Anyone else get a sense that Sparano downplays Wake's game?

[MrEd]

It just seems that everytime reporters ask Sparano about "his" lack of playing Wake despite the numbers/stats/percentages that Wake is the most impact LB...and it just seemed that this past PC especially, Sparano made a note that "....he had 10 plays and in two out of three plays he overran the QB and hit him once...."

I was like, huh??? Did Sparano just try to justify his "patience/slow" movement with Wake with the fact that he "missed" the QB 'that' time, did ya'll see that? :err:

 

[Etuoo33]

Cam was a DE in Canada and does not know 'how to play LB' at this level. Yes he has made some plays, but we should know by now if you put a guy on the field at this level that does not know how to play his position the opposition will pick on him unmercifully. I'd rather him play in 'spots' where he has a chance to be successful, than to be ruined by playing to much to early and having his confidence broken. Even he knows he's just not ready yet.

 

[MrEd]

Cam was a DE in Canada and does not know 'how to play LB' at this level. Yes he has made some plays, but we should know by now if you put a guy on the field at this level that does not know how to play his position the opposition will pick on him unmercifully. I'd rather him play in 'spots' where he has a chance to be successful, than to be ruined by playing to much to early and having his confidence broken. Even he knows he's just not ready yet.

That's not what I referred to. We've all been hearing that all season. But if you pay attention, it seems that Sparano is now resorting to showing us any mistakes that Wake may have done as a PASS RUSHER in order to basically cut down our optimism for and condemning Sparano's decision of not playing Wake enough. That's what Im refering to.

I know that they have made a BIG issue of Wake not being ready as a run stopper, but now Sparano is making issue with 2 plays that he overran Brady in as to basically criticize "any" mistake Wake could have done to justify his not playing him enough.

As if Taylor and Porter doesn't wiff pass the QB much more times....

 

[truedolfan57]

also, cam wake was down in a 3 point stance in the DE position on that last play, if i recall correctly.

 

[ckparrothead]

I agree with the original poster. This is a sore subject for Sparano. They're being too rigid in their thinking and they don't like pesky reporters asking them questions which may or may not expose that inability to adapt.

Edgar asked Sparano if they track pressures and hits and stuff as a percentage of snaps. Simple question, and yes I think pretty much every coach should always track those numbers. Sparano almost pulled a Saban, trying to make Edgar look dumb for asking the question.

But the dumb one might be Sparano because if they don't track that at all then he doesn't realize that Wake's ability to get a pressure, hit or sack on the QB literally 30% of all his pass rush snaps, is BY FAR the tops in the league. Even guys like Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis don't touch that number.

When you have a guy with that ability, you get him on the field, even if it means changing a few things around to do it. You have two rookie corners on the field that are the biggest weakness on the defense. COVER THEM UP WITH PASS RUSH. This is football, not rocket science. If Wake is a liability in coverage, DON'T HAVE HIM COVER. Heck, Joey Porter only covers something like 10-15% of snaps anyway, so don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining by telling me that the reason Wake can't play more is because he can't cover. And is he really THAT big a liability against the run? If so, maybe you could consider making a few modest changes in the scheme to cover this up.

At least TRY it, god damnit. His best game of the season was (coincidentally) the game where he got the most snaps...and coincidentally it was our biggest margin of victory the whole season and one of the few games where the defense hasn't crumbled in the fourth quarter. Shocking!!!!

 

[nosleep]

Sparano admitted in his last press conference that he needs to "do a better job" of getting Wake into the game more. Sounds like he's trying to get him more time but unseating JT is not that easy.

 

[RockyMtnPhinfan]

Sparano kind of downplays everything it seems. I think he just wants the fans to be reserved in their expectations, and then if we pull it off- then it is that much more exciting. He is the opposite of Rex Ryan. Keep expectations low and then win big.

 

[armysoldier1385]

also, cam wake was down in a 3 point stance in the DE position on that last play, if i recall correctly.

yup he was. He was a DE in the CFL which is the main reason why he led the league in sacks 2 years in a row if I remember correctly. He's a beast when hes in the trenches going after the QB. But only time will tell if he will become an all around LB like coach wants him to.

 

[RockyMtnPhinfan]

I agree with the original poster. This is a sore subject for Sparano. They're being too rigid in their thinking and they don't like pesky reporters asking them questions which may or may not expose that inability to adapt.

