Expectations Versus Reality - It's Not Pretty On The Defensive Side

 

While listening to Aaron Nagler's podcast with Andy Herman and to Andy and Maggie Loney on the Pack-A-Day podcast, I was struck by something Mr. Herman said: only one player on the defense is exceeding expectations.  I agree, and it is an issue.  My expectations are based on a player's level of play over his career with some emphasis on recent years in the case of veterans.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS - DEFENSIVE STARTERS:

CB Jaire Alexander.  No one else.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS - DEFENSIVE BACKUPS/ROTATIONAL PLAYERS:

DI Kingsley Keke and DI Montravius Adams (at least lately).  

MEETING EXPECTATIONS - DEFENSIVE STARTERS:

OLB Zadarius Smith, CBs Kevin King, Chandon Sullivan, SS Adrian Amos.

MEETING EXPECTATIONS - DEFENSIVE BACKUPS/ROTATIONAL PLAYERS:

CBs Hollman, Josh Jackson, Safety Will Redmond, NT Tyler Lancaster, Hybrid Raven Greene, OLB Rashan Gary.

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Let's analyze the players briefly. First, let me explain that I will not put terrible players in the meeting expectations category even if my expectation were that they would be terrible. Draft status cannot be totally divorced from expectations (any contribution the Packers get from this year's UDFAs I consider to be a bonus), but the more seasons that have passed since a player was drafted, the less important it is.  The salaries of the players are only a minor consideration.

Alexander is playing at an elite level. Opposing quarterbacks have a 68 passer rating against him, completing just 57% of their passes good for just an 8.8 yard per completion average and just 5.0 per target. Alexander has been targeted just 35 times in eight games. If the opposing #1 or #2 WR only gets four targets per game, that's a testament to the cornerback.  Alexander is willing to tackle and to mix it up in a pile. Fans are watching a great player.

Keke and Adams have improved over the course of the season and are playing pretty well right now. I have seen Adams playing nose tackle with Clark at three technique at times this year. I am not sure NT is Montravius' best position, but over the last several games he has been one of the better defensive linemen on the team.

Smith is playing better than he did in Baltimore though he is not having the career year he had last year.  His missed tackles are way up, but his pressure numbers are still good.  King continues to be a decent #2 CB who gets injured too much.  The team is better when King plays, but that is due to the drop off from King to Jackson.  Amos has been solid, especially lately.  Sullivan might belong in the below expectations category.  He played better last season in a part-time role (34% of snaps).  In 2020 he has been a defacto starter (63% of snaps) and as sometimes happens has a player takes on a bigger role, there has been a drop off in his play.  He had a bad game against the Jaguars, but he has held up pretty well overall.

Hollman was pressed into service and was not terrible. Jackson shows some signs of being a cornerback. He looks better to me. Looking dispassionately at his actual play, he is playing about as well as he played as a rookie. Opposing quarterbacks are completing 74% of their passes for a 113 passer rating, a 12.4 yard/completion average and 9.2 yards per target average. He is on the cusp between meeting and being below expectations.   

The defense is better when Raven Greene is on the field.  He just gets injured a lot.  This year he has missed two games altogether and left two other games early.  Redmond cannot play Greene's role, and Amos is so-so in the role (and better when used elsewhere). Finding someone who can cover like a safety and tackle like a linebacker is not so easy.  Greene is active: he has 26 tackles in his 200 snaps, good for a tackle every 7.69 snaps.   

Redmond is a decent backup when allowed to play deep as a free safety.  I have a higher opinion of Lancaster than many others do.  When he plays strictly nose tackle, he seems to clog up the middle reasonably well though he offers next to nothing as a pass rusher.

One could make an argument for Gary belonging in the exceeding expectations category, but the increase in his statistics are consistent with the increase in his snaps - he played 24% of snaps last year and is playing 42% of snaps this season.  He has flashed, particularly in recent games like the Jaguars contest, but he also has had some quiet games.  As a note, not all of Gary's 7 pressures against the Jaguars came in the fourth quarter (though they all came when the Jaguars were facing a 2nd or 3rd down and 9+ yards): check out the nice acticle on Packers Wire by Dan Wussow.  Looking forward to both being better and more consistency from Gary in the future.

 

BELOW EXPECTATIONS - DEFENSIVE STARTERS:

Preston Smith, Dean Lowry, Christian Kirksey, Darnell Savage, and Kenny Clark.

