they focused on that play a few times. they were really easy on him, saying he has time to learn. let me be clear, i'm not hating, he wasn't drafted to play linebacker. its not his fault.
That too. But what I saw was a guy used to knowing "hit this gap" completely frozen trying to make snap reads on the ball and getting blocked easily because of it. Developing those instincts doesn't happen in a month or even a season. He was DE through college as well. Add that to a lack of agility, and we've got a problem. Agree completely.
Oh, sure it did. You mentioned him being a liability against the run – some of that isn’t cleaned up with a healthy, productive Ryans/Cushing duo in the middle? Knowing Joseph has a side of the field more or less shut down doesn’t give Wade confidence to better (or differently) utilize Mario? Read through the thread, emjohn – that’s exactly what quite a few people are saying. Heck, you compared him to Kareem Jackson. Are you in the third grade? No, I don’t agree that he “won’t be long for this system”. Not yet, anyway. It’s much too early to gleam much of anything beyond surface-level concerns. Additionally, Wade is going to find a way to maximize Mario, even if the OLB experiment fails. As much as Mitchell was beaten up last night, it wouldn’t shock me to see him slide back to DE with Smith moving inside. (Again, if he can’t cut it outside.)
It's absolutely a critical weak spot in this defense. Wade didn't want a "safe" defense that covered all zones, he designed this defense to immediately create havoc in the backfield, taking away mid- to deep pass play development and simple I-formation runs through the tackles. It leaves the door open for quick outlets (or pitches, sweeps, and screens) to the open space between the CB, safety, and ILB on either side. It'll be a big concern against Peyton Manning. It'll be a big concern against open field backs like Reggie Bush and Chris Johnson. The two safeties do come up a lot in this scheme to help shrink that void. But Mario has to step up in a big way - he can't be so easily exploited bouncing the RB his direction.
But that's not his job. Demarcus Ware isn't feared because of what he does once the ball crosses the line of scrimmage. Wade has mentioned Mario being in coverage less than 5% of the time. When the team is fully healthy and running their full scheme, I'm guessing they'll be able to clean that up. That's why Cushing dropped weight this offseason - they're expecting him (and Ryans) to be able to play sideline-to-sideline to fill gaps from blitzing linebackers (and safeties).
how did pittsburgh play the three four when they had lloyd and greene? i don't get giving up that space either. you could dump to that spot all game and metriculate the ball down field.
Soon enough we'll see Mario Williams reaping havoc in the offense's backfield, which is the ONLY thing this defense and Wade is asking him to do. Be it from the 'OLB' or DE position title. It doesn't matter, his ONLY job is to get into the backfield and disrupt. Did he do that last night? No. But, I fully expect to see it happen sooner than later. He won't be chasing down running backs past the line of scrimmage in the secondary or roaming around in coverage. He will, however, hurry QBs getting sacks and tackles for losses.
How does that change the fact that he was a liability? How does that have any effect on Mario against the run? It's a concern. Everyone knows it. Everyone hopes he looks a lot better against the Saints. But if he doesn't...I think Wade will be forced to put Mario back on the line. If that happens, if Mario at OLB is dead, I don't see him staying beyond this year. There's a reason Wade moved him away from end and drafted Watt in the first round instead of looking for his NT.
Wade 3-4 isn't a normal 3-4. Wade wants and teaches his ends and OLB's to be ready to knock down passes. Quick outlets will be lower (less arc) and easier to get a hand on. Watt was very good at that in college and Reed got a good hand on one last night.
No one is concerned about Mario dropping into coverage. Everyone is concerned at how he was a complete disaster any run that went his direction. ILBs and safeties will help clean up the mess, but that doesn't mean he's excused to allow any off tackle or sweep blow right through him. Not true. He absolutely has run responsibilities when teams go his direction. He can't play matador defense on those plays. That's exactly what everyone is so alarmed by.
Right and therein lies my skepticism about using Mario like D Ware. Ware has shown that he can get to the QB in this scheme. Mario hasn't and last night I saw him getting taken out of the play too easily by his man. He also appeared to be upset at how they were going for his knees and legs to take him out. He has to get used to that and find a way to overcome it fast. If he can't consistently make a beeline to the QB and if the DL can't generate any pressure then they'll find themselves in the same boat the Cows did last year with FixIt's defense.
