Clowney impressions so far?

[seabowl]

IMO he has been good to very good. Jury still out though for me if he warrants a max deal though.

Thoughts?

 

[DomeHawk]

IMO he has been good to very good. Jury still out though for me if he warrants a max deal though.

Thoughts?

Too early.

 

[Osprey]

Early game splash with a quick fade. Hard to say if it’s conditioning or adjustments, but hopefully adding talent back into the lineup and shaking of the rust unleashes the talent.

 

[AgentDib]

I've only finished with the first half of the Steelers game so far but Clowney made a huge impact in it. He only played about half the snaps and most of the Steelers success came when he was on the bench. When he was in they only ran to his side once (and he tackled the RB) and he was usually double teamed on pass attempts.

Here are his snaps in the first half:
(Pass) - 7-tech right side. Quick pass to opposite side.
(Run) - 3-tech right side. Run to opposite side.
(Pass) - 3-tech right side. Pass rush opportunity, blocked by left guard.
(Pass) - 4-tech right side. Quick pass to opposite side, LG/LT double team.
(Pass) - 7-tech left side. Swim move beats RT, RG/RT double team.
(Pass) - 4i-tech right side. Double teamed but bats pass down.
(Run) - 4i-tech right side. Fights off block and makes tackle on RB.
(Pass) - 7-tech right side. Double-teamed by LG/LT, can't make progress to QB
(Pass) - 5-tech right side with Wagner and Wright blitzing. Blocked well by OL.
(Run) - 3-tech right side. Penetrates into backfield but run is to opposite side.
- Neutral zone infraction penalty
(Pass) - 5-tech right side. Gets pressure and pulls QB to ground but pass is away first.
(Pass) - 5-tech right side. Stunts up the middle and is blocked by center.
(Pass) - 5-tech right side. Blocked.
(Run) - 7-tech right side. Run to opposite side.
(Pass) - 5-tech right side. Double-teamed by LT/LG and quick pass.
(Pass) - 3-tech right side. Blocked by LG and quick pass.
(Pass) - 7-tech right side. Blocked by LT and quick pass.

 

[nwHawk]

Too early to tell, but first impression is positive. Solid locker room guy, team player, and his presence helps the overall defense.

 

[QuahHawk]

He is drawing attention from the other teams and still seems to have some success with little to no time to get adjusted to our defense. It only up from here and what I see is a player who is making and will make a bigger impact that Frank Clark.

 

[Mick063]

He is in a pivotal contract year. He should be playing like a man possessed. He should be doing better. He is playing competently, but far from imposing his will or taking over the game ala Bruce Smith or Lawrence Taylor.

He seems to be better from a standing position and moving around pre snap as opposed to playing down in a stance on the edge. Getting Ansah back in that Leo role may allow for him to do more of that. I think he is better in stunts than turning the corner on a tackle from the edge. He plays a bit high and it seems to get him tied up with hand fighting. Playing high does put him in position to effectively see and bat down passes though.

He does disengage well and has a good burst in pursuit.

Having said all that, it is early and the staff is still looking for ways to best utilize him.

 

[Jazzhawk]

Here is my Clowny impression:

 

[TreeRon]

I agree with Osprey, I think his lack of camp and preseasoning tell. He starts off a ball afire but kinda fades in the second half. I expect he'll sustain as the season wears on and he gets his game legs.

 

[Jerhawk]

He seems to get stone walled in one on one pass rushing situations. He has a very limited arsenal of moves.

However, hes outstanding versus the run.
He's also really good when he stands up over a guard or center. He overpowers them consistently in these situations.

 

[Bobblehead]

I"m not sure but I thought he looked like he got tired a bit, perhaps from lack on Pre season training, perhaps Hawks should play him lightly in the first half and unleash the Clowney in the 2nd.

 

[jammerhawk]

So what’s not to like?

Solid against the run, has to be schemed for by opponents, effective as a pass rusher, and when not gets his hands up and knocks down passes. Already I think he’s as good as Clark was and better in some ways.

I hope he can be kept.

To me the conditioning is less of a concern as long as his injury exposure is not at a concerning level of risk. He will round into condition, and will get to know our schemes better. About the time he starts to roll, back will come Reed with some luck, and Ansah will hopefully start bringing his contribution to the pass rush as well.

Everything I’ve seen I like.

 

[PlinytheCenter]

From all indications he wants to be here and is thrilled to be a part of the team. He thinks Russ is the bomb. As he settles in, it's only going to get better. It's early but IMO I think would want to sign long-term here.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

He's being doubled on just about every play. I'm happy so far, especially because his attitude clearly is solid and he's just getting his legs under him. Getting Ziggy back on the opposite side is going to be huge for this D. And like Bobblehead said, may be a good idea to save more of his reps for the 2nd half of the games. At least until he gets his full football shape back.

 

[TwistedHusky]

Before we grade Clowney, you know his true strength is not pass-rushing, right?

Clowney is one of the best against the run in the league, especially in backside pursuit, diagnosing the run, and blowing up plays.

One on one against good OL he tends to be pretty average in pass rush. But he demands attention that lets others make plays (Quinton Jefferson should be buying this guy lunch every day).

So that out of the way, he has been stellar. He gives us additional pressure, frees up our other DL to make plays, and all you have to do is contrast his impact when he is in vs when he is out.

He was absolutely worth what he cost. He isn't as effective a pass rusher as Clark, but Clark was the football equivalent of Dan Majerle - amazingly hot when on but would disappear for stretches at a time. Clowney is much more consistent and that is not even taking into account the conditioning issue (Acknowledging the sample size of only 2 games).

 

[SoulfishHawk]

No doubt about it, and he's not here to be a high sack guy, regardless what people want or think they will get out of him. Now with him being doubled all the time, Ziggy can really benefit. Plus, Wags and Kendricks benefit on the times they decide to send them on a blitz. A guy like Reed will benefit because of the double teams to Clowney as well.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Early game splash with a quick fade. Hard to say if it’s conditioning or adjustments, but hopefully adding talent back into the lineup and shaking of the rust unleashes the talent.

Pittsburgh was double teaming Clowney pretty much on every down, and that's the way it's going to be until Ansah is back or other players step up.

I do think his conditioning came into play too, it was 80 degrees, so I imagine he was struggling a little in the heat.

But overall Clowney's been a beast and we'd have ZERO pass rush without him right now. This line needs Ansah.

 

[McGruff]

Fans are fickle.

You ask this question last week, and many would've said hes on track to be league MVP.

One week later and hes a disappointment.

As far as getting stonewalled or having conditioning concerns, I consider it similar to people saying Clark had effort issues. Its rubbish.

The fact is, playing in the NFL is damn hard, and the other guys are really good too. You arent going to win every battle. In fact, the game is set up for defenders to lose a LOT more than they win. Fans expect every play should be a big play, and if it isnt, it's the players fault. Bullocks. It's a war. Every snap is a battle. Win some, lose some.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

So true, one week they love ya' the next you suck.

 

[olyfan63]

If Clark had "effort issues" then KC would not have given us the draft haul they did.
Gotta believe KC watched some serious Frank Clark film before pulling the trigger on this.