Defensive Failures: Scheme or Players?

[12thMan]

If Springs makes that much of difference from the corner position, then I think it's definitely the scheme. Again, I think the coordinator has to compensate for weaknesses and flaws. He's responsible for saying okay, we lack this that and the other. Let's make some adjustments here so that we don't get exploited to the tune of 200 yrds on the ground.

[Redskin]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

If Springs makes that much of difference from the corner position, then I think it's definitely the scheme. Again, I think the coordinator has to compensate for weaknesses and flaws. He's responsible for saying okay, we lack this that and the other. Let's make some adjustments here so that we don't get exploited to the tune of 200 yrds on the ground.

Ok we lack CB's so we should drop the safties back to help
But then we lack LB's and DL's so we need to keep the safties in to stop the run. Quite the pickle you would have to scheme from that.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by Redskin

Ok we lack CB's so we should drop the safties back to help
But then we lack LB's and DL's so we need to keep the safties in to stop the run. Quite the pickle you would have to scheme from that.

But it's not a unique pickle in the NFL. Coaches change and adapt with the talent they have. Plain and simple.

Listen, even if we get a stud in the first round, what are the chances of the kid getting on the field at the start of the season. Slim to none, it goes against Gregg Williams' style.

Keep an eye on the defensive rookies of the year and ask yourself if this guy were a Redskin, would he have started and had that same impact within our system?

[Crat92]

Intelligence is the ability to make adjustments. GW had to change the D because of the players. PERIOD. The injury bug hit starting with Pierson P, Springs etc.. Those players were key to the D's overall success. Other players then had to do things they weren't used to doing(i.e. Kenny Wright starting). When we had the players, the scheme was great. We just gotta get more players.

[LMsexyAO]

Originally Posted by Crat92

Intelligence is the ability to make adjustments. GW had to change the D because of the players. PERIOD. The injury bug hit starting with Pierson P, Springs etc.. Those players were key to the D's overall success. Other players then had to do things they weren't used to doing(i.e. Kenny Wright starting). When we had the players, the scheme was great. We just gotta get more players.

Right. But like 12th man was saying, shouldn't a reasonable coach be able to adapt to injuries? That's a huge part of the game and no NFL team can expect to go 16 games with no major injuries. So you've got to think, GW couldn't come up with a halfway decent defense with one or two players out? I think that reflects poor depth and stubborness to adjust to the players' strengths.

[Crat92]

Originally Posted by LMsexyAO

Right. But like 12th man was saying, shouldn't a reasonable coach be able to adapt to injuries? That's a huge part of the game and no NFL team can expect to go 16 games with no major injuries. So you've got to think, GW couldn't come up with a halfway decent defense with one or two players out? I think that reflects poor depth and stubborness to adjust to the players' strengths.

Agree 100%! Can't pour syrup on sh*t and call it pancakes!

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by LMsexyAO

Right. But like 12th man was saying, shouldn't a reasonable coach be able to adapt to injuries? That's a huge part of the game and no NFL team can expect to go 16 games with no major injuries. So you've got to think, GW couldn't come up with a halfway decent defense with one or two players out? I think that reflects poor depth and stubborness to adjust to the players' strengths.

The Giants played half the season without their best defensive player (Strahan) yet they're still going to the playoffs. Blame the Gibbs/Snyder philosophy for paying above top dollar for every FA signing while trading away draft picks and letting cheaper depth players like Walt Harris walk. Harris would've been much better than Kenny Wright and Mike Rumph after Springs went down. I NEVER thought I'd appreciate Harris, but he had a hell of a year in SF.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

The Giants played half the season without their best defensive player (Strahan) yet they're still going to the playoffs. Blame the Gibbs/Snyder philosophy for paying above top dollar for every FA signing while trading away draft picks and letting cheaper depth players like Walt Harris walk. Harris would've been much better than Kenny Wright and Mike Rumph after Springs went down. I NEVER thought I'd appreciate Harris, but he had a hell of a year in SF.

I agree. I get so tired of every saying Springs getting hurt is the root of all problems. A smart organazation would have saw that Springs was not going to play a full season. He's not a durable player to begin with. They should have been prepared for that. Just another screw up by the worst FO in the NFL.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

The Giants played half the season without their best defensive player (Strahan) yet they're still going to the playoffs. Blame the Gibbs/Snyder philosophy for paying above top dollar for every FA signing while trading away draft picks and letting cheaper depth players like Walt Harris walk. Harris would've been much better than Kenny Wright and Mike Rumph after Springs went down. I NEVER thought I'd appreciate Harris, but he had a hell of a year in SF.

Harris isn't twice the player Wright is (not over the span of his career) yet he's getting paid twice the money over the next two years.

[Beemnseven]

It's all hindsight now, but I remember thinking there was legitimate debate as to whether linebacker was the bigger issue for the '06 draft or cornerback.

I think it's perfectly reasonable to say that Shawn Springs was nearing the end of his career, that Carlos Rogers was a big question mark, and one more push for top-knotch talent in the secondary was needed.

I was all for the Kenny Wright move. I thought he'd be perfect in the nickel position, and was a solid pickup after noting his 15 game starting history in Jacksonville last year. So no one could have predicted his demise after being thrust into the position of starting corner. Rumph, Vincent, and Fox were all desperation moves. At that point, the secondary was already a cluster-fornication and anyone would have been an improvement over the current lot.

Either way, the front office has to be accountable at some point. Sooner or later, some of us are going to have to stop grasping at straws to defend these people and start calling it for what it is -- a dismal failure.

[skins052bgr8]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

If Springs makes that much of difference from the corner position, then I think it's definitely the scheme. Again, I think the coordinator has to compensate for weaknesses and flaws. He's responsible for saying okay, we lack this that and the other. Let's make some adjustments here so that we don't get exploited to the tune of 200 yrds on the ground.

If it was that easy the NFL would be full of mediocre players and coaches compensating for the weakness. It has got to be the majority on the players bad angles, can't get off blocks, dropped ints, very little pass rush. You can compensate for the run and put all your people in the box, then they beat us deep like we have seen over and over. You can't compensate for that many weaknesses with your best corner out for the year, he may be old but when healthy he can play and allow you to put him one and one and guess what no help from the safety over the top which helps the run with the safety in the box.

I can agree coaches are at fault for letting good talent walk.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by skins052bgr8

If it was that easy the NFL would be full of mediocre players and coaches compensating for the weakness. It has got to be the majority on the players bad angles, can't get off blocks, dropped ints, very little pass rush. You can compensate for the run and put all your people in the box, then they beat us deep like we have seen over and over. You can't compensate for that many weaknesses with your best corner out for the year, he may be old but when healthy he can play and allow you to put him one and one and guess what no help from the safety over the top which helps the run with the safety in the box.

I can agree coaches are at fault for letting good talent walk.

Of course some of it players, I'm not being overly foolish about my argument. But just as sure as were pecking away at our keyboards right now, next season we could lose a Marcus Washington or a Carlos Rogers or whomever God forbid.

I distinctly remember when we lost C.Griff for a string of games last year, and opposing offenses exploited the hell out of that weakness. Everyone was like, man when Griffin is in the game, it's a different defense. We pretty much agreed, here on Warpath, how important it was to have him in the lineup. Guess what, Springs went down this year, and it's the same song....different player.