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Michael Casagrande |
Alabama's offense had a big day in Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.
It's one thing for Nick Saban to laud the Alabama passing game from Saturday's scrimmage.
Safety Hootie Jones took it a step further. Giving perhaps the most brutally honest assessment you'll hear from a defensive back, the senior went right in.
"I mean, honestly," he said, "the defense really got tore up by the quarterbacks."
Returning starter Jalen Hurts threw for four touchdowns while finding open spaces in the middle of the defense. Saban said there wasn't "enough respect" from the defense for the middle of the field in the rehearsal.
Jones didn't question that appraisal.
"We didn't think they was going to probably pass it that much, but when we did think they were going to pass it, we (thought) it was gonna be short passes," Jones said. "And that was killing the defense. Honestly, I can't sugar coat it."
All three quarterbacks -- not just Hurts -- did damage Saturday. Several players mentioned freshmen Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones had strong afternoons too.
The Alabama secondary returns all but one starter from the group that finished the 2016 season. A week ago, safety Ronnie Harrison said the defensive backs "will probably be the strength of the defense."
The defense was just off in the scrimmage.
"We was anticipating a lot of stuff," Jones said. "We was anticipating run, reading run too much, and then just simple things that we could control. It wasn't nothing that the coaches had."
Receiver Cam Sims just smiled when Jones' "tore up" comments were mentioned to him Monday.
"I wouldn't say all that," Sims said with a grin. "We just had a good day and we're just pretty much just focused on this week and improving."
Ultimately, effort has to be there, Jones said.
"We just have to play faster, for real," Jones said. "We were playing very lazy out there and not respecting our keys that we've been told to respect at all times, we just weren't doing it."
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It's one thing for Nick Saban to laud the Alabama passing game from Saturday's scrimmage.
Safety Hootie Jones took it a step further. Giving perhaps the most brutally honest assessment you'll hear from a defensive back, the senior went right in.
"I mean, honestly," he said, "the defense really got tore up by the quarterbacks."
Returning starter Jalen Hurts threw for four touchdowns while finding open spaces in the middle of the defense. Saban said there wasn't "enough respect" from the defense for the middle of the field in the rehearsal.
Jones didn't question that appraisal.
"We didn't think they was going to probably pass it that much, but when we did think they were going to pass it, we (thought) it was gonna be short passes," Jones said. "And that was killing the defense. Honestly, I can't sugar coat it."
All three quarterbacks -- not just Hurts -- did damage Saturday. Several players mentioned freshmen Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones had strong afternoons too.
The Alabama secondary returns all but one starter from the group that finished the 2016 season. A week ago, safety Ronnie Harrison said the defensive backs "will probably be the strength of the defense."
The defense was just off in the scrimmage.
"We was anticipating a lot of stuff," Jones said. "We was anticipating run, reading run too much, and then just simple things that we could control. It wasn't nothing that the coaches had."
Receiver Cam Sims just smiled when Jones' "tore up" comments were mentioned to him Monday.
"I wouldn't say all that," Sims said with a grin. "We just had a good day and we're just pretty much just focused on this week and improving."
Ultimately, effort has to be there, Jones said.
"We just have to play faster, for real," Jones said. "We were playing very lazy out there and not respecting our keys that we've been told to respect at all times, we just weren't doing it."
Continue reading...
