What the heck is a run fit?

[Spin Doctor]

Wager was definitely a major culperate for our run defense woes against Tampa Bay, in fact I contend that he was the biggest culperate. Wagner had his worst game as pro yet against Tampa Bay, and this had little to do with his injury. Wagner was commiting the cardinal sin of linebacker play; running underneath blocks and abandoning gap integrity. This, obviously opens up gaping holes, and puts the rest of the linebacking core in an awkward position. This is linebacker 101, pop warner technique, a pro like him has no reason to be playing with such fundementaly poor technique.

For that game alone Wagner deserves to be benched until he can demonstrate to the coaches that he understands basic gap integrity, and NOT to run underneath blocks.

 

[AbsolutNET]

It means defenders are chasing the ball and running around blocks instead of staying disciplined with their assignment. I'm sure he had a couple specific guys in mind and was being intentionally vague like Scottie says

 

[Happy]

This has been a really informative thread. I really appreciate all the knowledge being dropped. Good stuff.

 

[HunnyBadger]

Bobby Wagner ‏@Bwagz54 4h
Blame me. That's fine.


Hope all this doesn't get into his head. He needs to focus and ignore the noise.

 

[jdemps]

Couple of notes on the run defense from the last two games:
-LB's away from the play side keep losing contain and keep creating cutback lanes which are killing us.
-Wags is not maintaining gap integrity (as mentioned a million times above)
-Both Irvin and Wags are not shedding blocks. Once these guys are engaged, they're out of the play until the RB is past them. Luckily they're both fast as hell so they usually catch them 8-10 yards upfield.
-Tony McDaniel keeps inexplicably throwing RBs forward while tackling them.
-ET needs to wrap up. Noted more than a couple whiffs the last 2 weeks(but other than that he's been lights out. Plus he's the FS, who is generally not supposed to be the first to the play.)

 

[vin.couve12]

This has gotten out of control. Frankly, I don't even know why I'm addressing this, but your witch hunt is absurd. In in video evidence people are drawing the wrong conclusions. The entire LOS has large holes and when LBs have OL pushing DL into their chest their angle changes inevitably. The lack of Mebane has really hurt this defense. McDonald can play on nickel downs and some run downs, but he's not even close to an every day NT/1 tech like we've been using him as. Tony McDaniel's height has also hurt him in getting blown off the ball back into the LBs. The LBs are having to try to play either side of the DL and OL that are pushed back into them.

Anyone who has played at the LOS knows this. The problem is that the vast majority of you haven't and literally do not understand what you're even saying. If the run is wide, and you have an OL who's pushed the DL directly into your path you have a choice of trying to undercut to cut off the run shallow or you have a choice to go around wide and concede yardage to the RB trying to head him off. If you have a double teamed DL pushed back 4 yards directly in your path on a dive you have a choice to play either side in your gap and hope the RB takes that gap or you try to put your feet in the ground to try and stop the momentum of 2 OL pushing a DL right at you, which is roughly a 1000 pounds, and then take on the RB while you're flat footed and he's running full speed.

Wagner and KJ were guilty of a few things each, but this asinine idea has become the institution around here and really it's nothing more than a herd mentality while you ignore the play of our DTs, the McDs. We have missed Mebane very badly. We've also been kicked out at the edges a lot. Even Clem has been guilty of that. We're also seeing teams downblock on Red to get the edge on off tackle.