Our Defense is too Complex

Examples?

Describe 3 blitz packages off the top of your head

Not being a wise guy. I’d like to learn

 

No, I don't believe you. We have guys in position to make a play for a high percentage of plays, but missed tackles, poor angles, poor eye discipline (i.e. no clue where the ball is or is going), or just subpar effort, in all honesty, have led to lots of big plays against us this year. None of that is due to scheme.

And most of the poor fundamentals is coming from positions nearest to the ball horizontally (S, LB), which is where you need the tackling, eye discipline, and angles the most. Hopefully, a lot of that will be improved by another year of S&C along with this year's experience. We need LB help for sure.

 

Sure
But I’d rather take our lumps and get it over with. The defense will have a much better grasp of the defense next year. It’s one reason why starting youngster is tough… not just the physical part of the game but the mental part of the game. Take the lumps with the young guys and prep for the future.

 

I agree that the defense is rather complex and Armstrong probably needs two seasons to fully install. However, when bowl eligibility is on the line perhaps he should pause the 2-year installation and try to win just one more game with a simpler defense. Start with quarters defense. Everyone should know quarters, especially on 4th and 17.

 

This was a reply to a thread that was locked before I could post it:

No, this is NOT Grantham.

Now, could we play somewhat different ways - Using Uman___ as a pure pass rusher and not a Swiss Army knife is a prime example - and have better results? Possible. Does anyone honestly believe that Raymond is now "mailing it in" in coaching the defensive backfield? If you do then you are not being realistic. He is THE best assistant coaching hire Napier has made.

We have brain fart plays that turn unfortunate completions or runs for first downs into ridiculous gains. This is the mental makeup for this team. The leadership component that manifested against USCe went away for some reason after James got hurt. That is baffling. IMO, it is going to be about Wingo and leadership traits for the next one (or two) games. And as I posted on the post-game thread, if it were up to me, I would move Castell into one of the OLB spots and use someone else as safety. That to me is the only way to get this defense less awful when awful comes in HUGE chunks of yards.

 

Yeah... too complex to tackle in open space... too complex to cover a receiver... to complex to know your assignments...

Yeah... maybe we should first teach the basics, like tackling? There's an idea...

But if by complex you mean the useless ZONE DEFENSIVE SCHEMES, yeah, we should ditch those altogether.

 

This, though we've all heard the stories about guys being able to "play fast" after the calls get simplified. I don't see a ton of evidence thinking too much is our problem, to me we just look soft. Feels like we get to the spot where the play is happening and then don't continue to actually do the thing, be that tackle/PBU/INT/whatever.

 

Lack of effort is the big one.

 

Our secondary is slow and can not tackle.

Mix that with no pass rush from the front 4 and it is a bad combination.

 

How complex is a stop on fourth and seventeen? PPC is the issue.

 

Even with a PI call, they were not going to get a first down or wait a minute. Would a PI give an automatic first down even though it would be only 15 yard penalty?

 

Automatic first down.

 

Reading the rule book if PI was called anywhere beyond the neutral zone it would be an automatic first down so....the DB's may have been coaches telling them to be super careful not to rub any receivers?

 

In what year do they start teaching interceptions? Or are they too worried about getting g tackling figured out first?

 

I joked on another thread that it would be nice to actually get called for PI or defensive holding from time to time, because we are never even close to WRs most of the time. I don't mean on 4th and 17, I just mean in general. We use to have DBs that would play physical at the snap and at least hand fight with a guy.

 

We get ZERO pressure from the DL. That's where it all starts. Add in poor LB play and young secondary. We really shouldn't be shocked. I don't think there's been a "fix" for that since college football began.

 

So who do we point the finger at?
players are not up to the task?
coaching has everyone confused game day?
basic pass coverage is not being taught properly at practice?
get on the field and do the best you can, don't worry if you screw up because coaches will review the game film and let you know what to do next time?

 

BINGO! We have a winner!!