Stop the run between the tackles at all cost!

I damn guarantee playoffs if the D can do this. That very much means the fate of this team hinge on these players:

Payne
Smith
Weaver
Demeco - Is he studly at the point of attack. Can he be "big", meaning can he hurt RBs!? I say we start Cowart!


I think we can do it. Big bodies that can clog the middle. We have to reduce our ypc allowed. With mario in there, the run to the left won't be gashing. Last year the teams could gash Babin or Peek. Made our LBs play out of position all the time. No wonder CC.Brown has so many tackles. This year, we just have to look for the run to the right, Babins side.... then again if we know the teams tedencies, LBs can jump them.

I don't think a MLB needs to be "big" to make tackles. Guys like Zach Thomas, Mike Peterson, and Jonathan Vilma have proven that. And Ryans is at least their size.

Bottom line, with the size and speed of athletes today, you need heart. If your scared to tackle, you won't be successful in the NFL these days!

Well guys we're fixin to get a little peek tomorrow night. We'll see.

pittbull said:

If your scared to tackle, you won't be successful in the NFL these days!

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"Hey, we resemble that remark!" - Phillip Buchanon & Marcus Coleman

[[Gary Kubiak]] said:

Well tackles are tackles, but not all tackles are the same. There is a Ray Lewis tackle and a Marlon Greenwood tackle.

hahahahah


When Lewis hits you, you stop dead on your tracks and fall BACKWARDS!
When Marlon Greenwood Played inside last year, he hits the RB and they fall forward and gain 1 and a half yards.

When Demeco hits people, where will they land? Good comparison though with Zach, when thomas hits RBs they fall backwards too. Thomas is smaller than Meco.


Bring on Larry Johnson BOYS!!!!! let him taste some of our home cookin! I will be crushed and will lose all hope if he gashes us. That very much means we can't get off the field defensively come the regular season. Games like the Rams last year will be replayed too much.

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Home Cooking! How about Hank Williams Jr. singing "Welcome to the home of the Houston Texans. Are You Ready for Some Home Cooking?" and the our team serves it up!!

[[Gary Kubiak]] said:

I damn guarantee playoffs if the D can do this. That very much means the fate of this team hinge on these players:

Payne
Smith
Weaver
Demeco - Is he studly at the point of attack. Can he be "big", meaning can he hurt RBs!? I say we start Cowart!


I think we can do it. Big bodies that can clog the middle. We have to reduce our ypc allowed. With mario in there, the run to the left won't be gashing. Last year the teams could gash Babin or Peek. Made our LBs play out of position all the time. No wonder CC.Brown has so many tackles. This year, we just have to look for the run to the right, Babins side.... then again if we know the teams tedencies, LBs can jump them.

Click to expand...

I dont think it will take big bodies as much as it will take a blend of size and quickness (Smith and Payne being the size, Weaver being the quickness). Defense is about being fierce and stout at the point of attack, not so much just being big. As far as DeMeco, he's smart enough to put himself in position to make plays so I could care less how big or small he is. We've tried the bigger is better aproach before and it got us players like Jay Foreman, who make tackles and thats it. I hate to say it, but I see Cowart in the same class, as Ive heard he lost a step. We've made changes so far for the better, we just need to be patient and see how it goes.

Lucky said:

I don't think a MLB needs to be "big" to make tackles. Guys like Zach Thomas, Mike Peterson, and Jonathan Vilma have proven that. And Ryans is at least their size.

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Mike Singletary. 6'0", 230 lbs.

Demeco Ryans: 6'1", 236 lbs.

Enough said.

Geez folks are splitting some mighty fine hairs on size.

Ryans 6' 1" 236 lbs (at the combine--reported by one coach at 239 lbs)
Jay Foreman 6' 1" 240 lbs
Sam Cowart 6' 2" 242 lbs

So 6 lbs (2.5%) is now more important than speed, talent, football instincts?--not saying Ryans has all those over Cowart but there are a lot more important considerations than an insignificant weight difference.

Lucky said:

I don't think a MLB needs to be "big" to make tackles. Guys like Zach Thomas, Mike Peterson, and Jonathan Vilma have proven that. And Ryans is at least their size.

