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nine

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Everything posted by nine

  1. Don't forget about Finch....another very pleasant surprise this year. Cruikshank looks like a player and will likely have a larger role as well. Titans currently have the #2 scoring defense and #7 defense overall....and they're positioned to be even better in 2019.
  2. Wait......so we're saying Marcus needs to perform better than what he's shown this year?
  3. You’re referring to Mark Ingram, the 8-year veteran who barely had 100 yards receiving in his first three years *combined* ?
  4. This. It was actually a pretty good throw by Eli and would been completed if not for a spectacular all-world defensive play by Byard. He read the play perfectly, anticipated exactly where the ball was going, jumped the route before the receiver came out of his break, and beat him to the spot. That play should be shown to every young DB as a textbook example of how to turn film study and preparation into to on-field performance. Byard executed it flawlessly, and it resulted in a huge play.
  5. I'm not trying to make a WR comparison here....but can you imagine the Texans' offense if Watson was unwilling to throw those 50/50 balls to Hopkins and only targeted him when he was wide open or in single coverage? Hell, at least half of their big plays this year have been balls where Watson just threw it somewhere in the vicinity and just let Hopkins go get it. I'm not saying Davis is a freakish miracle worker like Hopkins....but he's a big, fast, physical WR, and that's how he plays. There should be at least 1-2 plays per game where he knows he's getting the ball regardless of what coverage dictates, and it's up to him to make the play. I have no doubt Davis can get it done. Just gotta get Marcus on board with it.
  6. I can't speak for DCs....but I see a quarterback who is overly cautious about making deep throws and a WR corps that often fails to complete plays on well-placed throws.
  7. On a couple different occasions, I've asked for the names of running backs who are consistently productive despite being hit in the backfield on a regular basis. I have yet to see a single name offered up as an example. I've also posted "every carry" game videos of Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliot. On plays where the O-line provided a running lane, they got chunks of yards. On plays where they were hit in the backfield, they gained nothing or lost yards. Sunday's game showed Saquon Barkley as another player who is utterly ineffective when he's hit at or behind the LOS. So the best runners in the league can't do it...and nobody can name a single player who can. But apparently it's a perfectly reasonable expectation for Henry and Lewis.
  8. Absolutely this. A much as we've enjoyed watching the Henry show the past couple games, the offense was ridiculously one-dimensional. "Unsustainable" doesn't even begin to describe it; it was amazing to watch and a lot of fun...but it was like a cartoon or a video game. The big takeaway is the team is finally demonstrating an ability to run the ball effectively, resulting in favorable down/distance situations and moving the chains. As we've seen, Marcus hasn't developed the consistency to win games with his arm week in and week out...and the receiving corps hasn't done much to help him out. But for most of the season, the team's inability to run the ball made the offense entirely dependent on an inconsistent passing attack. This is no longer the case. With 400 yards and 6 TDs in the past two weeks, defenses will obviously be stacking the box and selling out to contain Henry for the rest of the season. Marcus and the WR need to step up to the plate and take advantage of the situation. With this in mind, I would think LaFleur should keep Henry on the field as much as possible....even on third down. At this point, taking him off the field gives the defense a sense of relief, allowing them to play their game and focus on coverage and rushing the passer. Even in obvious passing situations, Henry's presence gives them cause for worry and probably forces them to stay in their base defense....because there's a realistic chance he could pop a 10+ yard run to convert the first down. At the very least, it makes the play action more effective...and any hesitation or misstep by the safeties could open up big play opportunities down the field.