Edgar asked Sparano if they track pressures and hits and stuff as a percentage of snaps. Simple question, and yes I think pretty much every coach should always track those numbers. Sparano almost pulled a Saban, trying to make Edgar look dumb for asking the question.

But the dumb one might be Sparano because if they don't track that at all then he doesn't realize that Wake's ability to get a pressure, hit or sack on the QB literally 30% of all his pass rush snaps, is BY FAR the tops in the league. Even guys like Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis don't touch that number.

When you have a guy with that ability, you get him on the field, even if it means changing a few things around to do it. You have two rookie corners on the field that are the biggest weakness on the defense. COVER THEM UP WITH PASS RUSH. This is football, not rocket science. If Wake is a liability in coverage, DON'T HAVE HIM COVER. Heck, Joey Porter only covers something like 10-15% of snaps anyway, so don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining by telling me that the reason Wake can't play more is because he can't cover. And is he really THAT big a liability against the run? If so, maybe you could consider making a few modest changes in the scheme to cover this up.

At least TRY it, god damnit. His best game of the season was (coincidentally) the game where he got the most snaps...and coincidentally it was our biggest margin of victory the whole season and one of the few games where the defense hasn't crumbled in the fourth quarter. Shocking!!!!

I would have to say trust that they have tried it in practice and he has failed miserably in pass coverage as well as run stopping. Surely you don't think they just do things for no reason. These coaches try things during practice and if they seem a huge failure there's no way they are going to just throw it out there on game day and see what happens.

 

[ckparrothead]

I would have to say trust that they have tried it in practice and he has failed miserably in pass coverage as well as run stopping. Surely you don't think they just do things for no reason. These coaches try things during practice and if they seem a huge failure there's no way they are going to just throw it out there on game day and see what happens.

Surely I think these coaches do things for the wrong reasons all the time, just like every other fallible human being in the world. For instance, there was no real good reason not to have Ted Ginn returning kickoffs the whole year.

 

[RockyMtnPhinfan]

Surely I think these coaches do things for the wrong reasons all the time, just like every other fallible human being in the world. For instance, there was no real good reason not to have Ted Ginn returning kickoffs the whole year.

I have to disagree.....i think they were giving him a real chance and putting a real emphasis on him being our #1 WR. I think once they saw that he was struggling, then they shifted their mindset towards having him just be a returner and begin focusing the WR problems (answers) elsewhere (Hartline). I think this is the death sentence for Teddy as a #1 WR and maybe as a dolphin all together (trade/release/major paycut next year). This is only MO of course.

 

[ckparrothead]

Even if that was their reasoning, it was a bad reason and it led to them doing what they shouldn't have done. Ginn has always said straight up that returning kicks helps his mindset during the game, when he starts off a drive with a big kickoff return he feels the juices flowing more as a receiver, and it's something he likes to do. Funny how Ted Ginn has generally been a better football player period, since being put back on kick returns. Shock!

 

[RockyMtnPhinfan]

Funny how Ted Ginn has generally been a better football player period, since being put back on kick returns. Shock![/quote]


So you would have me believe that he has become a better WR since becoming our returner? I would have to disagree once again. I think it has just allowed him to settle into more of a #2 or #3 role. Have any proof he has gotten more passes or receptions since becoming the returner?
I am guessing, as our "over the top" WR they were trying to save his legs for the game where he has to run lots of long full-on-sprint routes, even when he's not getting the ball, so as to keep the defensive backs honest.
I don't see the improvement you are speaking of, and it was apparent last game that their emphasis is getting the ball to OTHER WR's such as Hartline and Camarillo. Henne threw the ball 52 times and how many of those went to Ginn? TWO! TWO out of 52. Thats 3.8% of those passes.

 

[Ed Norton]

Sparano kind of downplays everything it seems. I think he just wants the fans to be reserved in their expectations, and then if we pull it off- then it is that much more exciting. He is the opposite of Rex Ryan. Keep expectations low and then win big.

So he is grown up, not blown up

 

[Yamilo]

At least TRY it, god damnit. His best game of the season was (coincidentally) the game where he got the most snaps...and coincidentally it was our biggest margin of victory the whole season and one of the few games where the defense hasn't crumbled in the fourth quarter. Shocking!!!!

Can you imagine Starts and Wake(gets more snaps at OLB) at the same time on the field? Just crushing QB's for the last 4 games...