BELOW EXPECTATIONS - DEFENSIVE BACKUPS - ROTATIONAL:

Oren Burks, Ty Summers. Krys Barnes

Every statistic is down for Preston Smith, including tackles, sacks, QB hits, pressures and TFL, and per pro football reference, his missed tackle percentage has jumped from 8.4% in 2019 to 15.2% in 2020.  His statistics are down even compared to his days in Washington.  Ditto for Lowry, who offers nothing as a pass rusher. and has just 15 tackles, 7 solo, per PFR.  Lowry's snap count is down slightly, but not nearly as much as I think they ought to be.

Darnell Savage has regressed.  His missed tackle percentage is 14% and he is allowing a passer rating of 121 this year after allowing a rating of just 71 in 2019.  The first half of his rookie season was both exciting and promising, but since then his play has declined.  Christian Kirksey was terrible for the first two games and then went on the Injured Reserve List.  He looked considerably better against the Jaguars last Sunday. 

The elephant in the room has been the play of Kenny Clark, and also just his absence.  Clark has missed 3 games altogether and played just 16 snaps in the week one game.  All of his statistics are way down even when adjusted for his reduced snap count.  He is still the best defensive lineman on the team.  He had a good game against the Jaquars.  Ben Fennell noted in this tweet that Clark had his best pro football focus run grade (84) in his last three full seasons against the Jaguars.  Clark was elite in 2017 and 2018, and had a fantastic year pressuring the quarterback in 2019, but he apparently forgot to play run defense last year and it has carried over into this year as well.  The Packers made Clark the highest paid nose tackle (by a mile) or one of the highest paid defensive tackles in the NFL.  The Packers need him to play both the run and the pass at an elite level.  Perhaps his play will pick up as he continues to recover from injury.

Oren Burks sometimes show his athleticism but he just is not playing well.  Summers (like Barnes) had a nice initial game starting and then opposing coordinators were able to find things to exploit.  Barnes just entered the NFL and has time to work on his game as he did show some promise.  Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 130.8 against Barnes with an 85% completion percentage.  His tackling and range seem okay to me.  It is Summers' third NFL season.  Opposing quarterbacks have a 126 passer rating while completing 91.3% of their passes against Summers.  In fairness, the passer rating is higher because two of the 21 completions (on 23 targets) went for touchdowns.  He is a nice special teams player.

I did not include the following players due to the small sample size (under 75 snaps): Garvin, Martin, Scott, Ramsey, Black, Winn, Samuels, Galeai.  I will say that none of them looked overwhelmed when they did play. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

I think there is a problem when just one starter on defense is exceeding expectations and five are below expectations.  Whether it is coaching, scheme, leadership, toughness, inability to motivate, it needs to get fixed or changes need to be made.  Moreover, it is alarming that this list includes both starters on the defensive line, and that three of the five starters playing at a subpar level play the middle of the field: nose tackle; inside linebacker and free safety.  One silver lining is that the depth seems better: no one looks wholly overwhelmed if they have to play except perhaps Ty Summers.

Look at the contrast with the offense.  Briefly, starter-types who are exceeding expectations include Rodgers, Jamaal Williams, Linsley, Patrick, Tonyan, Valdes-Scantling (he is on pace for 820 yards - I would have jumped for joy with that result during the preseason!), with Bakhtiari and Davante Adams having dominant years.  Lazard was exceeding expectations and Iinclude Turner and Jenkins due to versatility.  Marcedes Lewis and Aaron Jones have met expectations.  

That’s eleven starters exceeding expectations and two meeting them out of roughly fifteen players who get a fair number of snaps, though not all are strictly speaking starters.  The depth on the offensive line has been good (Wagner and Runyan) and Tyler Ervin keeps on doing his thing with considerable positive impact.  The only disappointments include Sternberger (Ben Fennell notes that Sternberger is losing snaps due to horrible blocking and technique in this tweet) and Equanimious St. Brown.  

I do not believe that the players on the offensive side of the ball are that much more talented than those on the defensive side.  Looking at the rounds in which they were drafted and their salaries, that seems fairly apparent. 

As to the defense, the sum of the parts do not seem to add up to as much as they should.   

