Packers still are confident in Collins

[Zero2Cool]

By Pete Dougherty
[email protected]

The Green Bay Packers' defensive backs in general and safeties in particular having harbored a good share of the blame for the team's No. 31 ranking in pass defense in the NFL after three games.

Among the issues is whether second-year safety Nick Collins has made any improvement from his rookie year, when the second-round draft pick had a promising season.

This year's Collins has played a major role in at least three of the 20 explosive passes (16 yards or more) the Packers have allowed, including twice getting beaten on jump-ball throws in one-on-one coverage against New Orleans, and being largely responsible for 42-yard touchdown pass against Detroit.

But the Packers coaches and players maintain that Collins is a star in the making, despite those early season problems. They say he's one of the best overall athletes on the team and point to his sound tackling (he leads the team with 25 tackles), team-high five passes defensed and his ability to chase down players to prevent even bigger plays as assets that are lost in his costly big-play errors.

Even a scout for another NFC North Division team this week, while discussing various matters with a reporter, brightened up when asked about Collins. The scout, who's never bashful about criticizing players, said he'd trade the Packers a second-round pick for Collins in a heart beat, and that even promising second-year safeties are going to look bad at times.

The Packers sound just as convinced Collins still will be an outstanding player soon, perhaps as early as this year.

"He's fast, he's got what it takes," cornerback Al Harris said. "I played with (Pro Bowl safety Brian) Dawkins, I played with (Pro Bowler John) Lynch. I think the world of the dude."

This week, Collins will face a major test in Philadelphia's dual-purpose halfback Brian Westbrook, just as he did two weeks ago against New Orleans' Reggie Bush. Both are ultra-quick halfbacks who also have rare wide-receiver type skills in the passing game and line up in the slot regularly.

Defending premier double threats such as Bush and Westbrook never fall on one player, but the brunt probably will go to Collins and linebackers A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett, just as it did against the Saints and Bush. The Packers did a more-than-respectable job on Bush, holding him to 74 yards on 14 touches from scrimmage — five yards rushing, 68 yards receiving.

They probably will need a similarly effective performance against Westbrook to have a chance to defeat the 11-point favored Eagles, who will be harder to defend because their quarterback, Donovan McNabb, is much more mobile than New Orleans' Drew Brees and thus can spread out the linebackers and safeties as an added running threat on any given play. Westbrook is listed as questionable (50 percent chance of playing) on the Eagles' injury report this week because of a knee injury, but reports out of Philadelphia say he's expected to play.

Westbrook is the NFL's early leader in yards from scrimmage (140 yards per game) and is averaging 5.8 yards a rush and 10.9 yards a reception. He's scored four touchdowns this season, including on a 71-yard run last week against San Francisco and a 31-yard reception against Houston in the regular-season opener. So, the big play, which has been the Packers' failing early on, is a major threat.

When Westbrook lines up at receiver, the Packers will do everything they can to avoid matching up a linebacker with him, which means Collins or perhaps safety Marquand Manuel often will be covering him in those settings. Collins also will be matched up with receivers, both in base defense as a deep help defender, and in the dime, where he moves into the slot as a cover cornerback.

His misplays in one-on-one coverage the last two weeks have left pundits questioning or outright declaring that he can't cover well enough to be used in that role regularly, but the Packers are adamant that his problems aren't unusual for a second-year pro, even one with what they consider outstanding talent.

"He's very, very good one-on-one, and that will be proved out as the season goes on and as he continues to work," said Bob Sanders, the Packers' defensive coordinator.

Kurt Schottenheimer, the Packers' defensive backs coach, also is sold on Collins' cover abilities, even though Collins fell on a 33-yard pass to a pedestrian tight end (New Orleans' Mark Campbell) and was in OK position but failed to play the ball on the 25-yard jump-ball touchdown to the Saints' Devery Henderson.

In fact, Schottenheimer said while he was coaching with St. Louis for the 2005 draft, the Rams' staff projected Collins as a cornerback, put a second-round grade on him and strongly considered selecting him with the No. 50 pick overall. The Rams rated Howard cornerback Ronald Bartell slightly higher and drafted him instead.

The Packers selected Collins with the next pick.

"He's fast, powerful, he's an outstanding talent," Schottenheimer said.

 

[kmac]

People were concerned about Collins? This is news?

 

[Anubis]

I would think that with all the problems we have on defense, Collins is not anywhere near the top of the list.

 

[agopackgo4]

I would think that with all the problems we have on defense, Collins is not anywhere near the top of the list.

