Jump to content
  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

2006 Colts had the 31st ranked run defense


jpo287

Recommended Posts

Meeks did well in Indy and it's really too early to panic yet but Meeks system has always relied on strong safety support to stop the run. In case you don't remember, the Colts in 06 had the absolutely worst run defense in the league during the regular season. In week 14, they gave up 375 rushing yards to the Jaguars! But that was with their starting safety Bob Sanders out with an injury. Once Sanders got back, they went from one of the worst to one of the better defenses - it was almost like flipping a switch. In fact, after allowing an average of around 130 yds during the regular season, they only allowed 75 yards in the three games leading to the SB COMBINED!

Another team based loosely on the same system are the Bears and like Indy, when their safety, Mike Brown, was healthy, their defense was as good as any. But again, when he was hurt, their defense faltered (the year we beat them in the post-season, he started the game bad had to leave after the 1st quarter due to injury).

I remember reading a couple of years back that the most important piece in his scheme (Cover 2) was the play of the safety. Corners were replaceable but not safeties. I guess what I am alluding to is that his system relies heavily on the safety and as such, while we are all concerned with getting a DT, even if they do, without a strong safety - and while I like Harris, he could hardly be considered above average - their run defense will never be above average at best.

Case in point, wasn't that Godfrey that got ran over for the TD last night?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harris is tough and is really good at what he does. He's one of the better safeties in the NFL out of the 32 that start. But he is FAR from Bob Sanders.

The thing that concerns me about our safeties is that Harris plays fast, but in a foot race, he's not really gonna out run many skill players. Godfrey is really fast, but often strikes me as being really soft. Harris will definitely come up and knock someone out on the run, he did it to Jacobs when we played NYG last year. But Godfrey, not so much.

Look at Bradshaw's run last night... Gamble got trucked while another guy, who I believe was Godfrey flailed his arms around Bradshaw's legs and fell off. That's what can't happen with our safeties. Godfrey got up there, but didn't bring the pop that Harris would. Honestly, I think Godrey is a poor tackler overall.

The safeties have to come up and knock a runner's teeth out for the system to work. They've gotta cover a lot of ground and be physical at the same time. Harris does this pretty well, but Godfrey just seems to be a liability in run support. Harris and Godfrey compliment each other's weaknesses well in coverage, but their run support is suspect as a duo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Meeks did well in Indy and it's really too early to panic yet but Meeks system has always relied on strong safety support to stop the run. In case you don't remember, the Colts in 06 had the absolutely worst run defense in the league during the regular season. In week 14, they gave up 375 rushing yards to the Jaguars! But that was with their starting safety Bob Sanders out with an injury. Once Sanders got back, they went from one of the worst to one of the better defenses - it was almost like flipping a switch. In fact, after allowing an average of around 130 yds during the regular season, they only allowed 75 yards in the three games leading to the SB COMBINED!

Another team based loosely on the same system are the Bears and like Indy, when their safety, Mike Brown, was healthy, their defense was as good as any. But again, when he was hurt, their defense faltered (the year we beat them in the post-season, he started the game bad had to leave after the 1st quarter due to injury).

I remember reading a couple of years back that the most important piece in his scheme (Cover 2) was the play of the safety. Corners were replaceable but not safeties. I guess what I am alluding to is that his system relies heavily on the safety and as such, while we are all concerned with getting a DT, even if they do, without a strong safety - and while I like Harris, he could hardly be considered above average - their run defense will never be above average at best.

Case in point, wasn't that Godfrey that got ran over for the TD last night?

Lets be real Bob sander is not stopping a 220lb RB coming full speed (because nobody at the line touch him) 3 yards from the end zone. Now the Db's do need too work on their tackling but I can't blame them for that play. The play with Hickson the Wr on that screen is a different story.:eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lets be real Bob sander is not stopping a 220lb RB coming full speed (because nobody at the line touch him) 3 yards from the end zone. Now the Db's do need too work on their tackling but I can't blame them for that play. The play with Hickson the Wr on that screen is a different story.:eek:

The problem is they misread the play. If they had read the run, they would have been closer to the line and they wouldn't have had to try to bring down a RB at full speed 15 yards past the LOS. But even so, their job is to bring them down whether that be at a crawl, walk, stroll or at full speed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lets be real Bob sander is not stopping a 220lb RB coming full speed (because nobody at the line touch him) 3 yards from the end zone. Now the Db's do need too work on their tackling but I can't blame them for that play. The play with Hickson the Wr on that screen is a different story.:eek:

I think Sanders would have laid the wood to said RB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Harris is tough and is really good at what he does. He's one of the better safeties in the NFL out of the 32 that start. But he is FAR from Bob Sanders.

