Secondary Getting Extra Attention.

[EllisUnit]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...#ixzz1U3fcQo00

Kareem Jackson squared up in front of Kevin Walter, mirroring the wide receiver's short burst of steps off the line of scrimmage with a quick backpedal of his own. When Walter broke right on the slant route, Jackson dug his feet into the turf and drove forward.

The pass was incomplete.

"That's beautiful, K-Jack! Beautiful," Texans first-year secondary coach Vance Joseph said.

Just as quickly, though, Jackson resembled the rookie cornerback who was victimized so often last year. Undrafted rookie free agent Jeff Maehl, a productive player during collegiate days at Oregon, unleashed a hitch-and-go pattern so convincing that Jackson bit, stumbled and never really recovered, beaten badly for a long touchdown.

This, seen too many times during the 2010 season, was familiar. But the reaction was not.

"Great route, man," Joseph said to Maehl as Jackson ran by. "Great route."

Welcome to the attitude readjustment portion of Texans training camp, where Jackson and the rest of the defensive backs are receiving extra attention. Blamed for most of the defense's ills, the secondary could use some positive reinforcement — which Joseph is all too happy to provide.

"When you coach defensive backs, confidence is everything," he said. "Even if they're not doing something right, you always want to find something positive to give them because it's a hard job.

"I want to be positive so I can give him confidence. He can play well for us."

But Jackson hasn't.

Not yet, anyway.

It's telling that Jackson, when asked about the criticism and the chatter about his uneven play last year, didn't turn defensive Wednesday.

"Regardless of what you do in this world, everybody is going to have something to say about it," Jackson said. "This is the job I chose."

He left Alabama following his junior year, drafted by the Texans with the 20th overall pick.

But Jackson's rookie season wasn't remotely close to what he expected. He admitted that everything was a blur last year. But this year has been better so far because the scheme is similar to what he learned at Alabama.

The game has slowed, and maybe last year was an aberration. He didn't seem too concerned Wednesday.

"I never doubted myself. ... I know I can play this game, so I just come out every day and work," he said.

Asked what he tweaked this summer, when he said he watched film and worked out on his own, Jackson said, "I just corrected little things in my press technique. ... Hand placement, late in games getting tired, so running and working on my wind, and that's about it."

That's the confidence Joseph needs to see from his second-year cornerback, who, after the free-agent signings of cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning and the shift of Glover Quin to safety, represents the unit's largest question mark.

But the secondary coach craves even more.

"He's doing well and he knows what to do, but he has to do it better from a technique perspective," Joseph said. "He has to want to be the best. That's the key with great corners. In this league, it's not about height, ability or speed. It's guys who want to be the best.

"Once he gets that, he's going to be fine."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...#ixzz1U4DIEeB5

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by EllisUnit

Just as quickly, though, Jackson resembled the rookie cornerback who was victimized so often last year. Undrafted rookie free agent Jeff Maehl, a productive player during collegiate days at Oregon, unleashed a hitch-and-go pattern so convincing that Jackson bit, stumbled and never really recovered, beaten badly for a long touchdown.

No?! Reallty?!

[Wolf]

glad to not to see the word "shuffle"

Gibbs

but agree with you Hou-Tex

[EllisUnit]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

No?! Reallty?!

Couldn't be, not K-Jac

[ThaJokaa]

Kareem Jackson squared up in front of Kevin Walter, mirroring the wide receiver's short burst of steps off the line of scrimmage with a quick backpedal of his own. When Walter broke right on the slant route, Jackson dug his feet into the turf and drove forward
The pass was incomplete.

Lets look onto the positve; He's maturing and getting better as a player...

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

No?! Reallty?!

Come on HOU-TEX, he STUMBLED........he didn't FALL DOWN!! Now, THAT'S IMPROVEMENT!!!!!!

[EllisUnit]

Originally Posted by ThaJokaa

Lets look onto the positve; He's maturing and getting better as a player...

after a few days of practice

[HJam72]

Jackson just has "Zone Coverage Only" written all over him.

Maybe he'll start figuring it out. I don't know, but I suspect he better start doing it soon if he wants to start.

[Errant Hothy]

Originally Posted by HOU-TEX

No?! Reallty?!

Reallty? Really?

I still have hope for K Jackson, but I wont be bothered if he gets beaten out in camp.

[ThaJokaa]

Originally Posted by EllisUnit

after a few days of practice

when he said he watched film and worked out on his own, Jackson said, "I just corrected little things in my press technique. ... Hand placement, late in games getting tired, so running and working on my wind, and that's about it."

and working on it on his own thru the lock out...

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by EllisUnit

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...#ixzz1U3fcQo00

Kareem Jackson squared up in front of Kevin Walter, mirroring the wide receiver's short burst of steps off the line of scrimmage with a quick backpedal of his own.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...#ixzz1U4DIEeB5

Here's the real story!: K. Walter had a "burst" off the line of scrimmage! That's the biggest NFL story since the lockout ended.

[EllisUnit]

Originally Posted by ThaJokaa

and working on it on his own thru the lock out...

his problems last season weren't hand placement, he needs to work on foot work and he stumbled and gave up a long TD, so obviously he didn't work on that.

[DocBar]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Here's the real story!: K. Walter had a "burst" off the line of scrimmage! That's the biggest NFL story since the lockout ended.

Any video proof of this? Inadmissable with out it. LOL

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Here's the real story!: K. Walter had a "burst" off the line of scrimmage! That's the biggest NFL story since the lockout ended.

Sounds like the Texans have added psychologists to coach the coaches on "feel good" techniques.

[HOU-TEX]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

Come on HOU-TEX, he STUMBLED........he didn't FALL DOWN!! Now, THAT'S IMPROVEMENT!!!!!!

Ha, true. However, "the field" still won.

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Here's the real story!: K. Walter had a "burst" off the line of scrimmage! That's the biggest NFL story since the lockout ended.

Walter has always been quick off the line and in his breaks, he's just not fast. Very good route running has gotten him this far

[DocBar]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

Sounds like the Texans have added psychologists to coach the coaches on "feel good" techniques.

That's the way of the world these days, to its detriment. I'm a firm believer of pats on the back for good jobs and kicks to the @ss for bad ones.

[El Tejano]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Here's the real story!: K. Walter had a "burst" off the line of scrimmage! That's the biggest NFL story since the lockout ended.

The problem is, even with that burst of the line, even Kareem Jackson was still able to cover him.

[DocBar]

Originally Posted by El Tejano

The problem is, even with that burst of the line, even Kareem Jackson was still able to cover him.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by dalemurphy

Here's the real story!: K. Walter had a "burst" off the line of scrimmage! That's the biggest NFL story since the lockout ended.

That was poetic license on the part of the writer.

[midgetonadonkey]

Originally Posted by DocBar

That's the way of the world these days, to its detriment. I'm a firm believer of pats on the back for good jobs and kicks to the @ss for bad ones.

The problem with that is that this generation of kids doesn't respond well to kicks in the ass. They are so used to positive reinforcement that it's necessary to treat them this way to get the best of out of them.