DGDB&D: a Texans blog.

The Problem With Richard Smith, Or, Perhaps More Accurately, Referendum On Coaching Incompetence

Sep 30, 2008 2008 Season, Chocodiles, Curious Coaching, DeMeco Ryans, Hi Steve!, Kevin Bentley, Morlon Greenwood, Ranting, Super Mario

Let me just start by saying that, by and large, I agree with Tim and Chris’s points on the game.  There were lots of positives (for the offense) and lots of negative (for the defense and special teams).  In fact, this was one of those games that I didn’t really feel the need to write a recap of, since the goods and the bads were so glaringly obvious.

But, still, my job (as it were) here is to talk about the Houston Texans (as well as make inappropriate remarks about the team and people associated with it).  So rather than do a traditional recap, let’s hit some big picture points.

First, if I were the GM of this team, Richard Smith would not be receiving paychecks from me.  And I don’t just mean going forward, as he should have and would have been fired a long time ago.  After all, the problems are manifold and obvious–no cohesive philosophy, no idea how to use his assets, no clue how or when to blitz, no attempt to adjust when another team is going the Tecmo Bowl route and burning you with the same exact play over and over and over and over, and nothing to suggest that his charges are this close to turning the corner and becoming markedly better.  We’ve spent numerous first- and second-round draft picks on defense, especially the front seven, yet we remain incapable of getting to the QB before the ball is thrown or creating turnovers or (on many days) even tackling with any regularity.  That’s ALL on Richard Smith.

Despite cries for his head after last year, Smith got a free pass to come back for another 16 games because (a) Mario became dominant in 2007 and (b) there were so many injuries that it somehow seemed unfair (to everyone but me, I guess) to fire him when he was shorthanded.  Unfortunately, last year’s MASH unit was actually better, at least to the naked eye, than this year’s healthy squad has been.  If Smith were any kind of DC, doing better this year than last should have been the easiest assignment of his tenure.  Instead, everyone except Mario (yes, even DeMeco) seems to have stagnated or regressed in 2008.

Sunday’s game was a snapshot of the entire Richard Smith experience—players out of position, inexplicable defensive calls in tight situations, defensive backs who looked lost and exposed.  Even worse, one got the feeling that absolutely none of those problems was going to go away until Smith himself went away.  So, while I have railed against Smith in this space for over a year, I feel like it’s time to turn it up a bit.  In that vein, “FIRE RICHARD SMITH” is now the official motto of DGDB&D 2008.  I realize that I have no pull and a relatively limited audience, but I figure saying it a lot and trying to get others to spread the message absolutely cannot hurt our cause.  Say it loud, say it often, and say it to anyone who will listen.

Moving on…

As bad as Smith’s squad was Sunday, Joe Marciano’s was even worse.  And I’m not just talking about their inability to recognize that a team cannot punt when there is no punter lined up behind the center, though that was certainly the most egregious example.  But, yeah, it was worse than that.  All day long, our returners made horrible decisions and/or did nothing while our coverage teams allowed Jacksonville’s return men to get huge chunks of yardage on seemingly every kick.  In fact, thus far in 2008, on Kevin Bentley has really been a consistent contributor on special teams.

Like Richard Smith, Marciano probably should have been gone a while ago.  However, because he’s been blessed to have some very, very good return men, as well as the occasional solid cover guy, he’s been able to keep his job.  Nevermind that, as a Texans fan, you have reached a point where you just expect the other team to be starting somewhere past their own 25 on every single possession.  Hopefully, for my own sanity as well as the future success of your Houston Texans, Sunday’s game was the beginning of the end of the Marciano era.  If not, here’s to hoping that Kevin Bentley becomes the next Eugene Seale.

Thirdly, can someone please tell me what the heck is going on between Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson?  Because I honestly cannot come up with any sort of answer that makes sense.  Some have suggested that maybe Andre’s injury has changed his route running or made him slower, but it seems like the passes to Schaub are behind Andre rather than out in front.  Others have suggested that they are just not clicking because they didn’t get to play together very much in the second half of last season, but they had never played together before last season and they started the year firing on all cylinders.  Like I said…I don’t get it.

What I DO get, however, is that our offense on Sunday was on fire and looked like the team from early 2007 that was putting up points fast and often.  And that’s without Andre being involved even half as much as you would have assumed.  If/when he and Matt get back on the same page, the Texans should be able to score against just about anyone.  Judging by the success Denver had (prior to the KC game), a high-powered offense combined with a non-tackling defense can still win you more than it loses you, at least until playoff time rolls around.  Maybe, for now, we need to approach the game like those old Colts and Rams teams did—we are going to put up 35 or more most weeks and assume that even our sub-par defense can stop you a couple of times.  Scoreboard, holmes.

Finally, a couple quick thoughts on some players:

Steve Slaton is your running back for the foreseeable future.  That TD pass he caught was the product of a route that no previous Texans RB could have done.  In the modern, pass-happy NFL, having a back who can split out wide and blow by a corner is a luxury and it’s one that we now possess.  This is very, very happy news.

Morlon Greenwood, what has happened to you?  Consider this my official mea culpa: I was wrong on Morlon in 2008 and it’s time to replace him with…

Kevin Bentley.  Gotta love what you’ve seen from LVJ so far.  He’s playing fantastic on special teams, he’s one of the few guys on the team who has shown a willingness to hit, wrap up, and tackle, and he even looked solid playing in place of DeMeco for a few snaps Sunday.  So, I ask ya, is there any reason not to assume that he would be an upgrade over Greenwood or Zac “I’m Way Too Small To Play SLB” Diles?  I think not.

Dear Jacques Reeves, TURN AROUND AND FIND THE BALL EVERY NOW AND THEN.  Signed, Anyone With Two Ounces Of Common Sense.

Last, but certainly not least, a kudos to the entire offense line (but, especially, Duane Brown) on Sunday.  Nicely done, gentlemen.  I see that you’ve realized that keeping Matt upright makes you look good and makes the whole team better.  Let’s continue that approach against the Colts in what is certain to be an absolutely rocking Reliant Stadium this week.

About Lasterday

Sep 8, 2008 2008 Season, Andre Johnson, Anthony Weaver is a thief, Babyeating-Sisterfuckers, Curious Coaching, Damn it, DeMeco Ryans, Hi Steve!, Morlon Greenwood, Super Mario

Alt. post title: “Chainsaw Sodomy”

So, I suppose I have to say something about the game.  Something more than “well, fuck,” I mean.

At the same time, there’s really not much to say that hasn’t been said.  We played like shit, especially in the secondary and on the o-line.  We let the back-to-back bad calls on the ball spot demoralize us.  Schaub looked indecisive, slow to deliver, and (apparently) blind to the colors black and yellow.  (He should see an optometrist about that.)

Before we pour salt into those wounds, however, let us see if I can come up with five positives from the contest:

1. Mario Williams.  If last year’s 10 sacks in the last six games didn’t sway you, Mario’s dominance against a team that was holding the entire rest of our defense in check should.  Two sacks, a forced fumble, and a team-high six tackles?  He’s good.

2. DeMeco Ryans and Andre Johnson.  You’ve gotta love two pros who, despite the fact that most of the team isn’t giving ANY effort and despite the score, continue to play their balls off until the end.  Johnson was more or less unstoppable.  Too bad Schaub never had the time to really exploit this.

3. Steve Slaton.  I know that his average wasn’t that great, but dude ran hard, was not afraid of contact or to run between the tackles, and showed no hesitation in making his cut and going.  If he’s not the starter soon, I’ll be shocked.

4. It’s only week 1.  There’s a good chance that we will not face a more physical team all year than the Pittsburgh Steelers.  There’s an equally good chance that our staff (sans Richard Smith) is smart enough to see where we sucked and try to make some adjustments (more on that in a bit).  To get that winning record, we just have to go 9-6 now instead of 9-7.  Not the end of the world.  I think.

5. No injuries.  For as bad as the game was, at least we escaped intact.  Watching the debacle unfold, I was struck by how, had this game happened last year, at least four players would likely have wound up broken in half.  [Update: After I wrote this, I heard from Chris that Ahman Green is injured.  Big fucking deal.]

Enough with the Pollyanna bullshit.  For every one good thing above, there are at least five bad things that happened.  The ones that really stuck out were:

1. The Playcalling.  This goes for offense and defense.  Now, I suppose the latter is not surprising, as Richard Smith’s play selection was a topic of much anger and despair around here for all of the 2007 season (save, possibly, for two or three games in November).  The former, however, did surprise me.  If Shannahan can’t call a game better than that, maybe Gary needs to take control of that side of the ball for good.  There was none of the explosiveness that we saw in the early part of last season.  While some of that is because Schaub was pestered all day long by Harrison and Woodley, that doesn’t explain all of it.  There was no attempt to run outside zone at all that I noticed, there were FAR too many short passes on third down, etc., etc., etc.

2. The Secondary.  Holy Christ On Rollerskates, they were atrocious.  The Fred might want to double-check and see if the equipment guy packed his jockstrap because Fred got shaken out of it early in the day.  Reeves was bad, but actually not quite as bad as he’d been in the preseason (though it would have been nice if he had the hands to snag that fumble before it went out of bounds).  But the safeties…if they were any worse, we’d have been better off playing with 9 defensive players.  Demps looked slow and C.C. looked soft.  I am with SOLIS here–we should move Demps to SS (he’s better moving forward and playing the run anyway) and let Eugene Wilson try his hand at FS.  No other move really makes sense (until Dunta comes back, that is.)