 

 

 

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6 points
 

Comments (32)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Thegreatreynoldo's picture

November 20, 2020 at 10:16 am

I looked for a photograph of Gute, LaFleur and Pettine but I was not allowed to use the only one I found. Ditto for Gute/LaFleur/Pettine/Murphy. So I used one of LaFleur and Murphy. Regardless, the brain trust needs to diagnose and remedy the problem.

The Packers have used the following assets on defense:
DL: 1st^, 3rd, 4th^, 5th*, plus UDFAs. Clark/Lowry paid.
LB: Top FA $*, big FA $*, lower middle mid tier FA $*, a 3rd, 5th*, UDFAs,
DB: 1st*, 1st*, 2nd, 2nd, upper mid tier FA $*, 6th*, UDFAs.

That should have been more than enough. The defense is not terrible or even bad. It is probably average or somewhat less than average.

The Packers have used the following on offense:
QB: 1st (well paid now)^, 1st*, UDFA
RB: 2nd*, 4th, 5th
FB: low FA $*
HB: 3rd* (injured)
OL: 2nd*, 4th (highly pd)^, 5th (well pd), mid tier FA $*, lower middle FA $*, 6*, 6*, 6*, UDFA
TE: 3rd*, low FA $^, UDFA
WR: 2nd (well paid), 5th, 6th, Waiver wire (Lazard's an ERFA), UDFAs.

* = Gutes draft picks, FA signed by Gute.
^ = Gute didn't draft or bring in the player but has extended the contract.

6 points
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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

November 20, 2020 at 10:33 am

Yes, I know I am replying to myself.

The point I am trying to make is twofold:
1. There ought to be enough talent on the defense;
2. Much of the D has been acquired/endorsed by Gute.

The * and the ^ mark the players acquired by Gute. On D, it is 11 plus more via undrafted free agency. The defense is not yet completely on Gute yet, but it will be in a year or two. By endorsed I mean players like Lowry and Clark who were not drafted by Gute but were extended by Gute. That means he endorsed them.

It may be that the quality of the players on the defense overall is insufficient for any defensive coordinator to mold into a top 10 defense. The brain trust needs to evaluate that and make whatever corresponding move seems warranted. I personally am off the Pettine bandwagon though I don't think he is a terrible one. That distinction goes to Menenga in my own assessments.

5 points
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Razer's picture

November 20, 2020 at 02:52 pm

This may be one of the best depictions of our team build. Thank you for taking the time to show us where the investments are and where they are not.

One thing that really stands out is the lack of 1st rounders. After Aaron Rodgers, we only have 3 first rounds. Suggests a lot of misses or not-worth-resigning picks. Quite thin on 2nd and 3rd rounders as well. Draft picks don't seem to pan-out for many second contracts.

I need a beer to digest this information and maybe a second one to get past it.

Thanks Great Reynoldo

1 points
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Ferrari-Driver's picture

November 20, 2020 at 10:03 am

Just look at the two below expectation performers we have when we passed on TJ Watt. Makes me sick.

4 points
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lawatrain's picture

November 20, 2020 at 11:21 am

Watching us getting gashed by the run when we know the run is coming causes me extreme anguish! Last year we got trampled. This year we’re getting trampled,too. Way too many 2nd and short. Way too many 3rd and short. The defense can’t get off the field. The defense is making hard on its self, making it hard on the offense. The offense is being pressed to score every possession.

2 points
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PhantomII's picture

November 20, 2020 at 09:36 pm

If it makes you feel better Pettine would not get nearly as much out of him as the Steelers have. He'd be played out of position or drop into coverage constantly.

0 points
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fastmoving's picture

November 21, 2020 at 10:31 am

A Ferrari is really fitting for you..........so you should know everything about way below expectations.
Or guys are good. Complaining about the past is only for looosers. Nobody knows before and guy who act like it, can not be really smart. Outside here parallel world, of course.
And yeahhh, same thing with Hill. Dont know how somebody can act like he is a halfway NFL QB. How many passes did he complete in his NFL life....3 or 4? Maybe he is some kind of football player but never a QB

0 points
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Blood-McNally's picture

November 22, 2020 at 12:00 am

Having a bad day or jealous?

0 points
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PeteK's picture

November 20, 2020 at 10:04 am

Good job with that analysis, thanks. It spells out the main problems with the team this year. I might add that Jones because of injury is not meeting expectations and Linsley seems the same as last season. Besides Preston ,I am also disappointed in Clark's play.

