Incompetent Sports Journalism

[BigAl2526]

I ran across this article this morning, and it made me roll my eyes.

 

Deone Walker

 

The gist of the article is that Deone Walker could be a steal at 3 technique.  Fine!  I agree.  He's still young and has a lot of developing to do, but he has certainly made some big plays in a season that is only three weeks old.  Here is the line that makes me wonder what rock the author crawled out from under and why Sports media outlets (in this case Sports Illustrated) hire such incompetence.  Here is the line that blew me away. "Still, many fans wanted the Bills to draft a "big man" and assumed he fit into the 3-technique spot, currently occupied by DaQuan Jones. Walker stands at 6'7" and weighs over 330 pounds. Men that size are typically 3-tech players."  As any serious football fan understands, it is the 1 tech defensive tackle who is typically bigger but may not be as mobile as the (typically) more mobile 3 tech.  Daquan Jones is a 1 tech.  Ed Oliver is a 3 tech all day long, even though injuries forced Buffalo to use Oliver as a one tech some of the time.  Now it's true that Deone Walker will probably be asked to play some 1 tech, but like his college career at Kentucky he probably won't be locked into it.  At Kentucky, he moved all over the defensive line.  Locking him into the 1 tech spot all the time would violate what the Bills say they want to do.  "Enable the players to be the best version of themselves."  The big issue I have is that the author doesn't seem to understand what differentiates 1 tech and 3 tech.  You'd think a guy who writes about football professionally would understand these things.  It's pretty basic stuff. 

[WotAGuy]

Whatever happened to the nose guard. 1 tech, 3 tech, 5 tech…. dumb, all of them.  Everyone knew what a nose guard was. I’m still looking for a halfback.  

[Offside Number 76]

6 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

Whatever happened to the nose guard. 1 tech, 3 tech, 5 tech…. dumb, all of them.  Everyone knew what a nose guard was. I’m still looking for a halfback.  

 

Right? I don't recall any of these "techniques" when Smerlas and Smith played.

[Fleezoid]

6 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

Whatever happened to the nose guard. 1 tech, 3 tech, 5 tech…. dumb, all of them.  Everyone knew what a nose guard was. I’m still looking for a halfback.  

 

I'm wondering where the Strong Safety went. 

[WotAGuy]

Just now, Fleezoid said:

 

I'm wondering where the Strong Safety went. 

Rapp took him out while flying in to make a missed tackle. 

[K-9]

9 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

Whatever happened to the nose guard. 1 tech, 3 tech, 5 tech…. dumb, all of them.  Everyone knew what a nose guard was. I’m still looking for a halfback.  

Nose guard is 0 tech. 

[WotAGuy]

1 minute ago, K-9 said:

Nose guard is 0 tech. 

Then why not….”Nose Guard”?

[US Egg]

Modern day football jargon to make the game seem more cerebral is all it is.

[Don Otreply]

7 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Nose guard is 0 tech. 

Actually a 0 tech is a nose guard, 

[Mr. WEO]

[BuffaloBillies]

4 minutes ago, US Egg said:

Modern day football jargon to make the game seem more cerebral is all it is.

 

In high school we had a play called the "Fat A** Blast" at the goal line where our two biggest DTs lined up in the backfield in front of our Fullback. It was either FAB Right or FAB Left. It was like a tornado came through as our Fullback would get in untouched. Way more fun than the tush push. Those were the days.

[K-9]

27 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

Then why not….”Nose Guard”?

I’m ok with nose guard. But the coach-speak football nerds like to be cool as if they’re in the film room breaking things down.

22 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

Actually a 0 tech is a nose guard, 

Yeah. That’s what I said.

[bmur66]

What is a tech and why do the big fat dudes have less of them? But seriously. What is meant by tech? Different techniques? 

Edited September 23 by bmur66

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, bmur66 said:

What is a tech and why do the big fat dudes have less of them? But seriously. What is meant by tech? Different techniques? 

 

Yes, it essentially refers to which gap you play in. A 1 tech plays in the A gap (between a center and a guard) and a 3 tech the B gap (between a guard and a tackle). 

[T.E.]

47 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

Whatever happened to the nose guard. 1 tech, 3 tech, 5 tech…. dumb, all of them.  Everyone knew what a nose guard was. I’m still looking for a halfback.  

I refuse to call a defensive end an "EDGE," which is always all capitalized for reasons I don't know.

[BarleyNY]

57 minutes ago, BigAl2526 said:

I ran across this article this morning, and it made me roll my eyes.

 

Deone Walker

 

The gist of the article is that Deone Walker could be a steal at 3 technique.  Fine!  I agree.  He's still young and has a lot of developing to do, but he has certainly made some big plays in a season that is only three weeks old.  Here is the line that makes me wonder what rock the author crawled out from under and why Sports media outlets (in this case Sports Illustrated) hire such incompetence.  Here is the line that blew me away. "Still, many fans wanted the Bills to draft a "big man" and assumed he fit into the 3-technique spot, currently occupied by DaQuan Jones. Walker stands at 6'7" and weighs over 330 pounds. Men that size are typically 3-tech players."  As any serious football fan understands, it is the 1 tech defensive tackle who is typically bigger but may not be as mobile as the (typically) more mobile 3 tech.  Daquan Jones is a 1 tech.  Ed Oliver is a 3 tech all day long, even though injuries forced Buffalo to use Oliver as a one tech some of the time.  Now it's true that Deone Walker will probably be asked to play some 1 tech, but like his college career at Kentucky he probably won't be locked into it.  At Kentucky, he moved all over the defensive line.  Locking him into the 1 tech spot all the time would violate what the Bills say they want to do.  "Enable the players to be the best version of themselves."  The big issue I have is that the author doesn't seem to understand what differentiates 1 tech and 3 tech.  You'd think a guy who writes about football professionally would understand these things.  It's pretty basic stuff. 

No editors checking stuff anymore. I see these mistakes everywhere. The writer obviously had a brain fart. I think we all know what he was trying to say. Walker’s play is in line with that of a 3 tech but he is the size of a 1 tech. I think he could also play as a one gap, penetrating 1 tech. 

[BigDingus]

48 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Nose guard is 0 tech. 

 

39 minutes ago, Don Otreply said:

Actually a 0 tech is a nose guard, 

 

Nuh uh! The 0 tech is actually a nose guard! 

 

[Captain Caveman]

1 hour ago, Offside Number 76 said:

 

Right? I don't recall any of these "techniques" when Smerlas and Smith played.

Yeah, and what the hell is it with this "forward pass" ?!!?

[eball]

26 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Yes, it essentially refers to which gap you play in. A 1 tech plays in the A gap (between a center and a guard) and a 3 tech the B gap (between a guard and a tackle). 

 

So 0 tech plays over the C, 1 tech between C and G, 2 tech over the G, and 3 tech between G and T?

 

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

38 minutes ago, bmur66 said:

What is a tech and why do the big fat dudes have less of them? But seriously. What is meant by tech? Different techniques? 

Long story short it's the lineman's general assignment. 

 

0-tech: Directly over center, in charge of the gaps between the Center & Guards. Ted Washington

1-tech: attacks hole between center and guard. Dareus

3-tech: attacks between guard and Tackle. Kyle Williams, Ed Oliver

5-tech: DE in a 3-4, or run sealer in 4-3

7-tech: standard all purpose 4-3 DE. Groot.

9-tech: speedy edge DE or pass rushing OLB. Hughes, Solomon

 

the point the article is trying to make that Walker looks like just a big heavy guy but is showing a surprising amount of speed and footwork instead of just shooting the gap.