3. All LBs whose names do not rhyme with ReMeco Dyans.  Morlon Greenwood…dude…do you have any idea how big of an asshole you are making me look like?  How could you have seemingly aged five years since January?  Why are you ALWAYS out of position?  Does it bother you that teams are throwing and running right at you now?  C’mon, dude.  And Zac, you weren’t necessarily awful, but you sure didn’t do anything to make me say “well, at least HE came to play today.”

4. The Offensive Line.  Wow.  Kung Fu Panda was brutal, but I am almost willing to give him a pass, as asking a rookie to hold James Harrison in check all day in his first start is a suicide mission from the outset.  Eric Winston, I am not as willing to let you slide—you just got fat dollars from the team, yet you looked like you were trying to be a matador out there.  Don’t gimme this “ole!” bullshit.  Chris Myers, you might not want to let yourself get thrown into the running back.  That could be a sign that you just got owned.

5. Matt Schaub.  Yes, I know, he had little time to throw.  When he did have time, however, he looked scared, he looked like a certain other Texans QB who had no mental clock for when to get rid of the ball, and he looked right past the Steelers defenders who might stand between him and his intended target.  And what the fuck was that red zone throw that hit the goddamned crossbar?!?  Who was supposed to catch that, Matthew?!  Also, I know you love Andre Johnson.  We all do.  But you might want to look around a little bit from time to time so you don’t miss Vonta Leach so wideopen that he could have moonwalked into the fucking endzone.

There are plenty more, including 3/4ths of the defensive line, but you get the gist by the now.

*deep breath*

OK…all that said, I am not yet ready to panic.  All of the bad spots can be fixed (or, in the case of the secondary, at least patched up and made to look decent) and we still have Baltimore coming up next week.  They are like Pittsburgh (3-4 defense, surprisingly mobile QB) without all the good stuff (defensive speed, talent at WR).  On top of that, the Jags were bad in every area I suggested they’d be bad this year and the Colts looked pretty exposed when faced with a team that was willing to throw under the Tampa-2 all day.  Besides, the BE-SFs are without their intangibly great QB for 4-6 weeks (don’t buy into that 2-4 week bullshit) and will either suck while he’s gone or face the mother of all QB controversies.  Life could be much, much worse.

I think.

Oh, as a final note, there is a difference between being a fan, being an internet troll, and just being an obtuse douchebag.  Suffice it to say Beans Carter falls squarely into this last category.  Apparently the Titans are the class of the AFC and the Texans are the worst team in football.  Or something along those lines.  It’s always so hard to decipher stupidity.

Old Five And Dimers Like Me

Aug 11, 2008 2008 Season, 2008 Training Camp, Amobi Okoye is an adult, Big dudes doing the little things, Corky Johnson, Daddy's girl, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Duane Brown as Eliza Doolittle, Morlon Greenwood, Okam's Razor, Preseason 2008, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Super Mario

…aaaaand, we’re back!

Back from where, you ask?  Well, for the first time since Sophia was born back in February, my wife and I were able to escape for a kidless vacation this past weekend.  And how better to spend a romantic weekend than in Houston, eating Mexican food, listening to live music, and watching your Houston JUGGERNAUT in action?

Speaking of live music, if you’ve never seen Billy Joe Shaver in concert, do yourself a favor and make that happen.  The man is a living legend (he wrote 90% of Waylon Jennings’ Honkytonk Heroes album as well as songs for the Allman Brothers, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Bobby Bare) and, even better, completely out of his mind.  He spent two songs explaining how to throw a punch, one song trying to kick a woman in the head, and at least two songs flapping his arms like he was going to fly.  But, regardless, the show was fantastic.  And I defy you to show me another 69-year-old performer who comes on at 11PM and plays until well after 1AM.

Other thoughts about the game and the weekend in general:

• First off, huge thanks to Tim and his better half for taking us to the game and just generally showing us a good time around Houston.  A+ effort as always.
• A separate thank you to Tim’s dad for giving us the tickets.
• He got close last year, but this is going to be the season that Mario Williams makes all the doubters feel silly.  You wouldn’t think he could look appreciably better than he did last year, but you would be wrong.  On one play, Mario shoved Ryan Clady (all 325 lbs of him) back about six feet and snared Selvin Young with one hand, bringing the RB down for a two-yard loss.  The funny thing was Clady was in proper to position to block Mario—he had his butt low and was squared up correctly—yet Mario just flung him out of the way as if he was nothing.
• DeMeco Ryans is very, very good.  This is not news.  What is news, however, is that he seems to have found another gear as well, as he was disrupting plays in the backfield with surprising regularity during the first two series.
• Ninfa’s is really, really good.  It’s so good, in fact, that every time I eat there, I refuse to eat Mexican food in Little Rock for months afterward.
• Is there some reason Jacques Reeves was giving a five- to seven-yard cushion to the slot WRs?  Because I can’t figure out what it would be.  I mean, his one asset is speed, right?  So shouldn’t he play a little closer, knowing that he can keep up stride-for-stride?  Someone needs to answer this.
• Will Demps looks very good in run support.  He is one of five Texans who can claim that praise following Sunday’s game.
• Petey Faggins made one tackle where, before I realized it was him, I said “wow…great hit!”  Then I felt dirty and started to question my own existence.  Thankfully, Faggins then completely lost outside contain on Anthony Aldridge’s run, turning a 4-yard loss into a 19-yard gain.  All was immediately right with the world.
• In other news, Petey tackles very well when he is hitting a stopped receiver from the side.
• Contrary to what some random ‘tards will tell you, there is no QB controversy, nor should there be one.  Matt Schaub looked fantastic on his first four throws and the timing route he fired to Andre Davis was a throw that (a) Zoolander never could have made and (b) our offense has rarely, if ever, featured before.  Schaub threw it to Davis’ back shoulder and the ball was halfway there before Davis ever made his turn.  It is obviously something they’ve been working on, though, as Andre knew without a doubt where the ball would be when he broke.  Impressive as hell.  That throw is also why I think Matt forced the fifth throw into coverage—he’s apparently been working with Davis on a lot of short routes and precision throws and he’s comfortable throwing to Andre regardless of the situation.  Was it a bad throw?  Of course.  It was into triple coverage and David Anderson was open to the left.  But it was an understandable early-season mistake.
• Speaking of QBs, Sage Rosenfels did look good, especially on the throw to Anderson.  But what apparently doesn’t come across on television (as I haven’t seen anyone talking about it) is that Sage has a serious case of happy feet back there.  Oh, sure, he’s nails and he will stay in and keep his eyes downfield, but his footwork is pretty bad.  He made that very nice throw to Jacoby Jones, but he was practically dancing in place before he launched it.  And I can’t recall him stepping up into the pocket much at all.
• Good news!  There was actually a pocket the QBs could have stepped into.  I am already prepared to admit that I was wrong on Duane Brown; that kid looked fantastic Saturday night.  His footwork was nearly flawless, his technique was solid, and he used his hands very well.  Ephraim Salaam just got Wally Pipped, I do believe.
• I am going to tell myself that the injury to Louis Green and the ensuing five-minute delay took the steam out of our drive and that is why they had to settle for a field goal.  I am telling myself this and you can’t convince me otherwise.
• Remember not that long ago when Chris pointed out that Ahman Green’s 2007 injury was hardly a fluke—it was a straight-on hit to the knee, which happens to all running backs multiple times per year?  Well, you know, AT LEAST IT WAS A HIT!!!!  Seriously, you are going to hurt yourself on the VERY FIRST PLAY OF THE YEAR without so much as the defense getting a hand on you?  Really?  Honestly?  I don’t think I am alone in saying that I am fine with the team taking the cap hit and giving Green his walking limping papers.
• Cadillac Bar’s brunch buffet is fan-friggin’-tastic.  It is doubly great when you have 5 or 6 mimosas.  What’s that, you say?  Mimosas are lame?  Good sir, the fact that I am allowed to drink alcohol with breakfast without drawing scorn from others is far from lame.  Plus, you know…vitamin C.  No scurvy for me!
• Was it just me, or did it seem like Morlon Greenwood was trying to make me look like a jerk?  I spend two friggin’ weeks defending the guy and arguing that he’s way better than we give him credit for being and…um…wow.  He was horrid Saturday night.  No one should get owned like that on a Jay Cutler run, yet Morlon did.  And he was abused in the short passing game as well.  NOT GOOD, MORLON.
• Thanks to Lee, stacy, and grungedave recommending breakfast spots.  We tried to go to The Breakfast Klub on Saturday, but the line was around the block.
• The more I think about it, the less problem I have with Jacoby’s second punt return.  Granted, he did everything wrong—he ran backward, he changed directions too many times, he waited too long to switch hands—but he also juked past at least five would-be tacklers and, at the moment he fumbled, was about six inches from beating the last guy and taking that punt to the house.  No, I don’t want to see him doing that again, but I love that he is still that confident in the return game.  That’s the swagger we saw last year until he was destroyed by Hunter Smith.  Just hold on to the ball, son!
• Steve Slaton has ridiculous speed, but could get knocked over by a stiff breeze.  There were three plays where if he had made a real move or ran with a little more power, he could have made something big happen.  On both of the runs, he got arm-tackled by the last possible defender and, on the pass play, he thought he could juke an NFL lineman with nothing more than a head bob.  This ain’t Rutgers, man.
• The interior line of the future, aka Amobi Okoye and Frank Okam, really impressed me.  Amobi blew up a running play early and seemed to be playing with a better motor than at this point last season.  Big Frank annihilated two blockers and blew up a running play of his own late in the game.  Frank is still raw, no doubt about that, but he did nothing to lower my expectations of him.
• Why is food so much cheaper in Houston than in Little Rock?  I don’t get it.
• Dear Travis Johnson, Please stop diving late into piles just to “prove” that you are playing with intensity.  It’s stupid and it is going to cost us yards at some point.  In fact, why don’t you do us all a favor and just leave?  Love, Matt.
• David Anderson: Helluva game from the worst dancer in the history of the world.  I agree with Tim’s assessment, however, that we might have the best receiving corps in the NFL top to bottom.  We definitely have one of the fastest.
• I have no opinion on Chris Taylor getting the bulk of the carries.  Whether it is to see just we he has to offer or simply to keep the other people healthy, I am fine with it.  I would like it, however, if he could actually get 4 or 5 yards/carry in these games.  Whatever.
• Zac Diles: A+.
• OH…I almost forgot to mention this, but Kevin Bentley looks…how can I say this…FAT.  Not at all what I expected from ol’ LVJ.  When he came out for special teams work, he was hopping up and down to loosen up, and you could see a gut jiggling.  NOT COOL, Kevin.  Do you want to lose the bet?  Is that it?!?!
• Did anyone see Antwaun Molden?  Because I didn’t notice him at all.  Also, could we verify that Tim Bulman and Rosie Colvin were actually at the game?
• And, finally, though I already mentioned it once, it bears repeating that Mario Williams is an absolute man.  Be afriad, AFC South.  Be very afraid.

