Looking at the 2nd half of opposing QB's for the 2010 season
by Winfield Featherston on May 19, 2010 9:00 AM EDT
17 comments
Yesterday we talked about the first half of quarterbacks the Yellow Jackets defense will face in 2010. Today, we look at the second half of the season. Just as the schedule is back-loaded, so are the quarterbacks.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
If you missed last year’s New Orleans Bowl you missed a great show put on by MTSU’s quarterback Dwight Dasher. He returns this year as a senior and flaunts abilities also found in Pat White and Vince Young. Fast, flexible, and tough, Dasher threw for 2789 yards and ran for 1154 yards in 2009, leading the team in both categories. Easily.
Fear Factor: HIGH
Many people may be overlooking the Blue Raiders. However, they could be considered a relative up and coming team and Dasher could lead the way for a sneak attack upon the Jackets.
Clemson Tigers
We have to think of two scenarios when it comes to Clemson: The Tigers with Kyle Parker and the Tigers without Kyle Parker. It all depends on what happens to him come the MLB Draft in June. Let’s review Kyle Parker’s performances against Georgia Tech:
1. @ Georgia Tech: 15-31 passing, 2 INTs, 3 TDs, LOSS
2. ACCCG: 10-17 passing, 0 TDs, 2 INTs,LOSS!
Kyle Parker Fear Factor: LOW
If Kyle Parker doesn’t start for Clemson, who will be the starter? Who knows. Willy Korn transferred and then the other players who ever passed last year were Jacoby Ford and CJ Spiller. Both gone and play other positions anyways. Clemson, good luck with that other QB.
Who knows who else Fear Factor: MINIMAL
Virginia Tech Hokies
Another dual threat QB but he struggles through the proper passing progression patterns. The Jackets contained him rather well on October 17th of last year. He put together a 10-14 passing game and mixed in 63 yards of rushing. His ability to break away and just run with it can cause quite the defensive stress. Many of his passes were completed towards the end when the Hokies finally started running some no huddle offense that we obviously could not control. Should VPI drop into that strategy early, we’ll be in for a battle.
Fear Factor: High
Miami Hurricanes
Ah, Jacorry Harris. The Jackets had better have their targets set on you the way you lobbed balls over our heads like it was nothing. 20 for 25 passing for 3 TDs will make any opposing fans upset after they drove through the night just to see a Thursday night loss in Miami
Oh…yeah…fans like us
One can argue that the Tech game was Miami’s, and Jacorry’s, highlight. He didn’t have a game similar to Tech’s until six weeks later at Wake Forest.
Fear Factor: Medium
Duke Blue Devils
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
(breathes)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
georgie bulldogs
We had no reason to fear Joe Cox last year and didn't. We should have feared their running game. Currently, the bulldogs list freshman Aaron Murray as the first string quarterback. Any quarterback who starts the game against the Jackets at the end of the season will be battle tested by this point, be it a freshman with no previous experience, or Logan Gray, the embattled Joe Cox backup who decided not to transfer out of Athens.
Fear Factor: LOW.
No one knows what to expect out of the QB position over in Athens. They just feel some sort of hope. But who really knows….
MTSU
Clemson - we'll assume Parker comes back
Virginia Tech
Miami
Teams without returning starters/ OMG no idea what's going on!
Duke
georgie
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3-4 vs. Dual threat
It will be interesting to see how our new defense does against mobile quarterbacks. One of the reasons for a lot of teams in the NFL switching to the 3-4 was to eliminate players like Mike Vick, Donovan McNabb back in the day, and Steve McNair way back. With more LBers to contain we should be better than before against guys like TT and Dwight dasher
No regrets, that's my motto. That and everybody Wang Chung tonight. - Out Cold
That is a very good observation
on a very good posting by Mr. Featherston. I would add one caveat however. Having more linebackers is only the key to stopping mobile quarterbacks if these linebackers are very GOOD linebackers.