3 points
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jh9's picture

November 21, 2020 at 04:39 am

This defense MUST play better if the Packers are to have a realistic shot to win the Super Bowl. After the trade deadline, no help is coming from the outside. Only the coaches and players on the roster can achieve the level of play that’s needed.

But more than statistics, the defense needs to play tougher. The statistics will follow. When the Packers offense gets punched in the mouth, this team can’t fold like a cheap lawn chair. They must fight back. The defense has to punch the other team’s offense just as hard or harder until the offense can regain control.

This defense doesn’t have to be great. With the offense the Packers have, the Packers can win it all if this team has the right mindset. But that will only happen if the coaches and players have focus, urgency, and toughness.

2 points
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TarynsEyes's picture

November 20, 2020 at 10:19 am

"Moreover, it is alarming that this list includes both starters on the defensive line, and that three of the five starters playing at a subpar level play the middle of the field: nose tackle; inside linebacker and free safety. One silver lining is that the depth seems better: no one looks wholly overwhelmed if they have to play except perhaps Ty Summers."

This tells me that the separation between starters and backups is becoming equal, and that isn't a 'silver lining'. The starters playing to the backup player level only makes the backups look better falsely, where true progress would be the backups playing to the starters level, if the starters were playing at or above expectations, which they aren't.

The defense appears to be mentally relying on the offense to win the game, as though they're suffering from a Championship hangover, or perhaps they're just not as good as many here have hoped, hyped, envisioned with blind optimism.

The defense can look wonderful against specific offensive deficient teams or those lacking an above average run game or at least one true dominant RB. The path to any GB championship beyond Division Title will come via run defense or playing a team whose RBs happen to be on the injury list and cannot play.

8 points
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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

November 20, 2020 at 10:54 am

Concern that there is insufficient difference in the performance of starters as opposed to depth players is reasonable to conclude. But that is not my take.

I like what I have seen from OLBs Garvin and Ramsey, and I think Gileau has talent. Gary seems to have added some pass rushing moves, but I still need to see more from him, including consistency. It would be nice if he could drop into coverage since he has the athleticism to do that.

I like Hollman's talent, and I think Martin could be a good player. I think Barnes has less talent but does enough well. Coverage is part recognition and getting used to NFL speed.

I have always thought Montravius oozed with talent, but that he was a headcase. I am worried about him turning it on (well, so to speak) in a contract year. I liked Keke as a prospect and I think he can play in the NFL.

Some players need patience. Jamaal needed two years to learn pass pro and improve his receiving skills. Now he seems to be a better runner as well. Tonyan needed time.

You might be right. I am enthused about the bottom 15 to 20 players on the current roster. I am not actually known as an optimist, by the way. Thanks for commenting, Taryn. We go back a long time.

1 points
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TarynsEyes's picture

November 20, 2020 at 11:07 am

I'm the type that holds back on bottom 15-20 players expectations but will welcome them when their play rises to the level of unseating starters because of better play and not so much because the starters have fallen in play level making the replacement still a mediocre/average/hyped replacement.

I regret if you felt I placed you in the optimist category, but I assumed those that merit such know who they are as well as those who do not, like yourself. We do go back a long time and I have always respected your thoughts and takes here and at the ACME site.

7 points
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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

November 20, 2020 at 01:09 pm

LOL! Acquit me of being an optimist, by God.

Though my comments too often focus on the negative in my comments, I might be an optimist. IDK. I started my own business despite having a wife, two children, and a mortgage, not to mention a dog and three cats. One or more of the following are probably true: I am an optimist, have no fear of failure/rejection, have enough ego to think I could do better than the boss/authority figures, or had no other choice.

2 points
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TarynsEyes's picture

November 20, 2020 at 02:03 pm

I have no doubt your optimism in your personal life is not the same as that blind optimism of fans of GB here at CHTV.

Your personal optimism is derived by your endeavor to be/do better for your family and self, and I sense in that order, and while having close contact with those who you rely on to maintain business to a standard needed.

Fan optimism is based more on the point that the player is a Packer and therefore must be better than actually is or will ever be, and why every bargain-basement sign is the guy who'll be the help needed to be/do better, prior contributions or lack of elsewhere, be damned.