Morlon Revisited, Some Housekeeping Notes, and a Fantasy Update

Aug 7, 2008 2008 Season, Bad Idea Jeans, Douchebag Tom, Morlon Greenwood, Stats

Back in the comments to this post, I wrote the following in response to socctty’s post:

Thanks. I was actually wondering what the FO numbers were. I want to respond to this in a new post, but that will likely be later today.

Well, replace “today” with “this summer” and here we are.  Rather than just drone by myself, though, I emailed with socctty, posing my own questions regarding the numbers.  Here’s the back and forth.  First, my email.

First off, like I think I mentioned, I admit that the FO numbers do not look good for Morlon.  And I love what the FO project (for lack of a better term) is about; the changes sabermetrics has brought to baseball analysis would be more than welcome in the football world.  That said, and at the risk of sound disingenuous (or, worse, sounding like one of those “VY is better than stats” fans), I do have a couple questions/concerns about FO’s methodology, at least as it pertains to defensive players.

Let me back up, though.  FO is based on “The Hidden Game of Football,” right?  Well, it’s been a while since I read that, but I do recall a large portion of the beginning of that book talking about how football differed from baseball, in that the latter was linear and each action was more or less independent of other actions.  I believe the quote was “baseball is a thread; football is a fabric.”  Now, I do think that FO has done a great job of extrapolating from the lessons of that book and creating ways to better evaluate certain players and teams as a whole, but here’s concern #1:

While people who touch the ball (”skill” positions and returners) have enough measurable attributes to allow for in-depth analysis (yards, TDs, what-have-you), I feel like defensive players, especially in the running game, are hard to measure.  As someone said in the comments to that post, if a run is supposed to go outside, but Morlon seals the edge and then DeMeco blows the guy up as he’s looking for a new hole, does FO account for that?  Can anyone really account for that sort of thing?  Second, if Morlon is responsible for the running back in a passing route (fairly common for his position) and the QB decides to run left, Morlon can’t break coverage until the QB crosses the line of scrimmage, so it is going to be pretty hard for him to stop someone like Vince before the QB gets 4.5 yards (success on first down).  How is that accounted for?

And, since I am asking so many questions of you, I’ll try to answer some of the ones you posted.

“Shouldn’t a weak side backer have more than 1 sack, 1 hit, and 3 hurries on the season?”  In theory, yes, though that as tempered by (a) Richard Smith never, ever blitzing with Morlon (something I screamed about all last season) and (b) in a non-blitz situation, getting to the QB is going to be Greenwood’s third responsibility on every play.  First, read the fullback and pick up the run.  Second, pick up the FB or RB in the flat or in the short zone in the passing game.  Third, if neither the first or second option applies, get after the QB.  Without looking, I can’t know for sure, but I imagine the third scenario doesn’t happen a whole lot.  Also, when the RB flares to the strongside, if Morlon reads the play correctly from the snap, he’s going to cut straight across the field, behind his own D-line, rather than try to get the QB before a dump pass and then have to chase the RB from behind.

“Why was he targeted so many pass plays?” Because the way he’s used in our system, he’s covering as described above as well as filling the middle zone when DeMeco blitzes.  It would be odd if Greenwood didn’t have the most passes thrown at him of the three LB positions.

One final thought:  Including Thompson and Bentley in the SAM statistics for last year doesn’t work because they were both playing for other teams.  If you replace them with Diles and anyone else who got snaps over there, do we know what the numbers were?

Socctty’s reply:

You know what, that’s a good point with the “sealing the edge” scenario. In that sort of instance, I’m not sure how Football Outsiders would score it. Generally speaking though, they consider the strong side of the field the SAM linebacker’s responsibility. So when a running back blows past him and gets tackled by DeMeco 6 yards later, they credit DeMeco with the tackle and “credit” Morlon with allowing 6 yards on the play (unless he was taken out by a pulling guard or something).

For a lot of the metrics, you’re right that these statistics aren’t always applicable - it would be best to compare Morlon to other SAM backers in 4-3 defenses, and at that point you start limiting the pool of players you can compare him to. It’s probably not fair to compare him to WILL or MIKE backers as a hard and fast rule. Nevertheless, tackling is a basic skill any linebacker should have, and when they rank in the 90s out of 99 total players, it doesn’t reflect well on them.

In virtually every metric FO uses to score linebackers, Morlon scored poorly last year, so it’s hard to believe that there’s some unique skill he has that isn’t being measured in a given statistic. He has a successful play on passes (previously defined) only 38% of the time (average is around 50%; he scored 80th amongst LBs). He was the worst in the league amongst qualifying players on running plays in Run Stop Rate, and 96th in the league on rushing yards allowed per play. So it’s not as if there’s some vague, obscure, fluke category that he’s scoring poorly in. It’s pretty much across the board.

What’s interesting is that the year before last, Morlon did pretty well for himself. (Looking back at Pro Football Prospectus 2007 was interesting; at the end of this I’ll type up some of the things they said) Check out this attached web page for a table I put together. As you’ll see, Morlon regressed across the board in every single statistical category.

As for a “control” player, DeMeco was virtually identical in every single category from 2007 to 2008. This tells us that the statistics are not prone to random variations, and that they reflect players’ performances pretty accurately. Morlon stank it up last year.

Now, we can attribute Morlon’s stats to a lot of things: Smith deciding blitzing was out of fashion; something to do with Travis Johnson getting more reps; Smith switching to more zone coverage after Dunta went down… we could go on. But I think all of that adds up to a lot of apologizing. In the end, I think we have a 30 year old linebacker who was, at his best, average, and now he’s 30. Maybe it was an off-year. I think it’s a sign of things to come.

All that being said, though, there is of course value in what passes the “eye” test. These stats only reflect part of what the game charters’ eyes have seen. We have to assume the linebackers coach and the defensive co-ordinator and the head coach and the general manager see something they like in the guy, so I’m not ready to start lumping him with the Petey Faggins of the world. I won’t start lumping him with the “most underrated players in the league” crowd, either.

PFP2007 notes on the Texans (this was going in to the 2007 year):
- With regards to sacks: “Don’t be discouraged - every other number says (Mario) Williams had an excellent rookie season.” They go on to cite how he was a beast against the run, hiding the horrible performance of the DTs.
- “Williams’s only weakness is that he does not have Julius Peppers-like versatility in pass coverage, something the Texans exacerbated by getting too cute with zone blitzes.”
- On the LB corps: “Ryans was like a piece of filet mignon sandwiched between two slices of moldy pumpernickel.” They said more or less the same thing in PFP2008.
- “The Houston secondary is a festival of replacement-level talent with one bright exception, cornerback Dunta Robinson… as for the rest of these veterans, there’s no reason to waste a paragraph delineating shades of mediocrity.”
- “The Texans drafted cornerback Fred Bennett in the fourth round, and he has extreme strengths and weaknesses. He’s a tall, athletic leaper with great cover skills, but he doesn’t like contact and can’t tackle.”

This year they rave about a possible Okam-Okoye combo.

Me again:

Interesting point regarding Morlon’s slide from 2006 to 2007, if only because he appeared (again, it’s that “eye” test) to play better last year than he had the year before.  I do think you are on to something with the idea that what we got out of him over the past two years is likely the high point, which is why I’ve been fine with the idea of grooming Adibi to take that role.  And, really, if Adibi overtakes him this year based on performance, I’ll be fine with it.

Yeah, I was overreaching by lumping him into the “most underrated in the league” category.  I admit that.  A more accurate assessment would have been “underappreciated by his own fans.”

I guess my biggest problem with relying on the numbers, even the more logical ones created by FO and guys like KC Joyner, goes back to my initial point that it is inherently difficult (at best) to quantify the performance of guys who aren’t carrying the ball.  The ball dictates evaluation of those guys, right (i.e. the running back DVOA is not based so much on how he picks up blocks or carries out a play-fake, but totally in his performance when he has the ball, right?)  Even when you break the defense down and watch each play, without knowing the actual defensive call, it is hard to say whether a guy was successful in what he did.  For all we know, a WLB could be credited with a failure because the ball was rushed to his zone, even in a situation where the WLB’s responsibility on that particular play wasn’t that zone.

Granted, those situations are probably rare, and maybe they are so few as to not impact the overall numbers.  I’m speculating here, mainly just for the sake of playing Devil’s Advocate.

