Take A Step Back From The Ledge Thread

[AFboltfan]

I can't. It's beyond my football acumen, as you would expect.
The narrative is backed by Popper who has had conversations with multiple players last year. And there are other sources I can't remember off the top of my head. That's enough for ME to buy it. Maybe you don't WANT to buy it.

I don't buy it for the reasons I stated, these are professional football players that have been playing the game their whole life. Maybe it is too complicated, I just want to know why and what makes it so bad.

[21&500]

I don't buy it for the reasons I stated, these are professional football players that have been playing the game their whole life. Maybe it is too complicated, I just want to know why and what makes it so bad.

That's fair, I think there's plenty of evidence to suggest that pro football schemes can be very complicated and difficult to master. And it makes sense to me that these intricacies that seperate competency from mastery and these can account for blown assignments. It's even why some guys like Gus Bradley preferred to stay away from sophistication and deploy a basic scheme to allow players to learn it quickly, play fast and let rookies stand in when veterans eventually went down with injuries. That's a valid philosophy imo.
But as far as understanding the "why", I'd expect that to be fully understood by a handful of high football IQ guys, more power to you if that's you and if you have the drive to really understand. Maybe then you can come back to regular ol Joe like me and explain it like "a 5 year old". Ha.

[Boltgang74]

A good coach can teach his team to play his scheme.The scheme could be the best defense in the league but if your unable to help your players grasp it and use it it is worthless.

[wu-dai clan]

That's fair, I think there's plenty of evidence to suggest that pro football schemes can be very complicated and difficult to master. And it makes sense to me that these intricacies that seperate competency from mastery and these can account for blown assignments. It's even why some guys like Gus Bradley preferred to stay away from sophistication and deploy a basic scheme to allow players to learn it quickly, play fast and let rookies stand in when veterans eventually went down with injuries. That's a valid philosophy imo.
But as far as understanding the "why", I'd expect that to be fully understood by a handful of high football IQ guys, more power to you if that's you and if you have the drive to really understand. Maybe then you can come back to regular ol Joe like me and explain it like "a 5 year old". Ha.

The Great Daniel Popper broke it down beautifully, last week and last night. Playing "complicated defense" refers to our coverages. We play a lot of "Pattern Match Zone." It starts as Off Zone and becomes Man. Communication and playing together are key. So why the confusion in year 3 of StaleyD ? We are transitioning to a younger core. Callahan and Nasir are gone.

[wu-dai clan]

As crazy and unacceptable as it is, the fact is that our current defensive failures are the product of our DBs not meshing well...yet.

It's complicated...and it's simple.

#Staleyonthebrink

[FoutsFan]

I keep hearing this... Somebody explain how. Explain it like I'm 5.

These football players have been playing the game since birth, I don't necessarily buy the "complicated" narrative.

Staley's D is complicated because it requires every play to diagnose and react to the offensive play instantly, every player reacts and does an assignment and if 1 player misreads it or does not react quick enough the entire thing crumbles. The pass D is predicated on disguising coverages to confuse the QB giving the pass rush and extra second to get to the QB. On the Rams he had a generational talent in Donald who was able to cover the sins of a lot of other player mistakes. His defense is like a symphony that everyone needs to be in perfect harmony, one bad note ruins the song. We have had a lot of misreads and slow diagnosing of plays which is why the run D is bad and the pass D is bad.

In general the defenses that play the best are simple and allow the defenders to attack and not think as much. Too much thinking equals hesitation which leads to big plays for the offense.

[FoutsFan]

That's fair, I think there's plenty of evidence to suggest that pro football schemes can be very complicated and difficult to master. And it makes sense to me that these intricacies that seperate competency from mastery and these can account for blown assignments. It's even why some guys like Gus Bradley preferred to stay away from sophistication and deploy a basic scheme to allow players to learn it quickly, play fast and let rookies stand in when veterans eventually went down with injuries. That's a valid philosophy imo.
But as far as understanding the "why", I'd expect that to be fully understood by a handful of high football IQ guys, more power to you if that's you and if you have the drive to really understand. Maybe then you can come back to regular ol Joe like me and explain it like "a 5 year old". Ha.

Thing is even if these players can understand it and process it in the classroom, doing it live at 100 mph with the offenses designed to confuse you is a whole different ballgame.

[jamrock]

That's fair, I think there's plenty of evidence to suggest that pro football schemes can be very complicated and difficult to master. And it makes sense to me that these intricacies that seperate competency from mastery and these can account for blown assignments. It's even why some guys like Gus Bradley preferred to stay away from sophistication and deploy a basic scheme to allow players to learn it quickly, play fast and let rookies stand in when veterans eventually went down with injuries. That's a valid philosophy imo.
But as far as understanding the "why", I'd expect that to be fully understood by a handful of high football IQ guys, more power to you if that's you and if you have the drive to really understand. Maybe then you can come back to regular ol Joe like me and explain it like "a 5 year old". Ha.

Well the handful of high football IQ guys are apparently not on the Chargers defensive squad because none of them are playing like they get it

[jamrock]

The Great Daniel Popper broke it down beautifully, last week and last night. Playing "complicated defense" refers to our coverages. We play a lot of "Pattern Match Zone." It starts as Off Zone and becomes Man. Communication and playing together are key. So why the confusion in year 3 of StaleyD ? We are transitioning to a younger core. Callahan and Nasir are gone.

Nasir was roundly criticized. Callahan played great for us. Not sure why we let him go. None of this explains Vato, AsJ and JCJ forgetting how to cover anybody. They’re not that young and have been in the system

[wu-dai clan]

Nasir was roundly criticized. Callahan played great for us. Not sure why we let him go. None of this explains Vato, AsJ and JCJ forgetting how to cover anybody. They’re not that young and have been in the system

Our DBs have to play together.
They are off the mark spectacularly in team defense concepts.
I am trying to get to the bottom of our defensive struggles,
in a football sense over a Freudian sense.

So...

was Staley's Rams DC success a product of Aaron Donald to a higher degree than previously realized ?
does Staley simply not have any answers for the counter punches offenses have come up with to defeat his scheme ?

I really think this is it--this is the problem.
And we miss Callahan tremendously.
The only saving grace is that we are building a young defense for Herbert's prime years.
And maybe managing the cap, long term.

[jamrock]

Our DBs have to play together.
They are off the mark spectacularly in team defense concepts.
I am trying to get to the bottom of our defensive struggles,
in a football sense over a Freudian sense.

So...

was Staley's Rams DC success a product of Aaron Donald to a higher degree than previously realized ?
does Staley simply not have any answers for the counter punches offenses have come up with to defeat his scheme ?

I really think this is it--this is the problem.
And we miss Callahan tremendously.
The only saving grace is that we are building a young defense for Herbert's prime years.
And maybe managing the cap, long term.

Don’t forget he also had a prime Jalen Ramsey. That took away half the field

[wu-dai clan]

Don’t forget he also had a prime Jalen Ramsey. That took away half the field

So true.
Add Leonard Floyd.
Micah Parsons in Dallas is a force.
TJ Watt.

But I am wondering about DTs.
Chris Jones.
Jeffrey Simmons.
Jalen Carter.

Staley went for run stuffers.
We need disruptors.
Tuli will help on the outside.

Hmmm. Maybe what we lack is a defender who is top five in the league.