TexansFanatic said:
Mario has too much to think about. He should be left at defensive end and be allowed to pin his ears back and rush the quarterback. That's what we brought him here to do and that's virtually what he was born to do.
I found a Kubiak quote in the Chronicle where he essentially contradicts himself in nearly consecutive sentences:
"The thing we don't want to lose sight of is that he's very athletic, and when he has a chance to take a gap and create some havoc and get to the quarterback, sometimes I think he gets a little apprehensive, assignment-wise, instead of cutting it loose.
"We've got to get him to cut it loose in some of those situations."
"That's something we debate every day," Kubiak said. "I don't think moving him around has hurt him. He shows no signs of the mental part bothering him. If we think that keeping him at one spot makes him more effective, then we'll do that, too."
OK.....so if the mental part is not bothering him, then why is he getting a little apprehensive assignment-wise and not cutting it loose?
I don't think Kubiak is contradicting himself there. & that's exactly what I see with Mario. Whether he was at tackle, or DE, he got into the backfield, but looked lost when he did. He doesn't have the killer instinct...... he should be thinking kill the QB on every down.....
maul the RB if he's in your way...... great if he has the ball, but if he don't oh well..
Sunday, Mario would get in the backfield free, look for the RB, see if he has the ball, then decide what he wants to do.
That isn't going to get it.
Then there were times when he'd lock up with a Tackle, a DE, or a TE, and try to prove that he is stronger of the two....... who cares who's stronger, shuck him off, and proceed to the QB...
He appears to me, to be thinking about the man in front of him. If that man blocks someone other than Mario(because of their scheme) Mario is lost for a second or two, trying to figure out what he wants to do.
Then if he's doubled, he wants to show that he's stronger than the two...... again, who cares.
He needs to forget about that guy in front of him, and keep his eyes in the backfield. Never take his eyes off the QB. Run through the man in front of him, and get the QB.
Babin did this very well... whether he got tied up, or was trying to get around the man in front of him, he's looking at the backfield. he sees the RB running past him, he'll toss the guy he's working on, and get the RB.....
I think Babin again was awesome, he has some improvement to do, but he's going to be an awesome DE.
Mario...... you could see his speed..... when he used his speed. You could see his power...... when he used his power... but he wasn't playing very smart or aggressive. He definitely has the potential to be much better than Babin. But Babin is better than him now, and when those two figure it out, we will have a fearsome D.
