Media Mythbusting - Team Speed - Defense

We have weak Speed on the D, Fastest player is Willis on D and hes the MLB...

We need more speed in the secondary for sure.

Originally posted by RonMexico:
Yes, stats tell you if a team has speed.

Niner talk at it's f**king finest.





Our secondary is slow.... don't over think it

Yup....need some "Berry's" back there!!!!!

Originally posted by RichnSanRamon:
I see more and more in the media that the Niners lack team speed on defense.

Obviously team speed on the D-Line is not the issue, nor at LB -- not with Lawson and Willis roaming around. No, to say the Niners defense lacks team speed is an indictment of the DB's.

So, guilty or not guilty?

Speaking for myself, I've watched every play this year at least once, and while I've seen big plays against the Niners, I have not seen a WR pull away from any of the DB's in a flat out footrace. I've seen them get behind the CB when the CB slows down to look back at the QB, or the CB is playing a zone facing the line of scrimmage. But that's not a speed issue. I've seen our safeties take a bad angle, but that is not a speed issue.

But I'm a Niner fan, so I may well be seeing what I want to see, not what really is.

So let's check the stats. If the secondary is slow, then you'd think the Niners are getting smoked on pass plays, right? And remember that the myth is that they lack team speed generally, not just against one team or another, but as a general proposition, so the problem should show up even if we use averages to smooth out the peaks and valleys of individual games.

So the key stat is how many yards the other teams average against the Niners defense on each passing attempt (yards per attempt).

According to NFL.com, the Niners give up the same yards per pass play as the Vikings and the Giants -- all three are tied for 19th out of 32. Do the Vikings and Giants lack team speed? I haven't heard that.

The Niners give up two TENTHS of a yard (that's 7 inches) more per pass play than the median (that is, the 16th overall pass defenses). The 16th overall teams? The Cowboys, Patriots, and Redskins. Do they lack team speed? I haven't heard that.

You could argue that the Niners ferocious pass rush covers up for the lack of team speed on the back end, but that would be absurd because the Niners have an average pass rush, at best.

Lack of team speed on defense? Myth.

Check their ratings in Madden and that will tell you their team speed!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!

we sorely lack team speed in the secondary. Just because our DBs might not be getting outrun doesn't mean that they are fast. A good indication that our DBs lack speed is the fact that they rarely make plays on balls in front of them. When they do, they are almost always late. You can chalk this up to a lack of speed or a lack of quick-thinking/instincts, but the net result is the same.

plus we can't outrun ANYONE in MADDEN

but... for real. we need speed it's an absolute MUST in the offseason. SOMEWHERE on the field we need it. our receivers are slow as f**k -- notice how they never get separation? if your TE is the fastest player on your offense something is wrong (no offense to VD).

and our secondary is constantly trailing, chasing, or not close.

we might be the slowest team in all of football to be honest.

Niners D has had trouble with the really fast guys this year (R. White, D. Jackson, C. Johnson) and that's why the media writes about team speed.

This is my second day posting after watching you guys for the last 2 years. The main reason I decided to get in this forum is a lot my fellow niner fanatics are in la la land or as I like to say alex and wonderland. And now this guy is saying we don't have a speed problem. Cracker barrell poop! Until we get a good enough quaterback a team that is built on speed, and innovation like we used to be built on. Not just motivation like we are currently built. We will continue to be a 7-9 or at best 8-8 football team!

Originally posted by MadMartz:

Originally posted by lamontb:
Nice post well presented but I feel incorrect. I remember seeing Roddy White run past the entire secondary. They taking bad angles b/c there lack of speed. Nate, Lewis, Spencer, Bly, and Brown aren't fast. And how does average yards per attempt defines speed.

And on that play Jenkins came in and out ran our DBs to get in position to block. We are slow, very slow. Did anyone see Jackson last Sunday? That guy had seperation all day. And it wasnt from double moves or good route running either.

We need more speed in the secondary for sure!

Their just stories, writers need stories to right so sometimes they make them up. That is journalism at it's finest.

I disagree.. you say you havent seen our wr's lose a foot race? bly got beat a lot against the eagles. Spencer when he gives up a big play, is 1-2 steps behind the wr..


There have been numerous overthrows against us this season. During those overthrows the WR had like 3-4 steps on our dbs (peyton manning threw at least 3-4 in that one game.)


And we always look slow as we are trailing speedy WR's across the middle. Nothing was more embarassing, than Roddy White turning on the jets and seeing Roman, and Nate clements just get burnt.

I would like to see speed in all sections of our defense. We are a run stopping defense rather than a pass stopping defense. J. Smith has some speed in the dline but Sop and Franklin are earth movers. Lawson and Willis are very fast but Spikes and Harolson are not. Lewis needs to go for he can not cover anyone in a passing situation. Goldson has potential but we need more speed in the safety area. Clements is looking more and more like a FS. And we need at least one, preferably two, quality CBs who are fast in coverage. We have some work to do in the off season.

I have sent GMScottie a note on this issue. We lack speed to force defenses to stretch the field both horizontally and vertically. This enables the defense to play tighter which Philly did well on pass and run.

I also noted that Tom Landry was interviewed after the 1981 Championship game about why the 49ers beat Dallas...Landry said that the 49ers had greater team quickness and speed. That Dallas didn't match up and it was there all 4 quarters.

Our current team lacks both quickness and speed. So even being phyiscal doesn't overcome that. When faced with real speed like Chris Johnson we get overmatched

Originally posted by BrodieWins:
I have sent GMScottie a note on this issue. We lack speed to force defenses to stretch the field both horizontally and vertically. This enables the defense to play tighter which Philly did well on pass and run.

I also noted that Tom Landry was interviewed after the 1981 Championship game about why the 49ers beat Dallas...Landry said that the 49ers had greater team quickness and speed. That Dallas didn't match up and it was there all 4 quarters.

Our current team lacks both quickness and speed. So even being phyiscal doesn't overcome that. When faced with real speed like Chris Johnson we get overmatched

WE do need more speed, but we also need to be more physical. The baltimore ravens on defense, are way more physical on every single play.. hell even the colts are.

We only occasionally look physical..

I'd like us to draft a great cover guy in the first with a solid R.T. If we can get a great cover guy, Spencer would make a very respectable second C.B.. I think that Tarrell Brown is an excellent third cover guy who can cover bigger receivers. I've left out Clements because of his huge contract this next year. IF Clements contract can be reworked and he stays with the Niners, look out baby!