miamirw
Pro Bowler
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2004
- Messages
- 2,669
- Reaction score
- 285
On Defense:
1. Rashard Jones needs to improve - fix the glaring mistakes. Our CB's should have had better safety help. There's a reason they call it Safety. He's the last line of defense and he can't be biting on the play action - which is Houston's strength. Chris Clemons is still hurt so that's not an option. Nolan needs to drill into Rashad's head the overall picture of the defense and the Free Safety's role in the defense. Let the front seven worry about the run. He needs to always be wary of the deep ball.
2. No more cramps. We need our top two corners 100% and ready to go. Get them on an IV starting today. Have them drinking tons of water starting today. Salt pills, bananas, witchcraft whatever you have to do, but we need Vontae and Sean healthy all game long to track Andre Johnson. This is crucial.
3. Front 7 must shut the run down. Houston has a much better run game than the Patriots. Because we got lit up by the NE passing game, the tendency might be to focus on stopping the pass. We cannot forget about the run. Stopping the run will put the Houston offense in more 3rd and long situations, and that's where our defense thrives. Arian Foster didn't play last week and he's going to start. We must take care of the running game and take that off of the table. We do this, and the play action will be diminished.
4. HIT THE TIGHT END! Every play - whether he's staying in to run block or going out on a pass route. This dynamic - the tight end game - is based largely on timing. If you make sure to hit the tight end on EVERY playyou will disrupt the timing. If you simply run by the TE or cover him without knocking him off his path, the timing will not be thrown off. This is especially true on the goal line. Remember how easy it was for Brady to hit Hernandez in the endzone at the goal line. No one hit Hernandez. He just delayed and snuck to the back of the end zone. Too easy. I have a feeling Houston is going to try and get their tight ends to do the same thing when they get into the red zone. We cannot allow that.
5. Have A Plan For The No-Huddle Offense. Houston obviously has watched the game film. The hurry-up totally baffled our Defense. We were tired, and often not set in place because we were trying to get substitutes onto the field between each play. When Houston drops into the no huddle (and you know they will), we need to have a set personell that can defend on the fly. Expect every team to try this on us until we stop it. And while it's true the defense is on it's heels during the two minute drill, this is an optimum time to create turnovers. (Remember the Odrick interception? Amidst the chaos of the hurry up, we were able to throw a wrench into the play and the ball was tipped and intercepted. Along these lines, have some hurry up blitzes ready so that when Houston thinks we're out of position, we're not, we planned for this situation and the LB who looks like he's out of place is the one who blitzes! This would be a good counter strategy to employ if Houston suddenly goes hurry up. Basically we would have a set of default plays ready to go at anytime that Dansby can call if Houston tries to catch us off guard. The key of course will be the play of our safeties - Bell and Jones - who will have to play safe when we make this call.
On Offense
1. Daniel Thomas, Charles Clay and Dante Rosario injected into game plan. All three were out for Monday night, I believe, and all three can bring an added dimension to the offense - Rosario especially. Thomas will allow us to attack the middle of the line. Clay could do some things in the slot.
2. Consistency from Henne. Chad must have another great game. He needs to show back-to-back game improvement. I like the new wrinkle of running and taking the lane when the defense gives it to you. He should continue to use that strategy to continue drives. He scored with it on one play and got key first downs on three others that I recall on Monday Night.
3. Continue to Find Hartline & Bess. Houston is going to double Marshall and/or Bush. Both Hartline and Bess are going to see one on one coverage all game long. This is a huge advantage for us and I expect to see Chad working the mid-depth middle field routes with Bess and Deep sides with Hartline. Both players are faster than they look and I think this is going to be a key part of our offense.
4. Oline Needs to Be Aggressive. Play with an attitude and finish every play! If Henne is flushed from the pocket, stay on your man through the whistle, even if he beats you initially. If we win the battle of the trenches, we will win the game. The running game will explode (and that will take pressure off of the passing game) if we commit to the run and finish blocks through the whistle. Daniel Thomas is going to play and it is imperative that the blocking up front (including Fasano) is tight.