  9. It's worth noting that the Titans have the highest completion% of any team listed....and a significant number of those incompletions were due to WR error. (Dropped passes, WR slowed down or turned the wrong way, etc) The fact is, Marcus is a fantastic deep passer with tremendous accuracy. After 14 games, the number of deep throws he's missed can be counted on one's fingers....possibly even the fingers of one hand. He's been really, really good. And that's what makes it so frustrating. As good as he is in that area, you'd think he'd be airing it out and raining down bombs at every opportunity....but it hasn't happened. Some of this can be blamed on poor pass protection; we've seen plays where he was looking to go deep, only to be sacked or forced off his mark. His inconsistent pocket presence has also been a factor; sometimes he's too quick to drop his eyes and/or leave the pocket before the play can develop. (However, this would be less of an issue if he could trust his protection.) But I think it's mostly about his mindset: he just has to be more aggressive. He has to trust his arm and know that the throw will be on target.....and with a big physical WR like Davis, Marcus has to be willing to throw a 50/50 ball every now and then and trust Davis to win that battle and make a play. He can't spend all day waiting on a blown coverage or a wide-open target....he's gotta trust his guys to make a play. For all the bitching we've done this year about the O-line, the RB situation, Mariota's inconsistency, etc.....deep passing has consistently been single biggest factor in the team's success or failure. In games where they hit one or two big plays, the offense flourished. We've also seen games where they never attempted to stretch the field....and the offense stayed stuck in quicksand all day long. It ultimately boils down to Marcus. He has to be more aggressive with it and willing to just cut it loose, rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity. He also needs to look more to Davis in those situations rather than always targeting Taylor, who has had his share of huge drops and is unlikely to win a contested throw. I'm normally not one of those who's constantly calling for them to throw deep all the time.....but this year, that's been the biggest difference in the offense. And the biggest thing holding them back seems to be Marcus' willingness to make it happen.
  10. in an interview a couple weeks ago, Conklin mentioned that the new scheme had been his biggest challenge. Think about it: the new offense was installed during the OTAs and training camp; Conk spent that entire time rehabbing his knee. After learning the offense, the rest of the O-line had 4-5 months and thousands of practice reps to get comfortable with the scheme; by the time he was cleared to play, Conklin had only 3-4 practices and a handful of reps to get up to speed, while at the same time watching film and preparing for that week's opponent. Conklin definitely wasn't great this year....but his performance was influenced by a number of negative mitigating factors. What we saw this year was his worst-case scenario; I expect he'll bounce back and be much, much better in 2019.
  11. Like I said....it has like, a thousand different functions, but THAT'S the only one that actually gets used.
  12. Patriots went 11-5 and missed the playoffs in 2008. (The season Brady missed after tearing an ACL in the season opener) Going back through past seasons, the 1985 Broncos were the only other 11-win team to miss the playoffs. (To add insult to injury, the Browns won the AFC Central that year at 8-8. So an 8-win team went to the playoffs while an 11-win team sat at home).
  13. This captures my own thoughts on Henry’s capacity for the passing game, but explains it far more intelligently and eloquently than I have. I agree that Lewis is far more suited to running WR-type routes than Henry...absolutely no question about it. But here’s the thing: this might be one of the attributes LaFleur and Vrabel look for in a RB...and maybe they’ve found it with Lewis. But we really don’t know, because they never utilize him in those roles. From what I’ve seen, the overwhelming majority of RB targets have been standard garden-variety plays that every NFL RB runs: screens, check-downs, and the occasional flat pass. Hell, they don’t even target the RB on wheel routes. We’ve also seen the RBs motioned out wide on occasion...but they’re never targeted. If they’re only being used as a decoy, does it really matter which guy does it? It reminds me of someone becoming enamored with a high-end blender that has a hundred different tools and features...but after getting it, they just use the same three or four basic features over and over. They buy it because it has all these other nifty attachments and features ...and they never freaking use them. Thats kinda how I see the RB’s role in the passing game. Based on each guy’s skill set, I’m sure there are areas where Lewis would be head-and-shoulders better than Henry. They just don’t get utilized in the current offense.
  14. I know this is just a weak attempt at trolling.....but I figure this bears mentioning: Lewis' career-best season (2017): 1100 total yards, 9 total TDs. Henrys 2018 numbers through 14 games: 950 total yards, 10 TDs.
