JA leads in Interceptions with 3 and is third in tackles with 30, it is not as if that is Reggie Howard out there. "But" Jason Allen was such a stud Special Teams player, and that is such a huge need with Reshad Jones and Nolan Carroll riding the bikes and the unit bleeding yards, Allen can step right in and make a huge contribution. That and let's face it, Benny Sapp has Benny Sucking.
I knew this wasn't going to take long to happen. Good for him. As soon as he gives up any type of pass play the Smith haters will be out in full force while all along Allen didn't take the same type of heat. Just remember impatient Dolphin fans. Sean Smith has to play to develop.
I'm hoping that's more an indication that Smith has upped his level of performance, and not so much that the ST unit needs JAllen so much that we've got to make this switch. And yeah... we really got the short end of the stick on Benny Sapp as a defensive player.
Smith has been locking down guys when he goes into games, Allen was getting killed by Wallace, Smith alternated snaps with JA and did not have impact he had earlier in the game. JA is a ST stud, and I hate to lose his Ballhawkishness, but we cannot have returns out to the 40 yd line in games that can be decided by field goals.
His role's been steadily increasing and against the Steelers (I suspect right around when Jason Allen botched that coverage on Mike Wallace for the TD), he actually played more snaps than Jason. This was a while in the making. It was going to happen regardless of special teams, regardless of matchups, etc.
He's been playing dime corner/safety since Week 2. Right around Week 4 is when he started rotating back in at RCB in place of Jason Allen, in addition to his dime corner/safety duties. I say dime corner/safety because it's kind of semantics calling it a corner position or a safety position. It's been occupied by corners, it's been occupied by safeties. It's not generally a deep patrol position at all. You're playing a lot of man, against TEs, slot WRs, RBs, etc.
Well yea I've noticed that, but I seen back to back plays vs. Steelers where he playing deeper safety. Bell was in the box....
all i know is the right side CB needs improvement .... period ... i still very much believe that Carroll will man that position next year .... maybe this year if Smith stinks it up -- but next year is more realistic .... i'll readily admit that i wasn't at all satisfied with Smith's performance last year, acknowledging his lack of experience .... if he is vastly improved - i am all for him holding it down, but i haven't seen him 'lock' anyone down to date as the "Padre" suggests ....
As bad as Allen's been? He has three INT's and basically beat the Vikings by himself. He got burned once in the Pittsburgh game and slipped once on that piece of **** sod that was put over the dirt. Yeah he has been so bad. Two bad plays out of 200.
WOW I hope sean smith gets the job back! JA has been horrible, the only reason he has these picks is because he gets thrown at allll day and he only gets these tackles when his open receivers make the catch that he was supposed to defend.
You guys think that Allens 3 ints are because he's good or because anybody couldve made the picks, they came right to him? I want to believe he's good and the picks prove it, but he isnt "lockdown", and qbs test him alot. With JA it's a hit or miss, feast or famine kind of thing. In other words, inconsistent. I still want Allen to keep playing and rack up even more interceptions.
I give Jason Allen crap for many things in his game but those interceptions were not flukes nor were they "easy". He made really, really good plays. He should have 4 interceptions and even the 4th interception (which was called back) was a tremendous play. What he's showing off when he gets those interceptions is his tremendous agility and body control, because a bunch of them come in man coverage and he gets his head around and is able to pluck the thing. It's very, very hard to do that. Unfortunately it's his head that will always get him into trouble.
I'm surprised by this move. Unless Sean Smith has just really stepped up his game I give it two games before Jason Allen is back out there. From what we've seen so far, Allen is = to Smith as far as coverage goes, but Allen is definitely better at grabbing picks and tackling. I'm definitely rooting for Smith b/c I was a big fan of his on draft day, but only time will tell now.
Jason Allen was not meant for this system. The Dolphins aren't missing anything by getting rid of him.