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I've just been looking at the top 10 LB's, both inside and outside, in the 2006 Sporting New's Scouting Guide. Ryans needs an off season or two to put on ten pounds of hard muscle, to maybe be in the Ray Lewis class. But he should have a standout rookie campaign, make the all-rookie team, and solidify our middle. Here is what I got from the Scouting Guide:

.....Inside LB...................................................Outside LB

Brian Uriacher.......6-4.......258................Shawne Merriman.........6-4.......272
Al Wilson.............6-0.......240................Joey Porter..................6-3.......250
Ray Lewis........... 6-1.......245................Lance Briggs.................6-1.......238
Jonathan Vilma.....6-1.......230................Julian Peterson..............6-3.......235
Odell Thurman......6-0.......235................Keith Bulluck.................6-3........235
Mike Peterson......6-1.......230.................Keith Brooking..............6-2........245
Dan Morgan........ 6-2.......245.................DeMarcus Ware............6-4........251
Zach Thomas.......5-11.....228.................Ian Gold......................6-0........223
Tedy Bruschi .......6-1.......247.................Pisa Tinoisamoa...........6-1.......235
James Farrior...... 6-2........243.................Marcus Washington......6-3.......250

DeMeco Ryans.... 6-2.......236

[[Gary Kubiak]] said:

I damn guarantee playoffs if the D can do this. That very much means the fate of this team hinge on these players:

Payne
Smith
Weaver
Demeco - Is he studly at the point of attack. Can he be "big", meaning can he hurt RBs!? I say we start Cowart!

Click to expand...

I was curious. Did you leave Mario off the list, because he plays DE or it is assumed he will be stopping anything on his way to the QB? I would have to think that his play is a huge factor in the ability for the opposition to run up the middle.

Run defense is key this yr i think we allowed the most yards on the ground last season. Alot of emphasis has been put on the pass rush but stopping the run will make the biggest difference this year IMO.

Number19 said:

I've just been looking at the top 10 LB's, both inside and outside, in the 2006 Sporting New's Scouting Guide. Ryans needs an off season or two to put on ten pounds of hard muscle, to maybe be in the Ray Lewis class. But he should have a standout rookie campaign, make the all-rookie team, and solidify our middle. Here is what I got from the Scouting Guide:

.....Inside LB...................................................Outside LB

Brian Uriacher.......6-4.......258................Shawne Merriman.........6-4.......272
Al Wilson.............6-0.......240................Joey Porter..................6-3.......250
Ray Lewis........... 6-1.......245................Lance Briggs.................6-1.......238
Jonathan Vilma.....6-1.......230................Julian Peterson..............6-3.......235
Odell Thurman......6-0.......235................Keith Bulluck.................6-3........235
Mike Peterson......6-1.......230.................Keith Brooking..............6-2........245
Dan Morgan........ 6-2.......245.................DeMarcus Ware............6-4........251
Zach Thomas.......5-11.....228.................Ian Gold......................6-0........223
Tedy Bruschi .......6-1.......247.................Pisa Tinoisamoa...........6-1.......235
James Farrior...... 6-2........243.................Marcus Washington......6-3.......250

DeMeco Ryans.... 6-2.......236

Click to expand...

For all the LBs, check how many of them are in the 3-4. I wouldnt include them in their because in all reality, OLBs are atheltic DEs and the ILBs need to be bigger than normal. Check all of the 4-3 LBs and see how many are at or under 240. I counted 10 of 14. I fail to see how a difference of 5 - 10 pounds will help when the 4-3 "top LBs" are all right near Ryans size.

[[Gary Kubiak]] said:

I damn guarantee playoffs if the D can do this. That very much means the fate of this team hinge on these players:

Payne
Smith
Weaver
Demeco - Is he studly at the point of attack. Can he be "big", meaning can he hurt RBs!? I say we start Cowart!


I think we can do it. Big bodies that can clog the middle. We have to reduce our ypc allowed. With mario in there, the run to the left won't be gashing. Last year the teams could gash Babin or Peek. Made our LBs play out of position all the time. No wonder CC.Brown has so many tackles. This year, we just have to look for the run to the right, Babins side.... then again if we know the teams tedencies, LBs can jump them.

Click to expand...

I actually think that notion is way overrated. Balance is also overrated. What teams actually run the ball 50% of the time? The ones w/ crappy QBs, that's who. I just think there's just a whole lot of ways to skin a cat.

Philly doesn't run much and has gone to a superbowl and 3 straight conference title games. Jacksonville is always raving about their huge runstuffing D tackles up front, but the only reason they've made it to the playoffs was due to a really crappy division last year. I would take a speedy pass-rushing Dline over a huge runstuffing one any day of the week (that's how Tampa won their championship). How did the Steelers finally win the big one? By having Big Ben throw the football. The notion of having to stop the run and run the ball is a bit overrated. What happened to the runstuffing chargers D last year? Oh yeah, they didn't make the playoffs did they? Smash-Mouth football is overrated (yes, I said it!). It's all about being versatile and playing smart. You've got to do both and defend both. Let's see how the Colts offense does this year w/o the Edge.

