The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

[Richard-cNILE]

GBU – week 5

Thank you Petrino!

By RichardC-Nile

I’m sure most of you are familiar with the concept known as the Butterfly Effect where, one small action, like the wind from the wings of a butterfly can effect weather patterns possibly resulting in anything from a cool fall breeze to a hurricane.

After two second half meltdowns in 05 and 06 under Mora, then the disaster that was 07… Let me restate that. Have you ever been down and out? Have you ever had someone offer you help when you really needed it? If so, I’m willing to bet you were appreciative of that person and probably would have done most anything you could have for that person. I think that’s about how the Atlanta Falcon players feel about coach Smith right now. Sometimes you can’t really appreciate the good unless you’ve really experienced the bad.

We could all feel the wind leave the Falcons from the ugly departure of first MV7 and then Petrino. Now we’ll find out if that wind will create something more than the cool fall breeze of a 3-2 record that puts placated smiles on our faces. In the meantime, here’s my Good, Bad & Ugly from week 5. Let me know yours.

The Good:

Heads - Having Sam Baker back from his concussion seemed to make a difference in the running game.

Offensive Coordinator – I was very skeptical of our offensive coordinator. To me he was just another coach that was getting recycled through the system. I was wrong. This guy is either very creative or drunk. I’ve seen some of his plays that I thought were crazy or at a minimum very risky, specifically guards and tackles pulling on the goal line. On Sunday, as the Falcons tried to punch the ball in from the goal line, I saw our left TE (Peelle) pull and come BEHIND the entire line to catch the pass off the naked bootleg by Ryan. If even one lineman got stuffed back into the line or let a D-lineman slice through a gap, the TE would have tripped and the play would have been over. I’ll remind you it was 4th down when he called this play. I wanna know what he’s drinking and where I can buy some.

RW – I’m not sure if Roddy White really had more drops than catches his first two years or if it just seemed that way. Last year he improved, but I believed his numbers were artificially inflated because we were playing from behind most of the time (4-12) and defenses were playing deep zones. This year he seems to have hit his stride. Despite getting shut down in the second half of the game, he made the Packers respect our passing game and adjust to shut him down. This allowed our running game to get traction and take over in the second half of the game. Congrats RW! You are officially a number 1 wide receiver in the NFL.

Grady Jackson - Most people look at Grady Jackson and see an overstuffed fat-body. I see proof that mother-nature is indeed a freak. I think watching Grady is more amazing than watching someone who can throw a football 80 yards or run 40 yards in less than four seconds. This guy is huge, quick, strong as an ox and agile. He has a true nose for the football and god help the poor running back who runs into him. I would love to interview the guards and centers who have to try to block him each game to give the average fan some idea of physical struggle they have to endure knowing they will mostly fail. Oh-ya, one more thing. Grady Jackson has more sacks than one of our starting defensive ends (see ugly below for more info). If you’re a fan who just watches the ball when a play starts, try finding Grady Jackson on the field and just watch him for a few plays and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Matt Ryan – I was not an advocate of the Falcons drafting this guy. I felt the odds of a high round QB pick succeeding were too high, especially when the Falcons needed so many other positions. Since the Tampa game where I commented that Ryan got three or four games of experience against the Tampa defense, he has looked like a veteran QB. Going against Da’ Bears D on this Sunday may expose more of his rookie side, but hey, he IS a rookie. The fact that he is not playing like a rookie in every game is enough to make me smile this year. One last comment on Matt… They guy seems to really know the playbook. I know a lot of people that can read a book or a diagram once and can tell you everything about it and I know people who are amazing at “winging it” on natural ability, but this guy appears to be someone who can learn the playbook AND go out and execute it on the field.

John Abraham – I’ve seen Steve Young throw a would-be touchdown pass, have it batted in the air, then caught by the same Steve Young who proceeded to run it in for a touchdown. I’ve seen RB’s literally flatten linebackers and DB’s. I’ve even seen an A6 airplane fly back to base and land after a surface-to-air missile punched a hole in its wing big enough for me to stand inside. But I’ve never seen a DE tackle a RB with an offensive tackle. Well, I have now. Thanks John Abraham.

