McClain vs Spikes | Page 3 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

McClain vs Spikes

i see way better instincts and awareness with mcclain...we probably will have a shot at spikes and i sure as hell hope we pass...
 
I'm not sure how anyone could walk away having studied the pair, thinking that McClain is better in coverage.

Spikes doesn't GENERALLY get dominated by blockers. When he's at his worst, it's because he's over aggressive and prone to over pursuit. Or, he can also lose that aggression of his at times and this tends to get him in trouble when he does face blockers on these occasions. Those are probably instances where he doesn't quite read the play as well as usual and know where to go. It happens to every linebacker including Rolondo McClain.

Listen, everyone has their opinion. If I were to show you a cutup of Rolondo McClain's game against Auburn, you'd come away thinking the guy was a virtual waste of space. If I were to show up a cutup of Brandon Spikes against Alabama, then you'd come away thinking the guy can be taken out by linemen and he overpursues the ball.

What it gets down to when it comes to the differences between the two, is immediately I disagree with the notion that McClain has better instincts than Spikes, immediately I disagree with the notion that McClain is better in coverage than Spikes. I think that Spikes is not only the more physical player but he runs and plays with a sense of urgency and backyard brawlishness that too often Rolondo McClain lacks. I think that Spikes is a little bit better equipped at getting himself out of trouble, change of direction, etc. I think he reads the action better when tied up by linemen, reads the football and reacts to it instantly, where a LITTLE bit too often McClain will be late to reading what's going on with the football. I think that Spikes is a frisky blitzer where McClain uses his length more in the blitz and is a little more placid.

I have Spikes ahead of McClain. It's not a big deal. They're both very fine players. I haven't seen McClain close up but I have attended spring drills and seen Brandon Spikes up close and personal, felt him on the practice field. I know that football is his passion, that he goes 100 mph on the practice field just like he does during the games, and that he's every bit of whatever he's listed at because he's very large and beastly.

I'm not a Florida fan at all. If anything I'm anti-Florida. I practically jumped around exuberantly when I saw Tim Tebow crying and getting his head stroked after losing to Alabama. Oh I hate that Nick Saban won that game and I hope he eats a big bucket of sloppy post-Chinese food ****, but I also can't stand Florida fans at times. I have no dog in this race. I just like Spikes a little more right now. Sue me.
 
ckparrothead said:
I'm not sure how anyone could walk away having studied the pair, thinking that McClain is better in coverage.

Spikes doesn't GENERALLY get dominated by blockers. When he's at his worst, it's because he's over aggressive and prone to over pursuit. Or, he can also lose that aggression of his at times and this tends to get him in trouble when he does face blockers on these occasions. Those are probably instances where he doesn't quite read the play as well as usual and know where to go. It happens to every linebacker including Rolondo McClain.

Listen, everyone has their opinion. If I were to show you a cutup of Rolondo McClain's game against Auburn, you'd come away thinking the guy was a virtual waste of space. If I were to show up a cutup of Brandon Spikes against Alabama, then you'd come away thinking the guy can be taken out by linemen and he overpursues the ball.

What it gets down to when it comes to the differences between the two, is immediately I disagree with the notion that McClain has better instincts than Spikes, immediately I disagree with the notion that McClain is better in coverage than Spikes. I think that Spikes is not only the more physical player but he runs and plays with a sense of urgency and backyard brawlishness that too often Rolondo McClain lacks. I think that Spikes is a little bit better equipped at getting himself out of trouble, change of direction, etc. I think he reads the action better when tied up by linemen, reads the football and reacts to it instantly, where a LITTLE bit too often McClain will be late to reading what's going on with the football. I think that Spikes is a frisky blitzer where McClain uses his length more in the blitz and is a little more placid.

I have Spikes ahead of McClain. It's not a big deal. They're both very fine players. I haven't seen McClain close up but I have attended spring drills and seen Brandon Spikes up close and personal, felt him on the practice field. I know that football is his passion, that he goes 100 mph on the practice field just like he does during the games, and that he's every bit of whatever he's listed at because he's very large and beastly.

I'm not a Florida fan at all. If anything I'm anti-Florida. I practically jumped around exuberantly when I saw Tim Tebow crying and getting his head stroked after losing to Alabama. Oh I hate that Nick Saban won that game and I hope he eats a big bucket of sloppy post-Chinese food ****, but I also can't stand Florida fans at times. I have no dog in this race. I just like Spikes a little more right now. Sue me.
Click to expand...


CK....that "waste of space" was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the Auburn game.....after racking up 12 tackles....a sack...a TFL...and a PBU...

He was also the one that got up and helped Woodall bat the ball down in the endzone on Auburn's hail mary at the end.....waste of space?

I know we each have our own opinions......and it's not as if McClain doesn't have things that he could work on....but c'mon man...

Basically, the only thing Auburn did at the beginning was use a bunch of misdirection plays to get McClain flowing in one direction....because Malzahn knows you can't block McClain and keep him blocked.....wasn't as successful after Kirby Smart made the adjustments...

McClain gets his hands on more footballs and tips them in coverage than Spikes....he's caused more INT's for his teammates by doing so....

They're both good linebackers....but I also think McClain has yet to peak as a football player....Spikes has already peaked IMO....and I think he could get stronger.....should help him defeat more blocks...

I think it's a mistake to misinterpret McClain's "controlled aggression" for lack of intensity or hustle.....Spikes intensity is obviously more visible....

McClain is an intense, smart football player and film junkie....he's a coach on the field....and I have seen him close up....and he can lay the wood....I've seen him get up shivering from a big hit in practice simply because he relishes the contact....but he's more interested in making the sure tackle than missing it due to poor technique looking for the highlight hit....he's coached that way.

