Why didn't we challenge a weak secondary?

[Chance_C]

the strong part of our O is the pass

The weak part is our pass protection, you figure it out.

One of reasons Joey doesn't get sacked much is becuase he makes his reads pretty quickly pre and post snap. He also has a quick release

I'll agree with that, and go one further. It has alot to do with the 3 step drops, and 5 step drops, and quick swing passes. Similar to what we did alot of last year.

[Fiddy]

Originally Posted by dmt217

I think it's b/c.....

1. The Lions were using the Cover 2 defense a lot (Capers mentioned this after the game). This should've gave some opportunities for Miller, Bruener, or Gaffney to go across the middle.....but....

2. Carr probably made his reads starting w/ AJ, then Bradford, then DD most of the time.

3. The Lions D-line > our O-line. Carr needs more time to throw. The O-line is still gelling w/ the new blocking scheme.

4. Conservative play-calling. IMO, the coaches should've stretched the field w/ 3 or 4 WR sets early in the game.

1. So when we face the Colts twice this year should I expect a loss with no offense because they are running cover 2??? That is an excuse I have heard too much with Capers. "We took what the defense gave us" is what I always hear from Capers after the Texans lose to a team that runs cover 2 and guess what, I dont think we have beaten a team that runs cover 2. With all the offensive weapons, we need to say "We are going to take what we want and you wont be able to stop us"

2. Then why did Carr step back, stay in the pocket for a second and then dump it down.

3. If the o-line is getting blasted up by the opposing d-line then go into 3 WR sets out of the shotgun and keep 2 backs there to block..

[Porky]

Originally Posted by Fiddy

1. So when we face the Colts twice this year should I expect a loss with no offense because they are running cover 2??? That is an excuse I have heard too much with Capers. "We took what the defense gave us" is what I always hear from Capers after the Texans lose to a team that runs cover 2 and guess what, I dont think we have beaten a team that runs cover 2. With all the offensive weapons, we need to say "We are going to take what we want and you wont be able to stop us"

2. Then why did Carr step back, stay in the pocket for a second and then dump it down.

3. If the o-line is getting blasted up by the opposing d-line then go into 3 WR sets out of the shotgun and keep 2 backs there to block..

Fiddy, you are wise beyond your years. I especially agree with #1. I have yet seen a consistent championship team or coach talk about taking what the defense gave us as much as Capers and crew. To hell with taking what they give us. How about we start taking what the hell we please, when we please, and how we please. And after were done with that, we'll take some more, and you'll like it. And, protect your women and children while your at it, because affter we ravish the countryside, we're comin for em. All of em. HAHAHAHA. It's all about attitude, and frankly, he has them playing timidly.

If football is war, then Dom Capers is Commander Woody Allen. :hehe:

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Porky

Fiddy, you are wise beyond your years. I especially agree with #1. I have yet seen a consistent championship team or coach talk about taking what the defense gave us as much as Capers and crew. To hell with taking what they give us. How about we start taking what the hell we please, when we please, and how we please.

Now this is just getting out of hand. It is an elementary principal that you attack an opponent's weakness, not his strength. EVERY coach cites this truism through some statement equivalent to attacking the weakness, taking what they give, exploiting match-ups, finding the seams--they are all talking about the same thing. Our WR's are not one trick ponies that need to catch the ball 40+ yds down field. Quite the contrary, AJ and Bradford are both excellent threats to take 10+ yd catches and make things happen after the catch. Playing against cover 2 schemes it is much smarter to take these high percentage, lower risk plays and let the talent make the plays.

Plus, the idea that the Texans are not taking shots down field and are soooo much more conservative than the rest of the league is hooey. Take a look at the results for other QB's so far:

First the guys ahead of Carr:

Testeverde 11 plays over 20 yards
Bulger 7
Brady 11
Carr 7 over 20 and 1 over 40--plus the 40+ yd non-reception reception by AJ last weekend.

Some other QB's:
Pennington 7 over 20 and 3 over 40
Harrington 6
Hassellbeck 4
Favre 3 over 20 and 1 over 40
Green 4 over 20 and 1 over 40
McNair 1
Plummer 6 over 20 and 1 over 40
and Mr. Air Attack himself
Manning 7 over 20 and 4 over 40

Yeah, KC, the Seahawks, GB and the Rams sure do run conservative offenses. Yeah if they keep turning the ball over they are going to go 0-16 but it won't be due to failing to attack the other team's strength or not taking shots down field.

[Fiddy]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

It is an elementary principal that you attack an opponent's weakness, not his strength.

And the Lions weakness was their secondary, which was missing their star CB and was playing a 6th round draft pick from a year ago against one of the best WRs in the league...run a couple of post routes to get behind the corner and in front of the safety, go into max protection to get extra time to go deep. What did all the dump downs to Davis do??? The defense was going to give the dump downs to Davis and the Texans all day long because it wasnt going to beat them...

[LiveForTheGame]

Dom Capers said on the radio that they weren't able to go deep on them. Sometimes it's the scheme and how it's played in the secondary rather than the guys you have back there.

[aj.]

Chris Cash the Lions Backup Nickle Conrer was covering AJ for most of the game

Cash had deep safety help on nearly every play. Marion doubled down on AJ on almost every play over 15 yards. The only play where they were able to iso Cash on AJ in man was the long TD catch and we saw what kind of mismatch that was. Cash held him (literally) for the first 5 yards (no flag) and he still got torched.

[Fiddy]

Originally Posted by aj.

Cash had deep safety help on nearly every play.

Then why dont you use a little motion to free AJ or bunch one side of the field with 3 WRs???

