My take from the game

[reo]

The thing about Williams' defense is it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on your corners and I am not sure we drafted corners like you need in a Williams defence.

 

That said, I think McCourty has held up exceptionally well and those plays to AJ were some pretty tight plays. He shows a great ability to turn and run with receivers, fluid hips, and you need that in Williams defense.

 

I am much more concerned with Verner because he consistently fails to get his head turned around when he is running with receivers and he''s been lucky.  He's obviously a face up corner who should be in zone. Hopefully he develops some. I now think I understand why they are/were so desirous of Campbell developing because they know he has the physical ability to turn and run with receivers and they are not so sure about Verner. 

 

I agree for the most part but I will say I've actually been pleasantly surprised by Verner these past couple weeks. He's had very good coverage in part probably b/c they've been able to match him up w/ the slower of the WRs we've played so he can't get beat deep. He does need to get his head around more though.

 

I think corner is high on our list of needs next year.

[abenjami]

I haven't rewatched it but i was under the impression that they played man coverage for the vast majority of the day and moved McCourty around to be on AJ for most of the day keeping him to 7 for 55 until that last play. I could be wrong though.

 

I'm not sure how someone that analyzes and posts as much as you could possibly miss the fact it was McCourty who got beat more than once on the game winning drive and gave up the game winning TD.  Not to mention every sports channel/website highlight package of the game shows these plays.

 

If that's true then perhaps you should refrain from telling other posters they are wrong until after you rewatch the games and figure out what really happened.

[abenjami]

I don't think Greene or Battle gets out of the endzone either.  It was a missed block and CJ had to make a great cut just to make it close to getting out of the end zone.

[abenjami]

I wouldn't say Verner or McCourty got beat on those sideline throws (one down by the goaline was AJ on the play where he got tagged by Pollard).  If the QB makes a perfect throw and the WR is able to go up and get it near the sideline it is just near impossible for the CB to make the play without a penalty. Same with the fade for the TD.  I give them credit down the stretch more than I say we had poor play.  The missed tackle by Verner hurt however.   

 

I agree you give them credit for making the plays.  They weren't the easiest plays to make.

 

The point is you expect a corner getting paid like McCourty to break those up.  Those plays don't happen on the top corners in the league very often.  It's not like this is the first time McCourty has been burned in man coverage.

[reo]

I'm not sure how someone that analyzes and posts as much as you could possibly miss the fact it was McCourty who got beat more than once on the game winning drive and gave up the game winning TD.  Not to mention every sports channel/website highlight package of the game shows these plays.

 

If that's true then perhaps you should refrain from telling other posters they are wrong until after you rewatch the games and figure out what really happened.

 

Someone makes quick/snap decisions based on 1-2 plays instead of thinking about the game as a whole. I know it's hard to get the image out of your head of AJ jumping over McCourty for the big gain or Hopkins jumping over him in OT but sometimes you've gotta give a WR/QB props for a great throw and catch and then look at the whole game to judge a player. McCourty did really well for the vast majority of the game and then those WRs made plays.

[reo]

I don't think Greene or Battle gets out of the endzone either.  It was a missed block and CJ had to make a great cut just to make it close to getting out of the end zone.

 

I can agree w/ that. Battle definitely doesn't make that cut and gets tackled in the endzone easily. Greene might have a chance. Depends on if he gets past Turner's guy. I think he plows through the defender if he does though.

[Guest]

The best running  backs see past the first level. All the greats will tell you this. They are  not looking at the line, they are looking at the LB's and that sets up their run. Vision and patience shows up at the second level. There is little difference between the way Greene and Battle slam into the line. Presumably the difference is Greene has the ability to get more yards past that initial front by better reads. 

[reo]

The best running  backs see past the first level. All the greats will tell you this. They are  not looking at the line, they are looking at the LB's and that sets up their run. Vision and patience shows up at the second level. There is little difference between the way Greene and Battle slam into the line. Presumably the difference is Greene has the ability to get more yards past that initial front by better reads. 

 

Looking at the LBs isn't about how they treat the 2nd level. It's about which hole they hit on the 1st level. It's about cutting back or hitting the hole as designed.

 

Greene and Battle are the same runner on the 2nd level. Once they get to that point, they're just looking for someone to hit. It's getting to that point that takes talent. Battle doesn't have it. Greene has shone to have it at least to a degree.