Bad:

Who needs Morphine – Every time Aaron Rodgers threw the ball, they showed him hanging his arm or rubbing his shoulder in pain. Luckily our DB’s made him feel better after every throw by letting him get a completion. What great guys. Blank should give them some type of community award for being such swell fella’s.

Needful Things – In the past two games, we’ve seen the Falcons slip and slide due to the turf. Does someone on the staff not have a tacklebox filled with various length cleats, chin straps and other needful things?

Ugly:

Run Right – For three games now we’ve seen the opposing offense figure out that they can run off tackle to their right. Their right is our left and our left DE is Jamaal Anderson. Almost every time they ran to their right, the Offensive Tackle would just lockup on JA and turn him inside creating a corner for the RB to aim for. Then a few plays later, the Packers line-up heavy right so JA is lined up on the Tight End and the TE does the same thing to him. Sorry but a DE in the NFL should not get manhandled by a TE. A DE in the NFL should not get pushed inside period.

Dogh! – Ok, enough is enough. I hear you. But when you step across the line of scrimmage, nobody blocks you AND the QB steps right toward you… You should be able to get a sack. I’m sure Aaron Rodgers is a fine and outstanding athlete but, he’s no escape artist. How does Jamaal Anderson miss that sack? I won’t go so far as to say my grandmother could have made that sack, but I am pretty sure my great aunt could have.

[Falconsfan567]

I totally agree with everything he said. Great read. And yes I am still trying to figure out how he missed that sack.

[michael nagra]

Ugly:

Run Right – For three games now we’ve seen the opposing offense figure out that they can run off tackle to their right. Their right is our left and our left DE is Jamaal Anderson. Almost every time they ran to their right, the Offensive Tackle would just lockup on JA and turn him inside creating a corner for the RB to aim for. Then a few plays later, the Packers line-up heavy right so JA is lined up on the Tight End and the TE does the same thing to him. Sorry but a DE in the NFL should not get manhandled by a TE. A DE in the NFL should not get pushed inside period.

Dogh! – Ok, enough is enough. I hear you. But when you step across the line of scrimmage, nobody blocks you AND the QB steps right toward you… You should be able to get a sack. I’m sure Aaron Rodgers is a fine and outstanding athlete but, he’s no escape artist. How does Jamaal Anderson miss that sack? I won’t go so far as to say my grandmother could have made that sack, but I am pretty sure my great aunt could have.

I'd like to point out that most defense's above high school, don't run a LDE and a RDE, they have an open or passing side DE and a short or blindside DE, Madden declares a RDE and a LDE, but if the wide side of the field is to the left of the offense the QB will have his primary or hot route on that side of the feild. Therefore to utilize your best pass rusher (#55), you put him on the left where QB will not be looking, They move simalar to the LB's in that respect. Some systyms line Sam up over the TE side, some put Sam on the wide-side, KC and us run simalar sysytyms where sam will be on the passing side of the feild and thus have better coverage LB's at that position (Boley or Johnson), lineing will and the weak end up in rush situations. Anderson and Boley are always on the strong side of the field, don't matter if it's left or right if the ball is in the center, they line up l because the QB is better at throwing to the open side of there body. Meaning Anderson has less opertunites to be a straight up pass rusher because QB's are always looking right at him, thus like Rogers they step up into the pocket where Bab's and Grady HAVE NOT BEEN, and the Tackle is able to catch him in the wash, the reason this doesn't happen to abe is the QB doesn't see it coming. I saw 3 or 4 examples where Clifton got straight out beat by #98, and steped into an otherwise clean pocket, and delivered the ball. To get sacks from the weakside end spot where we are lineing Anderson up, you need to have some guys in the middle that will create massive problems, such as a Marcus Stroud, or John Henderson, and even then you should expect 5-7 sacks from that end because QB's are still stepping up, but are then getting sacked by the 2 inside guys, look at the sack #'s for the Ends in Jacksonville. Run right or strong is not the DE's problem, Anderson has been handling his contain assignment as well as filling his gap resposiblity, it's the problem of the LB's in this case Michael Boley not filling, or mis reading the run, but that's a creation of the systym putting it's cover LB on the heavy run side of the formation, where he gets lost in run game, the reason you don't see the same problem on the other side is in basic fact we have one of the NFL's best Run defenders at LB over there with Grady Jackson pluging up the inside the bounce runs right into Keith Brooking, and John Abraham. Run Right as you call it is a product of the systym as well as our personel, Babenuix, and Boley are undersized for there position and puting them both on the strong side is the reason our run D is comprimised to that side, but moving grady onto the strong side put's him in the speed T spot and puts bab's on the nose, logicaly I would rather see brooking put in that LB spot, and the rest kept the same.