The thing that concerns me about our safeties is that Harris plays fast, but in a foot race, he's not really gonna out run many skill players. Godfrey is really fast, but often strikes me as being really soft. Harris will definitely come up and knock someone out on the run, he did it to Jacobs when we played NYG last year. But Godfrey, not so much.

Look at Bradshaw's run last night... Gamble got trucked while another guy, who I believe was Godfrey flailed his arms around Bradshaw's legs and fell off. That's what can't happen with our safeties. Godfrey got up there, but didn't bring the pop that Harris would. Honestly, I think Godrey is a poor tackler overall.

The safeties have to come up and knock a runner's teeth out for the system to work. They've gotta cover a lot of ground and be physical at the same time. Harris does this pretty well, but Godfrey just seems to be a liability in run support. Harris and Godfrey compliment each other's weaknesses well in coverage, but their run support is suspect as a duo.

You right, he stays healthy 100x more

Harris >>>>>>>>> Sanders

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem is they misread the play. If they had read the run, they would have been closer to the line and they wouldn't have had to try to bring down a RB at full speed 15 yards past the LOS. But even so, their job is to bring them down whether that be at a crawl, walk, stroll or at full speed.

They were closer too the line. Harris came from behind to catch bradshaw in the end zone. The giants Online just got great kick out blocks both guards got great blocks. One pushing Hayden out the way then made a block on someone else to seal. Not too mention didn't they have 3 wr in the play running routes. Gamble was in his coverage responsibilities and godfrey was coming across field. The Lb and the safety in the box was suppose too make that play but again the line pulled 2 guards who both got too the 2nd level. Leaving Godfrey too run across field and get run over and gamble too turn around and get run over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They were closer too the line. Harris came from behind to catch bradshaw in the end zone. The giants Online just got great kick out blocks both guards got great blocks. One pushing Hayden out the way then made a block on someone else to seal. Not too mention didn't they have 3 wr in a running routes. Gamble was in his coverage responsibilities and godfrey was coming across field. The Lb and the safety in the box was suppose too make that play but again the line pulled 2 guards who both got too the 2nd level. Leaving Godfrey too run across field and get run over and gamble too turn around and get run over.

Gamble was playing so far off the WR that he wasn't really covering a route and should have recognzied it was a run. Why would Gamble have to turn around? The entire offense was right in front of him....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Strange, every news article and tweet I just searched all mentioned waivers. It is definitely his sixth year of at least 6 games. All I was trying to think of earlier was at the vet min could he beat out Bryce in camp next year lol. He's kinda got the old Darnold issue where he can obviously launch deep balls and qb run at a level Bryce will never achieve, but it sounds like he would be content being like a Josh Allen backup who doesn't throw the whole game plan out the window if he has to come in for a series or two. If we had him and for some reason still wanted to start Bryce he would kinda do what Justin Fields was doing the other night with Dangeruss, coming in for designed runs and maybe some play action/triple option rpo things to go deep. That would be so obvious and sad though. At least Russ can still sling it 40 yards in the air with a flick of the wrist
    • Too late to edit above but the quote is from this Diane Russini article in the Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5941684/2024/11/23/russinis-what-im-hearing-the-day-the-jets-fell-apart-and-the-broncos-rallied-belichick-best-fits/ Okay.. there you have sorry I left that out the first post.  Also waivers keep the contract intact. That is the major difference in released and waived. It's all in that link from the other post.
    • Okay so I am reading something in The Athletic and it says that Jones had to pass through waivers. So I don't know. I looked this stuff up when we were number one there all offseason and I thought it said 4 years in the league got you vested, as they call it.  Vested gets you out of waivers as I understood it. I probably got something wrong, but when I think about the slack quality of journalism these days I wonder about that. So I went and looked, again. Well, well.  For everyone: "When a player has accrued at least four seasons in the NFL, they are considered a vested veteran. When these vested veterans get cut, they are released and their contract is terminated. When a vested veteran is released, they are an unrestricted free agent that can sign with any NFL team, and the team that released them doesn’t need to provide any additional compensation." It runs it all down here, where the quotes came from: https://www.profootballnetwork.com/waived-vs-released-nfl/ As far as Jones, the team turned down his 5th year option so I knew that meant he had 4 years in, because they re-signed him anyway, after turning down the much cheaper extra year.  The Athletic is owned by the New York Times so I shouldn't be surprised. That paper was an institution once upon a time but they let their standards go.
×
×
  • Create New...