Just went back and watched all of Mario's plays. He didn't even look good when just engaging the tackles, getting blocked effectively or chipped by a TE. On the Jets first drive, the 3rd and 6 before the FG, we came out in a 4-3 and Mario lined up at DE and got penetration. Adibi got the sack but Mario was there as well. Mario looked lost on the first play of the 2nd drive. He was late realizing that he needed to switch sides of the field and was scrambling just before the ball was snapped. Later in that drive Sanchez faked a throw and handed it off and it looked like Mario was caught off guard and slow to get back into the play. On a 3rd and 8, we came out in the 4-3 again and Mario got into the backfield much quicker. The right tackle whiffed on him. The play was a run up the middle so Mario didn't factor in, but when you compare it to when he was trying to rush from a stand up position, he got a lot more penetration. So Mario's 2 best plays came when he lined up as an end. Not only was he quicker, but he was able to shed blocks more easily. He was just getting eaten up by the tackle whenever he was standing up. I don't think lateral mobility had much to do with it. He was going straight ahead on every play and was just getting stuffed.
Sorry but I saw this coming ever since Coach FixIt announced that Mario would be used like Ware - this just isn't how he likes to play. You can expect to see him struggle with this transition all preseason and beyond. The real problems will come when opposing teams start game planning to exploit this once the games begin to count.
I am wondering if it should be: Watt-Mitchell-Williams Reed-Cushing-Ryans-Barwin obviously, A. Smith played well and is more a natural 3-4 end, but Mario has better physical ability. I will absolutely love Mario's raw physical ability and bullrush with a tandem of watt's high energy and great size at the ends. . . throughout the game, it seemed he could wreck the havoc we want to see but he is just too far outside and like many said, he does not have the make up to be a OLB...You add that Reed impressed a lot and this makes it an easier decision to make When we line up in the 5-2 -like formation, Mario won't be angled so much...someone with better agility would be better suited (i.e. a true olb in body) Another thing to make ppl feel better is Wade is NOT showing everything he could do with Mario...Chances are, he will move Mario to both end and olb at times...
Because this is a defensive *unit*. If a healthy Ryans/Cushing can effectively play the middle and fill the gaps (which will be easier to do if guys like Mitchell clog up the line, etc. – see how this all fits together?) then it won’t be a liability. Did Mario play at all in the 2Q? Because the Jets ran it a total of five times in the 1Q. Effectively, yes but also mostly up the middle. Regardless, the sample size is ridiculously small at this point. Again, much depends on Watt’s development, as well as Mitchell’s. Wade thinks Mitchell can play NT; that also played a factor in his decisions. And frankly, his performance last night was more far more concerning than Mario’s because he looked physically overwhelmed - too many Jet OL were getting their pads on Ryans and Sharpton. Mario simply looked inexperienced and unsure of himself – time can fix that. But strength is strength, and if Mitchell is going to essentially be Okoye, Jr., this defense is going to be in trouble. If you watch Greene’s 19-yard run, they ran right at Watt/Mitchell. Watt was effectively driven outside; Mitchell was (more or less) single-teamed and driven out of space, allowing the RG to take #91 (new ILB guy we picked up from Miami – sorry, I don’t know his name) completely out of the play while the FB wiped Demeco out. Seriously, Mitchell is absolutely eaten alive and the hole was roughly the size of a small state. But… Mario is Mario so, of course, *everyone* talks about him. If his job is to rush the QB, sure it is. You can’t have it both ways – he can’t be Demarcus Ware – a relentless pass rusher who wreaks constant havoc – if he’s also having to watch for the run on his side. That’s why it’s a 3-*4* - the additional LB is designed to fill the gap left by an OLB that’s blitzing the QB every down. You said it perfectly yourself: He’s been playing DE since college; this isn’t going to happen overnight. So why are you only sounding the concern alarm when responding to me? I’m sure what we saw last night was confusion crashing into learned reflex. Wade has to work that out for Mario; that’s what a good coach does. And there’s time left to do that.
