🏈 What are your thoughts on the defense?

[Duder]

Let me preface this by saying this is not a flame post, just an honest question.

Keep in mind I have not watched either of your two games in their entirety. I saw a few highlights from both games. It was discussed here often that San Jose was able to get chunks of yards, albeit in small clusters, and Penn State was able to move the ball off and on throughout the first half before they messed up or Bama's D caused a mistake and took the scoring opportunity away.

I realize the scoreboard is the biggest defensive stat in determining performance and obviously Bama is winning that battle. Are you at all concerned about how the defense will react to a team that can take a punch in the mouth and still put some points on the board? Is the D playing soft coverage while the newbies go through their on the field training?

I understand a piece of this equation may well be that Bama isn't showing much on D. There were more disguised blitzes and coverage packages yesterday than against SJSU just because the competition was supposed to be a bit tougher.

 

[TideAlum05]

Penn St moved the ball pretty well without throwing down the field too much. I was a little disappointed that we couldn't get stops and needed TOs but our defense caused some of those TOs. I mean the first pick last night we blitzed on 3rd down and the QB just chucked it up. Was it a stupid move by a young QB? Yes. But at the same time our pressure caused that poor decision.

We held SJSU to less than 200 yards of offense. They busted one long run play when Lester goofed up (and I'm not knocking the kid because he's played well so far). No complaints about that game.

Keep in mind that Dareus isn't playing. He's 1 of the 3 best plays on our D. He's our best pass rusher and the only DL that can consistently get to the QB. Not having him is huge.

I'm a little worried about Arky, but not as much as most people. Last year our DLine absolutely dominated their OLine. If their OLine didn't improve it doesn't matter who the QB is or how green our secondary is.

 

[rammerjammer]

I feel like the secondary has a lot of work to do. I am in hopes that having Upshaw and Dareus will improve the pass rush and allow the secondary to play better.

That freshman at PSU was pressured quite a bit, but was never sacked. Receivers were wide open on a bunch of plays for them. If we give Mallet that much leeway, it could get ugly for us.

I feel like our game plan against Arky will be to grind it out and keep the Ark offense on the sidelines.

 

[bear facts]

Let me preface this by saying this is not a flame post, just an honest question.

Keep in mind I have not watched either of your two games in their entirety. I saw a few highlights from both games. It was discussed here often that San Jose was able to get chunks of yards, albeit in small clusters, and Penn State was able to move the ball off and on throughout the first half before they messed up or Bama's D caused a mistake and took the scoring opportunity away.

I realize the scoreboard is the biggest defensive stat in determining performance and obviously Bama is winning that battle. Are you at all concerned about how the defense will react to a team that can take a punch in the mouth and still put some points on the board? Is the D playing soft coverage while the newbies go through their on the field training?

I understand a piece of this equation may well be that Bama isn't showing much on D. There were more disguised blitzes and coverage packages yesterday than against SJSU just because the competition was supposed to be a bit tougher.

Hey Duder, don't make it bad.
Don't take a glad game and make it sadder.
Remember, you'll never get under our skin.
I doubt Auburn's offense would have fared much better.
Better, better, better, better, better, oh!
Na na na, na-na na na . . .




Seriously, I concur with rammerjammer's comments.

 

[BAMAFSTBACK]

Auburn will lose another Iron Bowl this year.

 

[Duder]

Auburn will lose another Iron Bowl this year.

Thank you for adding nothing of value to the thread. I asked for opinions on a specific topic because I have not spent enough time watching to form an opinion. Perhaps I should have requested that only people capable of an intelligent response chime in on the topic.

