Originally posted by dj43:
Personally I don't think the team is utilizing Lawson very well. They tried him for a pass rusher at the beginning of his rookie season but he was too light and inexperienced to do that. Since then they make his main job to seal the end on running plays and drop into coverage. Well, he does that well enough but I never see him turned loose to rush the passer. Give him some direction and freedom to rush the passer.
You may be right that the team is not utilizing him correctly. He's obviously a very good athlete. You are dead on with how we are using him...now, almost exclusively to set the edge (important job) and sometimes 20 yards down the field covering (WTH?). The problem is that perhaps, that's ALL he can do. I think his skill set matched with Manusky's scheme = average at best player. They did turn him lose last year from day one to pass rush. In fact, we even brought in a pass rush specialist to our coaching staff to help out. Using FO, both he and Haralson almost exclusively rushed the passer en route to stopping the run and rarely dropped back in zone. Results? Backups with 1/3rd of the snaps put up the same and better sack numbers and way more big plays. I never thought Lawson was a good fit for a 3-4 OLB or in the 3-4 in general. That's not his fault. But in terms of what WE need is, we need pass rushers and playmakers. Period. The Steelers are a perfect example of a team who is playing without it's Superbowl winning QB and they are 3-0 b/c of their defense! Woodley and Harrison already have 5 sacks and 10 total team sacks. I showed last year that most 3-4 defensive teams, the OLB's attribute 50% of their team's total sacks. The best teams hover around 55-60%. These are your playmakers...your game changers. Manny and Haralson will never be these types of players. Brooks "may" become one of those players...LaBoy used to be one of these players.
Originally posted by dj43:
As to OLB play; the defense has been too much like the offense = PREDICTABLE. If Brooks is to be the designated pass rusher, move him around. KC killed both A. Davis and Staley with Tamba Hali yesterday. He even came up the middle on a couple of stunts. THAT is the way the should use guys like Brooks, and Lawson if I am right about him.
I 100% agree with you on this one! But for the record, Lawson/Brooks are moved back and forth between the SAM and WILL...that said, Manusky doesn't use them like a Merriman where they are free to rush gaps (any gaps) up the gut, outside, standing up behind the LOS...it's a big issue I have with Manusky. Too vanilla. He needs to imploy a more dominant scheme ala Jets or start utilizing the personnel he has properly ala Pittsburgh. The "free" guy on our defense is Willis and TKO is used as his "defensive FB." If this was a 4-3 defense, that would make more sense IMHO...in the 3-4, the OLB's should be the free rushers/playmakers.
But I think at the end of the day, Brooks is a much better pass rusher then Lawson and that's what we need at this juncture. We have plenty of run stoppers back there...we NEED pass rushers.
Originally posted by dj43:
The fundamental disagreement I have with Singletary is that he carries his "impose your will" philosophy too far. A team can only play on emotions for so long and then they run out. The coaches' job is to give them more than just emotion. They need strategy, they need technique, they need tools to allow their physical ability to take over. Out of 16 games, you might win 2 or 3 on just emotional firepower alone but this league is just too tough to win on adrenal alone very often. You need toughness but toughness by itself will not win very many ball games, and that is what I see as the basic issue.
Obviously, you and I are in full agreement on this one as well.
