"it"

it's typical of guys like this, that have all-world talent, that people expect them to dominate every snap while being held and focused on. I want more than what he's given too, but he's not been a liability.

 

He is who he is.

 

fwiw...Boselli mentioned playing with "passion" during the game. My co-worker who played college football and coached highschool for several years in Florida always mentions when a team does or does not appear to be playing with intensity. What to players and coaches know anyway?

 

I'm not saying he's not trying but watching the game again he seemd to get knocked down more times that I would expect by a single blocker or simply get blocked and not look like he's putting up much of a fight.. It like he doesn't have the moves or strength to get around players that we know he has.

 

You can dismiss last year all you want, but last year as a whole holds more water than a 3 game sample this year. Three of the top 5 RBs in yardage this year are Lamont Jordan, Jamal Lewis and Travis Henry, but that doesn't suddenly make them the best RBs in the league. Conversely, Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson and LaDainian Tomlinson are 19th, 30th and 32nd in rushing. That doesn't make them dog crap either.

 

What about the last two thirds of last season into the first 3 games of this season?

 

Atlanta played with passion. Where did that get them? Regarding what your co-worker said, you can tell when teams don't have "it" that particular day, just as you can when a pitcher doesn't. But that is actually separate from "the desire to win," despite many fans confusing the two. That's why coaches talk about the importance of being able to win "ugly" on days when you don't have "it."

And I think your observations on Peppers are correct. As I talked about two years ago and referenced again recently, he has a tendency to get into the tackle's body and hand fight, which he's just not very good at. The first half of last season he dominated because he was quick and decisive, and instead of trying to grab and move blockers, he used quickness and angles to get leverage. He really needs to work on staying low, which as I've noted is difficult for someone his height.

 

He seemed to just run directly into them and then when they stood their groud just accept that he had been blocked. It didn't appear he had the desire to go around them at all.

 

That's not the case, but that's where his unwarranted college reputation for being "lazy" came from. If you want to see what a lack of desire to get through blocks looks like, watch Kemo (any time) and Jenkins (when he's tired or the blocker stops his initial momentum). Peppers just doesn't use good technique when in contact with the tackle. Plus it hurts somewhat that in our scheme the DE is responsible for contain and can't often just rush up the field the way Freeney and Mathis do in Indianapolis.

 

I don't want to say he isn't trying or doesn't have the desire or is lazy. It just looks like that at times and that something has changed.