[Porky]

Fiddy, you are wise beyond your years. Where have I heard that before! Exactly! My man Fiddy has hit upon it again. Q. - Where is the motion in this offense. A. There isn't any. How about an empty backfield, with five WR's. How about throwing to the frickin TE. I just called the police to put out an APB on Billy Miller. How many of those over 20 yard plays are to a RB on a screen or dumpoff, and how many to WR's? Some of you folks act like only the Texans play against a cover 2 scheme, and that AJ is the only WR ever double covered. I say grow some nads, or get out of the game. I refuse to buy this theory that every team takes what is given. Of course, you exploit favorable matchups. Hello - Detroit's best CB was out, and one of their #2 CB's was out, leaving a third stringer and Fernando Bryant, a decent cover corner nobody will mistake for Champ Bailey. If you want to exploit a cover two, there are ways to do, and STILL 'take what they give you'. How about a deep seam route by Billy Miller, or Gaffney in the slot? That's one way to exploit the cover 2 with safety help on the two WR's. I'm sure there are many more. If anyone would care to prove to me that other teams never exploit the cover 2, I'm all eyes.

Secondly, when I say I'm tired of taking what they give, I am speaking mainly of an attitude. We need a bash you in the face, take no prisoners approach. There is just too much mild-mannered ho-hum, take what's given crapola to me. And, lastly, there is WAY too much reliance on DD. I think an empty backfield might force Carr to seek out other options.

Bash away

[RTP2110]

Capers makes it sound like if a team is playing cover 2 you can't complete a pass downfield. Even if you guys are covered you still have to take some chances. What ever happened to just throwing it up and letting your stud WR go and get it. That's why we drafted AJ to make catches while covered and in traffic. If they won't throw to him unless he is wide open, the they might as well just have Gaffney and Armstrong starting because they are the most sure handed of our WR's.

[JaguarsFan1]

Originally Posted by BornOrange

AJ was being covered by the best corner on the field today, Fernando Bryant.

Please tell me you don't think 'Nando is good. He had been burnt in J-ville so much the fans called him "Toast".

[Ihategeeks]

Originally Posted by JaguarsFan1

Please tell me you don't think 'Nando is good. He had been burnt in J-ville so much the fans called him "Toast".

Well he's been JAM in Detroit. Stepped it up as the main guy
And every jags fan I have talked too had nothing but praise for him, citing his only real failing was jump balls he would often not force the ball from the WR.

Heck, wasn't Nando a Pro Bowl Alternate ?

[Ihategeeks]

Originally Posted by aj.

Cash had deep safety help on nearly every play. Marion doubled down on AJ on almost every play over 15 yards. The only play where they were able to iso Cash on AJ in man was the long TD catch and we saw what kind of mismatch that was. Cash held him (literally) for the first 5 yards (no flag) and he still got torched.

Bracey walker was supposed to be over the top of that, and AJ burnt him too (not really surprised)

Bracey was the one who dove for AJ's ankles. It was just busted play all over the place for the Lions D.

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by RTP2110

Capers makes it sound like if a team is playing cover 2 you can't complete a pass downfield. Even if you guys are covered you still have to take some chances. What ever happened to just throwing it up and letting your stud WR go and get it. That's why we drafted AJ to make catches while covered and in traffic. If they won't throw to him unless he is wide open, the they might as well just have Gaffney and Armstrong starting because they are the most sure handed of our WR's.

You're not going to find a coach in the NFL who is going to go up top against a Cover 2. I know that some of you want to throw the long bomb every single friggen play like you did 45 years ago when you were playing touch football in the street using sidewalks as sidelines . . . but if you throw deep into double coverage in the NFL, it'a a bad decision . . . period. Where does timidity fit into all this?

You say tomatoe, I say tomato. You say take a chance, I say don't be a fool.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Fiddy

And the Lions weakness was their secondary, which was missing their star CB and was playing a 6th round draft pick from a year ago against one of the best WRs in the league...run a couple of post routes to get behind the corner and in front of the safety, go into max protection to get extra time to go deep.

It is all well and good to say a back up player is in so he is a weakness, but you have to be able to isolate the weakness in order to exploit it. By going to cover 2 the Lions made sure that the Texans' WR's were not working against individuals deep. So the weakness to their secondary was in seems and underneath which was what the Texans tried and did successfully exploit. The Texans did try to work deep and when given the right combination of route, execution and no blind officials completed five down the field strikes.

What did all the dump downs to Davis do??? The defense was going to give the dump downs to Davis and the Texans all day long because it wasnt going to beat them...

Since the debate about Hollings v. Davis you have seemed intent on discounting anything Davis does IMO. In any event, what did they do?--they moved the chains and produced 10.3 yards on average. That kind of production is tremendous. The hallmark of a solid play-off bound team is 7-10 play 80 yard, time consuming drives, not constant 3 and outs due to trying every time to go 80 yards in 2 plays.

All this hand-wringing about the play calling needs to wait until the Texans aren't producing very well on offense, and aren't giving away games with 7 freakin' turnovers (call it eight with the gimme KR for a TD).

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

All this hand-wringing about the play calling needs to wait until the Texans aren't producing very well on offense, and aren't giving away games with 7 freakin' turnovers (call it eight with the gimme KR for a TD).

Well you know cak, that certainly isn't going to set well with the "Yeah turnovers hurt us, BUT . . " crowd.

And as for "exploiting" the Cover 2 coverage, how about asking the offensive line to give David some time to look downfield first . . . maybe give him a chance to find a seam, instead of only gving him enough time to dump it off to Davis and let him fumble it again.

And the kicker is, even though he's not been given that much time to throw, he's still putting up decent numbers, and if it hadn't been for the turnovers, it would be 2-0 instead of 0-2.

Oh, OK? conservative play-calling, right?