DLine rose up

[Alcibiades]

They didn't look great in the second preseason game, and even though we weren't scheming for the Bengals and Redskins, our DL didn't look great in either game. The coaches called them out a bit this past week, and they really stepped it up. It wasn't just scheming. They were squaring off better, disengaging better, and just generally hustling more. We got a lot of pressure from our front four, something I didn't know we could do. The best part is that the entire DL stepped up for this. If you look at the sacks, they are spread around.

 

Casey is an absolute beast. No surprise there. He's our best DT, and possibly the best player on the DL...maybe even the best player on our defense. However, he'll be challenged by

 

Morgan, who is finally stepping up and showing why he was a first round pick. I LOVED the Morgan pick when we made it. He was the guy I wanted most that year. I thought he'd be perfect for our defense because he's so versatile. Now that's healthy, he's showing what he can do. He still has more upside, too. Hasn't hit his ceiling yet, that's for sure, but he was fantastic out there against the Falcons. What I like about him is that he's an every down player.

 

Wimbley actually looked good Saturday night. I was really encouraged. I'm not listing him third here because he's our third best DL or anything. I just want to give him props for a well played game.

 

Klug is Klug. He's still generating pass pressure but is still a bit of a liability against the run. Still, I don't see how you can cut this guy.

 

Martin is becoming the player the staff saw in the draft last year. He's super strong. One on one, he's very difficulty to block. Constantly moving, constantly pushing forward. His height might give him some leverage advantages. Wasn't he a wrestler too? Seems like he has some moves there. The holding penalty on him was pretty funny. Guy was trying to tackle him, but Martin kept his feet. Pretty impressive. His sack was nice too.

 

Edwards was a steal where we got him in the draft. This guy will be a much better pro than he was a college player. Plays the run well and generates pressure in the passing game. Love this kid's upside. His best football is ahead of him, for sure.

 

Did I hear right that on third and long near the red zone, Morgan got pulled and replaced with Dawson? Hmmm...interesting if true. The play worked for the defense.

 

Anyone else deserving a shout out at this point?

[reo]

I'd really like to see a gif of that hold on Martin. I agree. It was pretty funny.

[dannynj]

Martin is a RASSLER. Klug is a RASSLER. Gray likes them RASSLERS

[Cyrus]

I'd really like to see a gif of that hold on Martin. I agree. It was pretty funny.

 

Happened to Lavar Edwards as well - he dragged their left tackle for a couple yards. Some of the worst holds I've ever seen.

[cenj]

One interesting thing I noticed is that Gray/GW looked liked they schemed a bit to take away the RB from chipping the DL -- making it easier to see how they fared against the DL 1-on-1. For instance, we ran a few CB blitzes forcing the RB to slide over -- if I wasn't so lazy, I'd take some clips or screenshots.

 

I'm interested to see how this works in a real game. We would definitely have been susceptible to screens and quick-pass hot routes with those blitzes and the stunts (stunts were very effective -- the ATL OL had some miscommunication problems adjusting to them, and we executed them very nicely). I'm interested to see: 1) if the Gray/GW are able to effectively disguise pressure against better QBs, and 2) if the CBs can truly press and hold on the WRs for a couple seconds.

 

The huge hole for that QB scramble could be a regular sighting, but I'm hoping not. I think the front 7 is better than many expected regarding pass rush, but it's hard to tell because Atlanta's OL is one of their biggest problems.

[Righteous]

Well wouldn't you know...when the opposing team is in obvious pass situations, the pass rush is pretty good.  Who would have thunk it?

[Number9]

I always thought last year, the defense was always/too often playing from behind.  Just not enough punch from the offense to allow the defense to play to their strengths.

[Righteous]

I always thought last year, the defense was always/too often playing from behind.  Just not enough punch from the offense to allow the defense to play to their strengths.

 

Absolutely.  The team couldn't stop the run, was always playing from behind and was constantly on the field (due to the offense's inability to convert third downs).  Fixing the other problems would inevitably led to a better pass rush.  As I said before, the best addition to the defense is Shon Greene.

[Bobo]

Martin is a RASSLER. Klug is a RASSLER. Gray likes them RASSLERS

 

Although not on the DL, I think Zach Brown was a RASSLER too. Give them all cheesy names and stupid costumes and we have the top WWE gang in the NFL.

[Alcibiades]

Soxcat, I see your point on Casey, but no, I wasn't surprised. I've always thought he was a great player. He flashed so much upside that I figured once he had better talent around him, he'd really shine. And now he does. It didn't even take a ton of extra talent...just a bit more. I thought he looked like a steal his rookie year. He was so good, but then I think he had an injury of some sort that set him back...something that wasn't huge but enough to delay his progress. Now he's playing up to his potential, and I love it. But I'm not really surprised by it because I saw it coming. I'm not trying to pretend to be better than anyone else at seeing/evaluating talent. In fact, I'm a good bit worse than many people on these boards. But Casey I could see, and I feel like many others here saw it too.

 

Hill is disappointing so far. I agree with you there. But it's early, and he's on a new team. We'll see what happens.

[Alcibiades]

Yeah, it's frustrating how quickly people give up on players, but I think some people have something akin to PTSD when it comes to Titans players, especially at certain positions. The long time Oiler fans seem especially prone to a sort of pessimism that leads them to think the worst of any player after just one bad play. I don't necessarily blame them, and I'm sure as a Titans only fan, I can't really relate to their pain. Still frustrating to see it happen though, since DL of any sort usually takes a couple of years at least before you start to get really productive. There are some exceptions, of course, but overall, it takes time to adjust.

[WG53]

I like the lineup of Morgan, Casey, Martin, and Edwards.

[Jas]

I like the lineup of Morgan, Casey, Martin, and Edwards.

 

I want to see this as well.  So far, I don't believe there has been one snap with that alignment though.  I at least want to see more of Casey and Martin.  I think there were maybe three total snaps with them together this preseason so far and I think two of them were sacks and the other was the incomplete pass/holding call (tackle) on Martin.  

[cenj]

I was gonna say...the guy in the rotation that was a bit disappointing was Mike Martin. I was hoping he'd be in the mix more, but the coaches have been silent about him and he seems like an afterthought.

 

But in the preseason games, he sure looked pretty good. Once he gets close to the OL, he looks like a bull on his way to the QB. I thought he was going to be a run stuffer when we drafted him, but he sure looks a lot better as a pass rusher.

[Alcibiades]

Maybe they actually have big plans for him but don't want opponents to get much film? Who knows. I think he's looked pretty damn good in preseason. I remember at the senior bowl, I think it was, the guy was unblockable.