Defenses and stars

[Sleeping in EQ]

Is it reasonable to assume that if a defensive player is in on alot of big plays, something is amiss?

Ben Criddle comes to mind. He was a favorite of casual fans because he broke up passes, hit hard, and had his name called often by broadcasters. But shouldn't those casual fans have been asking why offenses were going at him so often? Or maybe, why he was having to cover somebody else's deficiency? Isn't that a clue that there's a problem?

Rob Morris comes to mind too. If he wasn't head hunting QBs, the secondary was getting exposed like a pair of jugs at a Motley Crue concert.

Do the best defenses tend to not have stars?

If I hear a defensive player's name alot early in the season, I immediately think the defense has holes.

[kccougar]

Steve Tait comes to mind. He was a decent to good safety that had awesome stats because his linebackers sucked.

[Surfah]

Is it reasonable to assume that if a defensive player is in on alot of big plays, something is amiss?

Ben Criddle comes to mind. He was a favorite of casual fans because he broke up passes, hit hard, and had his name called often by broadcasters. But shouldn't those casual fans have been asking why offenses were going at him so often? Or maybe, why he was having to cover somebody else's deficiency? Isn't that a clue that there's a problem?

Rob Morris comes to mind too. If he wasn't head hunting QBs, the secondary was getting exposed like a pair of jugs at a Motley Crue concert.

Do the best defenses tend to not have stars?

If I hear a defensive player's name alot early in the season, I immediately think the defense has holes.

Do you think the same when you hear the name Troy Polamalu? Ray Lewis? Brian Urlacher?

[Goatnapper'96]

Is it reasonable to assume that if a defensive player is in on alot of big plays, something is amiss?

Ben Criddle comes to mind. He was a favorite of casual fans because he broke up passes, hit hard, and had his name called often by broadcasters. But shouldn't those casual fans have been asking why offenses were going at him so often? Or maybe, why he was having to cover somebody else's deficiency? Isn't that a clue that there's a problem?

Rob Morris comes to mind too. If he wasn't head hunting QBs, the secondary was getting exposed like a pair of jugs at a Motley Crue concert.

Do the best defenses tend to not have stars?

If I hear a defensive player's name alot early in the season, I immediately think the defense has holes.

Good things to look for when evaluating team defense:

Does opposing offenses score points?

Do opposing offenses move the ball?

I also remember BYU's defensive backfield being pretty good when Morris played. His senior year I recall the only team that moved the ball on BYU was Virginia with Thomas somebodyoranother, who I think still might be in the NFL, picking up most of their yards on the ground. Rob was injured that game.

In fact I remember a demorialized BYU really locking up Chad Pennington and a pretty good Marshall offense. I recall Marshall had one long play for a TD but other than that it was the shitty BYU offense that gave Marshall most of its points.

Back to your point some defenses are designed to let one player really shine and rack up the stats. Mendenhall does that to some extent and it is normally either his MLB or a safety.

[pellegrino]

Good things to look for when evaluating team defense:

Does opposing offenses score points?

Do opposing offenses move the ball?

I also remember BYU's defensive backfield being pretty good when Morris played. His senior year I recall the only team that moved the ball on BYU was Virginia with Thomas somebodyoranother, who I think still might be in the NFL, picking up most of their yards on the ground. Rob was injured that game.

In fact I remember a demorialized BYU really locking up Chad Pennington and a pretty good Marshall offense. I recall Marshall had one long play for a TD but other than that it was the shitty BYU offense that gave Marshall most of its points.

Back to your point some defenses are designed to let one player really shine and rack up the stats. Mendenhall does that to some extent and it is normally either his MLB or a safety.

Goat, I think you need to revise your response. SIEQ gave you a major shoutout (something about jugs and a Motley Crue concert) and you didn't even so much as acknowledge it. Don't disappoint us, man.

