around the right end. Power blocking scheme. As the play unfolds, the safety and LB on the play side backpedal to respect the pass (three WR's on play side). As soon as the left tack pulls, the LB recognizes, and meets the tackle, forcing the runner up the middle to the safety. So far, so good. Where's the safety? Oh. His recognition is not so hot (freshman). When the tackle is a full three steps into his pull to the play side, the safety is STILL BACK PEDALING. Dude - you need to read the OL play. It's clearly a run at this point. You need to come up because the LB is going to turn the runner back up the field to you.
Basically, it's not so much that the safeties are slow as measured by foot speed. It's that they are young and slow to recognize what is developing on the field. This happens time and again.
Now look at EVERY SINGLE big running play. One major issue is that with OJ Smith's absence, there is literally not a single player consuming a double-team. At all. HAT ON HAT, EVERY TIME. Which leaves at least one lineman free to get to the second level and destroy a LB. Which happened a lot. I am sure Elijah Teague will turn into a great player. But right now, it is a liability to play a freshman in the trenches when he simply does not draw a double-team ever. Our LB's are exposed as hell.
Ok. Sorry for the long post. That's what I'm seeing.
Good news is that time and experience (and growth) will cure these things.