[abenjami]

Someone makes quick/snap decisions based on 1-2 plays instead of thinking about the game as a whole. I know it's hard to get the image out of your head of AJ jumping over McCourty for the big gain or Hopkins jumping over him in OT but sometimes you've gotta give a WR/QB props for a great throw and catch and then look at the whole game to judge a player. McCourty did really well for the vast majority of the game and then those WRs made plays.

 

Except that what I said was not a snap decision based on 1-2 plays and was based upon McCourty's body of work the past couple of seasons, which has pretty much confirmed what quite a few of us have been saying since the team decided to let Finny walk and paid McCourty like a lock down corner.

 

If you want to pick apart the Hopkins plays go for it.  Those plays weren't like a Calvin Johnson or AJ Green going up and taking the ball away from him.  Let me know how you are satisfied with McCourty failing to get his head around in time on both of those plays and how he basically had no shot at breaking them up.

[reo]

Except that what I said was not a snap decision based on 1-2 plays and was based upon McCourty's body of work the past couple of seasons, which has pretty much confirmed what quite a few of us have been saying since the team decided to let Finny walk and paid McCourty like a lock down corner.

 

lol oh come on. he held AJ in man coverage for most of the game to 7 for 55 but he sucks b/c he gave up a couple at the end.

 

 

If you want to pick apart the Hopkins plays go for it.  Those plays weren't like a Calvin Johnson or AJ Green going up and taking the ball away from him.  Let me know how you are satisfied with McCourty failing to get his head around in time on both of those plays and how he basically had no shot at breaking them up.

 

haha now those weren't great plays by the WRs b/c they weren't Calvin Johnson or AJ Green. lol Hopkins and AJ made very good/great plays on those passes. There wasn't much he could've done. Maybe Revis would've made a play but is that the standard now?

[bizzyeddie]

We all seem to agree here and I've been meaning to say a couple of things about it. 

 

1. It's easy to feel this way with the benefit off hindsight but alot of coaches play it this same way. Alot of good coaches feel like you have to have confidence in your defense with an 8 point lead and not risk a  turnover or a negative play. FWIW, we all know Fisher would have done the same thing and look at his 4th quarter record with a lead. It's hard to argue against putting it on your defense with an 8 point lead and 4 minutes left. 

Still alot of time with 4 mins.  Fish loved to make the other team burn their timeouts and would run the ball for just that reason.  We were not even at that point yet.

What frustrated me with Fish and obviously gonna frustrate me with Munch is the inability to weigh your opponent in certain situations.  The Texans are a good team and they were at home.  They are not afraid of moments like that at the end of games. 

 

Note to Munch:  If your running the ball to burn the clock and the other team is not using their timeouts to keep you from doing that...then maybe it too early to be trying to burn the clock.  Move the chains once or twice and game over and if you don't ...your defense still has a chance to stop them.

[abenjami]

lol oh come on. he held AJ in man coverage for most of the game to 7 for 55 but he sucks b/c he gave up a couple at the end.

 

haha now those weren't great plays by the WRs b/c they weren't Calvin Johnson or AJ Green. lol Hopkins and AJ made very good/great plays on those passes. There wasn't much he could've done. Maybe Revis would've made a play but is that the standard now?

 

No doubt they were nice plays by the WR's but they weren't so spectacular that only Revis breaks one or two of them up.  Plenty of other highly paid corners either break one or two of those plays up or at least look a hell of a lot better doing it.  That also doesn't take away the fact they repeatedly picked on McCourty when they needed big plays.

[reo]

No doubt they were nice plays by the WR's but they weren't so spectacular that only Revis breaks one or two of them up.  Plenty of other highly paid corners either break one or two of those plays up or at least look a hell of a lot better doing it.  That also doesn't take away the fact they repeatedly picked on McCourty when they needed big plays.

 

yeah... that other 7/55 from AJ is pretty damning.

[abenjami]

yeah... that other 7/55 from AJ is pretty damning.

 

Considering the amount of pressure our defense put on Schaub, I wouldn't be gloating about "holding him" to 7 for 55 before the long catch.

[reo]

Considering the amount of pressure our defense put on Schaub, I wouldn't be gloating about "holding him" to 7 for 55 before the long catch.

 

yeah, it's not like the 2 are connected are anything.