Younger's defense

[Pete]

I definitely don't like the idea of choosing our second best SAM just because they're Canadian.

The issue isn't that we need to move Kramdi back to SAM if he's lost the job. The issue is improving our safety play and if Kramdi isn't a fit there either then you cut or PR him or move him to specials.

Having said that, I'm not convinced the safety play is really that bad. I think it's an incredibly hard position in Younger's defense and no one has really had any success there really. Allen maybe flashed most but even his success was modest. Parker and Kramdi look the same. Alexander under Hall was the last good one we've had.

yeah the problem is that Youngers defense relies on hoping the other team makes a mistake rather than creating them. An aggressive safety would help though

[Sir Blue and Gold]

yeah the problem is that Youngers defense relies on hoping the other team makes a mistake rather than creating them. An aggressive safety would help though

Is it possible for the safety to play aggressively based on what Younger wants him to do? Because it seems like it's not on most plays. I think we'd be surprised how much better our defense would look with an approach that was more aggressive overall. From the defensive line to the linebackers and secondary all. That's not on the players though.

[Tecno]

Is it possible for the safety to play aggressively based on what Younger wants him to do?

No, probably not.  Because our cover 1 and cover 2 mixed zone or match require the FS('s) to be in a certain position.

It's so rare we let our FS be free, like Dequoy often was, and Katsatonis is.

I'm not sure we'll ever have a FS we just tell "we trust you, just go to where the you think the ball is going on passing downs", and one who has track-star level speed.

[Tecno]

You still have to play your best Canadians where they play best. If that's not safety, then it's irrelevant that Griffin is better. That's the nature of the ratio.

I'm being swayed by the Kramdi-at-FS-isn't-working-out crowd.  I gave him more rope.  But he's produced nothing in 3 games.  I can't name more than 1 thing a game he's done.

Griffin is doing better at SAM than Kramdi used to.  Not stupendously better.  But "better enough".  So I don't see how you sit him or change him back to a DI.

So, assuming we can withstand the loss of Kramdi's on-field direction, shift him to PR or LB backup (STer role) as soon as Allen is back, or (preferably!) we have someone else even better.  With 8 starting NATs, we can do this.

The QB of the D will then be Kyrie, who will have to direct everything from MLB.  That means we can't easily sit Kyrie, moving forward.

It's not that Kramdi is bad at SAM, or horrific at FS, it's that he's just not as good as the other options, and we have the ratio room.  And Griffin is already here.  And if we don't demote him, it'll be proof his "QB of the D" role is considered indispensable.

Here's an idea.  Move Kramdi to Kelly's spot.  PR Kelly.  And put a real FS at FS -- when we have one that is.

[Tecno]

2/3 games this year we've needed our defense to get a stop to put us in a very good position to win. Both times they got walked down the field. Sorry, no excuses

Except in nearly every single game with this situation FOR YEARS, the O has had 1 or more series before the opponent drives the field, where we could tack on more points so our D doesn't have to make the stop to win.  The O goes 2 & out (or similar) and just hands the ball back.

It cuts both ways.  If we know our D can't stop most drives, especially in 3 down territory, then we should use a strategy that doesn't require them to.  We should pioneer a 3-down game we can use in this situation when there's 4-5 mins on the clock.  Ignore the 2-downs-to-get-9 strategy (avg 4.5 a snap), and switch to 3-downs-to-get-10 (avg 3.3 a snap).  EDM can do it.  SSK can do it.  Let's do it too.  Certainly we can find a way to get Brady 3.3 on most runs, and perfect some form of SSK's short game, but make it even shorter to get 3.3.  And the beauty is, with lots of time on the clock the D won't just play prevent taking all the deep shots away -- meaning Zach can take one if the opportunity arises.

Yes, it's crazy, but so is the O going 2&out and expecting this D to not allow the opponent to march the field and kill the clock.  BE BOLD.

[Tecno]

Except we threw a bomb instead of grinding it out.

The point is that we've often had leads and the ball with little time left and still lost. It's a combination of often too conservative offence and being forced to punt.

Contradiction.  You can't complain about both.  The bomb in question was on the 2nd last drive -- not the last one.  The last one was uber-conservative (too much so), partly dictated by the prevent D -- but we've seen top teams/QB like Alexander complete mid passes against prevent; why can't we?

And again, do you really think a short curl to Cobb would have helped at all?  Do you really think that crazy EDM pressure wasn't going to get another sack against the porous OL?  Do you really think the OL & Brady could succeed on a delayed RB draw?  Pffft.

The deep 50/50 shot had as much chance to succeed as anything else we do.  Nay, I posit better!  Until we get some "sure thing" short plays like all the good teams have, might as well have your iffy shot net you 25, not 3.