So what would you do ....

[askabry]

Lineup change: Start Marcus Price at LT. Put Jennings at RG, a position he's played as recently as the 2002 training camp. IT's worthwhile to note that Travis Henry averages over 5 YPC whenever Price is playing and has had nearly all of his great games when the guy is in.

There's a problem with this lineup, and that it leaves a huge question mark at pass blocking off the LT side. So, to compensate I'd recommend using a 2 TE set. Your primary lineup then is

Moulds

Campbell
Price
Brown
Teague Bledsoe Henry
Jennings
Williams
Neufeld

Reed/Shaw

Hopefully the presence of Jennings inside doubles helping Williams at RT while removing the eyesore of Pucillo. Obviously this is a run-first offense. Getting help for Price when passing is a given.

McGahee: His vertical speed and matchup problems should give the opposition fits, but his ability to pick up the blitz probably will get Bledsoe killed. IF you use him, line him up wide as a receiver or strictly use him on running plays designed to go wide. Give Henry the ball 20 times in the first half alone otherwise.

Defensively, it's time to see what Kelsay can do; moreover, start this two week period by giving reps to McKenzie at DT where he has experience. Play McKenzie as your second DT instead of the useless Bannan.

Secondary: PP can't pass defend, Reese is useless in the run department. But playing either is a sure tip-off to the offense what your strategy is. Commit to one or the other or Wire and start to dictate. Play to your strength; go man-to-man and make Winfield and Clements earn their keep.

Pass Rush: I don't expect a miracle cure from McKenzie/Kelsay change, but they can't be less productive than Denney/Bannan. It is possible just using McKenzie will help Denney.

I haven't seen Posey deliver from a three point stance at all this year. It's an experiment whose time is over. Blitz standing up, stunting through the middle. If he can't play the run, sit the pucker down and put in Stamer. Posey's ppp is not cutting it.

One thing I like is the number of blitzes coming from the "off-safety" - not Milloy- end. PP is particularly effective; and at the same time the player at this particular position is among the least effective spots on the field. I mean, it's not PP or Wire or IR is going to intercept a ball, stop a running play or break up a pass.

Offensively, you've moved to a strict, ball-controll game with no variation. Give Bledsoe a "pitch count", and keep it low. Defensively, match the conservative offense (can KG run this?) with a defense tailored to stop the pass. Let them run on us if they can. Dictate what they can't do ... pass us silly.

[Michael82]

Good post!

I would love to see Marcus Price on the line. Everytime he has filled in, he looks better than Mike williams. IMO, some changes have to be made soon. Get rid of Pukecillo, bench Mike williams and put in Marcus Price and Marques Sullivan. RUN THE DAMN BALL, too!

[askabry]

and just as a side note ... I think JJ is a free agent after this season. Playing Price will give us a good idea of what kind of options we'll have.

[lordofgun]

So far, I've been VERY impressed with Price no matter what position he's filled. He was a very good pickup and should definitely be starting.

Great post, but I seriously don't think Gilbride can or will call that style of game. Has he ever run a conservative, ball-control offense????

[askabry]

Depends on how conservative you want to go. In Pitt, he ran with the Bus til the wheels came off. In fact, he was pushed out when he couldn't get Slash to play his more conservative, stay in the pocket game. In 99, 495 run/535 pass; in '00, 439/527.

I wouldn't call his calling at Jax necessarily "risky"; most of the patterns to Smith and McCardell were underneath patterns, and they were capable YAC players. Run/Pass ratio in 95 was 410/495, for instance.

He was crazy in Houston.

The one constant in all of his stops is that he's never a big proponent of "third down" backs. His primary ball carrier HAS to be able to catch the ball.

And the other thing is that he really and truly finds what he thinks is his "horse" and he rides it to the end. In San Diego, it was Humphries; in Pitt, the Bus; in Houston, Warren. The problem is I think he's identified the horse as Drew and that's going to be a problem in the second half.

