Jerome Baker is playing 92% of snaps on the season, and played 61% yesterday. Elandon Roberts is playing 62% of snaps on the season, and played 77% yesterday.
In nine games, they have combined for 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumbles recovered, 0 interceptions, 2 passes defensed, 6 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Yesterday, they combined for 0s across all of those categories.
It is obvious that our linebackers are a problem. Jerome Baker is not a good football player, and Elandon Roberts is worse. To me, the simplest solution would be to only play 1 inside linebacker.
So here’s my question: why not play 5-1-5 full time? Sieler, Wilkins, Ogbah, Chubb, Phillips, Ingram, and AVG are all good to very good football players. Add in Raekwon, and that’s a rock solid 8-man rotation for a 5-man front.
At the one linebacker spot, we could divide snaps among the pu pu platter of Jerome Baker, Elandon Roberts, Duke Riley, and Tindall fairly evenly so that they’re always fresh and matched to the appropriate down-and-distance for their skill set. 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and long? Baker or Riley. 3rd or 4th and short? Roberts. And Tindall sprinkled in for development. This isn’t going to make any of them great players, but at least it would limit our exposure to their deficiencies.
Then in the secondary, we want X, Kohou, Holland, and Rowe on the field. That’s 4 of 5. We need to settle on a 5th DB. Personally, I thought McKinley looked best of the bunch. But if the staff thinks it’s Crossen or Iggy, whatever. That’s the 5.
Putting aside other issues with our defense, would this not be the path to getting our best football players on the field?
In nine games, they have combined for 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumbles recovered, 0 interceptions, 2 passes defensed, 6 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Yesterday, they combined for 0s across all of those categories.
It is obvious that our linebackers are a problem. Jerome Baker is not a good football player, and Elandon Roberts is worse. To me, the simplest solution would be to only play 1 inside linebacker.
So here’s my question: why not play 5-1-5 full time? Sieler, Wilkins, Ogbah, Chubb, Phillips, Ingram, and AVG are all good to very good football players. Add in Raekwon, and that’s a rock solid 8-man rotation for a 5-man front.
At the one linebacker spot, we could divide snaps among the pu pu platter of Jerome Baker, Elandon Roberts, Duke Riley, and Tindall fairly evenly so that they’re always fresh and matched to the appropriate down-and-distance for their skill set. 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and long? Baker or Riley. 3rd or 4th and short? Roberts. And Tindall sprinkled in for development. This isn’t going to make any of them great players, but at least it would limit our exposure to their deficiencies.
Then in the secondary, we want X, Kohou, Holland, and Rowe on the field. That’s 4 of 5. We need to settle on a 5th DB. Personally, I thought McKinley looked best of the bunch. But if the staff thinks it’s Crossen or Iggy, whatever. That’s the 5.
Putting aside other issues with our defense, would this not be the path to getting our best football players on the field?
