Cam & OV are usually a well-above-average 1-2 punch but their sack production the last 4-5 games has been woeful. I can't tell if it's the overall play of the DL declining...the injuries behind the line...defensive playcalling...

My guess is a combo of all.

Not excusing coaching, but injuries on the defensive side have obviously been massive in quantity this year.

Teams are no longer concerned about our DT's. DE's are getting doubled while DT's get single blocked and still don't make plays.

OK, what happened to our DTs? We had one of the highest rated defenses going into DET and the wheels came off. And our DTs have been among our most consistently healthy units...the whole DL, actually. Did Starks really just fall off a cliff mid-season? Genuine questions - I don't get what happened to our whole DL.

Injuries in the secondary didn't help, plus they're undersized and aging = a defensive front that wore down as the season progressed

Randy Starks has been one of the worst DT's in the NFL this year.

His real trait as a DT was his initial burst, but he has lost it, now he can't win anymore. Starks is pretty much done.

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"When you suck long enough, you get a Hickey"

injuries in the secondary should not have hurt the run support.

They let the wrong guy leave. Should have kept Soliai instead. Thanks for the great years but Randy is done as a starting 3 technique.

Odrick is a complimentary guy and is more effective playing next to a space eater. So is Starks and Mitchell.

We need a make over at DT. Re-sign Odrick and cut Mitchell loose. Draft or sign a big man.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2014 05:07AM by JoeFootball.

The last 2 years in December, Cam Wake has completely disappeared.

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"When you suck long enough, you get a Hickey"

That's a valid point. Maybe time to make a trade to bring in some young talent. He will be 33 in a few months and is not good vs the run. I hate to even mention it but it's better than watching the inevitable decline.

I think he's getting double-teamed, A & O.

ChyrenB Wrote:
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> I think he's getting double-teamed, A & O.


Our Dts can be handled one on one....He is definetely getting doubled.

I would have traded him last year. Now we won't get anywhere near good value for him.

This is why drafting Dion Jordan was the right move. He might not work out, but trading up for the guy you felt was the best pass rusher in the draft was the right move at the time, no matter how much some people hate the move now.

You can never have too many pass rushers. Guys get hurt when you don't expect it. Guys get "old" fast.

Jordan is a freak. With the right coach and system he can still be an impact player, but Coyle, Ireland and Philbin will all lose their jobs in part because they couldn't properly evaluate or figure out how to use him.

We don't have any DT's that can push the pocket and get penetration up the middle. That leaves Wake and Vernon as our only threats and that can be taken out of the game by double teams.

Additinally, our injured LB's are not helping out because the only one of them that showed any promise at rushing the passer was McClain.

ChyrenB Wrote:
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> I think he's getting double-teamed, A & O.


&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
So he only starts getting double-teamed every December?

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"When you suck long enough, you get a Hickey"

Ken Wrote:
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> We don't have any DT's that can push the pocket
> and get penetration up the middle. That leaves
> Wake and Vernon as our only threats and that can
> be taken out of the game by double teams.
>
> Additinally, our injured LB's are not helping out
> because the only one of them that showed any
> promise at rushing the passer was McClain.

Oddly enough, McClain has been used mostly as a DE except for a couple snaps vs KC. Not sure how much promise he's shown as he has exactly 1 sack, 3 hurries and 3 tackles.

The one sack vs Brady (and blocked punt) in week one left us all hopeful but he's only gotten 29 snaps since then.

I'm not sure why they would use him on the line since he was listed at 225 lbs coming into the season. He is now listed at 6'5 250 lbs so I'm not sure which is the case. That and the fact that we had such a need at LB. We have plenty of DE's.

I know he had some injury issues but it could be that his best and only attribute (so far) was pass rushing. Could be because the coaches failed yet again to identify and place the right players at the right position.

I have to think that a good DC and HC would find ways to get players like MCClain and Jordan involved in the defense. Who knows?

Now we have young guys with potential who could possibly fit at LB'er in the future. Dion Jordan, Chris McClain & Jordan Tripp to go along with Jelaney Jenkins.

JoeFootball Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jordan is a freak. With the right coach and system
> he can still be an impact player, but Coyle,
> Ireland and Philbin will all lose their jobs in
> part because they couldn't properly evaluate or
> figure out how to use him.
>
> Oh crap! Did Jeff Ireland get rehired?

Careful, careful. He's very sensitive.

McCain has been injured most of the year.