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The Lamar, the Receivers, and the Pass Defence

Makes no sense really. I'm not sure if it's Hewitt or Orr or what. Hewitt is allegedly the pass game coordinator. No idea man. The secondary is playing like ass. Steve can't be happy about it.

I also gotta say we could really upgrade at ST. For years we have taken steps back.
I hate to put it all on one person but Marcus Williams has been so bad that I wonder if simply playing someone else there might help out. I don't know. Just feels like he's so late to key on his responsibilities which isn't helping the other guys look good either. The middle of the field is a problem right now.

Don't disagree on ST either. I know Harty gets some hate (hi @UPennChem lol) but I think not having him today showed his true value - steady returner who makes good decisions and isn't afraid to field a ball.
 
I hate to put it all on one person but Marcus Williams has been so bad that I wonder if simply playing someone else there might help out. I don't know. Just feels like he's so late to key on his responsibilities which isn't helping the other guys look good either. The middle of the field is a problem right now.

Don't disagree on ST either. I know Harty gets some hate (hi @UPennChem lol) but I think not having him today showed his true value - steady returner who makes good decisions and isn't afraid to field a ball.
I mean, Williams hasn't ever lived up to the hype except his first year early on. He hasn't done a ton since. He has spots here and there, but not worth the money. I can safely say I won't be upset if he was cut tomorrow.

Yeah....that one boneheaded move could have really cost us the game today.
 
I mean, Williams hasn't ever lived up to the hype except his first year early on. He hasn't done a ton since. He has spots here and there, but not worth the money. I can safely say I won't be upset if he was cut tomorrow.

Yeah....that one boneheaded move could have really cost us the game today.
His calling card was his speed and range, but he's just looked so flat this year. Not sure if that explosion is gone or if he's playing with such little confidence. It's a weird one.

Marlon has had his share of issues too but his all look mental rather than physical. Still not great but it's clear he can still play. I'm not sure if I can say the same about Marcus.
 
Huge shoutout to Rodger with that Huskie education and awareness chasing down Pratt on the fumble recovery. Ricard was right on it too. looks like every other player gave up in a game over situation but that extra hustle lead to the missed fg. those are the kind of players we need and have been lacking for years.
 
Lol I was also antsy during the game. If my wife wasn’t busy doing nursing homework in the bedroom there would no doubt be video of me pacing in the living room lol
I just tell my wife I squirm the same direction the runner with the ball is moving.

Now try and imagine a 58 year old white dude trying to squirm around like Lamar with the ball.
 
I love Lamar. Always thinking team first.
...and that's the real reason why, after making the commitment to him - especially - that so many of us want a coaching staff that puts him first - at least on the OFF, for goodness sakes, instead of a factory Ravens' Way.

He should be first and building around him. Not "hoping" his athleticism bails us out or makes a marginal play a successful one.
 
It is wild how bad this secondary can be/is with how much we have invested in it. Not worried about Hamilton at all. Wiggins is still learning but the signs are positive. Marcus has been bordering on terrible. Humphrey has been largely okay with some really good sprinkled in. Stephens feels like he's taken an obvious step back.

The frustrating this is all of those guys were clicking against the Bills, so we know they can figure it out.

chase and higgins is an outrageous WR combo to deal with and a lot of the poor secondary play (at least in the 1st half) was more about marcus williams than the CBs

but i think, having done a bit of a scrolled rewatch of some of the key plays, that the plan for Chase was horrible - far too often we let him roam free in the secondary without any bumps or redirects and he's way too athletic for that to be the plan

feels like their plan for wiggins isnt great right now either - think once maulet's back, we may see wiggins's snaps go down and he gets used more situationally while he becomes more consistent

i actually think marlon has been excellent the whole year so far (that pick on the slant was an awesome play) - the problem is, as you say, stephens is getting picked on at the catch-point, wiggins is hot-and-cold, williams looks awful and eddie jackson is showing us why he was available for almost nothing in free agency

