Why are we having a problem getting a pass rush????

[war eagle6 0]

There's only one reason we don't have a pass rush this season....... Coaching

[sevenlee36 1,654]

Simple answer: No DE depth or speed

I asked the question before the season " Who is going to replace Dee Ford?". We had a bunch of talent at DT but no pass rushers. Ladarius Owens, was thrown out as an answer, but while he has speed he is easily blocked. Carl Lawson was an obvious choice but while he is extremely talented he benefited from playing opposite DF. Then our only hope got injured and now we are trying to find anyway to get a pass rush.

They have experimented, most recently, with a very undersized safety at DE. My opinion would be IF Cassanova is that good a speed rusher, move him to DE and let Justin Garret play linebacker. CM has the size and talent to play DE. Of course easier said than done and I'm sure there is a reason they haven't done that. By the way what happened to Owens?

[JDUBB4AU 5,121]

Owens has been a guy who just has not produced

[Guest jojo1515]

We do stunt some but it doesn't matter, we still don't get pressure. I am not sure what the issue is. I know Coach Garner is a good coach, one of the best DL coaches. It may be the talent is just not there. But these guys were mostly 4* HS players. It may just be a lack of effort. They did start getting pressure at the end when it mattered the most. Maybe there is a philosophy difference between Coach Johnson and Coach Garner and we are seeing a BBQ gang vs Coach Franklin situation. I don't know. It has to get resolved though because it has really been revealed to everyone now.

I really didn't see a lack of effort.

Lol. Knew that response would be shortly after. Do you have family on the DLine? I kid.

I agree the "effort" is not terrible, but there is a difference between effort and all out determination, which the DLine did not begin showing til the very end of the game. Hopefully that is what it took for them to realize how much effort is required for them to overpower future NFL players every week and we will see marked improvement from here on out

[cole256 17,080]

We Moved a db to d end and everybody is confused? If everybody stop living in a fairytale and see we don't have the talent and the coaching haven't been great on defense at any phase you'd have your answer. Everybody shows flashes on defense nobody is consistent...if it was one guy that's one thing 5 or 6 guys it's coaching IMO

[bigbird 60,529]

Ellis Johnson is in charge of this defense.

You don't say!!

The 4-2-5 isn't helping anything either. It's a big problem.

A4E, Love you to death, but you are wrong/misguided in your analysis.

We Moved a db to d end and everybody is confused? If everybody stop living in a fairytale and see we don't have the talent and the coaching haven't been great on defense at any phase you'd have your answer. Everybody shows flashes on defense nobody is consistent...if it was one guy that's one thing 5 or 6 guys it's coaching IMO

This statement is wrong on so many levels. We are lacking skill at one position and that is DE. Because of that OLs are able to concentrate on the middle of the line which leads to the skewed view that our DTs aren't playing well. If you go back and look, our DTs were doubled the majority of the time leaving our ends with single coverage. To say we don't have the coaching is ridiculous and obtuse.

[NoALtiger 3,862]

Owens has been a guy who just has not produced

He's been a total nonfactor this year. I never even hear his name mentioned by anyone- coaches, tv analysts, no one. I actually forget he's still playing sometimes.

[cole256 17,080]

When I say we don't have the talent I'm talking about d ends with pass rush skills to be specific. I'm not talking about d tackles but that's my bad for not being descriptive enough in my post, as far what I say is ridiculous no you just don't agree and I'm cool with that because I don't agree with everything you say either, let you tell it there hasn't ever been a coaching problem you were one of the guys that said the past defensive coaches didn't have any coaching issues either, apparently you're a coach

[bigbird 60,529]

Actually I am a coach. And look what our defensive coaches that have left have done.

Roof at Penn State: Roof led the defense to rank second in the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense, led the league in sacks, ranked first in red-zone defense and third in turnover margin

VanGorder at ND: Irish are allowing 19.1 points per game, 17th-best among FBS teams

So it looks like they magically remembered how to coach OR they weren't the issue...which is what I always contended.

[sevenlee36 1,654]

Actually I am a coach. And look what our defensive coaches that have left have done.