  15. Looking at the slate for week 17 and potential flex games, I'm seeing three games where both teams could be fighting for a single playoff berth: Colts@Titans, Eagles@Redskins, and Browns@Ravens. Of these three games, you gotta figure Colts/Titans is the least attractive from a ratings perspective. I'm guessing the league (and TV networks) would rank them in this order: Browns/Ravens would get the best ratings, because Mayfield leading the Browns to the playoffs would be a huge feelgood story*. Eagles/Redskins is a classic NFL rivalry matchup featuring the defending SB champs. The national audience doesn't give a flip about Colts/Titans and doesn't know or care that these small-market teams are still in contention. * - Note that the Browns are eliminated if the Steelers can beat the Saints this week or the Bengals next week. If that happens, then the storyline becomes all about Mayfield vs. Lamar Jackson, which is less compelling.
  16. It’s fair to say the Jags had already pulled the plug on the season...although it’s worth noting that defense had just shut out Andrew Luck earlier that same week. They obviously weren’t mailing it in that Sunday, or on plays where Henry left the field. The Giants definitely weren’t mailing it in. They had won 4 of their last 5 and were battling to keep their playoff hopes alive just like the Titans. Not discrediting Henry’s performance against the Jags by any stretch...but going into a hostile environment and completely dismantling an opposing defense under those conditions is pretty darned spectacular.
  17. There was a play in the first half yesterday where Henry got blown up 2-3 yards behind the LOS. It appeared to be an inside run between Spain and Jones...but at the snap, Spain pulls right, which forces Lewan to try and block both the DT *and* the DE while Spain blocks air...and the DT crushes Henry. So what was the problem there? Did Henry need to run angrier? Did he need to be more physical? Or was he too slow and not decisive enough?
  18. Marcus obviously wasn't sharp...but he came up with a couple critical plays and didn't make any big mistakes. His mistakes really boiled down to 3-4 throws that missed the mark. Those are throws he needs to make...but given the miserable weather conditions, it's hard to be overly critical of his performance.
  19. My point is that people are acting like this is suddenly a whole new side of Henry we're seeing. It's not. We saw signs of this much earlier in the season as well. My whole bitch-fest regarding Henry's usage (of the lack thereof) started in week 5 after the Bills game. I posted after that game that it was one of the best individual performances of Henry's career. The guy we saw that day was very similar to the guy we saw yesterday....running hard and decisive, breaking tackles, and creating chunks of yards. Against the Bills, Henry averaged 5.1 yds/carry; in yesterday's game he averaged 5.2 yds/carry. The biggest difference wasn't so much the way he was playing....it was the coaching staff's willingness to use him. Against the Bills, Henry's last carry was a 12-yard chunk play early in the fourth quarter; they took him off the field and he never got another snap. He also averaged 5+ yds/carry against the Colts and had a couple fantastic, violent runs late in that game....which everyone discounted because the game was already over. This is not some magically rejuvenated Henry we're seeing for the first time all year. The biggest change has been the O-line giving him a chance rather than getting destroyed on 60% of the snaps...and the coaching staff realizing that a RB who gets 5 yards a pop and scores touchdowns might have a role in the offense after all.
