wtf happened?

Sally is inactive, right? As poor a S as McAdam is, you just have to have 3 active. I'd hate to try to move a CB over if a S got hurt.

I sure would like McAdam to lose his gunner spot though. Maybe the new guy will take that place.

 

Peppers has done very well -- phenomenally well at times -- at LDE, but part of me keeps wondering how much more productive he would be as a blind side pass rusher. He's at a point where he does pretty much everything well, which is great! But until we get stronger at safety, I feel we need sacks as much as hurries, particularly against QBs like Vick and Brees. Rucker is very decent against the run (as you stated earlier), and he can and does pressure the QB. He just can't seem to seal the deal very often anymore. So that's why I say the most productive combination of the current starters is to flip Ruck and Pep. But if Pep is to stay on the strong side (a la Strahan), bring in a Umenyiora for Rucker who can actually get to the QB.

I'm not saying he shouldn't have to earn PT, but when our 30+ year old starter is dwindling in his abilities, and the backup is even older, how is the heir apparent supposed to learn if he can't get on the field? Surely he's got enough speed and tackling ability to be a factor on ST. Kick coverage at the very least.

I'm not trying to challenge anyone for an answer, I'm just having a really tough time understanding the decisions the staff is making on their active 45 from week to week.

 

They almost always keep 8 active, so I don't think that's a big concern. I'd rather have Salley active, but if the team had felt that way, they'd have gone with Salley on the active roster instead.

 

I agree with the some of your thought. At the moment, I think DW gives us as good if not a ever so slightly better chance on 3rd and short when healthy and think he will be better overall than DF. I don't think he was a bad choice, just surprising considering our needs. Not to be argumentive and I'm open to correction, where i find myself disagreeing is that with a smaller back you've got to at least open a crack and then maybe with explosion, lean and lower body strength he can beat a LB one-on-one for a first or a TD. Goings runs with good lean and abandon but he can't get it done much in short-yardage due to a lack of size and power. DW i think suffers somewhat the same except with much better quickness and change of direction to find a crack. If the line can't seem to open any cracks and/or get any push, I don't see where he has much of a chance. Whereas, a bigger more powerful guy that runs with power and good body lean could help to push the pile and/or given a crack can beat two/three defenders. Alstott (?) in his prime would be more consistent in picking up short yardage than I think Dunn would be. Not that Alstotts are easy to find. If you have a good line, a back like DW may be better than a big power back cuz he can find the crack whereas the big boy may end up in the pile more often than not. Given the seemingly philosophy of the team to go with more agile OL than pile drivers, I think we will always have a tough go running it down around the goalline and in short-yardage without that big powerful back.

 

I'm not arguing that Rucker is better at Peppers at anything right now. I'm just starting to wonder if he doesn't have the quickness to get all the way to the QB anymore, and if his main forte now is stopping the run, it makes more sense to me to put him on the strong side, and allow Peppers -- arguably one of the best pass rushers in the league -- more of a chance on the blind side to boost his sack total. Theoretically, run stopping production should be static as personnel aren't being changed -- just moved.

And I'm also not naive enough to think teams won't roll a TE over to the left side to block Peppers. But being on the blind side might give Peppers an even greater edge in pass rushing without compromising his ability to stop the run.

I'm just looking for the combination that will facilitate the absolute peak production of not only the individual players, but the unit (DL and DEF) as a whole.

 

I really think he was trying to avoid a PI call.

 

Yeah, but Brandon Jacobs is fun to watch.

 

5 pages later......

Delhomme still threw and interception in the endzone.....

that's it....that's all.....carry on.

 

But runs really upright, or did last night.

 

True, but he was still a beast. His touchdown in the second half was awesome.