The other question I had was whether the methodology seems to favor or disfavor certain positions?  Like, for example, how are Lance Briggs and Ernie Sims (the two “playmaking” WLBs people mentioned) compared to DeMeco or Patrick Willis?  My guess is that MLBs are always going to rate higher, especially in the run game, because there’s not much room for a running back to get around them when he comes up the middle.  On the other hand, if the O-line seals the end, so that the RB winds up one on one with a WLB, the RB has some room to operate.  Dunno…just more thinking out loud.

And his final reply:

The DVOA numbers only count towards players with the ball or players for whom the ball was intended. And things are taken into consideration, such as receivers who give up on a ball - each throw, for incompletion is marked with a “why” (Hit in Motion, Tipped Ball, Overthrown, etc.)

However, they also score things like blown blocks for running backs in blitz-pickup.

Anyway your point probably does hold some water: there are stats that they keep that are more valid than other stats they keep, and at any rate, they should (like any stat) be viewed in their proper context. One could argue that the FO stats’ main benefits are that they inherently have more context in and of themselves. But yes, there are simply things that they can’t measure.

With regard to the defense’s call, you can actually tell a lot. You can see if they are in cover-1 or cover 2 before the snap; you can of course see if they are in a 3-4 or a 4-3; before the snap you can get a pretty good idea if it’s zone or man, and after the snap there is no doubt (with a hat-tip to TiVo).

Keep in mind that defensive players are never measured in DVOA; only the defense as a whole is.

As far as WLB versus MLB vs LILB-in-a-3-4, etc, as far as pure numbers (counting stats) go, it’s probably best to compare WLB to WLB and LILB in a 3-4 to other LILB in a 3-4. But generally speaking, you can look at rate (or percentage) stats to glean a comparison, provided that the sample size is significant enough. 99th out of 99 isn’t probably very far away from 78th out of 99, but when you show up in the 90s out of 99 in two different statistical categories, and pretty much in the lower third in every other category, it doesn’t look too good for you.

Reading over the 2007 book, I found this nugget also: “Screen passes and dumpoffs are marked as Uncovered unless a defender (normally a linebacker) is obviously shadowing that specific receiver on the other side of the line of scrimmage.”

Soooo…yeah.  I hope that sheds a little light on the sabermetric side of the discussion.  Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts/questions/hate mail in the comments.

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Now, for the housekeeping:

1. Based on discussions like the above, bfd and I have added socctty to the DGDB&D family.  I have no idea how much he plans to post or what topics he might cover, but I am really excited about the added statistical analysis.  The goal from the start with this blog has been two-fold—entertain and offer some info/analysis that you can’t get elsewhere.  This addition is a huge step in the second direction.

2. In the spirit of the above, I thought I would mention that we are always willing (hoping?) to publish Texans-related stuff written by anyone (other than Douchebag Tom), provided it meets one of the two qualities above (the whole entertain/inform thing).  It’s not an open audition or anything, but if you want to write a guest post, hammer something out and send it to one of us.  We can’t make you famous, we offer no pay, and we can’t promise that people won’t make fun of you in the comments, but…uh…there might be some reason why it still sounds fun.

3. I am leaving tomorrow morning for a weekend get-a-way with the wifey.  So, if you want to read anything new, pester bfd.  I’m assuming he’s not planning on running a liveblog for this game, but I do want to use the CoverItLive software for regular season liveblogs (the same setup we used during the draft).  Two questions: 1. Is there enough interest that it won’t just be me and grungedave making the same jokes every week?  2. Any music requests?

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DGDB&D Fantasy Football Update.

Currently on board: Me, Lee, grungedave, socctty, DisplaceTexan, Dan B., DeMecoShall…, and abumnamedPaul.  That’s 8.  Am I missing anyone?  What days of the week are best for a live draft?

Why I {heart} Morlon Greenwood

Jul 21, 2008 Demarcus Faggins sucks, Morlon Greenwood, Stats, Underrated

So, in the comments to this post, Steph (echoed by Lee) asked:

Uh, I don’t know why you love Morlon Greenwood so much. He gets a lot of tackles, (after the offensive player drags him a little bit). He has one of the largest salaries on the team, and I don’t see him even as a average linebacker in the league. Heck, some might make the argument that he isn’t even above the average for linebackers on this team.
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I know you heart MG, and I’m only bringing this up to have a discussion of it because I’ve never understood your Greenwood love.
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Is it just the stats? Or are you seeing something in his play that is not as obvious as what you see with DeMeco. Ryans gets fat stats, but his play is so obviously outstanding when you watch it.

First things first, I want to make clear that I am not alone in my love for Morlon, nor in my assertion that he is incredibly underrated.  Along with a penchant for drinking too much, our appreciation for Greenwood is one of the things Tim and I have in common.  From BRB:

Morlon Greenwood is the most underrated defensive player in the NFL.  That’s right.  I said it.

I’ve been trying to analogize another player in MLB or the NBA to better describe the lack of credit Morlon Greenwood receives despite his stellar play.  Greenwood’s body of work this season clearly screams Pro Bowl, but he’s got no chance of actually getting a ticket to Honolulu. I’m stumped.

Morlon Greenwood was so ridiculously good yesterday (13 tackles and a sack) that he gets to be first.  Frankly, he played like DeMeco Ryans.  Which was good, because DeMeco was hampered by a bum knee and didn’t have his typical impact.  Greenwood was all over the field throughout the entire afternoon.  I’ve noted before that Morlon was quietly having a great year, though he has about as much chance as getting to Honolulu in February as I do.  In light of that, he’ll have to settle for this:  His effort against the Bucs was about as good as a linebacker can play.

Not that agreement between two idiot bloggers is dispositive of the issue, mind you.  I just wanted to make clear that I am not making stuff up or living in some hallucinogenic haze. Well, at least not with respect to the Jamaican Destroyer.  (Yes, I just made up that nickname.)

So, what makes Morlon so good?

First, Greenwood has fantastic instincts.  Not just, “oh, he’s a smart football player” type instincts, but more “damn, this dude always seems to be in the right place at the right time.”  For just one example, mainly because it was the easiest one to see on television last year, in the Arizona preseason game, he had backside contain, saw the Cards’ formation (empty backfield), saw where Petey was matched up against Edge in the slot, knew Petey was going to get beat (safe guess), and broke from his WLB position to the middle of the field to try and make the play Petey would not.  Unfortunately, Petey got roasted so badly off the line that Greenwood did not have the time to get there (the line of the scrimmage was the 5), but it was one of those plays that few WLBs would have had the presence of mind to even attempt.

Second, and more importantly, Greenwood is putting up solid numbers week in and week out while playing WLB in a 4-3 run by a man who isn’t qualified to suggest plays to you on Madden.  Is Greenwood as good as Lance Briggs?  No, of course not.  But 118 tackles, 1 sack, 4 PDs, a Forced Fumble, and an INT is a VERY productive season for a weakside linebacker, even in a system where the DC knows how to utilize all three LBs properly.  In our system?  That is a FANTASTIC year. In fact, that stat line is so good that part of me wonders why in the world we have to have this conversation.  (It is also a line so good that those who “might make the argument that he isn’t even above the average for linebackers on this team” should be dismissed as stupid.)

Overall, Greenwood has posted 112, 109, and 118 tackles, respectively, in his three seasons as a Texan.  Now, while I fully realize that tackle numbers can be inflated when the players in front of the LB suck (or, in the case of Jamie Sharper’s ridiculous numbers, when you are running a 3-4 without a real NT and EVERY play gets funneled to you), I also know that Greenwood’s numbers as a Texan are better than what Derrick Johnson has put up in KC over the same time-frame.  And, much like our line, it’s not like KC has been running a bunch of All Pros out there in front of DJ.  Additionally, when moved from the SLB to the WLB position in Miami, Greenwood posted 108 tackles there and that Miami defense ranked 8th in the league in yards allowed.  So I think it’s fair to say that Greenwood is not the “beneficiary” of poor play in front of him as much as he is just a good Weakside Linebacker.

Finally, there is the fact that Greenwood and DeMeco are like peas in a pod when it comes to film study and play.  I put this point last on purpose because I generally think chemistry is overrated.  For instance, last year, when Dunta was defending Petey as CB2, saying “I know what he’s doing over there; we work well together,” that didnt really mean much because they were on opposite sides of the field and one’s play was independent of the other 99.5% of the time.  When you are talking MLB and WLB, however, that sort of thing does matter to a certain extent.  If they are consistently on the same page and DeMeco never has to wonder if Morlon is picking up the same cues and/or if Morlon is playing his assignment correctly, then that frees DeMeco to be even more of a destructive force and lets him focus 100% of his attention elsewhere.  While I don’t think good chemistry alone would be a reason to keep him, I certainly think it is something in Greenwood’s favor.

In the end, though, it comes down to the first two points.  He has shown great instincts and quietly used those instincts and his natural ability to post a 2007 season that almost any team would be thrilled to get from their WLB.  Did it come at a hefty price tag?  Perhaps.  But at least the money spent on Morlon was paid for top-notch play.  Unlike, say, the checks that Anthony Weaver cashed every two weeks.  And, besides, it’s not like Morlon’s salary made it so we could not afford some other great WLB who was available this past offseason, so I’m not entirely sure that his cost is germane to this conversation.

Now, obviously, Greenwood will be 30 this year and he can’t play forever.  And, as much as I love the guy, if Adibi takes his job after this season based on the performance of one or both of them in 2008, I am not going to lose any sleep.  But, until that day comes, I think Texans fans need to realize how well Greenwood is playing every week and be thankful that we have him.

