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Are the Linebackers really this bad?


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you can't put the first TD on Sheppard, I actually thought he made a good play in the hole on that one blowing things up. I thought Bradham wasn't in his gap on the 1st td and on the 2nd Sheppard got blocked well... but it was Barnett that got crushed in the hole (and the hole was HUGE) and it was Kelsay who was too busy running upfield to play any run def.

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What kills the LB's are cut-back runs, like Johnson's 89 yard run.

 

The LB's over-pursue on everything, including on play-action fakes, cut-backs, everything.

 

Bradham is the worst at this too, but he's also young, so he gets a bit of a pass.

 

Best answer I've read today

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On the long run, you must be talking about the lead block on Barnett, and it was a good one by the FB.

 

But upon further review, one can clearly see Sheppard at least a yard deeper than the other LBs. At the snap, he shuffles forward and eventually willfully engages with the OL, whom in my opinion he could have easily avoided contact with by sidestepping as CJ breaks to his right). But he gets caught up in the muck for no reason. A decent MLB would have scraped over and plugged that play up just as CJ passed Barnett. Or at least got a piece of him.

 

I implore you to review the play again.

 

http://www.nfl.com/n...mp-out-key-runs

 

Ya I noticed the same thing with the hole cj was coming thru and sheppard just shuffled to the right with the guard 3 feet in from of him and what a disgrace sheppard has been and he should only be playing sparingly IMO

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on the 2nd Sheppard got blocked well... but it was Barnett that got crushed in the hole (and the hole was HUGE) and it was Kelsay who was too busy running upfield to play any run def.

 

Then we agree to disagree on a few things ... on CJ's long one my point is simply that with half an ounce of MLB instinct, he could have at least slowed up CJ. To say "he got blocked" and blame it on Barnett is ridiculous. Barnett took on the lead blocker, and for him to make that tackle would have been stellar. Sheppard could/should have at least shown up at the point of attack - is that too much to ask of a MLB on essentially a cut that went off-tackle? I thought Kelsay did his DE job rather well by turning CJ into the "help" and not letting him get to the corner.

 

first, why people feel inclined to come to the defense of Sheppard, who barely shows up on the stat sheet, is beyond me.

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Then we agree to disagree on a few things ... on CJ's long one my point is simply that with half an ounce of MLB instinct, he could have at least slowed up CJ. To say "he got blocked" and blame it on Barnett is ridiculous. Barnett took on the lead blocker, and for him to make that tackle would have been stellar. Sheppard could/should have at least shown up at the point of attack - is that too much to ask of a MLB on essentially a cut that went off-tackle? I thought Kelsay did his DE job rather well by turning CJ into the "help" and not letting him get to the corner.

 

first, why people feel inclined to come to the defense of Sheppard, who barely shows up on the stat sheet, is beyond me.

I agree that was on sheppard and what the hell was he thinking and could ve at least trip him lol or stick his arm out..as he wasn't even engauged yet..

Edited by NFLBighits
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Then we agree to disagree on a few things ... on CJ's long one my point is simply that with half an ounce of MLB instinct, he could have at least slowed up CJ. To say "he got blocked" and blame it on Barnett is ridiculous. Barnett took on the lead blocker, and for him to make that tackle would have been stellar. Sheppard could/should have at least shown up at the point of attack - is that too much to ask of a MLB on essentially a cut that went off-tackle? I thought Kelsay did his DE job rather well by turning CJ into the "help" and not letting him get to the corner.

 

first, why people feel inclined to come to the defense of Sheppard, who barely shows up on the stat sheet, is beyond me.

 

Not really defending Sheppard... don't have a rooting interest in him either way, that just wasn't his gap assignment, that's all. It was Barnett's gap, and the gap was waaaaay to big because Dareus got doubled and wasn't able to hold his ground and Kelsay was way out of the play. Mario Williams actually does a really good job at holding the edge and pressing the hole down so the LB can come up and fill the hole. Barnett needs to come up w/ his inside shoulder and force it inside of him where Sheppard is, not outside of him where there is nobody. Sheppard needed to fill where Dareus should have been and not get blocked so easily by the guard coming off of the double team. Obviously easier said than done... but I'm 99% sure those were the missed gap assignments on that play

 

-Jon

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I don't understand this scheme as I always thought a 4-3 defense had the OLBs outside the D-Ends.

That's not accurate, 4-3 DE typically has outside alignment and contain

 

on the 2nd Sheppard got blocked well... but it was Barnett that got crushed in the hole (and the hole was HUGE) and it was Kelsay who was too busy running upfield to play any run def.

Don't forget Dareus getting blown 3 yards off the ball by the double team. Edited by Carey Bender
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