SCAPEGOAT ALERT!!!

Thanks to Vinnie the Fly, my top operative, I have a necktie candidate for you. (You'll need to provide your own ropes and torches).

And I was wr...wronn...incorrect. I had supposed that the defensive problems were Romeo's fault, and that he was inhibitting Grantham. After all, the defense was pretty good prior to the hand grenade rolling under the tent-flap last season. And when Romeo was the coordinator here under Butch Davis, I was driven insane by defensive backs playing like FIFTEEN YARDS behind recievers.

I WAS correct about my view (view: I listen on radio haha) of what's wrong. The lack of pressure on enema QB's, AND the frequency of enema running backs going wild are at least partly due to a passive scheme and passive play-calling.

Here is what one player...who shall remain nameless but can be immediately narrowed down to a member of the front seven--said--along with my comments sprinkled in:

“We were more aggressive last season, with less talent on the field", the OBR was told. "Our corners can cover, we have guys that can get to the quarterback... but when we are schemed out of the play, what can we do?
The opposition sees this and attacks. We are better than we are showing, but until the leash is taken off or Coach (Crennel) gets really involved again, we are going to have issues.”

If you hadn't been boycotting me, you would have read me asking for Bud Carson to please give Grantham a call, and bemoaning what I percieved as a lack of aggression.
This is a 3-4 defense, designed for aggression. Pittsburgh uses run-blitzes on probable runs, actually sending both inside linebackers through interior gaps. They force runs wide or blow them up, and if you try to pass they're in your face anyway. Clearly, I now know, the Browns don't.

As the defense has struggled early in the season, the most evident problem has been on the inability of the team to stop the run and prevent big plays in the passing game. While the defense was beaten over the top in the Browns first three games, the play of the defensive backfield has been somewhat improved in recent weeks.
The OBR is being told that changes might be in the works as the team's head coach, with several decades of experience as a defensive coordinator, begins to step in.
“The problem is, we have not fully committed to stopping the run. We show seven or eight up, but often we are backing off. I see some changes in the way we are going to play, as Coach (Crennel) has been more involved,” the source continued. “He (Crennel) likes an aggressive defensive, as long as the corners can cover"

And ours sure as hell can. Wright would do much better in man/press coverage than in the more complex zone scheme...with the huge, massive pads which makes you people in Oblivia bitch about how wide open guys are.

Bodden and Wright, and either safety--if allowed to--can man-cover tight ends.

Man coverage is what Hanford Dixon expected to see once Wright was drafted. Wright is a shut-down guy who can rely on his raw talent to stay on a guy, and Bodden has established himself as a top cover guy.

Quick-hitters will burn zone coverage, but are not possible with well-executed man coverage. The QB has to either hold the ball for five seconds, or else find a tertiary or even bail-out reciever. This is why with Dixon/Minniefield, Marty flooded enemy backfields with frequent blitzes. Wright played center field and came up hard and fast for short stuff or runs, and Rockins remained shallow and often keyed the running back, and it worked beautifully.

Antwan Peek is wasted unless he is attacking the backfield. Every other player on the defense can blitze aty any given time.

Grantham. Read that? This guy wants Romeo to step in and turn the dawgs loose! It's been Grantham all along, making them sit back trying to react to what offenses are doing. With these guys? We lack depth on the D-line? No we don't. I mean, if you want the two young guys to stand there locking up a guard or tackle each and then try to make a play, we do. But if you want those two to attack and penetrate, we don't, see?

It doesn't matter a whole lot if a linebacker is engulfed by a guard if the DE has just strip-sacked the QB. Don't you know that offenses have to get hats on everybody anyway? Why not make them CHASE the DE's?

Sure, You give up some runs on cut-backs and the DE's get out of position sometimes, but this defense has the speed and talent to turn every series into a slugfest if they attack. Oh...burn us for nine yards, huh? First down--ouch. SACK second and sixteen how ya like that? Gonna run it again?

Chud seems to be a real genius and another brilliant move by Savage. This offense is among the lead leaders in scoring, and hasn't even fully implemented the (thank God) finesse blocking scheme yet. As it stands, this PASSIVE, leashed, defense is maybe the worst in the NFL.

Can it get worse? Don't think so. Would sending at least four and sometimes five or six hurt? Hell no. Want to stop the run? Nail the running back at the hand-off. Teams have a hard time running on second and thirteen.

Todd? YOU STAND CORRECTED.