Kickoff

Jul 17, 2008 2008 Season, Babyeating-Sisterfuckers, Kickoff, Morlon Greenwood, Self-Referential Stuff, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Fred

Fuzzy math.  The Titans claim Haynesworth’s one-year tender offer makes him the highest paid player in football.  Haynesworth’s agent disagrees.  Haynesworth responded by punching an eldery lady and squishing a newborn baby with his bare hands. (h/t Eric)

Irritating trends in national sports journalism. I post this article merely as further proof that Morlon Greenwood is the most underrated player in football.  He is lumped into the guys who are “holes around” Mario, Amobi, and DeMeco.  Fred Bennett is also, apparently, part of that group.

The is your brain on drugs.  Following up from BFD’s Kickoff yesterday, Chris has added a second round of numbers to the predictions for the BE-SF’s 2008 season.  Suffice it to say that, should these numbers pan out, the Titans will be one of the greatest offensive teams in the history of football.  Which will be even more impressive, since they are doing it without WRs.

Finally.  Some retard wrote a breakdown of the Texans’ running back situation.

A revised look at 4-3 defensive theory

Jun 17, 2008 2008 Season, Broken Record, Colvin, Curious Coaching, DeMeco Ryans, Dunta Robinson, Football 101, I love defensive football, Morlon Greenwood, Okam's Razor, Posts that list too many players, Rendhel and Sid, Teams that aren't the Texans, The Fred, Will Demps makes love to the...ladies?

Because two of my good friends are Giants and Redskins fans, respectively, I find myself engaged in more conversations about NFC East football that one would expect for a Texans fan. However, because I am obsessed with defensive football–especially defensive line play–I actually enjoy these chats and, more often than not, come away with some new ideas about our team.

Anyway, one idea that we’ve been kicking around lately is that the Texans should run a variation on the Eagles’ defense because (a) our personnel is tailor-made for such a system and (b) that system would allow our front seven to protect the weaknesses in our back four, just like it did for the Super Bowl Champion Giants.  Sounds good, no?

Let me back up a bit, though, and lay this out. Back in late October of last season, I wrote a long post advocating, first, that we blitz, and, second, that we come up with some creative fronts and utilize the zone blitz more often.

2b. So, then…how should we go about blitzing (other than with the aforementioned proper use of the WLB)? The answer is simple: the zone blitz

[4-3 defense 102 here. Feel free to skip ahead.]

The idea behind the zone blitz is two-fold. First, duh, create pressure. Second, however, it tries to confuse the offense’s blocking calls by sending any of the three linebackers (or, occasionally, a safety) while someone else fills the space left by the vacating backer. In that way, the defense does not lose the extra hands in coverage, but should still be able to get penetration because the offensive line will not know where the blitz is coming from on a given play.

For example, the zone blitz allows the MLB to blitz through the A-gap, while the nose tackle stunts over through the B-gap. In coverage, the WLB fills the space vacated by the MLB and the RDE drops back and out into the space that WLB would fill in a standard two deep zone. So, when the QB sees the MLB attack, his natural reaction is to look to throw at where the blitz came from (or, if he’s guessing that the WLB will fill, to where the WLB came from), only to find the ball thrown right at a defender.

Then, on the very next play, with the very same package, the team could go with a more traditional WLB blitz, but have the RDE slide back to fill. We saw this play once or twice in the preseason with Shantee Orr lined up outside the RDE and it was effective.

An added bonus of blitzing out of a two-deep zone is that it allows our best defensive player to make even more of an impact on the game. DeMeco Ryans has two sacks this season, both of which have come on a straight blitz. On both plays, he came more or less untouched (one against Harrington late in the game when we decided to actually play D and the one last week where he nearly killed Kerry Collins) because he was allowed to read the offensive line and choose between the A- and B-gap and he smacked the QB right in the mouth. He has also been asked to run blitz a couple times and he’s found success there. So, if we start using him on some zone blitzes, teams will have to account for him more. Meaning that blitzes from other positions–say Danny Clarkstunting over the LDE with Morlon Greenwood dropping back to the middle and DeMeco filling the space where the SLB would normally be–a team throwing over the blitz would be throwing the ball right at our best defensive weapon. Likewise, letting DeMeco creep up and show blitz, especially if he’d already had success, would create more chances for the d-linemen on either side of him to get ignored by an overzealous o-lineman. And so on, and so forth.

[/4-3 Defense 102]

I cannot state this strongly enough. Blitzing is a necessity when you have 1/4th of a real secondary.Zone blitzing allows for our strong front seven to create mismatches while still keeping two or three extra bodies in coverage and allowing our best defensive player to better impact the game. While you cannot necessarily use the zone blitz on every down (it becomes less effective at some point), how is this not a better option than dropping the three LBs, relying entirely on your front four for any pressure on the QB, and watching the QB have time to locate and throw at Petey Faggins?

3. Why do we use our front four in such a vanilla manner?

Just like you can’t run the zone blitz on every defensive snap, if you do anything over and over, eventually everyone in the NFL will know your tendencies. (By “eventually,” I mean “by next week.”) Right now, we have the same formulaic defensive line positions. Mario at RDE on running plays, Mario at LDE on passing plays, blah blah blah.

Why?

First of all, backing up a step, why when Mario moves to LDE–a move I really, really like–do the tackles not flip-flop so that Amobi Okoye is not beside Mario? We’ve covered this before. Yes, I am fully aware that Amobi has four sacks and that, on three of those, Mario is clearly occupying at least two blockers. That’s all well and good, but, like we said before, it’s not really the highest, best use of their talents. Flipping Amobi puts your two-gap, big-bodied tackle between Mario and Okoye. It is this player’s goal to pick up two blockers, which means that either Amobi or Mario (or, possibly, both) would draw single blocking more often than not. Meaning, oh I don’t know, that we would get more consistent penetration from both sides of the line.

But, back to where we started question 3: why even have a definite set order for your defensive linemen? I mean, sure, if you are going to have set positions based on down and distance, then for god’s sake, do it correctly within the constraints of the 4-3. But do you really even have to have set positions? Right now, you have Mario Williams who, though Richard Justice would disagree, is actually playing very well [This sentence is hilarious in retrospect. --Ed.]. You have Amobi Okoye, who is playing the pass-rush role as well as we hoped and playing the running game better than we hoped. AND you have Travis Johnson who is just playing some inspired football right now, hustling, hitting people, and playing like you would hope a first-round DT would [Did I really write that? Jeez. --Ed.]. That’s three real pass rushers, plus we haven’t even touched on Kalu,Weaver, Maddox, etc.

With that kind of ability up front, why become so predictable that teams can game plan and negate some of the advantage you have? Mix it up a little. Go big on one play and have Mario, Maddox, Johnson, and Amobi from left to right. Next time out, go with your more traditional base. Then turn around and go small (relatively speaking) with Mario, Okoye, Cochran, and Orr [Replace "Orr" with "Colvin" or "Thompson" --Ed.]. Create a mismatch by putting Mario at under tackle and then having him twist-stunt with Weaver lined up at DE. The possibilities are vast…if you will just use them.

Note: I am fully aware that Mario moved around a lot last year and that some of the coaching staff thought that might have been his “problem.” You know, rather than just having an injured foot and being a rookie at a tough position. That’s all well and good, but setting up your front so that he is guaranteed to get doubled on every single play is hardly the answer.

I guess the bigger point here for question three is JUST DO SOMETHING. Don’t keep running out there with a predictable front four rotation, no blitz packages to speak of, and a secondary that can’t cover for as long as you are asking them to. DO SOMETHING.

The great thing about the 4-3 is the balance. But that balance is in terms of playing the run versus playing the pass, meaning you still have to play to the strengths of your D. Consistency in game planning will always equal regression in the NFL; worse, consistently planning in the same incorrect manner will always equal failure.

While a number of you bought into my arguments, there were a good number who argued that “we’d blitz if we could” and “Richard Smith is doing the best he can with what he has.”  Of course, my whole argument was that, no he wasn’t, but that’s beside the point.  The point is the team did start blitzing the very next week (I know you are reading this, Smith!) and did so with success, I might add.  Unfortunately, it never really got into the idea of true zone blitzing or, more importantly, blitzing teams with high-octane offenses (read: the Colts game) and there was little or no creativity shown in our alignments and packages.

Now, I still stand by my assertions that my approach to the defense would work and work well given our roster.  However, upon further review, I see that there is an even better approach we could take.

Which brings us to the Eagles’ scheme.  And, even better, brings us to an Xs and Os breakdown of said scheme.

The Eagles ostensibly run a 4-3 defense.  Their system differs from the standard 4-3, though, in a number of ways, all of them significant.

1. The Outside Linebackers. Instead of having a true SLB and WLB, they make the two OLBs interchangeable in terms of responsibilities and positioning. Using these fungible LBs, on nearly every play one of the OLBs rotates up, creating a five-man front and showing blitz while the other rotates back, creating additional space between himself and the line.  Despite being on the line, however, there is no guarantee that that linebacker will blitz; the Eagles will sometimes bring the other OLB, a CB, a safety, or nobody at all (though bringing no one is rare–the Eagles blitz almost 65% of the time), with the up linebacker dropping into coverage either by hitting a specified zone or by picking up the TE or RB or FB in man coverage.

On the other hand, there will obviously be times when the up linebacker does blitz.  In this system, though, he might be joined in the rush by the other OLB, by either corner, or (one of the Eagles’ favorite moves) by the safety.  Or maybe he’s joined by two or three of those guys.  Or maybe you think he’s going to be joined by the safety, only to find the safety back in coverage right as you release the ball…see where I’m going with this?

Another facet of the Philly scheme is that OLB speed is not as important as instincts and the ability to get where you need to be in coverage. This is not to say that speed isn’t an asset–of course it is. Rather, it just means that a player like Greenwood who has shown great instincts (see, e.g., the Atlanta game when he realized Faggins had blown the underneath coverage and tried to get there from his spot on the edge) becomes more  valuable in this system. 