Your other point is idiotic at best, everyone will mis a tackle, fact is QB's in the NFL now day's are atheletes, they're paid millions of dollars to make plays, I don't think you could make that sack, and your statment shows a distincit lack of respect for the atheletisum it takes to be a QB at the NFL level.

[R.C. Collins]

GBU – week 5

Thank you Petrino!

By RichardC-Nile

I’m sure most of you are familiar with the concept known as the Butterfly Effect where, one small action, like the wind from the wings of a butterfly can effect weather patterns possibly resulting in anything from a cool fall breeze to a hurricane.

After two second half meltdowns in 05 and 06 under Mora, then the disaster that was 07… Let me restate that. Have you ever been down and out? Have you ever had someone offer you help when you really needed it? If so, I’m willing to bet you were appreciative of that person and probably would have done most anything you could have for that person. I think that’s about how the Atlanta Falcon players feel about coach Smith right now. Sometimes you can’t really appreciate the good unless you’ve really experienced the bad.

We could all feel the wind leave the Falcons from the ugly departure of first MV7 and then Petrino. Now we’ll find out if that wind will create something more than the cool fall breeze of a 3-2 record that puts placated smiles on our faces. In the meantime, here’s my Good, Bad & Ugly from week 5. Let me know yours.

The Good:

Heads - Having Sam Baker back from his concussion seemed to make a difference in the running game.

Offensive Coordinator – I was very skeptical of our offensive coordinator. To me he was just another coach that was getting recycled through the system. I was wrong. This guy is either very creative or drunk. I’ve seen some of his plays that I thought were crazy or at a minimum very risky, specifically guards and tackles pulling on the goal line. On Sunday, as the Falcons tried to punch the ball in from the goal line, I saw our left TE (Peelle) pull and come BEHIND the entire line to catch the pass off the naked bootleg by Ryan. If even one lineman got stuffed back into the line or let a D-lineman slice through a gap, the TE would have tripped and the play would have been over. I’ll remind you it was 4th down when he called this play. I wanna know what he’s drinking and where I can buy some.

RW – I’m not sure if Roddy White really had more drops than catches his first two years or if it just seemed that way. Last year he improved, but I believed his numbers were artificially inflated because we were playing from behind most of the time (4-12) and defenses were playing deep zones. This year he seems to have hit his stride. Despite getting shut down in the second half of the game, he made the Packers respect our passing game and adjust to shut him down. This allowed our running game to get traction and take over in the second half of the game. Congrats RW! You are officially a number 1 wide receiver in the NFL.

Grady Jackson - Most people look at Grady Jackson and see an overstuffed fat-body. I see proof that mother-nature is indeed a freak. I think watching Grady is more amazing than watching someone who can throw a football 80 yards or run 40 yards in less than four seconds. This guy is huge, quick, strong as an ox and agile. He has a true nose for the football and god help the poor running back who runs into him. I would love to interview the guards and centers who have to try to block him each game to give the average fan some idea of physical struggle they have to endure knowing they will mostly fail. Oh-ya, one more thing. Grady Jackson has more sacks than one of our starting defensive ends (see ugly below for more info). If you’re a fan who just watches the ball when a play starts, try finding Grady Jackson on the field and just watch him for a few plays and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Matt Ryan – I was not an advocate of the Falcons drafting this guy. I felt the odds of a high round QB pick succeeding were too high, especially when the Falcons needed so many other positions. Since the Tampa game where I commented that Ryan got three or four games of experience against the Tampa defense, he has looked like a veteran QB. Going against Da’ Bears D on this Sunday may expose more of his rookie side, but hey, he IS a rookie. The fact that he is not playing like a rookie in every game is enough to make me smile this year. One last comment on Matt… They guy seems to really know the playbook. I know a lot of people that can read a book or a diagram once and can tell you everything about it and I know people who are amazing at “winging it” on natural ability, but this guy appears to be someone who can learn the playbook AND go out and execute it on the field.

