Weak Link?

[Since69]

It's tough to make predictions like this. You have to try and keep from projecting last year's weak links into this year. This is a very young team overall and I think last year's weakness at OG was (at least in part) due to inexperience. I think the guards will be fine in 2008. Both Spitz and Colledge are a year older and stronger, and run blocking has a teamwork dynamic that can take quite a while to develop.

This year I see our secondary as our weakest link. Woodson and Harris are fantastic, but they're no spring chickens (especially for what is mostly a "speed" position). When CBs age their play tends to fall off rather quickly, and we have a bunch of "just guys" behind them. I would have loved to have picked up Asante Samuel or Nnamdi Asomugha (or even Lito Sheppard) this offseason. So what if we have three star CBs? We can afford it, and we spend one-half to two-thirds of our time in the nickel or dime packages anyway.

Our impending troubles at CB are compounded by the fact that we don't have a safety that can cover worth a lick. Collins and Rouse and Bigby are essentially the same players - big hitters, run stoppers. None of them are good enough in coverage to offer our CBs any significant amount of help. Not having a "free safety" is the reason we got abused by TEs all last year.

 

[Pack93z]

It's tough to make predictions like this. You have to try and keep from projecting last year's weak links into this year. This is a very young team overall and I think last year's weakness at OG was (at least in part) due to inexperience. I think the guards will be fine in 2008. Both Spitz and Colledge are a year older and stronger, and run blocking has a teamwork dynamic that can take quite a while to develop.

I wish I had the same faith, but that is the tag line for last year (they have a year of experience now, well now they have two.), year two of them starting, while at times you seen they play the way they should, others they disappear or in some cases just flat got exposed entirely.

This year I see our secondary as our weakest link. Woodson and Harris are fantastic, but they're no spring chickens (especially for what is mostly a "speed" position). When CBs age their play tends to fall off rather quickly, and we have a bunch of "just guys" behind them. I would have loved to have picked up Asante Samuel or Nnamdi Asomugha (or even Lito Sheppard) this offseason. So what if we have three star CBs? We can afford it, and we spend one-half to two-thirds of our time in the nickel or dime packages anyway.

Our impending troubles at CB are compounded by the fact that we don't have a safety that can cover worth a lick. Collins and Rouse and Bigby are essentially the same players - big hitters, run stoppers. None of them are good enough in coverage to offer our CBs any significant amount of help. Not having a "free safety" is the reason we got abused by TEs all last year.

Here is my take, if the Giants can win with the rag tag group they had a corner, we should be able to make with two very veteran gents and a couple of young and at times (again) improving safeties, they should be able to keep us in the hunt.

Plus if we can get any type of consistent push in the pass rush, it will help cover the mistakes in the defensive backfield. Wish we had the luxury of being able to hide our guard play at times.

 

[Packnic]

It's tough to make predictions like this. You have to try and keep from projecting last year's weak links into this year. This is a very young team overall and I think last year's weakness at OG was (at least in part) due to inexperience. I think the guards will be fine in 2008. Both Spitz and Colledge are a year older and stronger, and run blocking has a teamwork dynamic that can take quite a while to develop.

I wish I had the same faith, but that is the tag line for last year (they have a year of experience now, well now they have two.), year two of them starting, while at times you seen they play the way they should, others they disappear or in some cases just flat got exposed entirely.

This year I see our secondary as our weakest link. Woodson and Harris are fantastic, but they're no spring chickens (especially for what is mostly a "speed" position). When CBs age their play tends to fall off rather quickly, and we have a bunch of "just guys" behind them. I would have loved to have picked up Asante Samuel or Nnamdi Asomugha (or even Lito Sheppard) this offseason. So what if we have three star CBs? We can afford it, and we spend one-half to two-thirds of our time in the nickel or dime packages anyway.

Our impending troubles at CB are compounded by the fact that we don't have a safety that can cover worth a lick. Collins and Rouse and Bigby are essentially the same players - big hitters, run stoppers. None of them are good enough in coverage to offer our CBs any significant amount of help. Not having a "free safety" is the reason we got abused by TEs all last year.

Here is my take, if the Giants can win with the rag tag group they had a corner, we should be able to make with two very veteran gents and a couple of young and at times (again) improving safeties, they should be able to keep us in the hunt.

Plus if we can get any type of consistent push in the pass rush, it will help cover the mistakes in the defensive backfield. Wish we had the luxury of being able to hide our guard play at times.

Its all won and lost on the front lines. I agree that with the current crop of skill players and dbacks and linebackers... this team can go as far as our d-line and o-line can take us.


If we get a consistent pass rush and run stop from our D-line... the cornerbacks can most definetly handle anything. We have good players there, but im under the impression that any one can get burned on an island. And when there is no pass rush or the running back gets free everytime... thats exactly where you put your dbacks, on an island.

If we get consistent play from our O-line... then i have no doubt that the skill players behind it can do their job. we saw it last year even when the O-line isnt perfect. If the O-line gets better... this team has SB contender written all over it.

so while i dont think this team has any glaring weaknesses. If theres anywhere we can get better its D-line and O-line. But that could be said for anyteam.