2. The Middle Linebacker. The Eagles’ system simultaneously limits the MLB and gives him greater freedom to impact the game, which sounds illogical but isn’t.  In your standard 4-3, the MLB generally reads the offensive line and the FB and then flows to a hole, whether that hole is in the A-gap or all the way out in the D-gap. But his flow to the hole is limited by his added responsibility of maintaining interior defensive positioning until he is sure there is no cut-back run.  Only after making all of the proper reads is your MLB free to use his speed and be the sideline-to-sideline playmaker.  

In the Philly scheme, the MLB has two responsibilities–the A-gaps–because all of the other holes are filled with rushing bodies. If the play goes away from these gaps, the MLB’s defined responsibilities are done and he is freed to roam the field, ad-lib, and create plays, meaning that he doesn’t have to have the same great recovery speed that the standard 4-3 MLB does.  It is this simultaneous limiting and freeing that makes someone like Jeremiah Trotter a dominant MLB in this system; ask him to play sideline-to-sideline like a typical 4-3 MLB as they did in Washington and he sucks immensely, but put him in Philly where he only has to play the A-gaps and he’ll consistently get 100 solo tackles and 3-5 sacks a year.

3. Defensive Line Theory. In Philly’s scheme, the only player in the front seven who has true two-gap responsibility is the Nose Tackle, and even he only has to do it every once in a while.  (The MLB is responsible for two gaps, but they are really just the same gap on either side of the center and not a two-gap responsibility in the same sense that the NT has.) Now, on the face of it, that is not so different from a standard 4-3. The devil is in the details, though.

A typical 4-3 is a read-and-react defense for everyone except a blitzer (and, really, even he is supposed to do this).  Now, while the linemen in a 4-3 only have one gap responsibility, the difference between their one-gap requirements and Philly’s DL one-gap requirements is one of intent and initial movement. For example, in the read-and-react approach, his primary responsibility is to read the lineman blocking him because, while he has C- or D-gap (depending on alignment and shift) requirements as well as contain, he has to remain in position to go either direction with respect to his blocker–on an inside run, he has to be able to shed the block and crash down; on an outside run, he needs to get free of the block and seal the edge. To do this successfully, the lineman must stand his blocker up and stay square with him long enough to read the play and react to it (hence the name).

In an attacking, Philly-style system, which is a one-gap attacking approach, the first responsibility for the DE as well as all the other lineman is to get 1.5 to 2 yards upfield, then flow to the ball. What this means in practice (assuming perfect execution) is, in a read-and-react D, every lineman stands his blocker up, then flows along the face of the blockers down the line of scrimmage to the ball, while, in an attacking one-gap system, the defensive linemen get behind the blockers and then flow (or, more accurately, crash) to the ball.

As a quick aside, obviously, each system will have its flaws and benefits. The read-and-react defense expect the linebackers to make most of the tackles, which means consistent positive yardage for the opposing team, yet it also gives you a safety net of a clogged line and three backers moving to the ball. The attacking defense runs a risk of giving up the big play if the linemen or LBs miss their tackles, but it also gives you a near certainty of consistently stopping the opposition for no gain or a loss.

A second difference in D-line theory between the two schemes is movement of the front four by way of stunts and whatnot. Because it is a one-gap system, the linemen are freed to do any number of a variety of stunts so long as the movement ends with one of them in each gap. While such stunts are theoretically possible in a standard 4-3, you can’t do it too much when the DTs may have multiple gaps or when you are worried about breaking contain on the outside. When you are sending the house on a blitz, however, all that matters is (a) that a body ends up in each of the gaps and (b) that you can count on your MLB to make tackles on anyone who comes thru the A gaps or slips around the edge (which goes back to the freedom of the MLB’s responsibilities).

4. Coverage. Much like the front seven, the coverage in a Philly scheme is incredibly fluid. If you watch the Eagles (or the Giants, who are actually a better comparison given their lack of a super secondary), the coverage calls might change two or three times before the ball is snapped. An initial coverage is called based on down and distance. Once the offense breaks its huddle, the coverage is changed if necessary to account for the personnel and the formation. Even better, the coverage can change on the fly after the ball is snapped. So, while the Cover 2 (which is pretty much a one-gap system up front) has players moving to specified zones and has some discrete coverage schemes within the larger system, the Philly system moves seamlessly from zone to man to zone again.

I just re-read that paragraph and it is not overly clear. By way of an incredibly simplistic example (that doesn’t account for some coverage variables): In the Philly system, assume the defense has called a 5-man blitz based on the offense’s personnel of two WR and two TE on third-and-long and that the OLB who has rotated up to the line is supposed to cover one tight end, the nickel corner is coming on the blitz, and the other OLB is picking up the second TE. Now, presnap, the offense shifts the second TE out wide, so the coverage audibles for the third CB to pick up the second TE and the OLB who was going to pick up that TE to blitz. At the snap, the TE who was to be picked up by the up linebacker stays in to block, so that OLB instantly becomes a blitzer as well.  You’ve gone from a 5-man corner blitz to a 6-man two-LB blitz without changing your alignment or your package. By bringing out the extra TE, the offense has caused more blitzers to come.  That’s some beautiful stuff right there–it’s the beauty of the system that, should the defense recognize the initial blitz and audible into something else, your system accounts for that by changing your blitz altogether.

The second part of the scheme is that it does not pigeonhole your coverage into a certain system. So often, teams that run a Cover 2 design their blitzes based on the principles and assignments of the Cover 2. You will almost never see them come with a safety blitz because that leaves a hole in the coverage they are comfortable running and it is impossible to disguise from the Cover 2 alignment. A corner blitz is disguiseable because the CBs line up on the line, but it requires an OLB to cheat out and cover the area where the corner vacated, which is always dangerous.

But, as Philly showed against New England and Dallas last year, their system doesn’t force you into any specific pass defense. Against the Pats, the Eagles blitzed constantly, from all sorts of angles, and played straight up man coverage behind it and very nearly won that game. In the first half against the Cowboys, Philly again brought extra rushers, but alternated between man and zone behind it. Then, in the second half, they continued to show blitz on every play, but dropped everyone into coverage. The first half pressure had gotten to Romo, though, and he could not find a rhythm even when the blitz didn’t come.

Underlying each of these differences are the basic tenets of the system–create confusion by showing lots of different looks pre-snap and by bringing pressure from all sorts of locations, never let the offense know who is coming or how many are coming (anywhere from 5-8, but more than 4 about 2/3 of the time), and plug every hole while confusing the O-line and causing them to make mistakes. Basically, it’s an offensive take on defense: an attempt to create plays rather than reacting to what the offense is doing. Get upfield, and then play football.

How Does This Apply To Us?

Which brings us to the point of this post. Namely that your Houston Texans possess enough talent and flexibility in their front seven to run a modified version of this system and run it well.

Our defensive line would thrive in the one-gap approach. Imagine telling Mario Williams and even Anthony Weaver, “ok, first we want you to just get in the backfield, then worry about where the ball is.” Could anyone stop Mario in that situation if he didn’t have to react to the play before choosing a lane? Hell, could any TWO people consistently stop him in that situation? I think not. Weaver, likewise, would thrive because he would not have to react to left tackles–something he lacks the speed to do consistently–as much as just beat them off the line and get past them on whatever line he wants. Amobi and Frank Okam on the inside would also be fantastic in this scheme–you wouldn’t be asking two young players to read the play and their blockers. Amobi has already shown a nose for the ball, so you’d be telling him to follow those instincts. And Okam would actually be better than anything Philly uses on the inside–both of their starting DTs are much smaller than he is–and as the only two-gapper would have the girth to really eat up the blockers in his path. Hell, this system would even make Travis Johnson valuable again as the backup for both tackle positions. Love him or hate him (and I did both last year), his biggest problem is that he’s too small to really be a two-gap NT. This system would make him just put his head down and go upfield rather than trying to take on two blockers, so you could spell Okam with him when you didn’t need a two-gapper at all, or Johnson could back up Okoye. Oh, and Rosie Colvin? He could be the second D-end in nickel situations because, like Weaver, his success would not depend on being able to react and beat a LT. Much like Mathias Kiwanuka was for the Giants, he would be the pin-your-ears-back rusher in pure passing downs.

Like I said way back up there, this defense would make Greenwood even better than he has been for us. (And he has been very good, but that’s a whole other article.) Opposite him, it would make life both easier and more fun for Zac Diles–he would be freed from playing the standard run-stopping role of the SLB and would be allowed to use his speed and ability more freely. Plus, you are simplifying the game for a young guy learning a new position because you are giving him specific assignments–rotate up and blitz, rotate up and cover the TE (but blitz if he tries to block you), rotate back and cover the TE/RB, rotate back and blitz. Simple, straightforward.  You could also sub in Chaun Thompson in pure passing downs if you thought he was a better blitzer than Diles because teams would then assume he was coming, even when he wasn’t.

I’ve mentioned the Giants a few times through this thing as a more apt comparison for us and a better model to build from. This is because the Eagles have one piece that we do not have–Brian Dawkins.  Dawkins role in the Philly system is manifold: he is an additional linebacker, he plans man-up on WRs, he blitzes, and he patrols the deep middle. We don’t have a player that can do that unless and until Dunta comes back as a FS.  (Which would be amazingly perfect for this system.) The Giants don’t have the dominating safety, nor do they really have an impressive secondary, but they run a version of this same Philly defense up front (Steve Spagnolo is from the Philly organization) and they won the Super Bowl with it! All without a great secondary.  Sound familiar?