KG is an inventive man that does some pretty outrageous things (Neufeld in the backfield, with Gash on the sidelines? Gash in pass patterns?). I just think he's backing the wrong horse here.

[askabry]

What I question, as above... can he change horses in mid-stream.

[WG]

Re: So what would you do ....

Originally posted by askabry
Defensively, it's time to see what Kelsay can do; moreover, start this two week period by giving reps to McKenzie at DT where he has experience. Play McKenzie as your second DT instead of the useless Bannan.

Secondary: PP can't pass defend, Reese is useless in the run department. But playing either is a sure tip-off to the offense what your strategy is. Commit to one or the other or Wire and start to dictate. Play to your strength; go man-to-man and make Winfield and Clements earn their keep.

Pass Rush: I don't expect a miracle cure from McKenzie/Kelsay change, but they can't be less productive than Denney/Bannan. It is possible just using McKenzie will help Denney.

I haven't seen Posey deliver from a three point stance at all this year. It's an experiment whose time is over. Blitz standing up, stunting through the middle. If he can't play the run, sit the pucker down and put in Stamer. Posey's ppp is not cutting it.

One thing I like is the number of blitzes coming from the "off-safety" - not Milloy- end. PP is particularly effective; and at the same time the player at this particular position is among the least effective spots on the field. I mean, it's not PP or Wire or IR is going to intercept a ball, stop a running play or break up a pass.

Ditto ask!! Very nice post! I cut out most for my reply.

I agree particularly on the defensive stuff. It's clear we're not getting any production from Posey when he plays DE or down as you said. I watched some of the Skins replay yesterday where he did that enough and he was even less effective than Denney. I still say Schobel is a very good pass rusher who like Williams doesn't have any help.

Start McK and Kelsay. Even if they come up empty, who cares, we're coming up empty as is and as you say. As to the secondary, I kind of wish we'd have kept Carpenter who can cover and play the run, neither great but both pretty well. Split milk tho. Another TD blunder IMO, pretty much the only one tho of players sent away. Maybe Conaty.

We certainly are bound if you look at your solutions however by the simple level of individual talent on the lines tho. I was looking at the draft potentials yesterday and there appear to be several very nice looking IOL men that may be able to help us even as early as next season. If TD were smart, he'd trade for a DE or pick one up in FAcy, same w/ DT, and draft two interior linemen with our first two picks.

I would leave the secondary as is from this season to next only trying different combinations there as you indicate.

But it's a great post that again shows how few options we have on the DL and what our deal is on the OL too. We're pretty set in Ts but need interior OL-men desparately.

Having said all that, I strongly believe that Bledsoe is a bigger problem part of the O, vice any solution, than most of you think. No need to belabor that point, just again reiterating that IMO he's more on the problem side than the solution since his dimensions of play are extremely limited unlike most QBs whether good or not-so-good.

And wouldn't it be great if McGahee really does work out and becomes the monster RB that everyone thinks. I'll only believe that when I see it tho. He wouldn't be the first RB to come out of Miami with similar hopes to fade.

[WG]

Originally posted by askabry
What I question, as above... can he change horses in mid-stream.

Sure, he "can." Will he, I doubt it. I mean they haven't even figured out yet that Sullivan was better than PussyWillow.

[askabry]

Wys

I really wouldn't sell short the ability of Marcus Price. The guy can flat-out block.

I think when you pro-rate Henry's performance with MP in the lineup for full games, you get something like 140 ypg. That hardly limits your options, particularly when you've got a LT that can easily slide inside and cover two holes at the same time.

Insofar as Bledsoe being a problem ... well, I'm hoping the "pitch count" limits his impact on the team and at the same time reduces the exposure of putting MP on the field. Of course unlike yourself, I retain a reasonable amount confidence in our QB.

In the end, we can win handily. All Gilbride needs to do is go back to his days with Pitt and reconsider who can make the biggest impact on this team.

... and thanks for the props.