  20. There's a reason teams typically have their RB lined up 5-7 yards behind the LOS: it's designed to let him get the ball and get a head of steam as he crosses the LOS. On plays where the RB is hit or redirected behind the LOS. that momentum is gone; he's basically hitting the LOS with zero momentum....which almost always fails. A couple weeks ago, there was a graphic that had Henry ranked second-highest in the league at getting hit behind the LOS....something like 57% of his rushing attempts. That's just straight-up abysmal O-line play. But then in the Jags game, the O-line was consistently giving him 2-3 yards before behind touched by a defender...and he absolutely exploded. The O-line was less spectacular in today's game...but they mostly locked up defenders and kept them engaged where they couldn't just peel off and hit the ballcarrier behind the LOS. Even on plays where the running lanes were tight and almost non-existent...they managed to hold their blocks and tie guys up long enough for Henry to cross the LOS and navigate through the muck without being hit or grabbed. Despite the assurances we've heard all season long....Henry doesn't require spectacular, dominant O-line play or gaping holes a mile wide. He just needs the OL to do their jobs and execute their assignments more than 40% of time. If they can dominate and get him 2-3 yards before contact....hey, great! But as we saw today, they don't have to be utterly dominant for Henry to be highly effective. They just need to execute well enough to keep the ballcarrier from getting hit behind the LOS. If they can just get him across the LOS without getting hit....he can do the rest. I believe everyone can agree Saquon Barkley is a spectacularly talented franchise-caliber RB...and he had been dominating for the past month. But in today's game, he was routinely hit at or behind the LOS, rendering him utterly ineffective with a measly 2.2 YPC average.....not because he wasn't doing his job, but because his O-line failed to do theirs. Is Henry running differently now that he was earlier in the season? Sure, maybe. But from a production standpoint, the single biggest difference has been the frequency with which he's hit at or behind the LOS. We saw it in today's game and even in the Jags game last week. He was ripping off one huge run after another, running over and through defenders left and right......but on plays where he was hit behind the LOS, he mostly did squat.
  21. I Imagine every team that narrowly misses the playoffs can point to literally one or two plays that ended up being the difference between moving on and going home. If Nick Williams catches just one easy pass against the Bills... If the Titans D can come up with just one stop against a Bills offense with no passing game... If Vrabel/LaFleur call a QB sneak from the one-yard line instead of a slant to Taylor at the end of the Chargers game... Had any of those plays ended differently, then the Titans would have full control of their own destiny. (Or course, that also goes both ways: the Titans are also only 2-3 plays away from being a 5-win team.)
  22. Also, for what it's worth: I'm not huge fan of gimmicks...but based on the consistent and significant success the team has had with it, LaFleur should consider incorporating more wildcat. Nothing crazy...but keep mixing it in on a regular basis until an opponent shows the ability to contain it.
  23. Like any other NFL RB, Henry's performance is dependent on the O-line doing its job. If the O-line can consistently buy him 1-2 yards before contact, Henry will be somewhere between extremely productive and absolutely dominant. If he's hit or redirected behind the LOS on 70% of his carries, he'll be just as ineffective as Lewis has been over the past five games. He can't do his job unless the O-line does theirs. Kuharsky's point is valid: in his first two years, whenever Henry had a great game, he'd be terrible the following week. This due in large part to his boom/bust running style, constantly bouncing runs outside looking for the home run....even when he had a clean running lane inside. Not this year. This year, he's been the exact opposite....consistently staying with the design of the play rather than bouncing around. This made him dramatically more consistent in terms of generating positive yards and avoiding negative plays...but it also cut down on the number of chunk plays. Over the past several weeks, he's done a very good job of combining both styles: staying with the play design on most plays, but occasionally bouncing it when he sees an opportunity. Even with mediocre and inconsistent O-line play in weeks 9-13, Henry averaged 4.5 yards per carry. Last week's game was the first time we've seen this O-line dominate an opposing defense and control the LOS....and Henry turned their strong performance into a spectacular record-breaking showcase. In today's game, watch the blue line at the LOS...not just for the Titans, but for both teams. On plays where the OL gets some push and gets their feet set on the other side of the blue line...the RB will produce chunks of yards and put up big numbers. There will also be plays where the D-line gets across the blue line and into the backfield....and on 95% of those plays, the RB won't do squat.
  24. Broncos are effectively eliminated from the wildcard chase. No 8-8 AFC wildcards this year. Browns aren't really in the wildcard picture.... but believe it or not, they still have a shot at winning their division if they can beat the Bengals and Ravens in the final two games. The Steelers and Ravens could easily lose two of their next three...and the Browns would have the best division record. But the Steelers hold the H2H advantage...so the Browns would need the Bengals to upset the Steelers in Pittsburgh in week 17. Highly unlikely.
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