The important thing is, if you lack the physical presence of a Brian Dawkins, you have to have a safety back there who is smart enough to make the right reads for the coverage. For the Super Bowl Champion Giants, it was Gibril Wilson. For us, it could just as easily be Will Demps, who might not be Dawkins but is a smart, instinctive safety nonetheless.  In fact, to paraphrase my buddy Rendhel, the Giants have not had a great secondary in years, but they always have a good defense because they understand the value of pressuring the QB.  When they got Spagnolo and the Philly system, they took this appreciation of pressure to a new level.

Right now, we don’t have a very good secondary, but we seem to also lack the proper appreciation for just how much QB pressure can improve the coverage. Jacques Reeves is blindingly fast, meaning he could come on corner blitzes. But he could also stay with anyone in the league for two or three seconds. It’s when you start asking him to cover longer that he becomes a liability. Fred Bennett is an instinctive young player and will probably become pretty good, but he has still shown that he can be beat if you ask him to cover too long–why not remove that liability more often than not?

I could go on and on, but the point is that we have the personnel to do this and we have first-hand evidence that this kind of defense turns an otherwise non-spectacular team into a playoff team and a real contender. Unfortunately, we also have a defensive coordinator who wouldn’t blitz at all until around Halloween and then backed of his blitzing any time it stumbled a bit. That is the absolute worst attitude a d-coordinator can have.  Now, maybe the presence of Ray Rhodes (phormer Philly coach!) will give Smith the testicular fortitude to at least be more aggressive. I can dream, I guess. Because, until we get a new coordinator or our coordinator gets a new outlook, this post is nothing but navel gazing to a disgusting degree.

Like always, though, just because they won’t do it, doesn’t mean I am wrong.

OTAs Day 7

May 30, 2008 2008 Season, Babyeating-Sisterfuckers, Chaun, Gary Kubiak, I really dig my readers, Kevin Bentley, Morlon Greenwood, Posts that list too many players, Preseason 2008, President Lyndon Veins Johnson, Vince Young can't read this post, Xman

You must forgive me.  All these years being a sports fan has made me more than a little calloused when it comes to quotes during camps.  I mean, when was the last time you heard a player say something along the lines of:

“The team is a bunch of assholes.  There’s no chemistry at all, and our team is fucked.”

Nope, doesn’t happen.  What we do get is the usual:

“Oh, man, it’s been great. I’ve got great coaches. I’ve got great teammates…

Basically, the linebackers are just all a brotherhood. The whole team is a brotherhood but the linebackers especially, we’re real tight, real close, and if anybody needs help on anything, we’re always there to help each other out.”

Awwwww, isn’t that sweet?  The quote is courtesy of Chaun Thompson, one of our off-season additions (quotes courtesy HoustonTexans.com).

But, wait a minute, is this a little nugget right here?

(on if LB Chaun Thompson will work with the defensive line) “Yeah, once we get going in camp, he’ll go down with (defensive line coach) Jethro (Franklin) and (senior defensive assistant) Frank (Bush) to work on some pass-rush skills and those types of things. He shows the ability to do that, but the thing we don’t want to do is hurt him at linebacker because he’s very competitive in our situation at linebacker right now and I don’t want to take away from that.” - Gary Kubiak, again from HoustonTexans.com

When you consider the depth we have at linebacker - DeMonster, Morlon Greenwood, and Zac Diles as starters with Xavier Adibi, Kevin Bentley, and one of several including UDFA signee Ben Moffitt (h/t 1Texan) as backups - we have some pretty damn good depth at linebacker.  Even if Thompson sees time at LB, it could be in *gasp* blitz packages.  There’s one important thing to remember about Thompson: he’s one extremely fast dude.  Instead of trying to force his talents into a system like the Browns did, it looks like the hometown heroes signed him because he fits our system.

And, frankly, anything that keeps Anthony Weaver off the field until he proves he can collect a single sack is a good thing.

Finally, we all know I’m a University of Texas grad and still live in Austin, right?  OK, well…

Vince Young a couple of days ago:

I really thought long and hard about it,” Young said on Thursday after practice. “There was so much going on with my family. It was crazy being an NFL quarterback. It wasn’t fun anymore. All of the fun was out of it. All of the excitement was gone. All I was doing was worrying about things.

Vince Young yesterday (h/t Eric):

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I ain’t never said I was going to quit football,” Young said. “There was a lot of stuff going on in my life, but football is not hard to me. Football is easy. All you have to do is be coachable and use your God-given talent. If it was a thought at all it was just a passing thought for a second.”

You know, I really have no problem with what Ricky Williams did.  Hell, if I could get stoned and travel the world instead of working, I would do that in a second.  But Vince?  Yeah, just, wow.

BFD’s take on the Texans’ 2008 Draft - the first time, at least…

Apr 27, 2008 2008 Draft, 2008 Season, Alex Gibbs, BFD's Real Doll, Broken Record, Chaun, DRC, Duane Brown as Eliza Doolittle, I really dig my readers, Jacoby Jones is unheralded, Morlon Greenwood, Posts that list too many players

Well, it’s all done but the crying. I gotta admit that I’m still disappointed that we lost out on DRC (note to self: do a better job discrediting who we want next year), and I will forever hate the Cards because of it. Or something. That said, I’m gonna throw up (sic) some grades for our draft this year, and I would love to hear your feedback. I’m not going to do any purposeful agitating a la Little Dickie Justice, age 12. I’m going to try and be as honest as possible with my subjectivity and objectivity.

1st Round (#26 overall): Duane Brown, LT, Virginia Tech.  I originally wasn’t too excited, and then I slipped quickly into acceptance. Considering he was taken with the 26th pick of the 1st Round, it’s definitely an over-draft. That we traded back eight places and still got the guy we allegedly wanted the entire time earns some points, though. For now, it’s a bit of a wash on the good and bad, and I am still worried about his ability to have a short-term impact on the team, so I will go with a Grade B. No, not great. I think it’s average right now, and it’s a full grade higher because of the trade down and acquisition of additional picks. Mr. Brown and Smithiak are certainly welcome to make me eat that grade, however.

3rd Round #1 (#79 overall): Antwaun Molden, CB, Eastern Kentucky. curtisdisco had some good things to say about Molden at BRB, and if you check out the entire thread, the guy is definitely a work-out fiend. Seriously, the guy seems to be a slightly lesser version of DRC: small school and huge combine numbers. Considering what the guy has had to deal with as a human, and how *pissed* he was at his badass workouts, I am prepared to go JJ on him. Grade B+.

3rd Round #2 (#89 overall): Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia. I do worry he’ll be a Chris Perry at the highest level due to his size and seeming inability to run between the tackles, but he definitely has game-changing ability. Used in the proper role, I can see him excelling. Grade B+. I do think we need to set realistic expectations that he is not a true #1 RB, but I have no problem with that, either.

4th Round (#118 overall): Xavier Adibi, OLB, Virginia Tech. Here’s my take…so, we didn’t take a DE in this draft, yet I believe it to be a serious area of need. We signed Chaun Thompson, who could line-up at DE as a serious speed rusher. Yes, that’s where I am going with this. Chaun will see a lot of time opposite Mario at DE, and I have absolutely no problem with this. Chaun *is* 6′2″, 250lbs, so he’s not terribly undersized. But if he can become a demon off the outside, yeah, I’m liking this.

As for Adibi, as I said previously, I see a lot of Morlon Greenwood. Others in the Draft Thread said DeMeco, but that’s a little too far for me. And again with the b0ng hit of Adibi. He’ll definitely challenge Zach Diles and Kevin Bentley at SAM. An interesting pick with some seriously high upside. Grade A-. As stupid as this may sound, if any of our picks have a big impact in 2008, I think it’s most likely to be Adibi.

5th round (#151 overall): Frank Okam, DT, The University of Texas at Austin…bitchez. Yes, an alum from my beloved alma mater. And, yes, I am super-excited about this pick (though not as excited as Tim). He has a first-class body, a top-of-the-class mind, but he has the motor of a moped. He also needs some serious work on his technique. The worst thing about him is his ability to disappear for stretches, but when he’s on, he’s Shaun Rogers good (when his engine is running, of course).

Going into the 2007 season, I thought Okam would be a legit 1st round pick. That he slid is more of an indictment of the motor, technique, and (oh yeah!) conditioning than it is anything else. A motivated Okam would be an absolute steal and the acquisition of a 1st rounder in the 5th. Grade A-.

6th round (#173 overall): Dominique Barber, S, Minnesota. I just don’t understand this pick. We took Molden, we have enough DBs to hold up against Andre Ware, and we took the slowest S on the board? I mean, I think even I could hang with this guy in the 40 (20 years ago). Look, he may be Marion’s brother, but I hate that SOB. Grade D.

7th round (#223 overall): Alex Brink, QB, Washington State. I watched only about half of one WSU game this year, and I don’t have much of an image of Brink. He’s mobile but smallish, and he definitely has a “West Coast Offense” kinda arm, which means it ain’t the strongest. I will reiterate that I believe that Kubiak carries three QBs on the active roster, and Brink will be practice squad fodder. Grade who cares.

Overall Grade:

I think we are seeing a trend of sorts with Smithiak, which is taking safer picks in the earlier rounds and going for the homerun in later rounds. I’m OK with this. Brown, for all the smack, was a fairly safe pick. Mario and DeMeco were a fairly safe picks. In 2007, ManChild was an easy call and not a gamble, but they went Jacoby Jones in the 3rd, Fred Bennett in the 4th, and Brandon Frye in the 5th (looking forward to seeing him in the summer).