To the rest of you that responded, Dareus coming back will make a huge difference in the way your defense functions. That being said, your front seven is still solid without him. I'm glad to see Hightower recovered from the ACL and is playing well. That kid has top notch talent and I would've hated to see him lose his future due to injury.

rammerjammer, I've been impressed with the secondary. There is some work and if Mallet is left with receivers that open he could have a field day but they have responded fairly well given their lack of experience. I suspected your secondary would be your weak link this year, and thus far it seems that way but it isn't quite as bad off as I thought. Saban is a hell of a secondary coach but runs a very complex scheme. I figured they'd trip over it a bit more than they have. I still think Dre will mature into one of the better cover corners in the SEC

 

[NTT]

This may add some value to the thread. If you look at the #1 defense in the nation in points allowed you just might see a name that is familiar in that spot. That name is Alabama. So you ask how is our defense. The best question to ask is how is Auburns defense they are on that list as well its just farther down behind kent st. louisville buffalo temple......ect.....ect somewhere around the #50 spot. trust me its there just keep looking.

 

[planomateo]

I think in 2 weeks we will have a good feel for the defense, in terms of the secondary. The past 2 weeks have given some glimpses of things to come. I think we have been holding back so far (realizing how stupid that might sound). Some could be we have a young lack of game time experience in the secondary and the other could be we didn't really need it against a true freshman QB.

We were certainly pressing the Penn State QB and I want to say every INT was due to the QB getting rocked by a defender, even the few that should have been INT's that we dropped were due to the QB getting thumped. Penn State's offensive line surprised me more than anything, I expected them to be better than they were - not based on any research of my own, but by info I read on other sites (of course Penn States first game wasn't a real test).

We missed some tackles, but not near as many as Penn State.

We were able to rotate in a few people in the secondary and it wasn't that noticeable, that could be good and bad depending on how you look at it.

The big thing I saw in regards to our defense is our current depth, that impressed the hell out of me. yes, I know others have been raving about it, it was more apparent with some of the injuries that occurred during the game.

Penn State has a guy that could be a really good QB.

 

[Duder]

This may add some value to the thread. If you look at the #1 defense in the nation in points allowed you just might see a name that is familiar in that spot. That name is Alabama. So you ask how is our defense. The best question to ask is how is Auburns defense they are on that list as well its just farther down behind kent st. louisville buffalo temple......ect.....ect somewhere around the #50 spot. trust me its there just keep looking.

Nope, still no value. If you'll take the time to read my post, I said Bama was doing well at keeping points off the board. If you'll take the time to read through some other threads, you'll see Bama fans have stated concerns with the defense. I saw PSU moved the ball but ultimately did not score. I mentioned in my post that PSU had some errors and that Bama also buckled down when they had to. My question is what your thoughts on YOUR defense were. I didn't mention Auburn or say anything about what our offense would or wouldn't do against you. I made no negative comments about your defense, to the contrary I have been complimentary (see my second post in this thread). You guys have a deep and talented unit. The question was how do you feel about the overall play of the defense given that many on this board were upset about the yardage on the two or three "big" plays against SJSU and the movement PSU was able to get before they turned the ball over. Several of your brethren have responded and understood I'm not trying to flame your team. Our defense has not looked stellar so why the hell would I come flame yours?

What is it with you guys? It is an internet forum to talk football--which is exactly what I'm doing. I'm not flaming, I'm not comparing, I asked for opinions. Not everything said by an Auburn fan is meant negatively. Yes I realize we have our share of fans that go on Bama boards to flame, and trust me, there are just as many of you that come to the Auburn boards to flame. If you're unable to respond to a question from an Auburn fan without taking it the wrong way, kindly add me to your ignore list. Several of your mods and fellow members have been more than welcoming since I joined. I am respectful of Bama's football program and grew up in a Bama household.

 

[Duder]

I think in 2 weeks we will have a good feel for the defense, in terms of the secondary. The past 2 weeks have given some glimpses of things to come. I think we have been holding back so far (realizing how stupid that might sound). Some could be we have a young lack of game time experience in the secondary and the other could be we didn't really need it against a true freshman QB.