I have a hard time even stamping a solid 1st round grade on Spikes....but it may all be insignificant anyway.....McClain is leaning towards coming back.
 
Having just watched every single snap of McClain's Auburn game, cut up with zero filler in between, I find the whole thing about "controlled aggression" to be rather hilarious.

The guy was slow to the plays, period. His SEC Defensive Player of the Week award was an empty accomplishment if you ask me.
 
i only got to watch the first half of the bama auburn game but i will say i didn't see a whole lot from mcclain in that game...seemed like he wasn't around the ball much and was late in lateral pursuit...but it also looked like slimm said that auburn schemed a lot of misdirection to eliminate mcclains impact

but i loved what i saw in the sec championship game...
 
The thing about the misdirection is, it schemed him out because he was slower to read it than he could have been.

I'm telling you I put together a list of 28 plays from the game that stood out to me bad or good. I've done the same with Brandon Spikes. I have no dog in this race, I just let the plays come to me. The plays that I left out, the player didn't do anything notable but he didn't necessarily have the opportunity to do anything notable, nor did I see an error or flaw in his technique, or a particular positive in his technique that shows a good natural attribute. I don't know the exact numbers but of the 28 plays of McClain's from that Auburn game, I think something like 22 or 23 had a negative for me.

I don't care that the guy helped knock the ball down in the end zone on the hail mary. About the easiest thing in football is to take a 6'4" player and tell him to wait in the end zone for a hail mary, run up to the ball like it's a punt and knock the thing down.

I know this. Last night at the awards banquet they kept talking to Nick Saban and Mack Brown because of the upcoming championship. When Nick Saban talked about leadership on the team, and his leaders on defense, he didn't mention Rolondo McClain, if I remember correctly. And watching the games, I don't see overwhelming evidence that McClain is the guy that gets everyone lined up right and/or is in charge of the defense. He might be but I'm not sure I see it. It only takes a few minutes of watching a Florida game before you know for sure that the defense is being run on the field by Brandon Spikes.
 
ckparrothead said:
I know this. Last night at the awards banquet they kept talking to Nick Saban and Mack Brown because of the upcoming championship. When Nick Saban talked about leadership on the team, and his leaders on defense, he didn't mention Rolondo McClain, if I remember correctly. And watching the games, I don't see overwhelming evidence that McClain is the guy that gets everyone lined up right and/or is in charge of the defense. He might be but I'm not sure I see it. It only takes a few minutes of watching a Florida game before you know for sure that the defense is being run on the field by Brandon Spikes.
Click to expand...

CK I always respect your opinion and appreciate all of the insight you give us on this board. But I have been following Saban a long time now since I am a Dolphins and Alabama fan and I have not seen him give more praise to a player than Mclain. Every player on this fantastic Crimson Tide defense would be the first to point to Mclain as not only the leader on D but the leader of the team. I do not know if you have watched any more film on him than just the Auburn game and I do not know what you are seeing. Watch the SEC championship game again. Every audible Tebow makes Mclain is countering. When a player makes a mistake on D you see Mclain running over to that player. There was an article where Saban called Mclain into his office and told him that he is one of the first players Saban has a hard time yelling at because when Mclain makes a mistake in practice he gets onto himself so much.

I understand people need to defend Spikes. He probably doesnt deserve most of these negative statements. Bottom line is Spikes is a warrior on the field. My only problem with him is he seems to have a hard time staying healthy.

I find a lot of these statements about Mclain to be crazy though. Maybe it is just because I have seen every game he has played and I'm a bit of a homer but the guy has a great work ethic is a smart football player. Tough...has played hurt numerous times. To me he is the perfect Middle LBer
 
Last year at a alumni dinner with my dad and friend Steadman Shealy,Saban
came by our table and talked football with us for about 20 minutes.
My dad told Nick I was a huge Dolphin fan.Nick had alot of good things to say
about the the Dolphins especially JT and Zach.
When the subject of Rolondo came up,Nick's eyes lit up...He said Rolondo was
the most intelligent and physically gifted defensive player he had ever coached.
He said Rolondo's film study and prep work rivaled Zach Thomas's.
Watch any Bama game and you can see who is calling the line shifts and backer
placements.
 
And which of the two would most adequately fit our Defensive scheme-other LBs? Would they be a major upgrade over Crowder-Ayodele, and would they start ahead of them? Is ILB our most Glaring need on Defense? Not a dominating NT, a great safety, or a QB hunting OLB-DE?
 
ticophin said:
And which of the two would most adequately fit our Defensive scheme-other LBs? Would they be a major upgrade over Crowder-Ayodele, and would they start ahead of them? Is ILB our most Glaring need on Defense? Not a dominating NT, a great safety, or a QB hunting OLB-DE?
Click to expand...

McClain and Spikes both would start over our two inside linebackers.
 
I would take either one of them in a heart beat. I think there is a lot more hype right now on McClain and think that will make him a top 10 pick. There is a better chance that Spikes will be there when we pick and would be a HUGE upgrade to over Akin.
 
McClain is WAY better. McClain could go Top 10, Spikes is a 2nd Rounder. RT @BOLTHYPE: Who's a better #NFL prospect, Spikes or McClain? 11:12 AM Dec 10th from UberTwitter

That's Scott Wrigh's take on it http://twitter.com/DraftCountdown.

Mine is very much the same, but i do think Spikes is worth a 1st round pick.

But after the eye gouging thing it's safe to say some teams would not even draft him, and their's a real good chance Miami would be one of them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom