I’m anxious to see what middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans does tonight because he hasn’t shown much at training camp. I haven’t seen him cut it loose and play with reckless abandon. Even though it’s still early, he hasn’t leveled anybody with a big hit in the backfield.
As I said previously, a middle linebacker has to be able to give the offensive linemen the threat that he can shoot the gap from the backside in order to make a play in the backfield.
Ryans has stayed front side on every play that I’ve seen him defend. You’ve got to give offensive linemen more than one thing to think about. They must be afraid of you coming in the backdoor by coming in from their left side even though the play is going to their right side.
If you shoot the gap from the backside and catch the running back in the backfield it makes them pull apprehensively. Now you’ve got them where you want them. Big guys don’t like to move a lot in the first place. If you get a big guy off balance, he loses his power and it makes him weak.
Rookie Mychal Kendricks and second-year linebacker Brian Rolle have each shot the gap from the backside and run down plays while they’ve been in training camp, but I haven’t seen Ryans do it.
He could be saving himself for the regular season or he might not be confident about his speed. We’ll see tonight.
This is great insight G. I have a question tho… is it possible that his job is to stay at home? If the line is going balls to the wall and the outside LB’s are are hot on the chase too, is it possible that his job is to man those 2 gaps in case someone runs through in this wide 9? I dont know enough about MLB play in the wide 9 to know what the roles are but someone needs to roam the middle on this side of the line… right? Otherwise its basically an engage 7 on every play.
LIKE I SAID…THE 2 AREAS OF CONCERN WILL BE THE REASON THE EAGLES SUCK ASS THIS YEAR.
1. SAFETY – THAT’S WHERE WE GAVE UP THE FIRST TD OF THE PRESEASON.
2.BACK UP QB – FIRST TURNOVER THAT LEAD TO THE SCORE AFTER THE STEELERS FIRST TD.
DO YOU HAVE EYES?
NOTHING HAVE CHANGED…TOLD YA
looking at the steelers…Now, that’s a defense….I don’t know what the hell we’re doing on defense.
Hell Im already sensing the same crap as last year. Castillo shouldn’t be coaching the defense with the kind of talent we have and Kafka seems just as lost as Kolb. I’m ready to call it the season after this first-half shut-out. What a bunch of crap.
Nnamdi stinks. He cant cover anyone. The problem with the defense isnt Castille its playing the Wide 9. The wide 9 is only good for piling up sacks. It doesnt do anything else. It doesnt allow you to stop the run. Its a terrible defense. The problem on offense is that the Eagles recievers, even with Maclin are to small. They need a BIG, Fast, Physical reciever.
Ya’ll really need to stop being so dramatic. Just chill out and watch, do you guys remember the 16-0 2007 Patriots went 0-4 in the preseason
NICK FOLES IS DA MAN!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS CT, I needed to hear that buddy! our Defense is still suspect.
looks like we may have found the back up QB in Foles.. but the Safety there’s still issues and it’s clear Riley Cooper and Chad Hall is the hell outta here.
wow songs you are a whiney ass bitch = that back up QB Foles looks pretty damn good to me! Could you be any more of a pussy? A douche – is the starting safety Allen even playing tonight – how pathetic is that 1 hour after your posts the eagles are now leading – the D hasn’t given up a first down this half – the Steelers have 90 yards of total offense and looking at your posts you would swear the season was done – just go shoot yourself save us all the drama queen activity all season – better yet – don;t, you would probably miss and hit something useful like a rat or possum – you could fuck up a wet dream –
no – I like reading your posts like I like listening to an Obama speech – two people that have ZERO clue, are stupid as shit, just about everything they say is wrong – but damn, they are funny when they fuck it up!
Lmao….Thongs is complaining about a televised scrimmage
Vick stinks
I just made a large wager on eagles under 10 wins can’t win with a bad qb
So, a quick question for all of the cry babies out there, if the eagles blew the Steelers out would you think they would be a lock to win the Superbowl? No you wouldn’t, you would say it’sjust the pre-season. That’s just it, the pre-season. Grab a box of tampons and dry your eyes !!!
Mike Kafka better pick it up or he will find himself on the third string, if not cut out right!!!
EHL – oh no you didn’t – Doc – did you really pull out the box of tampons line!
AGree with you on Kafka – so on the D side – how many starters did not play? The entire starting D line? Did Babin, Cole, Jenkins or Patterson play? The starting Will was out also – correct? And Allen didn;t play did he – so depending on if you call Patterson or Landri the starter – we played without 5 or 6 starters on D …….. but looks like Graham, Hunt, Curry and Tapp all got some serious reps – all good –
That Foles kid is no joke – he played on a really bad team in college –
Navy, Jenkins started & hurt his hammy, so Reid took him out. BTW, whats up? Our Dline is crazy deep, young & talented, but I think Tapp & Dixon, better start packing their bags. Especially if Hunt, Graham, Curry, Thorton & Landri keep looking this good. They all played tonight, as they looked at Lehigh. Didn’t get enough time from Cox to see yet. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Navy, Rolle started too & looked bad.
Eaglessupposed rven CB’s sucked both so an DRCwill get pushed around and icked on all seaon.. Asmo is the most overrated CB in the NFL and is poving to be a ue BUST as a FreeAgent.. Wher have you gone Dmitri Patterson..
We need a true defensive coordinator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!