We were certainly pressing the Penn State QB and I want to say every INT was due to the QB getting rocked by a defender, even the few that should have been INT's that we dropped were due to the QB getting thumped. Penn State's offensive line surprised me more than anything, I expected them to be better than they were - not based on any research of my own, but by info I read on other sites (of course Penn States first game wasn't a real test).

We missed some tackles, but not near as many as Penn State.

We were able to rotate in a few people in the secondary and it wasn't that noticeable, that could be good and bad depending on how you look at it.

The big thing I saw in regards to our defense is our current depth, that impressed the hell out of me. yes, I know others have been raving about it, it was more apparent with some of the injuries that occurred during the game.

Penn State has a guy that could be a really good QB.

I don't think it sounds stupid to say you've held back at all. You and I probably could've coached the D against SJSU and still not given up anything. With a true freshman QB under center for PSU and a whole season in front of you guys there wasn't a need to do much in the way of disguising your coverage or blitz packages. The pressure alone would cause mistakes and it was up to your secondary to make plays.

It seems that your pass rush has been consistent even without Dareus. Penn State has a decent offensive line and you were still able to get consistent pressure without your primary pass rusher. I watched most of the second half and I have to agree that the depth is impressive. Saban has been stockpiling recruits and will always have a solid D.

 

[NTT]

I am not sure what your looking for. Yes penn st. moved the ball. san jose state moved the ball. I don't see a problem. in 2009 VT moved the ball against us Fla international scored 2 touchdowns we only held 3 teams without a touchdown all year last year this year our first 2. As long as Nick Saban and Kirby Smart are the defensive coaches I am not worried about anything. This team is young and will improve every week. So my final thoughts are yes teams are moving the ball agasint us. I am not worried. Dareus will help alot in both passing and running situations and the secondary will grow.

 

[Strick]

Enough with the sarcasm Duder...less debate on the next weeks for the barn with that Ted Roof "high school defense' you will lose 1 or both in ur own house...South Carolina for sure maybe Clemson if Awebarn plays like they did thursday night.It is clear as a bell that the gamecocks got the better of the 2 backs .And to be honest your secondary is way more suspect than r's...Your running backs have cearly alot more developing to do..you guys r really 1 dimensional...and the coaches will not let newton throw unless he is beyond the 50 yard line...trust me you guys r gonna get xposed in the net two weeks...

 

[Duder]

Perhaps you aren't sure what sarcasm is--I've said you have loads of talent on defense. My question related to the murmers both on here and otherwise about the defense. I'm asking what your general thoughts on the defense are. I never said a word about our secondary being better, but I appreciate you trying to start a ridiculous argument.

As for the Dyer, Lattimore debate--you're certainly welcome to your opinion. I won't respond as it has NOTHING to do with this thread. And yes, Auburn played like hell Thursday night. If they play like that all season we'll lose a lot of games. The point? Bama played like hell against Tennessee last year. If they'd played like that all year they would've lost a lot of games. "Ifs and butts..." The thread was to ask for general opinions from Bama fans about Bama's defense--period. Thanks for trying to spin it into something it's not, sparky.

And NTT, the last few sentences of your post are exactly what I was looking for. An intelligent opinion on whether there is a true problem or "growing pains" from a young, wildly talented defense. I've heard several grumblings about Bama's defense, which I personally thought were a bit overblown. Smart and Saban are great defensive coaches and I'm not taking anything away from your defensive performance. Six points in two weeks is nothing to scoff at.

 

[Argo]

The defense has yet to play the type of defense Saban is known for. We haven't blitzed near as much as we normally do, but frankly, we haven't needed to. The secondary is very young and played a lot of soft coverage last night. Not really sure why, but Saban's corner backs normally press and are very physical from the LOS. We are either playing in a very base defense right now because we are young, or because we haven't needed to show anything else. We also didn't mix any coverages up or bring any pressure from the star position. For the past two years, we've thrived off of DB blitzing schemes.

