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anti-game balls

Rick 1966

Rick 1966

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A lot of people have discussed the players that deserve game balls---and after the exciting finish, I can understand that. Given that we managed to fall behind by 13 points to Tim Hasselbeck, however, how about the ones that deserve a razz for poor play?

First and foremost: Sam Madison. Very disappointing given how well he's played this season, but he sucked hard last night.

Second, and painfully: Zach Thomas. One missed tackle after another. Hopefully he was playing with a concussion the whole game, because I hate for this to be a trend.

Third: Kendall freaking Newson. Cut the guy now. There is no reason for him to be on our team. He has shown me nothing.

Fourth: the equipment manager. We were obviously wearing the wrong cleats in the first half.

Anyone else?
 
I think Kendall Newsom has a future.

Here's the deal. If the D wasn't allowing the Skins to chew up so much ground running the ball, then Tim Hasselback would have turned into the inexperienced guy that he was. In fact, in the 2nd half, he DID turn into that inexperienced QB...because we started to stuff the run.

As for the run, yes Zach gets a lot of blame...but then again so does Jim Bates. When you spread our defense out so much to account for the spread offense, you also get away from the technique that has allowed us to stuff the run for the last 6 or 7 YEARS...funneling the ball to Zach Thomas. What happened is the offensive linemen consistently got the opportunity to go out and meet Zach Thomas and chew him up out of the way, and then when that did not happen, Zach had the responsibility of trying to guess which way a RB is going because the spread defense was giving the RB lanes to choose from. We took our safeties out of run support and I am not talking about putting 8 men in the box. I'm talking about safety support in run plays to the outside, when everyone on the field has already had the opportunity to recognize a run play. The safeties were lined up so far and wide, they had no chance to funnel the ball carrier, and Zach was left with too much responsibility. If he was as big as Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher, maybe he could have made those plays anyway going straight through blockers...but he's not.

You have to fault Jim Bates for the first half. I really don't see why everyone is just fastening onto Tim Hasselback for this game. He was 15 of 30 for 150 yards 1 TD and 1 INT. Meanwhile CHAD MORTON and TRUNG CANIDATE were combining for 116 yards rushing on us. Come on fellas, thats the worst run defense we've seen all year. It made things super easy for Hasselback, easy enough for even a rookie to look good.
 
Good points, CK. I do credit Bates for making some adjustments at halftime, something he usually doesn't do too well.
 
Rik, I would agree with all your points except the knock on Zach. As ck pointed out, he was getting elininated by the offensive line. Our defensive tackle play wasn't that great.
 
Originally posted by RikWriter

Fourth: the equipment manager. We were obviously wearing the wrong cleats in the first half.

Anyone else?
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even my wife commented on that, seems like the players couldn't cut at all!:rolleyes:
 
you guys should know Zack Thomas played with a concussion...

i agree wtih everything else though.
 
Tim Bowens and Larry Chester........NO push on pass plays.....and they got blocked for the most part with a guard and a nudge from the center.

We cannot afford to have our tackles get blocked one on one.
 
How about Jason Taylor? Yeah he had some sacks but offsides I believe 3 times and a 15yd facemask penalty.
 
I don't blame JT for either. He was just barely offsides on those plays trying to get a jump on the pass rush. And the face mask penalty was bogus: the refs should have blown the play dead, and JT didn't get enough of the mask to warrant the 15-yard infraction. If anything, it was a five-yarder.
 
Originally posted by DrAstroZoom
I don't blame JT for either. He was just barely offsides on those plays trying to get a jump on the pass rush. And the face mask penalty was bogus: the refs should have blown the play dead, and JT didn't get enough of the mask to warrant the 15-yard infraction. If anything, it was a five-yarder.
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they replayed that down and i sure as hell didn't see a personal foul there. i think he may have touched the linemans face mask, but it certainly wasn't a 15 yarder.
 
Todd Wade should get an Anti-game ball...gave up 2 sacks I believe and generally blocked like crap all game.
 
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