John Abraham – I’ve seen Steve Young throw a would-be touchdown pass, have it batted in the air, then caught by the same Steve Young who proceeded to run it in for a touchdown. I’ve seen RB’s literally flatten linebackers and DB’s. I’ve even seen an A6 airplane fly back to base and land after a surface-to-air missile punched a hole in its wing big enough for me to stand inside. But I’ve never seen a DE tackle a RB with an offensive tackle. Well, I have now. Thanks John Abraham.

Bad:

Who needs Morphine – Every time Aaron Rodgers threw the ball, they showed him hanging his arm or rubbing his shoulder in pain. Luckily our DB’s made him feel better after every throw by letting him get a completion. What great guys. Blank should give them some type of community award for being such swell fella’s.

Needful Things – In the past two games, we’ve seen the Falcons slip and slide due to the turf. Does someone on the staff not have a tacklebox filled with various length cleats, chin straps and other needful things?

Ugly:

Run Right – For three games now we’ve seen the opposing offense figure out that they can run off tackle to their right. Their right is our left and our left DE is Jamaal Anderson. Almost every time they ran to their right, the Offensive Tackle would just lockup on JA and turn him inside creating a corner for the RB to aim for. Then a few plays later, the Packers line-up heavy right so JA is lined up on the Tight End and the TE does the same thing to him. Sorry but a DE in the NFL should not get manhandled by a TE. A DE in the NFL should not get pushed inside period.

Dogh! – Ok, enough is enough. I hear you. But when you step across the line of scrimmage, nobody blocks you AND the QB steps right toward you… You should be able to get a sack. I’m sure Aaron Rodgers is a fine and outstanding athlete but, he’s no escape artist. How does Jamaal Anderson miss that sack? I won’t go so far as to say my grandmother could have made that sack, but I am pretty sure my great aunt could have.

Great read.

[layogurt]

I'd like to point out that most defense's above high school, don't run a LDE and a RDE, they have an open or passing side DE and a short or blindside DE, Madden declares a RDE and a LDE, but if the wide side of the field is to the left of the offense the QB will have his primary or hot route on that side of the feild. Therefore to utilize your best pass rusher (#55), you put him on the left where QB will not be looking, They move simalar to the LB's in that respect. Some systyms line Sam up over the TE side, some put Sam on the wide-side, KC and us run simalar sysytyms where sam will be on the passing side of the feild and thus have better coverage LB's at that position (Boley or Johnson), lineing will and the weak end up in rush situations. Anderson and Boley are always on the strong side of the field, don't matter if it's left or right if the ball is in the center, they line up l because the QB is better at throwing to the open side of there body. Meaning Anderson has less opertunites to be a straight up pass rusher because QB's are always looking right at him, thus like Rogers they step up into the pocket where Bab's and Grady HAVE NOT BEEN, and the Tackle is able to catch him in the wash, the reason this doesn't happen to abe is the QB doesn't see it coming. I saw 3 or 4 examples where Clifton got straight out beat by #98, and steped into an otherwise clean pocket, and delivered the ball. To get sacks from the weakside end spot where we are lineing Anderson up, you need to have some guys in the middle that will create massive problems, such as a Marcus Stroud, or John Henderson, and even then you should expect 5-7 sacks from that end because QB's are still stepping up, but are then getting sacked by the 2 inside guys, look at the sack #'s for the Ends in Jacksonville. Run right or strong is not the DE's problem, Anderson has been handling his contain assignment as well as filling his gap resposiblity, it's the problem of the LB's in this case Michael Boley not filling, or mis reading the run, but that's a creation of the systym putting it's cover LB on the heavy run side of the formation, where he gets lost in run game, the reason you don't see the same problem on the other side is in basic fact we have one of the NFL's best Run defenders at LB over there with Grady Jackson pluging up the inside the bounce runs right into Keith Brooking, and John Abraham. Run Right as you call it is a product of the systym as well as our personel, Babenuix, and Boley are undersized for there position and puting them both on the strong side is the reason our run D is comprimised to that side, but moving grady onto the strong side put's him in the speed T spot and puts bab's on the nose, logicaly I would rather see brooking put in that LB spot, and the rest kept the same.