That's all I got for now. Agree or Disagree?
1. Rashard Jones needs to improve - fix the glaring mistakes. Our CB's should have had better safety help. There's a reason they call it Safety. He's the last line of defense and he can't be biting on the play action - which is Houston's strength. Chris Clemons is still hurt so that's not an option. Nolan needs to drill into Rashad's head the overall picture of the defense and the Free Safety's role in the defense. Let the front seven worry about the run. He needs to always be wary of the deep ball.
2. No more cramps. We need our top two corners 100% and ready to go. Get them on an IV starting today. Have them drinking tons of water starting today. Salt pills, bananas, witchcraft whatever you have to do, but we need Vontae and Sean healthy all game long to track Andre Johnson. This is crucial.
3. Front 7 must shut the run down. Houston has a much better run game than the Patriots. Because we got lit up by the NE passing game, the tendency might be to focus on stopping the pass. We cannot forget about the run. Stopping the run will put the Houston offense in more 3rd and long situations, and that's where our defense thrives. Arian Foster didn't play last week and he's going to start. We must take care of the running game and take that off of the table. We do this, and the play action will be diminished.
4. HIT THE TIGHT END! Every play - whether he's staying in to run block or going out on a pass route. This dynamic - the tight end game - is based largely on timing. If you make sure to hit the tight end on EVERY playyou will disrupt the timing. If you simply run by the TE or cover him without knocking him off his path, the timing will not be thrown off. This is especially true on the goal line. Remember how easy it was for Brady to hit Hernandez in the endzone at the goal line. No one hit Hernandez. He just delayed and snuck to the back of the end zone. Too easy. I have a feeling Houston is going to try and get their tight ends to do the same thing when they get into the red zone. We cannot allow that.
5. Have A Plan For The No-Huddle Offense. Houston obviously has watched the game film. The hurry-up totally baffled our Defense. We were tired, and often not set in place because we were trying to get substitutes onto the field between each play. When Houston drops into the no huddle (and you know they will), we need to have a set personell that can defend on the fly. Expect every team to try this on us until we stop it. And while it's true the defense is on it's heels during the two minute drill, this is an optimum time to create turnovers. (Remember the Odrick interception? Amidst the chaos of the hurry up, we were able to throw a wrench into the play and the ball was tipped and intercepted. Along these lines, have some hurry up blitzes ready so that when Houston thinks we're out of position, we're not, we planned for this situation and the LB who looks like he's out of place is the one who blitzes! This would be a good counter strategy to employ if Houston suddenly goes hurry up. Basically we would have a set of default plays ready to go at anytime that Dansby can call if Houston tries to catch us off guard. The key of course will be the play of our safeties - Bell and Jones - who will have to play safe when we make this call.
On Offense
1. Daniel Thomas, Charles Clay and Dante Rosario injected into game plan. All three were out for Monday night, I believe, and all three can bring an added dimension to the offense - Rosario especially. Thomas will allow us to attack the middle of the line. Clay could do some things in the slot.
2. Consistency from Henne. Chad must have another great game. He needs to show back-to-back game improvement. I like the new wrinkle of running and taking the lane when the defense gives it to you. He should continue to use that strategy to continue drives. He scored with it on one play and got key first downs on three others that I recall on Monday Night.
3. Continue to Find Hartline & Bess. Houston is going to double Marshall and/or Bush. Both Hartline and Bess are going to see one on one coverage all game long. This is a huge advantage for us and I expect to see Chad working the mid-depth middle field routes with Bess and Deep sides with Hartline. Both players are faster than they look and I think this is going to be a key part of our offense.
4. Oline Needs to Be Aggressive. Play with an attitude and finish every play! If Henne is flushed from the pocket, stay on your man through the whistle, even if he beats you initially. If we win the battle of the trenches, we will win the game. The running game will explode (and that will take pressure off of the passing game) if we commit to the run and finish blocks through the whistle. Daniel Thomas is going to play and it is imperative that the blocking up front (including Fasano) is tight.
That's all I got for now. Agree or Disagree?
