Defense is too complicated........

[Novacane]

Chidi Ahonatu said this is the most complicated D-he has ever played in. Eddie Robinson said it took him 3 years to feel comfortable in GW's Defense.

Maybe our players don't stink on Defense. Maybe GW's calls are to stinking complicated. When you have all young guys he needs to simplify things. In todays NFL you have to play young players. If GW looses his job it is his own stubborn fault IMO!

[HenryRules]

I partially disagree with you. Perhaps it is a bit too complicated, but I think the worst thing a coach can ever do when taking over a team is to try to work within the given circumstances instead of changing personnel/systems to suit what the coach is best at. That's what Johnson did at Miami and it screwed him. If he had his way, I bet Marino would have been traded the second he arrived for a bunch of draft picks, he would have built up the running game, and gone on to at least challenge for a Super Bowl berth. Instead, he tried to accomodate the given circumstances, play a style of football completely different than that which he likes to employ and the Fins were stuck in mediocrity for his entire time there.
The last thing a coach should ever do his change his style. If TD/RW wanted someone with a different coaching style, they would have hired someone with a different coaching style. Stick with what got ya there GW.

[JefftheBillsfan]

if he traded marino he would have been banned from miami...which isn't a bad thing i guess...

[HenryRules]

I agree JTBM. My point was that when coaches let circumstances dictate how they run their team, they are less effective over the long haul and neither they nor the team reaches their potential.

[TigerJ]

I agree it's probably an extremely complicated defense. What I don't know is if the defense can be effective before it's fully learned. Presumably, it can be played with only some of the possible formations, calls etc. I agree with Henry Rules. TD hired GW. The "46" defense is part of the package that GW brings. If you don't want the 46, you don't want GW.

[THATTHURMANATER]

Effective coaching means that you are using your players talents most effectively. You can't blindly stick to a system if the players can't do it. GW must change.

[SABURZFAN]

who cares???it's like the old saying,"you got a job to do,mister,NOW DO IT!!!!"they should be practicing the schemes of the 46 defense every day.nothing comes easy at first.that's why they call it PRACTICE.they need to keep doing the repetitions to make it easier,for themselves, down the road.

[HenryRules]

RB, I understand but disagree with you. Coaches going for short-term success will go with what suits their players and use their players' talent most effectively regardless of the system. Coaches going for long-term success and attempting to build something for the long haul will always set up a system and then go about getting players that fit those requirements. Some flexibility within the system can be used to accomodate different players, but overall the system must stay the same.
Again, look at what JJ did with Dallas when he first went in there. He set up a system, the team bombed, he brought in players that fit his system and then the team turned into a perennial contender/borderline dynasty. For another example, look at the way the Rams were built in recent history.
Just as players have their strengths and weaknesses, so do coaches and I think its a bad idea for the most important part of the team (the coaches) to play to their weaknesses (i.e. different system) than to their strengths.

[Novacane]

Play the 46 just simplify the calls. It confuses the young players.

Henryrules........If GW's D keeps performing like they have he is going to be out of a job too. I am not saying he should play a differant D. He just needs to help his young players all he can.

[Romes]

B2R: The simpler you make it for our young players the easier you make it for the other team to decipher our defense. I'd rather have a complicated defense that takes a while to learn that is hard for other defenses to read than one that is easy for everyone to understand.

[WG]

Everyone's been saying that our D has been intentionally vanilla. I sure haven't seen a whole lot of nuances of this D to even suggest that we're running the 46 in the PS. Looks pretty straight forward to me.

In any case, talent will always shine. Perhaps less so when the scheme doesn't match the talents. But our lack of production, particularly in winning the battle at the LoS has little to do with system. It has everything to do w/ poor talent on the DL and the team's inaction on the matter during the offseason.

I said from the beginning, we needed to sign or draft a DT and a DE. It didn't happen. What we're seeing are the results. We had plenty of opportunities.

I also mentioned that we needed so sign two starting OL-men and two more backups. The more I see out of Teague, the more I see that he isn't worth the contract he got by a long shot! 2.5M/yr. w/ a VERY large SB! We could have had quite a few better OL-men than him for less. IMO he's not even a solid starter guarantee. I liked Conaty better at C. In any event, we got ripped off.

That lack of that other starter is hurting us. While Sullivan shows promise, I wouldn't say he's ready yet. Certainly not after yesterday's game. Teague got pushed around like a ping-pong ball in a wave tank. He's too small.

[The_Philster]

The system isn't the important thing. As Marv Levy once said,
Systems don't win games, execution wins games

[THATTHURMANATER]

HR, you can't build for long term success in this salary cap age. You have to play for the short term. Especially because GW might be coaching himself out of town. GW doesn't have time to think long term.

[HenryRules]

I think long-term success is definitely possible. The Steelers have had one or 2 off-seasons, but other than that have been a playoff team for almost every year of the last decade it seems. Same with the 49ers. The Rams seem to be building for long-term success. The Packers are always right in it in the NFC. The Broncos have been doing quite well for the last bunch of years. Minnesota was doing quite well up until last year.
Is building for long-term success as easy with the cap as it used to be? No, but its still possible. And personally, I think that Bill Cowher's job is much safer than Brian Billick's is at the moment.

[Rebecky]

What is Marv Lewis doing his 1st year in Washington to come up with this KILLER defense in pre-season? (Spurrier calls them "Marvin's guys")

[casdhf]

The system works. They just have to learn it. TD has a 3 year plan, right? Well, this is year 2

[Jeff1220]

Originally posted by Rebecky
What is Marv Lewis doing his 1st year in Washington to come up with this KILLER defense in pre-season? (Spurrier calls them "Marvin's guys")

Lewis is a smart guy. He knew that the Ravens' D was going to be disassembled of talent and jumped ship. Now, he's in DC, with a pretty young, very talented group of players.
He is a defensive genius because he goes to the team whose talent will make him look like one.