You got it completely wrong on Rhodes. For now, Rhodes is neither FS nor SS. Unless Jets can find a competent safety that will play next to Rhodes, he will be as ineffective as he is now. Jets should commit him to either FS, or SS - and not half-ass it with him. That's hurting the team in a big way. On whether Rhodes is bad at blitzing: Look at his 2006 stats, where he was more of SS than FS. He got 5 sacks that season. He also had 4 picks to go with that year. If anything, that cannot be a sign of a safety who doesn't know how to blitz or cover. (If you still doubt, look at the first Jets-Pats game this year - you will see Rhodes wrecking havoc in the backfield on a consistent basis, stuffing the run for loss during the course.)
You are correct that he was a very effective blitzer in 2006. However, he has fallen off a bit. I'm not saying he still doesn't make a lot of plays. What I'm saying is that he isn't making plays at a pro-bowl rate. That's all. I still think he has a ton of talent and can still be a great player. He just isn't one right now. And the excuse that he doesn't play with a competent safety at his side is just lame. Anthony Smith is a pretty medicore safety, himself. Polamalu still performs like the elite safety that he is. Sorry guys, Rhodes doesn't play on that level on a consistent basis. I'm not saying he ever will be a great player, I'm just saying he isn't one right now.
I was actually thinking about starting a thread like this. Rhodes has not made very many impact plays (save for the massacre of St. Louis) and he is getting beat in coverage. Against the Broncos there were passes caught in front of him. I don't think you can blame the rest of the defense for him being bad either, this defense is clearly better than it was 1 or 2 years ago. Rhodes is having a down year, plain and simple. He isn't Reed or Polamalu, he is an above average safety having a bad year.
You are cluless. The guy wasn't "terrible". He was injured. He played only 11 games last season (including the playoffs). And he was far from terrible in those 11 games.
Injuries aside, "safeties" can have up and down years. However a "top 5 safety" (which is what many believe Rhodes to be) should not be subject to this rule. If you're a great safety, even a down year should be pretty good. This has not been the case with Rhodes this year.
I agree totally with you. If I have to here about this guy being a Pro Bowler I am gonna vomit. His first year, he deserved it, played great, tons of sacks. Since then, ordinary at best. Hell, I watched him on Sunday. Again he blitzed from 15 yds out and never got near the QB. Nice player, but probably 4th best player on defense
Yep, he has a terrible habbit of blitzing from 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. His timing is downright awful. Also, I agree with you that he is definately not the best player on our defense. I'd say it goes something like . . . 1)Jenkins, 2) Revis, 3) Harris, and 4) Pace/Rhodes/Ellis
Let's face it safeties also need to be lucky. How many times has Palomolu picked a tipped pass or has been in the right place at the right time. Former Jet Erick Mcmillian is a perfect example. One year the guy was always near the ball, then he fell off the face of the earth. Also, Rhodes is not going to keep getting those safety blitz sacks, there is now so much film of that play opponets can prepare for it. In 06 when it worked every time, it was a 'new' play we ran. It has worked this year, as it did in Buffalo, but we have to disguise it so much that it's affectiveness is diminished. He is still a very good player.
I think your generalizing from a single example. Yes, a few games ago he gave up an easy pass to the TE by blitzing from too far away. To say he's a bad blitzer from that one play is wrong and its wrong to say that safety blitzing is all about timing. Mobility and strength are more important to safety blitzing than timing. Rhodes has the speed and strength to get to the QB and can still ball hawk in the secondary. He is a complete safety. His stats this year reflect on how he is being used, not his ability.
First of all, he has done it more thant just once. (The one example you probably remember is when it happened in OT against the Raiders). It has happened 7 or 8 times now that I have seen. Also, yes, safety blitzes are much more than timing. As I have indicated in previous posts, I am fully aware that Rhodes has tremendous physical ability and should be able be an excellent blitzing safety. And while he shows flashes, I'd love to see him develop into a more consistent pass-rusher and become much more consistent in pass coverage when he is matched up with an elusive tight end. And honestly, the notion that his numbers aren't great because he "Isn't being used properly" is complete bullshit. The Jets send him on blitzes all the time. The Jets also single him up on Tight ends. And Most of the time, he has deep responsibility on the side of the field with the other teams best deep threat (this is something I think he IS consistently great at). He gets opportunities to play all over the field and in almost every conceivable situation. He just isn't playing like the "elite" safety that everyone on this board thinks he is. He's still a very good player. He's just not a great player yet, in my opinion. I definately think he has the physical ability to become great on a consistent basis and I hope he achieves that as much as anyone else here. BTW: There was a prime example of Rhodes blitzing from 10 yards off the LOS two days ago against the Broncos and Cutler burned us with a 25 yard completion to the tight end.
Our secondary has been our biggest defensive weakness this year and even Revis was terrible yesterday. Saftey is a tough position to evaluate, they're only involved in about 10 plays per game where they can truly make a difference, and it gets much harder to play when you have to cover the entire field with no CB and a rotating door of crap playing next to you. I'm not saying this is an excuse for Rhodes and I probably have over-evaluated him in my opinion but this secondary is not at together.
To any of you people still wanting to defend Rhodes and continue to refer to him as an "elite" NFL safety, please tune in to the Ravens-Steelers game right now and notice how Ed Reed is dominating the game. Then go back and watch all the Raven games this year. Then, with a straight face, try and tell me that Kerry Rhodes is "right up there" with Ed Reed. I dare you.
Polamalu isn't "up there" with Reed either, he's in a class by himself. Rhodes had one season where he had stats similar to Reed's because he was actually being used properly. Because we've seen him dominate a game means he can do it, but how many times has he been 25 yards off the ball.