4 points
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ricky's picture

November 20, 2020 at 10:57 am

King is doing what is expected- he's playing very well when on the field; except he can't stay on the field. At this point, he is like Bulaga, but when Bulaga got hurt, it was long term. With King, it's always those "nagging injuries" that don't seem to heal completely. Time to let someone else pay him. And though this hurts to say, it could be that Clark is going to be one of those "I played my heart out to get paid; I got paid, so I can now coast" players. Probably not a popular opinion, but so far, this seems to be the case. The decline of Savage is particularly curious. He starts out really well, but regresses as he gets more experience? This screams that he is being asked to do things in the defense to which he is not suited. It's past time to move on from Pettine, and see if someone else can motivate/scheme/develop these players more. Time for a defense where other teams know they're going to have to buckle their chin straps a little tighter, because they're going to be roughed up.

2 points
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PackfanNY's picture

November 20, 2020 at 11:20 am

The Kevin King rating should be INCOMPLETE. KK has played 4 games. Leaving one early because of injury. The Packers have played 9 games. That means he has played less than 50% of the games played. Pretty much the story of his career. This will be his last year in GB not because of talent but because of his inability to stay on the field.

6 points
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cheesehead1's picture

November 20, 2020 at 11:34 am

Exactly, you just can’t pay big $ for him to sit out time and time again.

1 points
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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

November 20, 2020 at 01:37 pm

The problem is one would have to give King incompletes for three out of his four years. Even last year, while he played 15 games, he was on the injury report quite a bit, leading fans to write that he played well for being banged up.

All NFL players eventually play while being injured. At some point, King is what he is and since this is a contract year, he has to be graded. Gute is not going to re-sign a player for any significant money if the only grade is INC. I think he is mid level #2 CB (when healthy) and that's all.

Thanks for reading (presumably) and commenting, NYPF.

1 points
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TarynsEyes's picture

November 20, 2020 at 02:40 pm

I fear, for some unknown reason, that an incomplete may spearhead the resigning. We gave Perry another contract, and though IMO, his first wasn't an incomplete solely because of time lost, but also his play was inconsistent and the FO believed more time would prove correct in play and health. Obviously they were wrong on both accounts and I smile with sadness for them and those who support blindly these type of players.

0 points
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CoachDino's picture

November 20, 2020 at 06:16 pm

Good point on Perry. The reason they resigned him was straight out desperation as they had no one else. Where I often differ with others is that I see the draft as a tool to ensure you are never desperate and have to sign someone. So if they have to sign King, I would say they failed in the draft or UDFA signings.

1 points
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packerbackerjim's picture

November 20, 2020 at 03:26 pm

One who receives an incomplete from me is Jerry Gray. Going into the season I had high hopes the talent in the DBs as a whole would be brought out by a coach whose resume would suggest it. Injuries, strange spacing have been disappointing while progress by Alexander has been welcome. The results have been below what I’d hoped. How much is Pettine, how much is Gray, we may not ever know.

2 points
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jannes bjornson's picture

November 20, 2020 at 05:11 pm

Zimmer moved on from him for a reason. The queens had three #1 picks at CB the past few years and they regressed under Gray.

2 points
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packerbackerjim's picture

November 20, 2020 at 05:58 pm

One of them was Trae Waynes who never could cover despite outstanding speed. Never developed other essential skills.

2 points
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PackfanNY's picture

November 20, 2020 at 03:30 pm

Thegreatreynaldo,

Thanks for your write up. I enjoyed it very much. I agree that King would be incomplete for 3 of 4 years. I think the evidence is in on King. He certainly has the talent. However, I don’t buy fans saying he “plays well for being banged up”. Fact is he misses too many games. I agree he is a mid level #2, when healthy. Of course, that’s the issue. My point is this is a salary cap league and, well, availability is important. Gute needs to not only weigh the asset but how often the asset performs. Don’t misunderstand this isn’t questioning King’s injuries. It’s unfortunate but a reality of the NFL.

2 points
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PatrickGB's picture

November 20, 2020 at 02:45 pm

What makes King a good corner is his height and ability. What makes him prone to injury is the same. Long slender and willing to tackle means that he is in on tough plays and often engaged. He puts himself in harms way but doesn’t have the body type to escape the bumps, bruises and tissue injuries that shorter stouter DB’s often escapes. The team regularly puts him up against bigger receivers and he is also forced to tackle in the run game as well because others have not. Yet, he is still our best number two CB. If he can find a way to bulk up a bit without losing speed he would be worth keeping on a reasonable contract.

