Pass defense about to come together

swingman

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Coney Durr play was very encouraging yesterday.

Kiondre Thomas seems to be fully out of the boat house.

Get T Smith healthy and we have a trio of big, fast physical corners I think we can trust.

Looks like Shenault is getting the safety position figured out a little better, Huff looks solid.

Kamal Martin has been stepping up in pass coverage.

Signs of pass rush getting better pressure...that helps our secondary immensely.
 

Has Williamson played yet? Thought he was heralded as a shutdown corner, but out due to injury.
 


Coney Durr play was very encouraging yesterday.

Kiondre Thomas seems to be fully out of the boat house.

Get T Smith healthy and we have a trio of big, fast physical corners I think we can trust.

Looks like Shenault is getting the safety position figured out a little better, Huff looks solid.

Kamal Martin has been stepping up in pass coverage.

Signs of pass rush getting better pressure...that helps our secondary immensely.

Hmmm, 500+ yards is an improvement?
 

Hmmm, 500+ yards is an improvement?

While I agree getting certain guys back from injury or temporary suspension will help shore things up it’s been three weeks of sieve! sieve! sieve! back there. Teams can be expected to pick on our obvious run/pass D gap mercilessly until it gets better. Easier foes will help.
 


Purdue, Nebraska, NW have good QBs. Hornibrook can be hot or cold. Illinois....not sure haven’t seen that guy. We need all hands on deck in the secondary and we need to get some pressure on the QBs.

Beyond that, we should expect to have to score some points. As in, 28+ minimum which has been a challenge thus far. Thansaid, the offense can only get better and I expect it will.
 

Purdue, Nebraska, NW have good QBs. Hornibrook can be hot or cold. Illinois....not sure haven’t seen that guy. We need all hands on deck in the secondary and we need to get some pressure on the QBs.

Beyond that, we should expect to have to score some points. As in, 28+ minimum which has been a challenge thus far. Thansaid, the offense can only get better and I expect it will.

eh. mas o menos. Very erratic throwing the ball but has good legs. Will be a challenge for our LBs
 

Hmmm, 500+ yards is an improvement?

I think they had around 412 in the air. Well, the pass rush was better anyway.

I do think the OSU QB and receivers are the best we'll face this year.
 

eh. mas o menos. Very erratic throwing the ball but has good legs. Will be a challenge for our LBs

Well, he’s about ten percent over our guy. He looked pretty good vs NW. Elite, no. However, he’s deadly with the legs and is a decent thrower from what little I’ve seen and the stats. I really hope he stinks next week.
 



Well, he’s about ten percent over our guy. He looked pretty good vs NW. Elite, no. However, he’s deadly with the legs and is a decent thrower from what little I’ve seen and the stats. I really hope he stinks next week.

sails the ball. mechanics are iffy. but he seems like a streaky passer, so I really hope he's not on.
 

Ignoring stats, and just going by the eye test, observation...I'd say our defense is definitely improving. Coney Durr looked excellent prior to the targeting play. Think Maryland, think Iowa, think Ohio State...don't even factor in the facts our opponents ramped up and defensively I see what PJ was talking about... "We are this close to being really good." How long it takes, nobody knows but there is reason for optimism.
 

The ball has already been snapped.

thumbnail.jpg

I think the players are playing decently enough. However, the mental part of the game or the scheme is killing us at times. Check the photo. 3 receivers outside the hash and one defender. I can't believe this is how they're coached, but there's a coaching saying, "What you see is what you coach." (You're allowing it to happen by not getting it fixed.) Things like this are happening too often.

Funny...ended up being a first down after 3rd and 11.
 
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Another one.....this is all coaching imo.

Cover 2 against TE/trips? Insanity. Play action holds the LB who is the only one that has a chance at making the play based on the coverage called. The play would be made by him getting in the throwing lane and forcing the ball to be lofted in hopes of buying time for either safety to make the play which is damn near impossible on a short field! with the reciever already leveraging the safety by our alignment!!!!!!

Those that ask about problems with Smith's scheme, here you go!thumbnail-1.jpg

Serisously, 2 guys over the #2 receiver and nobody close to the guy catching the TD. Some may say the trips safety has to locate wide in order to defend the fade; you're right. That's why you don't run cover 2 from the 20!!!!
 
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Enough said about Smith’s soft zone. Unless the ball is on or inside the 5 yard line, our secondary should never, ever line up in the end zone. Never, nada. Our safeties line up so deep that my mother could catch the ball in front of them. Our defense reminded me of Iowa States except their safeties were only off 8. and we saw what they did to West Virginia.
 

Enough said about Smith’s soft zone. Unless the ball is on or inside the 5 yard line, our secondary should never, ever line up in the end zone. Never, nada. Our safeties line up so deep that my mother could catch the ball in front of them. Our defense reminded me of Iowa States except their safeties were only off 8. and we saw what they did to West Virginia.

I don't have a problem with the depth of our safeties. My problem is with the width of the Safety and LB/Nickel in photo number 1. Based on the coverage in the picture, one of them should be splitting the difference at a minimum between the second and third reciever. Thus, putting him on the arrow.

In picture 2; it's about the coverage as stated in that post. Also, there should not be two dbs lined up over #2 receiver.
 

It doesn't take more than a few mistakes and we get torched again.

I'm hopeful, but I don't expect constant improvement game to game to game... at least not as far as stats as a unit and such.
 

It doesn't take more than a few mistakes and we get torched again.

I'm hopeful, but I don't expect constant improvement game to game to game... at least not as far as stats as a unit and such.

They have not had a full game yet where they have been able to use the trio who appear to be their three top corners (Smith, Kiondre, Coney). Williamson just started getting real reps vs Iowa. Probably next best cover guy.

If they can get all four of those coached up and ready for a game, and then get them for all four quarters, I think you see improvement.

I think Shenault should get better every week as he learns safety role, gROWs from mistakes.

Finally saw some pressure on QB vs OSU...getting more of that that would be huge.

Huff is a gamer and a leader. Look for him to be a difference maker down the stretch in second half.
Same with Cashman in the middle and Coughlin up front.
Those guys and DeLattiboudere, Moore, Silver, Renner, Martin, Barber, Shenault, Kiondre, Coney, Julian Huff all play with a lot of heart, energy, toughness. Get OJ, T Smith, Devers back in the mix. Keep getting Mafe and Otomewo up to speed. Maybe mix in Gibson more.
 

I feel pretty good about our corners when Smith, Thomas and Durr are all healthy and in good standing with the coaches and league office. Not great (yet), but solid. The safeties, however, are another matter. I'm surprised we haven't seen much -- if any -- of Sapp. He's been playing on special teams, so it's not an issue of preserving his redshirt. Probably just not ready.

Whatever it is, it's been too easy for other teams the past two weeks. Big plays and wide open targets. One way or another, they have to get the pass defense figured out.
 

Curious week to post this with Nebraska's offense starting to click.
 

It doesn't take more than a few mistakes and we get torched again.

I'm hopeful, but I don't expect constant improvement game to game to game... at least not as far as stats as a unit and such.

Well, true, that is a proper perspective. However, given that the Gophers gave up 412 passing yards last week, I would hope for some improvement in this game. If we can hold them to 260 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, we should have a pretty good chance of winning particularly since this Nebraska team gets a fair amount of penalties against them.
 





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