Your other point is idiotic at best, everyone will mis a tackle, fact is QB's in the NFL now day's are atheletes, they're paid millions of dollars to make plays, I don't think you could make that sack, and your statment shows a distincit lack of respect for the atheletisum it takes to be a QB at the NFL level.

**** you def swayed me back to anderson's side QFT

[norbendon]

I'd like to point out that most defense's above high school, don't run a LDE and a RDE, they have an open or passing side DE and a short or blindside DE, Madden declares a RDE and a LDE, but if the wide side of the field is to the left of the offense the QB will have his primary or hot route on that side of the feild. Therefore to utilize your best pass rusher (#55), you put him on the left where QB will not be looking, They move simalar to the LB's in that respect. Some systyms line Sam up over the TE side, some put Sam on the wide-side, KC and us run simalar sysytyms where sam will be on the passing side of the feild and thus have better coverage LB's at that position (Boley or Johnson), lineing will and the weak end up in rush situations. Anderson and Boley are always on the strong side of the field, don't matter if it's left or right if the ball is in the center, they line up l because the QB is better at throwing to the open side of there body. Meaning Anderson has less opertunites to be a straight up pass rusher because QB's are always looking right at him, thus like Rogers they step up into the pocket where Bab's and Grady HAVE NOT BEEN, and the Tackle is able to catch him in the wash, the reason this doesn't happen to abe is the QB doesn't see it coming. I saw 3 or 4 examples where Clifton got straight out beat by #98, and steped into an otherwise clean pocket, and delivered the ball. To get sacks from the weakside end spot where we are lineing Anderson up, you need to have some guys in the middle that will create massive problems, such as a Marcus Stroud, or John Henderson, and even then you should expect 5-7 sacks from that end because QB's are still stepping up, but are then getting sacked by the 2 inside guys, look at the sack #'s for the Ends in Jacksonville. Run right or strong is not the DE's problem, Anderson has been handling his contain assignment as well as filling his gap resposiblity, it's the problem of the LB's in this case Michael Boley not filling, or mis reading the run, but that's a creation of the systym putting it's cover LB on the heavy run side of the formation, where he gets lost in run game, the reason you don't see the same problem on the other side is in basic fact we have one of the NFL's best Run defenders at LB over there with Grady Jackson pluging up the inside the bounce runs right into Keith Brooking, and John Abraham. Run Right as you call it is a product of the systym as well as our personel, Babenuix, and Boley are undersized for there position and puting them both on the strong side is the reason our run D is comprimised to that side, but moving grady onto the strong side put's him in the speed T spot and puts bab's on the nose, logicaly I would rather see brooking put in that LB spot, and the rest kept the same.

Your other point is idiotic at best, everyone will mis a tackle, fact is QB's in the NFL now day's are atheletes, they're paid millions of dollars to make plays, I don't think you could make that sack, and your statment shows a distincit lack of respect for the atheletisum it takes to be a QB at the NFL level.

Interesting read. Makes me wish we had someone like Coleman in the middle again.

[Falcons Ace]

