2024 Defensive Personnel Failures

[*ochocincos*]

(12-03-2024, 06:36 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Thanks Ochocincos, nice thread. Sucks all the way around, but I have to blame the FA and coaches the most. Bringing in Stone after a 
one year wonder was questionable at the time but there is no way I would of thought he would of been this bad. Like you said, should 
of just kept Battle at SS and even started Tycen Anderson at FS instead who is having a great season on ST's. Vonn falling off doesn't
surprise me but I didn't think he would be this bad either, Battle is clearly an upgrade over him.

Rankins was never a Reader replacement and I said it at the time, but I thought he would of made the pass rush much better as he 
actually had decent years as a starter in the NFL. This has to be on injury and poor coaching with how bad he has been. Hasn't even
been better than Kris Jenkins a rookie learning his way.

CTB being this bad is tragic, but I guess he never was an answer as a #1 corner. DJ Turner shown flashes and then got hurt, I like Fig
but he got thrown into the fire against that checkdown Offense of the stealers I guess. He didn't look good either after looking good in 
his first action against the Chargers.

The Linebackers have been crazy bad under Bettcher and for them not to be able to even sniff out screens and get close to interceptions
against that very predictable stealer Offense shows how bad the coaching is. I could play better seeing those plays coming and making 
plays. Screens and checkdowns are extremely predictable and something Linebackers should thrive at stopping. Not struggle against it.

Tackling on top of all of this means we need to fire the entire Defensive staff and start over from the fundamentals of tackling with a 
new crew that actually knows what they are doing. Cannot rely on interceptions and fumbles, you can rely on fundamentals that can 
get you there though.

I went back and watched Stone's highlight reel from 2023 when he was a Raven, which has all his INTs.
A few of his INTs were overthrows and there's nothing special about him getting those. Errant throws by the QB and Stone didn't have to make any great plays to get them.
One of the INTs against the Bengals was a throw into the EZ and Stone jumped the route. He was about as far back as he could go, so the only thing he needed to do was come forward. Pretty "easy" coverage-wise to make a play compared to some other types of coverage plays for FS, IMO.
Another receiver had a CB covering him and Stone just undercut the route.

To me, Stone succeeded in BAL's scheme last year because his focus was coming downhill jumping routes or making clear overthrow INTs. He wasn't really a coverage guy.

For reference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6VYtcNipOM

Anarumo should have maybe watched the tape closer and noticed how Stone was being used to either A) realize Stone wouldn't be as successful if asked to play like Bates was asked, or B) change the safety responsibilities so Stone could be used more to his strengths (play back and try to undercut routes).