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Schneed10 12-22-2006, 04:56 PM The other thing, with more and more extremely athletic TEs coming into the league, teams have more weapons with which to attack the middle of a cover 2. You've got that slot WR, and you've got your speedy TE. Unless you want to go with 6 DBs, you have to either break away from the Cover 2 or allow a LB to cover the speedy TE. None of the options are good. You bring in 6 DBs, they're going to audible to a run. You break out of the cover 2 and go with man, it makes it very tough to cover everyone because of the enforcement of the illegal contact rules. And if you allow a LB to cover an Antonio Gates, and well, you're in trouble.
That one part that I put in italics represents an opportunity. If you have the CBs, you can hold up against great WRs even when faced with the illegal contact rules. But those CBs are getting harder to find.
I hope GW will come to a lot of these conclusions and realize he needs that DT and CB we keep talking about on these boards. I think he already realizes that he needs improvement at SS, sure would explain why Archuleta is on the bench.
Crat92 12-23-2006, 02:30 AM I really don't understand what's so difficult about the "cover 2". It's all about mismatches as well as one on one coverage. With both Safeties helping out over the top, the obvious chink in the armor is the middle of the field. Send a back or tight end up the seam. Very few linebackers can cover for that long. It's a big play waiting to happen. It's chess, not checkers!
djnemo65 12-23-2006, 03:14 AM Yeah, that's why we are 30th in the league or whatever in defense. It's not our talent level, or the underperformance of our players that's the problem. The league got wise to the cover 2.
I don't object to what Williams is suggesting, but I just hope that he doesn't think that with the right amount of studying and some subsequent scheme changes that he will be able to propel our defense back into the top 5 through the force of his genius alone. If we go into next year with the same secondary as this year, we are gonna be in the bottom third of the league, regardless of what new wrinkles Williams implements.
70Chip 12-23-2006, 11:03 AM I think that Cover 2 is still very effective against the West Coast guys. (Holmgren, Reid etc.) It was never that effective against Norv Turner and his ilk, especially when he had a tight end like Novachek. To the extent that teams are beating the cover 2 it is because they are discarding the finesse approach of Bill Walsh and embracing a.) a power running game and b) a vertical, timed passing game.
Having said that, I believe that Cover 2 is still the best way to defense a team like Dallas with it's two great WRs. Take away Owens and Glenn and hope you can stop the run with 7. Whitten and Barbour will make some plays but they will not crush you like their outside guys will.
Ditto Indianapolis.
Cover 2 would be worthless, IMO, against San Diego or Denver or New York. Each team would run for 250 yards.
GoSkins! 12-23-2006, 12:18 PM Yeah, that's why we are 30th in the league or whatever in defense. It's not our talent level, or the underperformance of our players that's the problem. The league got wise to the cover 2.
I don't object to what Williams is suggesting, but I just hope that he doesn't think that with the right amount of studying and some subsequent scheme changes that he will be able to propel our defense back into the top 5 through the force of his genius alone. If we go into next year with the same secondary as this year, we are gonna be in the bottom third of the league, regardless of what new wrinkles Williams implements.
We were pretty good last year though. Mostly the same guys. Why couldn't he tweek things and expect a much better defense? I believe that this year was the anomoly.
Beemnseven 12-23-2006, 04:46 PM The other thing, with more and more extremely athletic TEs coming into the league, teams have more weapons with which to attack the middle of a cover 2.
I was thinking about this the other day -- it seems that more and more teams are going after not just one, but two athletic, pass catching tight ends:
Dallas already had Jason Witten, then drafted Anthony Fasano.
Indy had Dallas Clark, then went out and got Ben Utecht.
New England has two of the best with Daniel Graham and Ben Watson.
Those are probably not enough examples to suggest a "trend", but I wonder if it's headed that way.
dmek25 12-23-2006, 09:05 PM the nfl is a copycat league. everyone will get good tightends, and then defenses will gear up to stop them, and something else will open up
Defensewins 12-23-2006, 09:22 PM The rule changes and increased enforcement of existing rules that are geared to create more offense have more to do with this than any "figured out cover 2" conspiracy theories.
Today's NFL offenses have not re-invented the wheel; they are running the same plays as the years before.
The difference is a LB/safety cannot jam a TE or inside reciever like they used to in the past. Big/athletic TE's and FB are coming off the line and into pass patterns untouched. That has changed. In the past you would get hit hard for running across the middle. Now they call illegal use of hands, illegal contact after 5 yards, defensive holding, personal foul unnecessary roughness, etc.
This game is changing for the worse just for ratings and fans that just want offense. Plus add in all these protecting the QB rules. It is a joke. The game needs to be fair for both offense and defense. It currently is not.
As you can tell from my rant I am a former defensive player. I really apprectiate when a team plays great defense. It is a sight to see.
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