2 points
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Bearmeat's picture

November 20, 2020 at 04:51 pm

Obvious post: This points towards coaching. Again. Ugh. Why do we always suck on defense...

4 points
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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

November 20, 2020 at 06:32 pm

Coaching, drafting square pegs for round roles, coaching, IDK.

I wasn't thrilled with King, but didn't hate him in the 2nd. Liked Adams. I didn't hate Biegel when he was drafted, but quickly grew to dislike him. Something happened we fans no nothing about caused Gute give him an unceremonious boot in 2018. He played pretty well in 2019 and went down in August with a torn Achilles.

Not enough hits over the last 7 drafts. Just Jaire and Clark. A couple of more decent starters, and recently some guys who look at least promising even if they haven't been plus starters yet.

20: Martin, Scott and Garvin. No one is playing much.
19: Gary, Savage, keke, Holman, Summers
18: Jackson, Burks, Looney, Donnerson. Hit: Jaire.
17: King, M. Adams, Biegel. Gave up too soon on Biegel?
16: Clark, Fackrell, Blake M, Lowry. Not bad, really.
15: Randall, Rollins, Ryan, Ringo
14: Dix, Thornton, Bradford, Goodson
13: Datone, Hyde, Boyd, Palmer Barrington.

1 points
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Bearmeat's picture

November 20, 2020 at 07:35 pm

You know, Gary was overdrafted, but Savage was a good personnel bet. Jackson where he was taken too. Burks was a guess. Didn't work out. King wasn't a bust, but was a miss compared to what we could have had. But let's remember, Gute's 1st draft was 18.

He needs to do better, but I'm not on the fire Gute Train. Yet. It was 4 years too late for TT to retire.

0 points
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CoachDino's picture

November 20, 2020 at 06:38 pm

Great article, realigned some of my thoughts.
I thought Gary should be exceeds expectations but he did flash last year so we knew he could and the fact he was a 1st rd pick comes with a level of expectations.

Good point on Martin as well, sample size too small.

Barnes and Ty IMO had such little expectations for so though their play has been poor I never expected anything more (Ty is a special teamer not a LB IMO)

I thought Lancaster exceeded expectations as well

I wonder how much the new holding calls or lack thereof has impacted the Smiths. I'd just like to see improvement against the run by those guys.

-1 points
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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

November 20, 2020 at 08:00 pm

I thought I might get some pushback on King, Barnes and perhaps Gary and Sullivan. I like Lancaster more than most so perhaps I decided not to push the issue by putting him in the exceeding expectations category. Given that GB has issues with the run, there is a limit on how many DL I would put in the exceeds expectations. Adams barely plays at least, while Keke is decidedly part-time still, but increasing. I love the pop Martin has and the way he looks but now that he has some tape out there, I need to see if opposing DCs can find things to exploit.

On King, opposing quarterbacks have had passer ratings of 94.3, 84.6 and 114.3. His yards/target 6.0, 10.2, and 8.3. He seems to be a willing tackler but he has missed tackle % of 15%, 17.5% and 27.3% this year. PFR doesn't go back to King's rookie year on advanced stats. PFF doesn't love or hate him: 56, 62.5 and 57 grades, all in the average range.

0 points
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GLM's picture

November 20, 2020 at 08:29 pm

I think the philosophy going into the season was going to be a ball-controlling offense that grinds out yards and time of possession, and keeps the defense fresh. That hasn't always happened. It presumes a dominant running game, which is certainly achievable with this offense.

Missing key players has hurt, such as Ervin with the jet sweep option, and Deguara as an H-back. Losing Lazard after his breakout game didn't help, either. The options have diminished some, allowing defenses to key on the run, forcing the offense to pass. Sometimes it works, and sometimes not.

Injuries to the linebackers have hurt the defense. We were counting on Kirksey, and also Martin to hold the middle. That is the defense's glaring weakness, if you ask me. Raven Greene has also been a factor, but his availability is also an issue. We're vulnerable in the middle of the field.

I've also seen opposing quarterbacks take advantage of the rush off the edge to pass into the zone vacated by the rush linebacker. I think that also points to the second level needing to fill those zones.

0 points
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