Yeah, no way Collins is the last thing in the definsive backfield that we need to worry about.

 

[porky88]

Collins has been struggling. More so than Harris and Woodson. People are fast to blame Woodson for some of the mistakes but it's Collins how doesn't close and help Woodson. The safties are the weak point of the defense and then I would rank Poppinga next.

If I had to go with just players, Collins would be #3 behind Manuel and Poppinga right now.

With that said Collins has shown he can get the job done. So this could just be a slump right now. Out of all our problems I think Collins has the best chance to work his way out of that list and I think he will.

 

[MajicMan]

Don't know. Maybe this is simplistic, but our D seems to go up or down depending on the pass-rush. I'm not saying we need Kampman to go crazy in order to hang in there, but when Kampman isn't at least pressuring the QB, there's nothing...Well, except on those rare plays Jenkins or Williams gets in there...

Bottom-line, there's too much time. More consistent pressure, please. This secondary needs help...It can be fine, if it gets it.

 

[packedhouse01]

Collins is a pretty average safety. He hasn't shown me anything at all really.

 

[Zero2Cool]

Collins has been struggling. More so than Harris and Woodson. People are fast to blame Woodson for some of the mistakes but it's Collins how doesn't close and help Woodson. The safties are the weak point of the defense and then I would rank Poppinga next.

If I had to go with just players, Collins would be #3 behind Manuel and Poppinga right now.

With that said Collins has shown he can get the job done. So this could just be a slump right now. Out of all our problems I think Collins has the best chance to work his way out of that list and I think he will.

Think ppl are harder on Woodson instead of Collins because of the expectations and contract Woodson got?
Somewhat similar to what happened with Ahmad Carroll? He should have been taken in third rd if not later, but since he was a first rd pick ppl expect him to be as good as Chris Gamble.

 

[agopackgo4]

:agree:

 

[Yared-Yam]

Collins is a pretty average safety. He hasn't shown me anything at all really.

Average vs the pass maybe. Maybe a bit below average even.

But against the run he's awesome. If the opposing team ran and never passed he would make the Pro Bowl.

 

[Lare]

The Packers are still confident in Collins? I suppose they are also still confident in Woodson, Barnett, Poppinga, Harris, Davis, Manuel, Tauscher, Clifton, Franks, Henderson, Green, Martin and Ferguson.

If even half of these guys were producing we probably wouldn't be at 1-2.

 

[Zero2Cool]

I see the population in negativille is increasing.

 

[majikman]

What's the population in Homerville?

Or Truthville?

 

[Zero2Cool]

What's the population in Homerville?

Or Truthville?

For someone who was banned and should still be banned you sure do like to try an make more out of nothing don't ya?

which were you again? TomAllen? Boyd? or was it P@ck66? Or is it D all the above?

To show respect to your questions, homerville has 4,200,493 and truthville has 6,032,490. Have a nice day.

 

[porky88]

Collins has been struggling. More so than Harris and Woodson. People are fast to blame Woodson for some of the mistakes but it's Collins how doesn't close and help Woodson. The safties are the weak point of the defense and then I would rank Poppinga next.

If I had to go with just players, Collins would be #3 behind Manuel and Poppinga right now.

With that said Collins has shown he can get the job done. So this could just be a slump right now. Out of all our problems I think Collins has the best chance to work his way out of that list and I think he will.

Think ppl are harder on Woodson instead of Collins because of the expectations and contract Woodson got?
Somewhat similar to what happened with Ahmad Carroll? He should have been taken in third rd if not later, but since he was a first rd pick ppl expect him to be as good as Chris Gamble.

I agree. As far as these first 3 games go Woodson has been on the same level of Harris. Both of them need to step it up but it's not like Woodson is the cause of the problem. Frankly I think its' the safties right now.

I agree that Green Bay needs a pass rush but when you think about it every team needs a pass rush. You can have Deion Sanders and Darrell Green at CB and if the QB has all day to throw he'll find the open guy.

 

[majikman]

I don't know what kind of slander you're trying to lay on me Zero, but I have one question for you?

What's the population of Hooterville?



(Anyone? 4Packgirl?)

(Grrrrrrrr...)

 

[Zero2Cool]

I don't know what kind of slander you're trying to lay on me Zero, but I have one question for you?

What's the population of Hooterville?



(Anyone? 4Packgirl?)

(Grrrrrrrr...)

I don't know, but lets get there and find out!! lol ... always a good time with *******!!