DL could be really, really good

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

I firmly believe, we were a pash rush away from being an undefeated national champion last season.

Man, oh, Manischewitz ! ! Would that it were that simple. I know you mean Duke, Carolina and FSU could have been wins, propelling us into the final four. But then what? I still feel that most years it takes a combination of good football and good fortune to get to the top. It is great to be having those visions, tho.

 

[redmule]

We might have been a pass rush away from a NC, but we were also a few injuries away from losing two or three more. We got on a roll late, and finished ahead of where we probably should have. Now that roll wasn't because of the alignment of the planets, but because of stellar play, good coaching, favorable schedule, etc. We probably got everything we could have out of the position we were in. No system is going to operate at peak efficiency all the time, but sometimes, things come together. It takes work to get those things in place so they can come together, though. I have no frustrations about what could have been last year, just great memories and a hunger for more.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

We might have been a pass rush away from a NC, but we were also a few injuries away from losing two or three more. We got on a roll late, and finished ahead of where we probably should have. Now that roll wasn't because of the alignment of the planets, but because of stellar play, good coaching, favorable schedule, etc. We probably got everything we could have out of the position we were in. No system is going to operate at peak efficiency all the time, but sometimes, things come together. It takes work to get those things in place so they can come together, though. I have no frustrations about what could have been last year, just great memories and a hunger for more.

"where we probably should have."
"Shoulds" don't have much to do with the results in athletic competitions, especially in team sports. My thinking about sporting contests is more like William Munny's at the end of Unforgiven: "Deserves got nothing to do with it."

 

[Skeptic]

If a defensive player psychologically likes to tear things apart and create chaos, he would be the ideal management major.

A funny line, this. And a lot of truth unfortunately. One of my first bosses gave me a performance review. Across the board, he informed me, I was "superior", and that got me puffed up, though it was the second highest rating possible. He ruined the moment by looking over his bi-focals and noting that, "I didn't rate you 'one of the best,' because, you know, I figured if you were one of the best, you wouldn't be here." I wasn't much longer.

 

[TheGridironGeek]

If #111 in pts/dr D is "as much as could ever be expected," then that doesn't say much for our talent.

If you adjust for points off turnovers, what would the stats look like? For instance vs. Pitt, the defense set up as many touchdowns as it allowed.

 

[Skeptic]

"where we probably should have."
"Shoulds" don't have much to do with the results in athletic competitions, especially in team sports. My thinking about sporting contests is more like William Munny's at the end of Unforgiven: "Deserves got nothing to do with it."

Okay now. Bruce Wayne has found us a middle linebacker.

 

[AE 87]

If you adjust for points off turnovers, what would the stats look like? For instance vs. Pitt, the defense set up as many touchdowns as it allowed.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. The pts/drive allowed stat is just a raw stat on how well our defense kept the other team from scoring.

 

[danny daniel]

I know I don't know, but I will apply my logic to what I think...

Defensive talent has inputs:

• Athletic ability (natural balance, coordination, twitch)
• Physical Attributes (height, body type, etc)
• Intelligence (able to learn your role, your team members roles, eyes in the right place, know the correct pursuit angles)
• Technique (learning your trade and combining the previous 3 points above)
• Hunger (How badly you want to be good at what you do and improve)
• Will (motor or how badly you want to get to the ball even if you have to run far every play)
• Mean Streak (hunger to hit and collide.... not fight or argue or yell )

If you are low in one area, you can make up for the missing area by being exceptional in others.

Agree as far as it goes. Those are good attributes for a D player and I have coached some with those traits demonstrated in practice and have selected those players for D . Some, when put in a game situation, cannot find (or follow) the ball and cannot get off the blocks. Lots of coaching helps but does not seem to fix those problems. I ultimately looked for other players who more naturally can find/follow the ball and get off blocks.

 

[Skeptic]

Agree as far as it goes. Those are good attributes for a D player and I have coached some with those traits demonstrated in practice and have selected those players for D . Some, when put in a game situation, cannot find (or follow) the ball and cannot get off the blocks. Lots of coaching helps but does not seem to fix those problems. I ultimately looked for other players who more naturally can find/follow the ball and get off blocks.

All of us have probably played with some guy that we knew, from the first calisthenics within the first five minutes of the first day of practice, would play defense. We knew. And would struggle trying to explain it to anyone who had not played a competitive team sport. It always came to pass, and we always found comfort in it. Or I certainly did.

 

[redmule]

"where we probably should have."
"Shoulds" don't have much to do with the results in athletic competitions, especially in team sports. My thinking about sporting contests is more like William Munny's at the end of Unforgiven: "Deserves got nothing to do with it."

Not sure what you're talking about. An NFL team should beat a women's powder puff team. I agree "deserves" got nothing to do with it. To paraphrase Hamlet, if everybody got what they deserved, who would escape a beating. Ollie should beat me in golf usually, however I should beat him if he drinks the same amount of bourbon as I do during the round. I don't deserve to be an old golfing drunk, but based on genes, slothfulness, and date of birth, it is what I should be. Sometimes circumstances converge to a "should".

 

[redmule]

All of us have probably played with some guy that we knew, from the first calisthenics within the first five minutes of the first day of practice, would play defense. We knew. And would struggle trying to explain it to anyone who had not played a competitive team sport. It always came to pass, and we always found comfort in it. Or I certainly did.

I remember a couple of guys in high school that played defense because they couldn't remember the offensive plays. Coach told them to just tackle the man with the ball, and they could remember that. Were good at it, too.

 

[Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau]

Not sure what you're talking about. An NFL team should beat a women's powder puff team. I agree "deserves" got nothing to do with it. To paraphrase Hamlet, if everybody got what they deserved, who would escape a beating. Ollie should beat me in golf usually, however I should beat him if he drinks the same amount of bourbon as I do during the round. I don't deserve to be an old golfing drunk, but based on genes, slothfulness, and date of birth, it is what I should be. Sometimes circumstances converge to a "should".

Was that a reference to NFL domestic abuse?