I'd like to point out that most defense's above high school, don't run a LDE and a RDE, they have an open or passing side DE and a short or blindside DE, Madden declares a RDE and a LDE, but if the wide side of the field is to the left of the offense the QB will have his primary or hot route on that side of the feild. Therefore to utilize your best pass rusher (#55), you put him on the left where QB will not be looking, They move simalar to the LB's in that respect. Some systyms line Sam up over the TE side, some put Sam on the wide-side, KC and us run simalar sysytyms where sam will be on the passing side of the feild and thus have better coverage LB's at that position (Boley or Johnson), lineing will and the weak end up in rush situations. Anderson and Boley are always on the strong side of the field, don't matter if it's left or right if the ball is in the center, they line up l because the QB is better at throwing to the open side of there body. Meaning Anderson has less opertunites to be a straight up pass rusher because QB's are always looking right at him, thus like Rogers they step up into the pocket where Bab's and Grady HAVE NOT BEEN, and the Tackle is able to catch him in the wash, the reason this doesn't happen to abe is the QB doesn't see it coming. I saw 3 or 4 examples where Clifton got straight out beat by #98, and steped into an otherwise clean pocket, and delivered the ball. To get sacks from the weakside end spot where we are lineing Anderson up, you need to have some guys in the middle that will create massive problems, such as a Marcus Stroud, or John Henderson, and even then you should expect 5-7 sacks from that end because QB's are still stepping up, but are then getting sacked by the 2 inside guys, look at the sack #'s for the Ends in Jacksonville. Run right or strong is not the DE's problem, Anderson has been handling his contain assignment as well as filling his gap resposiblity, it's the problem of the LB's in this case Michael Boley not filling, or mis reading the run, but that's a creation of the systym putting it's cover LB on the heavy run side of the formation, where he gets lost in run game, the reason you don't see the same problem on the other side is in basic fact we have one of the NFL's best Run defenders at LB over there with Grady Jackson pluging up the inside the bounce runs right into Keith Brooking, and John Abraham. Run Right as you call it is a product of the systym as well as our personel, Babenuix, and Boley are undersized for there position and puting them both on the strong side is the reason our run D is comprimised to that side, but moving grady onto the strong side put's him in the speed T spot and puts bab's on the nose, logicaly I would rather see brooking put in that LB spot, and the rest kept the same.

Your other point is idiotic at best, everyone will mis a tackle, fact is QB's in the NFL now day's are atheletes, they're paid millions of dollars to make plays, I don't think you could make that sack, and your statment shows a distincit lack of respect for the atheletisum it takes to be a QB at the NFL level.

Jamaal Anderson has been getting man-handled by LBs in this league. Keith Brooking is no top run stopper, Michael Boley is extremely versatile and can effectively stop the run and defend against the pass. Boley is 6"3 and weighs at least 220, that's hardly undersized. Babs is not used on every down. Anderson has been getting turned whatever direction the T/G/TE wants to turn him.

I am all up for Jamaal Anderson improving, but at the moment he is a key weak link in our defensive line.

[Falcons Ace]

I'd like to point out that most defense's above high school, don't run a LDE and a RDE, they have an open or passing side DE and a short or blindside DE, Madden declares a RDE and a LDE, but if the wide side of the field is to the left of the offense the QB will have his primary or hot route on that side of the feild. Therefore to utilize your best pass rusher (#55), you put him on the left where QB will not be looking, They move simalar to the LB's in that respect. Some systyms line Sam up over the TE side, some put Sam on the wide-side, KC and us run simalar sysytyms where sam will be on the passing side of the feild and thus have better coverage LB's at that position (Boley or Johnson), lineing will and the weak end up in rush situations. Anderson and Boley are always on the strong side of the field, don't matter if it's left or right if the ball is in the center, they line up l because the QB is better at throwing to the open side of there body. Meaning Anderson has less opertunites to be a straight up pass rusher because QB's are always looking right at him, thus like Rogers they step up into the pocket where Bab's and Grady HAVE NOT BEEN, and the Tackle is able to catch him in the wash, the reason this doesn't happen to abe is the QB doesn't see it coming. I saw 3 or 4 examples where Clifton got straight out beat by #98, and steped into an otherwise clean pocket, and delivered the ball. To get sacks from the weakside end spot where we are lineing Anderson up, you need to have some guys in the middle that will create massive problems, such as a Marcus Stroud, or John Henderson, and even then you should expect 5-7 sacks from that end because QB's are still stepping up, but are then getting sacked by the 2 inside guys, look at the sack #'s for the Ends in Jacksonville. Run right or strong is not the DE's problem, Anderson has been handling his contain assignment as well as filling his gap resposiblity, it's the problem of the LB's in this case Michael Boley not filling, or mis reading the run, but that's a creation of the systym putting it's cover LB on the heavy run side of the formation, where he gets lost in run game, the reason you don't see the same problem on the other side is in basic fact we have one of the NFL's best Run defenders at LB over there with Grady Jackson pluging up the inside the bounce runs right into Keith Brooking, and John Abraham. Run Right as you call it is a product of the systym as well as our personel, Babenuix, and Boley are undersized for there position and puting them both on the strong side is the reason our run D is comprimised to that side, but moving grady onto the strong side put's him in the speed T spot and puts bab's on the nose, logicaly I would rather see brooking put in that LB spot, and the rest kept the same.