Roof at Penn State: Roof led the defense to rank second in the Big Ten Conference in scoring defense, led the league in sacks, ranked first in red-zone defense and third in turnover margin

VanGorder at ND: Irish are allowing 19.1 points per game, 17th-best among FBS teams

So it looks like they magically remembered how to coach OR they weren't the issue...which is what I always contended.

What do you say was the problem? Over rated players, poor strength and conditioning? And what was up with the constant lunge and missed tackling during Roof's days?

I'm really curious as to what your opinion is.

[bigbird 60,529]

The problem was the DCs and deffensive coaches being handcuffed as to what they could and couldn't do especially during practices. Game planning by the DC was regularly trumped as well as play calls. As far as the tacking issue, I refer you back to Paul Rhodes comments when he took over Iowa ST,

Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said his team's tackling was "horrible" when he arrived in Ames, and he had to stop practice at one point and go back to Tackling 101.

read more

http://www.al.com/sp...and_his_su.html

Same thing occurred in the strength and conditioning program. As well as a culture of preferential treatment and quid quo pro from administration/ptb

[sevenlee36 1,654]

So basically Chizik was the problem.

[bigbird 60,529]

Well, the others were hired QUICKLY at big universities

[cole256 17,080]

Van goreder was horrible and I don't know who Notre dame plays but if it's suck teams why wouldn't the stats be good? He said we didn't even have talent to play a man to man defense....But like I said I just don't agree with you to each his own I won't try to belittle your posts....I know if I say too much to you a crew will come and jump in anyway. And yes I knew you were a coach that's why I said that

[cole256 17,080]

And I'm not down on the team I'm saying it is what it is we don't have any pass rushers apparently, but we were playing against a kamikaze team. They had nothing to lose, it's not like spurrier has to worry about job security....we're highly ranked, you could even see it in south C's faces before the game they were determined to beat us last night

[CR 2,442]

Garner turned an underachieving group around last year, I can't believe his coaching went bad this season. To my untrained eye, we seem to have a group of ends with no true pass rushing instincts except maybe for Lambert. I was in the upper deck last night but was Daniel playing end most of the night? I thought it had been decided earlier in the week that he was going back inside where he seems much more comfortable? Owens seems to be a good athlete with no true position. Was really hoping things would go better for him this year.

[Altima 200]

Owens has been a guy who just has not produced

He's been a total nonfactor this year. I never even hear his name mentioned by anyone- coaches, tv analysts, no one. I actually forget he's still playing sometimes.

Lets cut LO some slack... He had a stress fracture in his right leg over the summer and had it operated on. Following surgery he got a bad infection in that leg that stalled his rehab. Back in August, his right leg was so atrified that it literally looked like skin and bone. No muscle in his right calf whatsoever. He even walks with a limp.

So he's literally playing on one leg. Give the guy a break. It sucks for him. He's seen his minutes cut because of injury. He's busting his ass, but he's not 100%... Tough pill for a 5th year senior to swallow.

[alexava 6,973]

This is the first time I recall we have no rush end. Not one. I agree with bird Monty, babe, Daniel are getting too much attention.

[TexasTiger 12,876]

Because Carl Lawson is hurt and Dee is the pros.

[alexava 6,973]

Dee played four or five years.

[TexasTiger 12,876]

Dee played four or five years.

How many years was a significant contributor?

[JDUBB4AU 5,121]

Altima I did not know that. I knew he had a few injury's. But not that significant. I take back what I said. But the rest of our dline has no excuses.

[weagl1 1,784]

I certainly hope we are actively recruiting some DE's with pass rushing skills. This has proven to be the biggest deficiency on this year's team.

[war eagle6 0]

Don't forget linebackers

[au701948 998]

I will admit before I even suggest this..I am just a football fan and have not played since the 7th grade..but could we not have a rush package where we line up 1 or 2 speed rushers outside (as a lot of teams do) when needed and in obvious passing downs to all and give that a shot. It should not be any more damaging than trying an all out blitz and having no one back to cover if unsuccessful?