Eleven Warriors

I'm going to keep preaching this, but you have to take a good angle to even have a chance to make a play.  Bryant is possibly our best open-field tackler (even if he does fail to wrap sometimes), and he runs himself out of plays frequently where he sprints up to a spot and if the runner goes a different direction he is completely out of the play.  He did this last year so I don't think it's a new thing.  Shazier has symptoms of the same problem but it is more striking from the safety who is the last line of defense.  If I'm Withers (safeties coach) I only want him trying to tackle a guy at the line of scrimmage if it is a play to the flat, and otherwise he needs to remain in the play and keep the runner in front of him.  This is how we keep giving up huge runs after the catch or after the running back gets into the second level.  Bryant and others basically block themselves by taking bad angles.

Players don't seem to understand their assignments, or they are not recognizing what the offense is doing, or both.  In either case, the physical problem of tackling starts with the intellectual challenge of knowing what you are supposed to do.  The longer it takes for a defender to figure out the play, the worse the angles get, the more arm tackles you see. 

Coaching....period.  You play like you practice...it really is that simple folks.

The problem lies with Will, Mike, and Sam. Our linebackers are missing reads and assignments. They are either too slow to the play or they overshoot it. They don't wrap up. It's just sad to watch. I'm not sure if the problem is mostly in Fickell or Vrabel's coaching, or a lack of talent, or injuries. It's probably all three.

As for the rest of the defense, I think they're doing their jobs pretty well. It's pretty hard to get the corner on them, it's pretty hard to run up he middle on them (can be done, but they hold their own), and the CBs do a decent job. 

The problem with all the talent in we have on the outside, deep, and up front is that we have a gaping hole right in the middle of the feild every play. They bite on every screen tossed and can't wrap up any runner headed their way.

This year will be known for two things to me; Meyer's first year and "The Year Without A Linebacker."

Worst Christmas special ever.

I'm hoping it's a really bad Halloween specail, and that by the time November rolls around we'll be all better. Sadly, I'm afraid that's too much to ask from these linebackers...