[il Padrino Ute]

I think it all depends on what the player is doing on defense. As KC mentioned, Tate had a ton of tackles, but if a safety is making that many tackles, it's most likely because there is a problem somewhere in the front 7. In Utah's case, it was, indeed, the LBs. And as you pointed out, if a DB is recording lots of deflected passes, there must be a reason teams are throwing his way so many times. Opposing teams tend to not throw in the direction of the best CB on the field.

My definition of a defensive star is a player who:

a) offensives do everything they can to keep him from making any kind of impact on the field - such as double or even triple team blocking him, not running or throwing in his direction and

b) he still gets involved by making a tackle/forces the ball carrier to change direction or get an interception/pass deflection despite the effort of the offense to avoid him.

One of my favorite Utes ever who did this was Jason Kafusi. It didn't matter what the opposition did to slow down his pas rush; he was always in the QB's face. His injuries prevented him from going to the NFL, but IMO, he was a defensive star.

[Goatnapper'96]

Goat, I think you need to revise your response. SIEQ gave you a major shoutout (something about jugs and a Motley Crue concert) and you didn't even so much as acknowledge it. Don't disappoint us, man.

I was going through lyrics and I have yet to find it. Sad point is I just downloaded most of my favorite Crue songs to my Ipad, so it is not likely my Crue memory has been better since I was in high school.

[Babs]

Is it reasonable to assume that if a defensive player is in on alot of big plays, something is amiss?

Ben Criddle comes to mind. He was a favorite of casual fans because he broke up passes, hit hard, and had his name called often by broadcasters. But shouldn't those casual fans have been asking why offenses were going at him so often? Or maybe, why he was having to cover somebody else's deficiency? Isn't that a clue that there's a problem?

Rob Morris comes to mind too. If he wasn't head hunting QBs, the secondary was getting exposed like a pair of jugs at a Motley Crue concert.

Do the best defenses tend to not have stars?

If I hear a defensive player's name alot early in the season, I immediately think the defense has holes.

I don't understand. Even the country's top-rated defense will have two or three players who are consistently making the big plays and who go on to have impressive NFL careers. Why should hearing one of these names called every other play suggest that there's something amiss with the D as a whole?

[Surfah]

I don't understand. Even the country's top-rated defense will have two or three players who are consistently making the big plays and who go on to have impressive NFL careers. Why should hearing one of these names called every other play suggest that there's something amiss with the D as a whole?

That was my point.

[Babs]

That was my point.

Yes, I noticed.

[pellegrino]

I was going through lyrics and I have yet to find it. Sad point is I just downloaded most of my favorite Crue songs to my Ipad, so it is not likely my Crue memory has been better since I was in high school.

I have faith in you.

[Sleeping in EQ]

I don't understand. Even the country's top-rated defense will have two or three players who are consistently making the big plays and who go on to have impressive NFL careers. Why should hearing one of these names called every other play suggest that there's something amiss with the D as a whole?

Because I am talking about BYU here, and because you missed the point. I allowed for the fact that the players who are stars might really be as good as their noteriety; but in the best defenses, they shouldn't have to be so notorious. In a defense where everyone is a rock star, the noteriety is spread around.

[Babs]

Because I am talking about BYU here.

Of course. It all makes sense now.

[Paperback Writer]

In a defense where everyone is a rock star, the noteriety is spread around.

Even the best defenses usually are not filled with "rock stars" in college. And the ones who do stand out, who become high draft picks, usually find a way to make an impact. Perhpas the exception is CB where an offense can choose not to throw his way very often. But still, the star CB has the chance to shut down the opposing team's best receiver. And even the most incompetent announcer usually makes a comment about it (because he has a stat guy pointing it out to him).

[U-Ute]

Depends on your scheme and what you are trying to do.

Generally, if your safety is making all your tackles, you have a problem up front.

Same if you have a linebacker having a large number of sacks (you can't get pressure with your front 4, so you blitz a lot).

Generally, Utah's D is geared so that the LB's should have most of the tackles. Especially the Rover.