Because we have incredible physical talent and speed on defense, I'm leaning towards "we didn't bring pressure because we didn't have to" as the reason for such a base defense. One more thing I noticed last night, we substituted what seemed like 3-4 guys on every play. I'm certain we'll stick to vanilla ball again this weekend as we travel to Duke, but I'll be absolutely shocked if we don't show 10 different blitz packages against Arkansas.

With our defensive backs being as young as they are, there's absolutely no way Saban and Smart will allow Mallet time to sit in the pocket and pick them apart. I expect to see speed rushes from the outside backers, and a lot of different coverages by the DBs. Also, Dareus being back this week will make a huge difference on how we are able to pressure the qb.

As it stands, we've allowed 6 points in two games. We beat SJSU by 40 something and Penn State by 20. And not to be a homer, but we could have really run the score up on PSU if Saban would have wanted too. Richardson could have easily had over 200 yards if we wouldn't have went ultra conservative after halftime.

Even if our defense gets in a jam this year and allows over 20 points in a game (which it could against Arkansas), it's not going to hurt as bad because our offense has no limit. We can play balanced. We can drive the field with an empty backfield for the entire drive, or we can line Richardson, Ingram and Lacey up and hold the ball for 40 minutes while rushing for 300. Our defense isn't as good as they were last year because of inexperience, but our offense is the best that I've ever seen at Alabama.

 

[Duder]

our offense is the best that I've ever seen at Alabama.

Cannot disagree with you on that. When Ingram comes back and you guys are able to run both of them and still have Lacy has fresh legs in spots, you'd be hard pressed to shut down everything you guys have to offer on offense.

 

[planomateo]

I would also say that Penn State beat themselves more than our defense beat them. I suspect that is why Joe Paterno was so irritated at the end of the game (that and the stupid questions by the media...seriously, I think the media gets dumber the older I get). I think he is trying to figure out what happened to a team that normally plays sound football, was it the coaches, the players, or the team. I'm not trying to take anything away from Bama.

 

[Argo]

I would also say that Penn State beat themselves more than our defense beat them. I suspect that is why Joe Paterno was so irritated at the end of the game (that and the stupid questions by the media...seriously, I think the media gets dumber the older I get). I think he is trying to figure out what happened to a team that normally plays sound football, was it the coaches, the players, or the team. I'm not trying to take anything away from Bama.

Very few 18 year old kids have to face the environment PSU's qb did last night. It was loud. I walked down to the concession at the start of the 2nd and my ears were ringing. I can't imagine what he was thinking. And to give him credit, he actually played a good game. He just made a few bad decisions. On the first interception, he stood in the pocket like a seasoned vet and took a monster his from Hightower. He just didn't make a good throw.

 

[JoshB]

Very few 18 year old kids have to face the environment PSU's qb did last night. It was loud. I walked down to the concession at the start of the 2nd and my ears were ringing. I can't imagine what he was thinking. And to give him credit, he actually played a good game. He just made a few bad decisions. On the first interception, he stood in the pocket like a seasoned vet and took a monster his from Hightower. He just didn't make a good throw.

Actually that hit is what caused the throw to be a bad one. I believe it was the hit from Stinson on the other one that caused the Lester pick too. Defense deserves credit for those turnovers as well.

 

[jdpas29]

the defense looks about like i thought it would. several players in the secondary appear to be out of position or just plain getting beaten much of the time. a very accurate QB with some good receivers will put up some points on the Tide. overall the schedule is great though... it gives them 3 games to get their feet wet before the air-arky bunch comes callin. i'm very interested to see how alabama will fare in a shootout this year. if arky's o-line can hold up at all against our pass rush, they will be able to sling the ball a good bit.

 

[RollTideinGA]

Baptism under fire. They will get much better as the season goes along. Javier, Kareem, and Justin were not All-SEC or All American the first 2 games into their starts. With Dareus and a healthier Upshaw will open up some room for other playmakers like Donta to apply more heat to the QB.