I don't want to go into a long expose about these guys, but I want to point out that after about a season and a half of wondering if these guys are busts, they are starting to look like they belong. Nugent had now hit 2 field goals longer than anything he hit last season and is almost 87% for the year. Now it is really nice that we can get some points without getting it in the end zone even if we're not in the red zone. I don't want to prophecy too much but I hope we can see this guy become an automatic sort of kicker. As for D-Rob, they just couldn't stop saying his name on TV yesterday. Now, I know there are teams out there that will man-handle him, but maybe he will continue to adapt to the system and keep making plays. Yesterday it wasn;t even a matter of him freeing up Vilma to make tackles, because D-Rab made the plays himself. Impressive play by him the last few weeks has made me think we might be better off than we thought at DT. Should be interesting to see how we draft, as in my opinion, we don;t have the gaping holes we had last year, but instead just have room for improvement.
when was the last time someone "manhandled" d-rob? he kicked dan koppens ass, arguably the best center in the afc, when we played new england. he destroyed olin kreutz, arguably the best center in the nfl, when we played the bears. he absolutely shredded hutchinson and birk, two of the best if not the best players at their positions, on sunday. and those were just the high-profile guys i mentioned
Don't forget Bryan thomas, Victor Hobson, Erik Coleman, the Jolley trade, Cedric Houston, Chris Baker, jerricho Cotchery, ...
I'm sticking to my belief that we need to move Robertson to 3-4 DE and finding a true mauler at NT, but there is no denying that at times he really seems to play well at a position that he wasn't really supposed to play. I never though I would see a jets team that was a better fit for Robertson then it is Vilma :S but that is another discussion altogether. Nugent had one bad game all season, he's played GREAT and it seems the CS is starting to have more faith in him, which will only make him look better as he continues to kick these 40 and 50 yarders. He's on fire right now...and although i'm sure once he be under the stake from the fans here sooner then later I'll stick with him. He's our guy
Agreed, the DE (and an OLB to go along with Thomas) would be big for us. I still wonder if they should try Vilma outside. It couldn't hurt to try it for a game.
Outside of a couple breakdowns the defense has been working well for the most part since the Cleveland game. What's interesting to note is that since then Barton and Vilma have basically become invisible. You forget they're on the field most games.
I disagree about barton at least until the past 2 weks. Up until the Buf game he was making plays every week and one of the main reasons for the resurgence.
What plays was he making? Barton had 65 tackles in the first 8 games and has 27 in the last 6. He had the sack yesterday and a tackle for a 1 yard loss against Buffalo but other then that there's been nothing over the last 6 games. Vilma's tale is similar as he had 69 tackles through 8 and now he's got 31 in his last 6. The defense has been improved so there's no reason to panic but these guys have become non factors lately.
But do you not think we would notice if they weren't doing their jobs? Presumably the lack of "impact" is down to their maintaining assignments? If they weren't then the other 9 would have to be superhuman to play to such a high level?
I don't know why you would want what most people thought were the 2 most talented players on your defense coming into the year just "maintaining assignments", but I suppose it's a possibility.
I'd give Saturday, Nalen, Mawae, and Hartings probably all the nod over Koppen. Can't disagree on Kreutz though.
Well, obviously I'd love to see them making big plays, but my feeling is simply that they have a job to do which limits opportunities to do so. Obviously what opportunities do come are being passed up, but they must be performing to a certain level to a) retain their places; and b) allow the defense to have the success it has enjoyed the past 2 months or so.
This is a great thread! I have been saying for sometime that the weak link is Kimo. If you replace Kimo with someone more explosive then: 1. Dwayne gets even better at NT 2. Vilma won't be overwhelmed and will be able to have more of an impact Then we can: 3. Move Hobson to ILB 4. Draft either Woodley or Spencer
yeah but I never doubted any of them...except maybe Thomas for a little while but he was sort of being held back, now he has really been given a chance.
E. Coleman has been a HUGE dissappointment though. He has been all but invisible this year, and being invisible when you are a safety is a bad thing. You should be running all over the field, blitzing, breaking up passes, being in the middle of the plays. A perfect example is Rhodes. I mean there are times that they put in R. Washington instead of Coleman, now that is bad. I myself see safety as a wanting position. As for Robertson, I have been pleasantly surprised myself. Really impressed me. But I don't think with his size he will last at NT for a long time. What I would like to see happen is us drafting or sign a HUGE NT that just clogs the middle and move Robertson over to Kimo's position. Now that would be a GREAT front 3.
Not sure Coleman is the ultimate answer at safety in the CS's mind, but his tackling consistency is improving and he had probably one of the biggest defensive plays of the season when he picked off Brady in NE. Also, the less you hear about safeties sometimes, the better they're playing.
I don't think that is true. If I stop hearing Rhodes name being mentioned there is a problem. Watch a Dallas game and see how many times Roy Williams is mentioned, or Ed Reed in Baltimore. Safety is a skill postion just like CB, WR, RB, QB, they are supposed to be where the action is. Safeties are not like Linemen. They are supposed to be all over the field, breaking up passes, covering, blitzing, etc., in the middle of the action. If you don't hear their name, it is a problem.
Melvin Fowler destroyed Robertson, and if DRob "manhandled" Kreutz, how did Thomas Jones run up the gut so easily? Oh they were all on toss plays...Jeff Saturday also had his way with DRob... Now, yesterday was awesome for DRob against two of the best in their respective positions with Birk and Hutchinson. That was a major statement for him considering what he was up against.