Your other point is idiotic at best, everyone will mis a tackle, fact is QB's in the NFL now day's are atheletes, they're paid millions of dollars to make plays, I don't think you could make that sack, and your statment shows a distincit lack of respect for the atheletisum it takes to be a QB at the NFL level.

Jamaal Anderson has been getting man-handled by LBs in this league. Keith Brooking is no top run stopper, Michael Boley is extremely versatile and can effectively stop the run and defend against the pass. Boley is 6"3 and weighs at least 220, that's hardly undersized. Babs is not used on every down. Anderson has been getting turned whatever direction the T/G/TE wants to turn him.

I am all up for Jamaal Anderson improving, but at the moment he is a key weak link in our defensive line.

[Josh Affonso]

Good read as usual. I am getting tired of JA getting pushed around like that too...if you ask me that is far more frustrating than him failing to get a sack in 20 games. ****...I could ever turn a blind eye to him being sackless for the rest of his life, if he could just improve the fundementals.

Questing for everyone...assuming that Trey Lewis comes back healthy and ready to play this year, do you think that Jamaal Anderson's play would improve? He is a penetrating defensive tackle who would likely replace Grady on passing downs and Babs on rushing downs.

[Richard-cNILE]

Jamaal Anderson has been getting man-handled by LBs in this league. Keith Brooking is no top run stopper, Michael Boley is extremely versatile and can effectively stop the run and defend against the pass. Boley is 6"3 and weighs at least 220, that's hardly undersized. Babs is not used on every down. Anderson has been getting turned whatever direction the T/G/TE wants to turn him.

I am all up for Jamaal Anderson improving, but at the moment he is a key weak link in our defensive line.

Thanks you for adding that comment. That is my point specifically.

[Bring It]

Ryan is a rookie in name ONLY.

He knows more and feels more at home behind center on Sunday afternoons than 2/3 of the so called "experienced" QB's in the league.

[nobkowski]

I'd like to point out that most defense's above high school, don't run a LDE and a RDE, they have an open or passing side DE and a short or blindside DE, Madden declares a RDE and a LDE, but if the wide side of the field is to the left of the offense the QB will have his primary or hot route on that side of the feild. Therefore to utilize your best pass rusher (#55), you put him on the left where QB will not be looking, They move simalar to the LB's in that respect. Some systyms line Sam up over the TE side, some put Sam on the wide-side, KC and us run simalar sysytyms where sam will be on the passing side of the feild and thus have better coverage LB's at that position (Boley or Johnson), lineing will and the weak end up in rush situations. Anderson and Boley are always on the strong side of the field, don't matter if it's left or right if the ball is in the center, they line up l because the QB is better at throwing to the open side of there body. Meaning Anderson has less opertunites to be a straight up pass rusher because QB's are always looking right at him, thus like Rogers they step up into the pocket where Bab's and Grady HAVE NOT BEEN, and the Tackle is able to catch him in the wash, the reason this doesn't happen to abe is the QB doesn't see it coming. I saw 3 or 4 examples where Clifton got straight out beat by #98, and steped into an otherwise clean pocket, and delivered the ball. To get sacks from the weakside end spot where we are lineing Anderson up, you need to have some guys in the middle that will create massive problems, such as a Marcus Stroud, or John Henderson, and even then you should expect 5-7 sacks from that end because QB's are still stepping up, but are then getting sacked by the 2 inside guys, look at the sack #'s for the Ends in Jacksonville. Run right or strong is not the DE's problem, Anderson has been handling his contain assignment as well as filling his gap resposiblity, it's the problem of the LB's in this case Michael Boley not filling, or mis reading the run, but that's a creation of the systym putting it's cover LB on the heavy run side of the formation, where he gets lost in run game, the reason you don't see the same problem on the other side is in basic fact we have one of the NFL's best Run defenders at LB over there with Grady Jackson pluging up the inside the bounce runs right into Keith Brooking, and John Abraham. Run Right as you call it is a product of the systym as well as our personel, Babenuix, and Boley are undersized for there position and puting them both on the strong side is the reason our run D is comprimised to that side, but moving grady onto the strong side put's him in the speed T spot and puts bab's on the nose, logicaly I would rather see brooking put in that LB spot, and the rest kept the same.

