IlluminatusUIUC
09-15-2016, 11:24 PM
They are like crazy funhouse mirror images of each other.
Roman is a guy who is constantly sabotaging himself because he has this crazy need to outsmart the opposing coach. It doesn't seem to faze him that we have crazy speed at all the skill positions including QB, he insists on running slow developing power plays. It's like he thinks he's still in San Francisco with a beastly offensive line and a power back in Frank Gore. Admittedly he wasn't here when they drafted Watkins, but how can you look at his tape and not try to get him the ball in space. Has Watkins run a single slant pattern since he came here? What happened to the Taylor rollouts, the comebacks, and all the other stuff that sensible teams do to get a young QB in rhythm? The fact that he has not one, not two, but THREE plays with EJ and Tyrod on the field is the stuff of madness. He has a million gadgets to try to get wideouts open deep, but once they've gotten deep on a D and loosened it, he has no way to exploit it. Compare to Fitz and Gailey. They got deep on us early and often, so they started running curls and back shoulder throws and such and they were wide open, because the DB had to respect the deep pass.
Meanwhile Rex will keep running the same damn thing over and over and the word is out on how to beat it. He's going to bring everyone down to the line of scrimmage on nearly every play. He thinks this will confuse the OL and cause free rushers, but what actually happens is that no one cares. If they bring pressure, the QB just throws 5 yards down field where there are no linebackers. If they bail out into coverage, the QB just throws 10-15 yards downfield in the soft spot between the safeties and the linebackers (who can't get back to cover it, since they were playing at the line).
I'm sure this team will pick up as the year goes on when we start getting pieces of our defense back, but as I said in the game thread and many times before - Rex has never had an elite defense without a hall of fame talent in the secondary to clean up after him. Darby and Gilmore are ok players, but neither will ever reach that Revis/Reed level that Rex needs. This team is going to play some exciting games, but it's like the boxer that comes out of the corner throwing haymakers. They are either going to get a spectacular knockout or receive one. At least they can be engaging to watch.
Roman is a guy who is constantly sabotaging himself because he has this crazy need to outsmart the opposing coach. It doesn't seem to faze him that we have crazy speed at all the skill positions including QB, he insists on running slow developing power plays. It's like he thinks he's still in San Francisco with a beastly offensive line and a power back in Frank Gore. Admittedly he wasn't here when they drafted Watkins, but how can you look at his tape and not try to get him the ball in space. Has Watkins run a single slant pattern since he came here? What happened to the Taylor rollouts, the comebacks, and all the other stuff that sensible teams do to get a young QB in rhythm? The fact that he has not one, not two, but THREE plays with EJ and Tyrod on the field is the stuff of madness. He has a million gadgets to try to get wideouts open deep, but once they've gotten deep on a D and loosened it, he has no way to exploit it. Compare to Fitz and Gailey. They got deep on us early and often, so they started running curls and back shoulder throws and such and they were wide open, because the DB had to respect the deep pass.
Meanwhile Rex will keep running the same damn thing over and over and the word is out on how to beat it. He's going to bring everyone down to the line of scrimmage on nearly every play. He thinks this will confuse the OL and cause free rushers, but what actually happens is that no one cares. If they bring pressure, the QB just throws 5 yards down field where there are no linebackers. If they bail out into coverage, the QB just throws 10-15 yards downfield in the soft spot between the safeties and the linebackers (who can't get back to cover it, since they were playing at the line).
I'm sure this team will pick up as the year goes on when we start getting pieces of our defense back, but as I said in the game thread and many times before - Rex has never had an elite defense without a hall of fame talent in the secondary to clean up after him. Darby and Gilmore are ok players, but neither will ever reach that Revis/Reed level that Rex needs. This team is going to play some exciting games, but it's like the boxer that comes out of the corner throwing haymakers. They are either going to get a spectacular knockout or receive one. At least they can be engaging to watch.