What isn't overrated is dominating at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. And Mario is definitlely going to give that to us. And it is great that if we're getting dominated on the run, we can move him inside and move our tackles outside. Hopefully we'll never have to use such drastic measures, but we can do it if the situation calls for it. But like I said, no one thing is going to propel us to the playoffs. Everything has to be there for us.

Number19 said:

I've just been looking at the top 10 LB's, both inside and outside, in the 2006 Sporting New's Scouting Guide. Ryans needs an off season or two to put on ten pounds of hard muscle, to maybe be in the Ray Lewis class. But he should have a standout rookie campaign, make the all-rookie team, and solidify our middle. Here is what I got from the Scouting Guide:

.....Inside LB...................................................Outside LB

Brian Uriacher.......6-4.......258................Shawne Merriman.........6-4.......272
Al Wilson.............6-0.......240................Joey Porter..................6-3.......250
Ray Lewis........... 6-1.......245................Lance Briggs.................6-1.......238
Jonathan Vilma.....6-1.......230................Julian Peterson..............6-3.......235
Odell Thurman......6-0.......235................Keith Bulluck.................6-3........235
Mike Peterson......6-1.......230.................Keith Brooking..............6-2........245
Dan Morgan........ 6-2.......245.................DeMarcus Ware............6-4........251
Zach Thomas.......5-11.....228.................Ian Gold......................6-0........223
Tedy Bruschi .......6-1.......247.................Pisa Tinoisamoa...........6-1.......235
James Farrior...... 6-2........243.................Marcus Washington......6-3.......250

DeMeco Ryans.... 6-2.......236

Click to expand...

Any list that doesn't include derrick brooks as a top lineback is complete and utter garbage IMO

I would make this disclaimer on all of the weights listed by the various official and unofficial web sites: Don't believe everything you read. Some of these numbers are accurate and current. Other players have weights listed from their predraft combine or rookie camp and are never changed.

I just go by what my eyeball tells my brain. I'd say that DeMeco's size is about average to slightly below average for a MLB. I'd like to see him avoid blocks, rather than take them on. Much like Ray Lewis and Zach Thomas do.

It may take Ryans some time to get a feel for finding and filling the gap, since this is his 1st season at MLB. Eventually, I see Ryans as a Nick Barnett type MLB, sideline-to-sideline range with good coverage skills. And if the Texans look at MLB in next year's draft, I still think DeMeco can become a terrific Will linebacker.

phan1 said:

How did the Steelers finally win the big one? By having Big Ben throw the football. The notion of having to stop the run and run the ball is a bit overrated.

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Huh???? Big Ben had a miserable SB. 9 of 21 for 123 yds, zero TD's, 2 INT's--heck Randle El had the TD pass. That team was the classic hardcore D and ball control offense with a few dramatic/trick plays added.

infantrycak said:

Huh???? Big Ben had a miserable SB. 9 of 21 for 123 yds, zero TD's, 2 INT's--heck Randle El had the TD pass. That team was the classic hardcore D and ball control offense with a few dramatic/trick plays added.

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I agree with you. I thought he was being sarcastic.

I was thinking about the Steelers playoff run as a collective whole. They beat undoubtedly the best NFL teams along the road to the Super Bowl win, and a big part of the reason was Ben. It wasn't the typical Steelers playoff run where they play Smoushmouth football until they eventually get beat somewhere along the way.

phan1 said:

I was thinking about the Steelers playoff run as a collective whole. They beat undoubtedly the best NFL teams along the road to the Super Bowl win, and a big part of the reason was Ben. It wasn't the typical Steelers playoff run where they play Smoushmouth football until they eventually get beat somewhere along the way.

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I agree Big Ben is a key piece of the Steelers but I'd still say the Steelers were a smashmouth team. Pittsburgh averaged a league high 34.3 rushing attempts per game (league average--28) and a league low 23.7 passing attempts per game (league average 32).

phan1 said:

I was thinking about the Steelers playoff run as a collective whole. They beat undoubtedly the best NFL teams along the road to the Super Bowl win, and a big part of the reason was Ben. It wasn't the typical Steelers playoff run where they play Smoushmouth football until they eventually get beat somewhere along the way.

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The only reason Big Ben got to look so good last year is because they CAN play smashmouth ball. Big Ben on a team with no running game would look a lot like Joey Harrington.