Your other point is idiotic at best, everyone will mis a tackle, fact is QB's in the NFL now day's are atheletes, they're paid millions of dollars to make plays, I don't think you could make that sack, and your statment shows a distincit lack of respect for the atheletisum it takes to be a QB at the NFL level.

[nobkowski]

I'd like to point out that most defense's above high school, don't run a LDE and a RDE, they have an open or passing side DE and a short or blindside DE, Madden declares a RDE and a LDE, but if the wide side of the field is to the left of the offense the QB will have his primary or hot route on that side of the feild. Therefore to utilize your best pass rusher (#55), you put him on the left where QB will not be looking, They move simalar to the LB's in that respect. Some systyms line Sam up over the TE side, some put Sam on the wide-side, KC and us run simalar sysytyms where sam will be on the passing side of the feild and thus have better coverage LB's at that position (Boley or Johnson), lineing will and the weak end up in rush situations. Anderson and Boley are always on the strong side of the field, don't matter if it's left or right if the ball is in the center, they line up l because the QB is better at throwing to the open side of there body. Meaning Anderson has less opertunites to be a straight up pass rusher because QB's are always looking right at him, thus like Rogers they step up into the pocket where Bab's and Grady HAVE NOT BEEN, and the Tackle is able to catch him in the wash, the reason this doesn't happen to abe is the QB doesn't see it coming. I saw 3 or 4 examples where Clifton got straight out beat by #98, and steped into an otherwise clean pocket, and delivered the ball. To get sacks from the weakside end spot where we are lineing Anderson up, you need to have some guys in the middle that will create massive problems, such as a Marcus Stroud, or John Henderson, and even then you should expect 5-7 sacks from that end because QB's are still stepping up, but are then getting sacked by the 2 inside guys, look at the sack #'s for the Ends in Jacksonville. Run right or strong is not the DE's problem, Anderson has been handling his contain assignment as well as filling his gap resposiblity, it's the problem of the LB's in this case Michael Boley not filling, or mis reading the run, but that's a creation of the systym putting it's cover LB on the heavy run side of the formation, where he gets lost in run game, the reason you don't see the same problem on the other side is in basic fact we have one of the NFL's best Run defenders at LB over there with Grady Jackson pluging up the inside the bounce runs right into Keith Brooking, and John Abraham. Run Right as you call it is a product of the systym as well as our personel, Babenuix, and Boley are undersized for there position and puting them both on the strong side is the reason our run D is comprimised to that side, but moving grady onto the strong side put's him in the speed T spot and puts bab's on the nose, logicaly I would rather see brooking put in that LB spot, and the rest kept the same.

Your other point is idiotic at best, everyone will mis a tackle, fact is QB's in the NFL now day's are atheletes, they're paid millions of dollars to make plays, I don't think you could make that sack, and your statment shows a distincit lack of respect for the atheletisum it takes to be a QB at the NFL level.

I didn't know JA98 had an agent on this mb

[Richard-cNILE]

I didn't know JA98 had an agent on this mb

Oh, that makes sense. I thought it was bold of JA98 to post that himself.

[Rockford]

Jamaal Anderson has been getting man-handled by LBs in this league. Keith Brooking is no top run stopper, Michael Boley is extremely versatile and can effectively stop the run and defend against the pass. Boley is 6"3 and weighs at least 220, that's hardly undersized. Babs is not used on every down. Anderson has been getting turned whatever direction the T/G/TE wants to turn him.

I am all up for Jamaal Anderson improving, but at the moment he is a key weak link in our defensive line.

Its great when you can BS off the cuff like that regarding Brooking.