 

[Zombieslayer]

I really don't understand the hate on the guards. They improved so much it's ridiculous. They're still not pro bowl guards(I guess that's what they have to do to get people off their back), but did Ryan Grant have all those great runs by himself? Did Favre have an amazing season all by himself? Hell, I just watched the A-Rod\Cowboys highlight on youtube and the announcer twice said "All kinds of time for Rodgers" but I'm sure the guards were on their butts and it was the tackles and center doing all the work.

As for the weak link, I think it will be the cornerbacks. Harris is already on my poop list, but Woodson is an older guy too, I doubt they both have a lights out season for an entire season\playoff run, even though with the money they're paid and the way they run their mouths, they should be able to.

Hate is a strong word. We're talking weak links, and if we had to say why we didn't win the SB last year, I'd say because of our Guards.

Ryan Grant was getting hit at or behind the line of scrimmage all day against the Giants. We got 27 yards rushing. It was frustrating. I didn't like it.

Against poor DLs, our Guards are awesome. Against average DLs, they're acceptable. Against top tier DLs, they don't open up any holes.

Favre got so few sacks because he's Brett Favre. He studied film and knew when everyone was coming. He was changing the plays at the line of scrimmage all day long against everyone. It takes someone who actually knows enough to coach football to realize just how good of a QB Brett Favre was last year. He was amazing. He was the 2nd best QB last year, and the MVP runner-up. They just don't give those away. He earned it.

Oh, I forgot to mention he breaks tackles too. A would-be tackler thinks fo shizzle that he has a sack and the next thing you know, Favre's still on his feet and completing a first down.

So back to our Guards, they couldn't run block at all against top tier teams, and whether we like it or not, we're going to have to run to win the SB. That's our ultimate goal, right? Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with '07 and I'm happy we're a winning team, but our ultimate goal is winning the big one.

 

[Packnic]

good little article here. MEAN STREAK

i like mean offensive linemen. what i dont like is that every time you hear Giacomini's name mentioned, they include his "behavior" problem. Which to my knowledge is one incident when he walked out of the tunnel at a rivalry game and gave the middle finger to some rowdy fans.

If giving the fine people of Kentucky the middle finger is wrong, I dont want to be right. besides what else would i do on vacation.

 

[Zombieslayer]

With the O-line, the ONE good thing is, Rodgers is alot faster running then Favre was. When Rodgers takes off, he's pretty fast for a QB.

But nobody breaks tackles quite like Favre. Sure, Favre runs slowly, but he just doesn't go down. A 300 pound DT gets him by the waist and Favre spins and the DT goes flying, then Favre completes the pass to the TE.

I see Rodgers as seeing one of his OL'men missing his block, but avoiding it entirely and taking off, picking up 8 yards.

Kind of apples and oranges.

Oh! I agree! Favre had a way of getting away from guys that i haven't seen any other "slow" QB do. He could throw when he was on the ground.
He had escapeability. I can't count how many times DE's would THINK they had him, and he'd still get the ball off.

What about Eli manning. Based on the sb, i think he is pretty good at escaping

Thats ONE game. Favre did it for 17 years, consistantly. If Eli does it consistantly, then i'll give props to him.

:yeah:

 

[Zombieslayer]

It's tough to make predictions like this. You have to try and keep from projecting last year's weak links into this year. This is a very young team overall and I think last year's weakness at OG was (at least in part) due to inexperience. I think the guards will be fine in 2008. Both Spitz and Colledge are a year older and stronger, and run blocking has a teamwork dynamic that can take quite a while to develop.

This year I see our secondary as our weakest link. Woodson and Harris are fantastic, but they're no spring chickens (especially for what is mostly a "speed" position). When CBs age their play tends to fall off rather quickly, and we have a bunch of "just guys" behind them. I would have loved to have picked up Asante Samuel or Nnamdi Asomugha (or even Lito Sheppard) this offseason. So what if we have three star CBs? We can afford it, and we spend one-half to two-thirds of our time in the nickel or dime packages anyway.

Our impending troubles at CB are compounded by the fact that we don't have a safety that can cover worth a lick. Collins and Rouse and Bigby are essentially the same players - big hitters, run stoppers. None of them are good enough in coverage to offer our CBs any significant amount of help. Not having a "free safety" is the reason we got abused by TEs all last year.

I disagree on the Safeties. I really think you put Bigby and Rouse in there and we'll see more INTs. Those guys are both hard hitters, but Rouse knows how to put himself between the QB and the receiver and end up with the ball in his hands.

Bigby near the end of the season totally kicked butt in coverage. Didn't he get like 4 INTs in 5 games or something like that?

The problem isn't our CBs, but our DC not making the adjustments. You play as a team. If part of your team falters, you make adjustments accordingly. You compensate for your weakest link so opposing Os can't exploit it.

 

[ElleBlue]

The weak link is obviously Rodgers at this moment. Most likely he will struggle as he gets his feet under himself. However, I see his being the weak link only lasting 5-7 weeks.

Then.... enter Brohm! He'll be the next Favre!

 

[Obi1]

It was between the neanderthal and the... Oh the weak link, not missing link... hmmm, never mind