The wide nine defense puts added pressure on the linebackers and safeties. It forces them to come up and fill the voids in the c gaps left by the defensive ends lining up out wide. This means that linebackers and safeties have to regularly take on bigger linemen and tight ends in order to stop the run in those gaps. A responsibility that would normally be covered by bigger defensive ends in a traditional 4-3. If you look at our major injuries on defense. Misi, Jenkins, Jones, and Abdul Qudus are the four players who went on injured reserve this season on defense. All of them either linebackers or safeties. We didn't have any major injuries among the other units other than Xavien Howard who was already dealing with knee issues before the season began. I blame the wide nine scheme for our increased injuries among the linebackers and safeties. Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk
Agree with Res and Gilvy... Misi is injured and misses games every year. Jenkins is injured and misses games every year. Reshad Jones had the shoulder injury previously. IAQ got taken out on a hit by Rambo or Thomas on a WR scoring play downfield. Howard already had a knee injury from camp and re-aggravated it. Maxwell sprained his ankle. A common CB injury. Kiko broke his thumb. A common LB injury. The scheme didn't cause this. If so, the backups and street JAGs would've also gone on IR.
Misi has been injured before, but never so seriously. Same with Jenkins he has never missed this many games. Rashad had never missed games before even if it was an old injury. Abdul Qudus neck injury had beem showing up on the injury report since mid season. He reagravated it trying to put a hit on a tight end but he had initially injured it in run support earlier in the season. Think about this, what do Misi, Jenkins, Jones and Qudus all have in common? They all have c-gap responsibilities on either side of the field where they have to take on big linemen and tightends. Thats why I prefer a traditional 4-3 where you let the big boys up front deal with the linemen and the linebackera and safeties act as safety valves to mop up whatever gets through. The wide nine on the other hand leaves wide open c-gaps that force the linebackers and safeties to do a job they are undersized for. Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk
Gonna need your physical address, so I know where to send the invoice to get that 3 minutes of my life back.
If this theory was/is true then I think you'd more of such injuries in a 3-4 scheme, especially in a nickel package which most teams are running at least half the time these days. I think you'd have to apply this theory to more than one scenario for it to be considered true. And to me on the surface it doesn't appear so. I could certainly be wrong. But I don't see it as being scheme based. I think it's just football. We've had years where we've lost 3 olinemen in a season. That wasn't scheme based, it was just ****ty luck.
Well actually teams that run a 3-4 require big physical linebackers in the 245-265 pound range precisely because of what I am talking about. You can't ask a 205lb safety like jones or qudus or a 230lb linebacker like jenkins to take on 300+ pound guards and tackles on a consistent basis without getting worn down and injured. Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk
Please don't assume I don't know about a 3-4 defense. What you're saying is not altruism that it once was, with speed being more of a premium. If you think that every safety in a 3-4 is bigger than Jones or IAQ I'd think you're wrong as well. In the end it doesn't change the fact that I don't believe your premise to be true.
part of the reason is we have injury-proned players. Misi is always hurt. Jones plays like an animal, so not surprised this year. I will say this, we suffered about two years' worth of injuries, maybe we catch a break next year
The problem was that they had too much faith in their "sports science", and just rolled with a bunch of injury prone players. "Sports science" is not "sports magic".
Albert's run blocking really sucked. And his pass blocking diminished as well towards the end of the season. I say make him take a pay cut and move him to guard. If he doesn't like it cut him and sign a good guard in free agency, move tunsil to his natural position of left tackle. Pouncey should be kept at center but we need to sign a quality backup in case he gets hurt again. Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk
When he is healthy he is one of the best centers in the league. We are not going to be able to get anybody better. I say he is worth the risk. Moving him to guard I don't think will make him any less injury prone. Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk
It would be a theory if you put the work in to determine how the players in question got injured, and if this was a factor in other Wide-9 schemes(or aggressive 1-gap schemes) This is more you just throwing **** on the wall again.