ASSASSINS REPORT: TIME FOR A CHANGE?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
BY: EDITOR
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The Erie Assassins looked like a team that was on their way to becoming competitive @ the end of the first half of the season, winning 3 of 5 after an awful 0-3 start to get their halftime record to 3-5, just a game below the 500 mark. Since then, they’re in a freefall, losing 3 straight games, including this week’s pathetic 21 point blowout to the Rochester Rejects, the same Rejects team that <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Erie</st1:place></st1:City> beat 20-17 back in week 8 due to a fantastic defensive effort which saw the Assassins register 11 sacks in the game. This week? That vaunted <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Erie</st1:place></st1:City> pass rush could manage just 2 from LB Karlos Dansby, who is starting to come around after a horrible start to the season, and another from CB Dunta Robinson, also having a solid year. The run defense that kept the Rejects to 78 yards the first time around? Well, they gave up 175 yards on 40 carries, w/ game MVP LaDanian Tomlinson rushing for 161 yards and 3 TDs on 32 carries. Basically, they were shredded. Again. Same old, same old for a team that came into the year focused on repairing their run defense. Well, they’re certainly not as horrific as last year, when they gave up over 160 yards per game on the ground. This year, they’re keeping their opponents to a mere 129.6 yards per game. Hey, I guess that’s progress. Last year’s run D was dead last; this year’s run D is the 6<SUP>th</SUP> worst in the league. Impressive.
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Offensively, they have improved, especially in the passing game. The Assassins’ front office worked hard this offseason to provide Byron Leftwich w/ the weapons he needed to become more effective and to justify being kept when the team traded away Jake Plummer, yeah, the same Jake Plummer who is the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> rated passer in the league this season on a first place Playas team! Still, they have seen results, as Leftwich is actually rated this year (12<SUP>th</SUP> in the league w/ an 82.7 passer rating) and he’s doing a better job of taking care of the ball (only 7 INTs so far this year to 12 TDs). Lee Evans was the player acquired in the trade, and his stats are solid, but not spectacular: 31 catches (3<SUP>rd</SUP> best on the team after TE Ben Troupe and WR Brandon Lloyd) for 493 yards (2<SUP>nd</SUP> best on the team to Lloyd), a 15.9 yard per catch average (best on team; 8<SUP>th</SUP> best in BZFL) and 3 TDs (tied w/ Troupe for team lead). The major problem is up front; the offensive line. Yeah, the Assassins were conscious of building a solid line @ the outset, as evident by the drafting of tackles Jonathan Ogden and Bryant McKinnie plus C Matt Birk. But, they weren’t as astute in stocking the team w/ interior linemen, and that is what is killing them now. Starting guards Cosey Coleman and Kendyl Jacox have been average @ best. This is surprising in Jacox’ case, as he was one of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Erie</st1:place></st1:City>’s top linemen last year. But, his play has dropped off tremendously and Coleman, a free agent acquisition brought in to upgrade from last year’s starter Chester Pitts, has not set the league on fire, either.
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When the front office learned of the loss of Birk for the season because of injury, they attempted to replace him in free agency w/ journeyman Alex Stepanovich, who has struggled to stay healthy and has been no better than average when healthy. I believe that this offseason, the interior line should be a high priority for the team, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go after a pair of guards in free agency as an upgrade to what they have now. Or, maybe even another offseason trade, as they did to acquire Evans to aid the pass offense last year. Either way (or both?), the Assassins need to upgrade their interior line if they want to succeed. I’m sure RB Julius Jones, who could be having a great year but is struggling due to the woeful blocking, would welcome a few better guards and head coach Kirk Ferentz, who was Bill Belichick’s offensive line coach once upon a time, should know better than to try to get by w/ this collection of so-so blockers.
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And now, on to the Assassins’ defense. If ever there were a group of underachievers, this would be it. A team w/ this much talent should not be 3-8 going down the stretch. A defense that boasts stars like CB Nathan Vasher, currently leading the league in INTs, Derrick Burgess, 2<SUP>nd</SUP> in the league in sacks, Jonathan Vilma, among the top 10 in the league in tackles, and other stalwarts like Karlos Dansby, Bob Sanders, Sean Taylor, and Dunta Robinson should not be as awful as they’ve been. Last year’s pass defense was one of the best in the league and was sorely hampered by a run defense that was the worst in the league. This year, the pass D is solid again (3<SUP>rd</SUP> in the league in pass yards allowed) and is getting an all star year out of Vasher in terms of turnovers. Yet, the addition of mammoth run stuffer Ted Washington has done little to stop the team from allowing tons of rushing yards. From 20<SUP>th</SUP> to 15<SUP>th</SUP> in the league is nothing to write home about. Trust me.
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What’s the problem? I believe a lot of it is the 3-4 scheme the team stubbornly adheres to. Ferentz had little to no experience using it, but owner/team president R. Rich likes it, as he played in the 3-4 back in college. Big deal. This is the big time, man. You need to run what works for you, and that 3-4 doesn’t work. Period. When the team won 3 out of 5 to salvage something of the season and get to a game w/in 500, they did so by experimenting w/ a 4-3 front, putting last year’s starter @ LDE, Randy Starks, in as the other DT alongside big Ted. The results? Well, they weren’t great, but they won 3 of 5. In fact, they used that 4-3 in the 3 games they won against the 3-4 in the 5 they lost. Now, they have lost 3 straight since then, including the first 2 w/ that 4-3 scheme, but I do think they play better w/ that 4-3 than w/ the 3-4. I guess the 3-2 record they have using the 4-3 as opposed to the 0-6 record using the 3-4 kinda makes my argument for me, huh? My suggestion would be to stick w/ the 4-3 for this year, then look to upgrade @ DT in free agency for next year. Spend the bucks to bring in one or two big guys who will really stuff the run and force teams to deal w/ a secondary that is as good as there is in the league.
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I think if the Assassins put their attention into upgrading their interior OL and DL this offseason, you will see them perform to the level of their talent, which is certainly much better than this record shows. Now, will Ferentz be able to get the front office, which I feel is a very solid office, to make these moves? Only time will tell, but I know they have been working towards being in the thick of a title chase by Year 3. That’s just around the corner, folks, so they’re going to need to do something now. Doing what they’ve been doing, they have zero chance of any kind of title, be it this year, next year, or beyond.
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