As I said right after Groh was hired I think the linebackers will actually be more important than the nose guard. If they do their jobs right everyone else on defense will have an easier time.
by Atlanta's original team on May 19, 2010 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions
fortunately
as we all see,the back end is loaded. Our players will have at least 6 games to get it right before they get tested week after week.
by Winfield Featherston on May 19, 2010 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
The nose...
…is always the most important position in the 3-4.
I’m interested to see how the linebackers perform also. I’m sure they’ll be the primary playmakers and will be crucial to success this season.
I keep hearing that but . . .
Would you rather have an average nose and four great linebackers or a fantastic nose and four average linebackers? My understanding is that pressure on the quarterback rarely comes from the nose.
by Atlanta's original team on May 19, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I'll bring up a conversation we had about the 3-4 Defense earlier this year
with Michael Felder of InTheBleachers
http://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/2010/4/8/1408806/3-4-defense-supersaturation
by Winfield Featherston on May 19, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
That's an excellent article
One thing that’s important to take away from it is that the 3-4 and 4-3 both depend on having players that can do their jobs. Without players, it doesn’t really matter what scheme you run.
The Nose!
That’s the guy who makes it all happen. Without a good nose tackle, the guards will have free reign on the backers. It doesn’t matter how good the backers are (and the two in the middle usually aren’t the better athletes) put him one-on-one with a guard and the guard wins most of the time.
Tough to be a good linebacker with a 325 lb guard in your chest
http://inthebleachers.net
by InTheBleachers on May 19, 2010 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Hyperbole to make a point
is what I am engaging in. So, since I too have read the related articles on the 3-4 defense let me explain what I mean. To be sure if your nose is getting pushed back five yards on every play you are sunk. Hang it up, go home and wait til next year.
But that is not what I am saying. Let’s say the nose is able to tie up at least two linemen slightly more than 50% of the time. That would be average line play. Doing that would allow linebackers who are excellent athletes to control much of the tempo and keep a quarterback guessing and on his heals. Would a quarterback occasionally get off a great play? Yes. Would a running back occasionally break a run of ten yards or so. Perhaps when the right play is called. There is always some luck in dialing up the right or wrong pressure.
But what would happen if the linebackers are just average even thought the nose is an All American? I would predict you would have outside running plays that would routinely churn up four and five yards. You would see slip screens and passes in the flat that would eat up ten and fifteen yards a play. And the quarterback would begin to get his rhythm as he calls the correct play more and more often.
I still say we could have an average nose and great linebackers and be O.K. against most quarterbacks. Would I want a great nose. Of course. But mainly what I want is a defense that is at least better than last year. Until we recruit the beast it is going to rely more on scheme this year than it is on having a specimen nose.
Of course I am no less curious than anyone else about what our prospects are this year for a good nose.
by Atlanta's original team on May 19, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I see your point
I disagree but I see what you’re talking about. I’m a firm believer that it is a lot easier to make average LBs and average DBs look better with a great defensive line than it is the other way around. Maybe it has just been drilled into my brain over the years but there is only one area of football that you can’t fake and that is line play.
Average linebackers become good with a solid nose tackle protecting them. Good backers become great and so on and so forth. Just like a superior sack guy is a CB’s best friend the same holds true for DT’s and LB’s.
Just my thoughts and how I’ve always viewed it.
http://inthebleachers.net
by InTheBleachers on May 20, 2010 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, of course your are right
and I feel humiliated at being shown up like this. :-)
I guess what I am counting on is that the defense will be better even if we do not have the All American Stud playing the nose. I sure hope we do but I am not counting on it this first season in the 3-4. Therefore I am hoping that we at least have 4 very good linebackers.
But you are right, of course.
by Atlanta's original team on May 21, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Just need a selfless guy
He doesn’t have to be an all-american, he just needs to be a guy who knows his name won’t get called, his jersey won’t get sold and his only job is to consume two guys a play and let the LBs rack up tackles.
http://inthebleachers.net
by InTheBleachers on May 21, 2010 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions
I see
just an average player. :-)
by Atlanta's original team on May 22, 2010 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
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