and what i really didnt like from a playcalling standpoint is that we were sending a bunch of extra guys again in key situations - if burrow picks out the dropper on a 4 man sim pressure and beats you then you take your hat off and say well done, but if you throw extra guys into the rush and still have droppers coming from the LoS then you're just asking for him to pick you apart especially if the coverage behind it is predictable - i think right now, the front and the back of this pass defence just feel ike they're not married up at all

also... jamarr chase is just so insanely good lol - outrageous that he and justin jefferson were on the same college team with joe burrow - that LSU offence was wild

that being said, the 4th Bengals TD was a clear OPI pick - TE didnt even pretend to run a route and even adjusted his body after his initial set to make contact - about as clear cut a pick route as you can get

all of this to say... it's complicated and i dont know if it's just a case of CBs have just got to get a little bit better but also have been beaten up on by some of the best WRs in the league (Adams, Lamb, Chase and Higgins) - luckily the vikings are not on our schedule this year
 
I hate to put it all on one person but Marcus Williams has been so bad that I wonder if simply playing someone else there might help out. I don't know. Just feels like he's so late to key on his responsibilities which isn't helping the other guys look good either. The middle of the field is a problem right now.

Don't disagree on ST either. I know Harty gets some hate (hi @UPennChem lol) but I think not having him today showed his true value - steady returner who makes good decisions and isn't afraid to field a ball.

Ro's not been consistent either on those MoF coverages
 
The NFL hasn't had Co-MVPs since 2003 when it was Peyton Manning & Steve McNair named Co-MVPs. Is is too early to say that Lamar & Derrick are in the running to be Co-MVPs in 2024?
 
chase and higgins is an outrageous WR combo to deal with and a lot of the poor secondary play (at least in the 1st half) was more about marcus williams than the CBs

but i think, having done a bit of a scrolled rewatch of some of the key plays, that the plan for Chase was horrible - far too often we let him roam free in the secondary without any bumps or redirects and he's way too athletic for that to be the plan

feels like their plan for wiggins isnt great right now either - think once maulet's back, we may see wiggins's snaps go down and he gets used more situationally while he becomes more consistent

i actually think marlon has been excellent the whole year so far (that pick on the slant was an awesome play) - the problem is, as you say, stephens is getting picked on at the catch-point, wiggins is hot-and-cold, williams looks awful and eddie jackson is showing us why he was available for almost nothing in free agency

and what i really didnt like from a playcalling standpoint is that we were sending a bunch of extra guys again in key situations - if burrow picks out the dropper on a 4 man sim pressure and beats you then you take your hat off and say well done, but if you throw extra guys into the rush and still have droppers coming from the LoS then you're just asking for him to pick you apart especially if the coverage behind it is predictable - i think right now, the front and the back of this pass defence just feel ike they're not married up at all

also... jamarr chase is just so insanely good lol - outrageous that he and justin jefferson were on the same college team with joe burrow - that LSU offence was wild

that being said, the 4th Bengals TD was a clear OPI pick - TE didnt even pretend to run a route and even adjusted his body after his initial set to make contact - about as clear cut a pick route as you can get

all of this to say... it's complicated and i dont know if it's just a case of CBs have just got to get a little bit better but also have been beaten up on by some of the best WRs in the league (Adams, Lamb, Chase and Higgins) - luckily the vikings are not on our schedule this year
I think it is important to call out that we've gone up against some studs, I agree. A guy like Chase is going to make some plays. Haven't done any rewatch (and may not be able to get to this game at all) but it did feel like they just put him in positions to win based on we do and don't do defensively.

For Stephens in particular, it feels like they've found the recipe against him this year. He's going to be sticky in coverage, but he has always struggled with turning his head and finding the ball. Why not throw it at him and trust your guys to make a play, especially when he's matched up with WR1?

I don't know. As I said before, I hate to pin it on one guy, but Marcus Williams has been so dreadful in 4 out of 5 games that I'm not sure he's not a solution. Ar'Darius drops some size but he's so much more instinctual that I'd consider giving him a lot more traditional S run once Maulet is back.
 
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