This draft just seems similar to me. A safer pick at the line early (Brown vs. Okoye), l33t skill position in the 3rd (Slaton vs. JJ [nod to JJ here, though]), a DB with upside (Bennett vs. Molden) in there, and another lineman with talent in the 5th (Okam vs. Frye).

Overall, I give this draft a very sold B+ with a greater possibility of upside than not. Molden and/or Okam could make this grade an “A” by themselves, much less Brown or Slaton. I’m excited.

A dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.

Mar 11, 2008 2004 Draft, 2006 Draft, 2007 Draft, 2008 Combine, 2008 Draft, 2008 Season, Amobi Okoye is 20, Corky Johnson, DeMeco Ryans, Demarcus Faggins sucks, Huh?, Jason Babin, Morlon Greenwood, Posts that list too many players, Pulp Fiction, Rendhel and Sid, Teams that aren't the Texans

It is not much of an exaggeration to say that I have seen Pulp Fiction at least 500 times. My freshman-year roommate had a copy (VHS, baby!) stolen from Blockbuster, which we watched almost daily for that entire year, and I’ve continued to watch it more frequently than any other movie over the past decade. I am reasonably sure this says something about me, but I’m not sure what it is.¹

Anyway…I mention this as background because, by this point, you’d think nothing could surprise me in that film. You’d be wrong.

So, here’s the deal. When the guy who looks somewhat like Jerry Seinfeld comes out of the bathroom and shoots at Vince and Jules, why in the hell did he have that gun in the bathroom with him in the first place?

Hear me out–clearly, Brett and “Flock of Seagulls” were not expecting Marsellus’ guys to show up at that instant, as they were enjoying Big Kahuna Burgers² and just otherwise chilling. Seagulls was lying on the couch and, one assumes, did not have a gun within easy reach. Brett, likewise, was seemingly unarmed. The look of terror on both of their faces suggests that, had they been expecting a visit from Jules and Vince, they would certainly have been armed and ready to shoot for their lives. I mean, Brett seems to know from the moment Marvin opens the door that he is probably going to die. If you had ripped off a crime kingpin and were expecting hitmen to show up and kill you, would you be more likely to sit and eat burgers or arm yourself and prepare to shoot back?

Besides, on top of the surprise factor, you have the size of the gun. It was, as Vincent pointed out, “a goddamned hand cannon.” Such a gun is not the type that someone would have cavalierly tucked in his waistband, nor was he wearing a holster. So basically, logic dictates that he either picked up the gun and carried into the bathroom or the gun was already in the bathroom. Neither of these situations really makes sense to me. On the one hand, if Brett and Seagulls were not expecting Vince and Jules to arrive, there’s no reason to think Guy in Bathroom would have suspected it enough to carry a large handgun into the crapper. Likewise, I can see no reason why that gun would already be in the bathroom considering the people out in the living room did not have guns within easy reach.

By now, you are probably thinking “what the hell does this have to do with football?” Simple: I had been blindly accepting the situation as it was presented to me, when I should have been considering the context. Because, once you consider the context, some things that seem to make sense really don’t.³

Which brings me (finally) to the draft.

Over the past days and weeks, many people have come to grips with the idea that the Texans are probably taking a CB with the 18th pick in the draft. On the surface, where you have an injured Dunta Robinson; a horrid Petey Faggins; a possibly-horrid Jacques Reeves; and are relying on a second-year corner and a veteran sex machine safety, it would seem logically sound to take a corner and hope to improve your atrocious secondary. It would seem that way until you really consider the context.

Right now, you can easily claim that our holes on defense are NT, DE2, CB2, SLB, and (possibly) SS. Of those holes, CB2 is the one where we have already spent the most cap space this offseason, albeit on a guy who might not be able to cover me for 4 seconds. Does it make sense to use your draft pick on a guy who play the same position as the guy you just overpaid for?

But that’s not even the biggest issue.

The fact is, a great defensive line can make a suspect secondary look average to good for multiple games in a season. A fantastic secondary can make an average D-line look good a couple times per game. Partly, this is because of the nature of the rules that allow WRs to play virtually untouched. But it is also due in no small part to the logistics of what the positions are asked to do. Your defensive line exists to get to the QB (or RB), correct? Well, they know where the QB is going to be once the ball is snapped. Defensive backs, on the other hand, are asked to cover someone with no clue as to where he is going or what path he will take to get there. This means that even the best CBs are going to get beat on a long enough timeline. SO–and I know you see where I am going with this–you can improve your secondary just as much by drastically shortening the length of time you ask them to cover as by upgrading your cornerbacks.

Hell, this year’s Super Bowl Champion New York Giants are an embodiment of this principle. Their monster defensive line was able to consistently get pressure on opposing QBs. Because of this, the Giants were able to survive with subpar linebackers (Pierce is a good player, but his main strength is in leadership and getting the D set correctly; Mitchell is a smart player and a sure tackler but is nothing special; and Torbor is notably below average, but tough) and an average defensive backfield. Corey Webster looks like he turned it around, but he still isn’t very good yet. Aaron Ross looked very good for a rookie, but Gibril Wilson is at best good (in terms of skills he’s probably comparable to a healthy Will Demps, maybe very slightly better) and James Butler more or less stinks.

Yet, despite having a back seven that was basically average, the Giants defense looked absolutely dominant at times–including against the Patriots–because they were able to get after opposing QBs on a regular basis. This is not a novel concept, really. And, given the choice, I would almost always rather go into a season with three great defensive lineman than with 2 great defensive linemen and a great DB. And, hell, with Ryans and Greenwood behind a line similar to the Giants, even Petey Faggins would seem decent at cornerback.

*Pauses to consider the implications of that last sentence. Shudders.*

WHICH (finally) brings me to my bigger point. Namely that, if we are drafting defense in the first round or third round, we should be looking for a defensive tackle or a speedy defensive end or–shockingly–both. I mean, clearly someone in Texans management thought that Reeves could play or else they wouldn’t have signed him. You want to make that signing make sense? Then put together a front four that can limit how long he has to cover. The kid has fantastic speed, but his instincts and coverage skills are not all that amazing. Ask him to cover for 2.5 seconds instead of 4.5 and his speed/quickness should be able to overcome his technique/skills. Unless, that is, someone thought it prudent to give $8MM guaranteed for a nickel corner. Which I choose to believe no one in our front office is stupid enough to do.

[Author's note: I realize that some of this--ok, fine, much of this--is a rehashing of the philosophy I've been espousing since the end of the season. I was pushing for a NT at that time and, for the most part, my position hasn't changed. I have only amended it to say that I would be nearly as happy with a solid DE and that the only CB I would be willing to change my opinion for would be the mutant Rodgers-Cromartie.]

Who, then, should we be looking at? I’m glad you asked. Two names that immediately jump out to me are Brian Johnston and Kentwan Balmer.

Last one first, let’s take a look at Balmer, since most of you have probably heard of him. A 6-5, 308 DT out of UNC, Balmer posted 59 tackles (33 solos), including 3.5 sacks, 9.5 TFL, and four quarterback pressures. Balmer was solid against the run in general, allowing 1.69 yards/carry on his 55 running stops. The one knock I would have against him is that he is about 15 lbs lighter (minimum) than I would like out of my NT, but that is countered by the fact that he is strong (33 reps) and explosive (29 in. vertical jump). Even better for our purposes, Balmer is currently projected to go in the late first/early second, meaning he should be available at 18. Speaking of that 18th pick, I think even if most teams have Balmer slotted at 25-30, we should be willing to reach a little if we find a guy we really want because of the lack of a second rounder.

The other guy I mentioned, Brian Johnston, might be unfamiliar to many of you. That’s what happens when you go to Gardner-Webb and don’t get a combine invite. Of course, after reading about his tryout in front of some NFL scouts, maybe he should have been invited.

Measuring in at 6-foot-5, 274 pounds, Johnston ran his first 40-yard dash in 4.66 seconds. Johnston’s 40-yard dash time would have been the fourth best at the NFL combine for defensive ends, and the best for any lineman weighing more than 260 pounds.

Johnston’s most impressive stat from the 40-yard dash came with a very strong 1.51-second time through the first 10 yards, an important time with regards to a players quickness. By comparison, Johnston’s 10-yard split was the same as Arkansas’ running back Darren McFadden turned in at the Combine earlier this year.

The most impressive result overall, however, may have been Johnston’s time in the 20-yard shuttle. He turned in a 4.18-second time, which is better than any lineman at the NFL’s Scouting Combine. In fact, the 4.18-second time was faster than any running back at the event - with Illinois’ Rashard Mendenhall the only back to match that time.

So, yeah…I’d say he fits the definition of a speed-rushing DE. Now, I know some of you are likely saying “ACK! Workout warrior from a small school! Babin! BABIN!!!” That’s fair. But let’s not forget that Babin was a college 4-3 DE drafted to play OLB in an NFL 3-4. Going forward was never a problem for him; it was sideline to sideline and dropping into TE coverage that killed him. In Johnston’s case, you would be drafting a college 4-3 DE speed-rusher to play NFL 4-3 DE speed-rusher. And, because Mario and Okoye occupy the extra blockers, he’d be going one-on-one with o-linemen most of the time. That’s always nice when you are lightning-fast.

ANYWAY, I am just spitballing here. If the word around the campfire is to be believed, we will take someone like Aqib Talib at 18 and then a RB in the third. And I’ll deal with it, even if I don’t think it is the right approach. And, hell, maybe I get kinda lucky and we take Talib (or whomever) in the first but still snag Johnston in the third. Regardless, until Draft Day, I am just going to keep doing my best to shepherd the weak through the valley of darkness.⁴

¹ That’s not entirely true. I think it says that I liked the movie when it was (a) popular, (b) cl