01-18-2023, 06:52 PM
(01-18-2023, 04:37 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Frist off, great post. Your impressions of our team closely mirror many of our own fans' impressions. I think you are a bit higher on our running backs (from a gameplay point of view) than many fans here but most other things are well aligned.
To answer your question about Apple, he has been much better than expected in the two years he's been here. He was basically run out of town in his first three stops so when we signed him, the immediate thought was "okay, he'll be a backup, so even though he's a draft bust he's probably better than a 6th round rookie." Unfortunately for us, he was almost immediately thrust into the starting line up because Trae Waynes, a top free agent we signed in 2020, was injured AGAIN prior to the 2021 season (after missing all of 2020). He was consistently the weak link in the defense. Many fans will recall him giving up a 3rd and 24 to KJ Osborn in his first game with the team where he just fell off of Osborn's back when he should have tackled him well short of the first. From then throughout the season he always seemed to be the one who gave up the back breaking play. This may have just been a perception thing or there may have been some truth to it, it's hard to say. He did give up the game winner in the Super Bowl as well.
And he's still doing it, jumping a sluggo against the Ravens to give them a free touchdown that re-tied the game in the 2nd half. My dad, who is a Giants and Bengals fan, calls giving up a big play at the worst time a "classic Apple move."
With all that said, when Awuzie went down, we were bracing for the worst. Many of us thought our Super Bowl hopes were over if we had to rely on Apple to cover the other team's number 1 receiver throughout the season and post season. But he's been...you know...fine. He still gives up the occasional "classic Apple move" but he also tends to make a play at the right time on occasion as well. Against the Saints, he was the one in coverage on the final play of the game (a 4th and 17 heave to the end zone) and he was able to cover the receiver 1 on 1 to secure the win.
In other words, it's not ideal that he's our #1 corner, but we could have done much worse than him considering he was never supposed to be a starter when we first signed him.
I think a lot of fans across the NFL hate him because he talks a TON of trash (especially on social media) but, in the best case, is a decent player and, in the worst case, is giving up Super Bowl losing plays. Those aren't typically the kinds of players fans forgive for talking trash haha.
Awesome info. Thank you. What % of Man/zone do you guys play? Iirc, I mostly see Apple playing the right side (outside of the offensive Left Tackle) and Britt on the other side, signifying lots of zone, but I could just be too high and imagining that ? I’d love to see Diggs in one on one but can’t see much of that happening. If I’m the opposing DC, I’m bracketing Diggs all game and make the other guys beat me. Problem with that, it’s tough to spy on Allen if you double Diggs- so you have to pick your poison. James Cook is the guy that we’re hoping can become that guy to make teams pay for playing the cover 2 shell. He can be dynamic in that situation
