38 is the weak link on defense

[atlantacowboy]

I note you mentioned nothing about his pass D, which wasn't very good.

He had a so-so game. Good in run support. Not so good in pass coverage.

He's not a coverage safety. Been saying that for years. He's a tackler whose really good in run support.

 

[atlantacowboy]

He is beyond bad, he go t beat on the TD to Godderrt he was single high safety layer crossed in font of him and he was no where to be seen on ball that was in the air for a long time.

That was LVE that got beat.

 

[Sydla]

That would only be true if someone was covering the slot WR and Heath was the help defender which is the normal role of a deep Safety.

The deep Safety is never intended to be the sole coverage defender on the slot WR AND the help defender on other receivers.

x......... do me a favor when you review the game tape.

Watch that red zone throw to Jeffrey that Wentz threw high. Awuzie was there to make the play if the ball was a bit lower, but if Wentz had thrown in lower and more in front, was there someone on the other side that could have made a play on the ball (like a safety or LB in that lane)? With a better throw, I thought that might be a TD.

 

[America's Cowboy]

I note you mentioned nothing about his pass D, which wasn't very good.

He had a so-so game. Good in run support. Not so good in pass coverage.

Jeff Heath is our Strong Safety. His key role is run support.

Xavier Woods is our Free Safety. He is the one responsible more for the pass.

You guys are directing your anger at the wrong Safety.

 

[Sydla]

He's not a coverage safety. Been saying that for years. He's a tackler whose really good in run support.

The last two years, he was one of the worst tackling safeties in the NFL. He's been better this year. But I am not sure how we have reached the conclusion he's a really good run support safety. He's inconsistent, that might be the best way to describe him.

All that being said, if he's not very good in coverage, he shouldn't be a starting safety. Especially in this defense where we often interchange the safety responsibilities.

 

[Carson]

Jeff Heath is our Strong Safety. His key role is run support.

Xavier Woods is our Free Safety. He is the one responsible more for the pass.

You guys are directing your anger at the wrong Safety.

We get complex with interchanging these two.

Heath has single high on Robby Anderson

Heath had single high on Agholor last night.

Heath had single high on the Goedart touchdown

This isn’t a complain or hate post. Just saying we need to let these guys be and play their roles

 

[Sydla]

Jeff Heath is our Strong Safety. His key role is run support.

Xavier Woods is our Free Safety. He is the one responsible more for the pass.

You guys are directing your anger at the wrong Safety.

Nope.

For example, on that long pass that Nelson Agholor kind of ran a bad route on and didn't get a ton of effort, who was the deep safety that got beat?

It was Heath, not Woods. Goedert had a pretty big game. Guess who was often in coverage with him? Heath.

That's not so say Woods is some stud out there mind you, but Heath was decent in run support last night, not so good in pass D.

 

[America's Cowboy]

We get complex with interchanging these two.

Heath has single high on Robby Anderson

Heath had single high on Agholor last night.

This isn’t a complain or hate post. Just saying we need to let these guys be and play their roles

Understood and agreed, which is why I said yesterday that Marinelli and Richard don't know how to play these players correctly.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Nope.

For example, on that long pass that Nelson Agholor kind of ran a bad route on and didn't get a ton of effort, who was the deep safety that got beat?

It was Heath, not Woods. Goedert had a pretty big game. Guess who was often in coverage with him? Heath.

That's not so say Woods is some stud out there mind you, but Heath was decent in run support last night, not so good in pass D.

Goedert was LVE's man. You can debate whether Heath or Woods should have been covering the deep end to the side Goedert was running to, but we don't know which Safety Richard and Marinelli have originally assigned to what side, depth and for what role on any particular play called.

 

[Carson]

Understood and agreed, which is why I said yesterday that Marinelli and Richard don't know how to play these players correctly.

I think the main issue is, neither one is dominant in what they do. Just slightly better then the other.

It’s not Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.

We try to disguise what we do and it always bites us. If you watch the Goedart touchdown, there is no reason for Heath not to shade to the middle of the field. We had zone deep on the opposite side

 

[I need 6]

Jeff Heath is our Strong Safety. His key role is run support.

Xavier Woods is our Free Safety. He is the one responsible more for the pass.

You guys are directing your anger at the wrong Safety.

Wrong

 

[America's Cowboy]

I think the main issue is, neither one is dominant in what they do. Just slightly better then the other.

It’s not Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.

We try to disguise what we do and it always bites us. If you watch the Goedart touchdown, there is no reason for Heath not to shade to the middle of the field. We had zone deep on the opposite side

Agreed. But... we don't know how our Safeties are being played and coached to play in practice. If we did know, that would better clear up our questions.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Wrong

Explain yourself.

 

[Sydla]

Goedert was LVE's man. You can debate whether Heath or Woods should have been covering the deep end to the side Goedert was running to, but we don't know which Safety Richard and Marinelli have originally assigned to what side, depth and for what role on any particular play called.

That's one play. There was a few others where Heath was totally beat and trailing Goedert. He got beat by Ertz on a key third down too. And again, he was the deep safety on the Agholor throw.

Look, you won't get me defending Richard or Marinelli. But Heath is what he is. People keep saying he's a box safety but the previous two years he was pretty bad in run support. So I am not sure where all this "box safety" chatter is coming from. He's a good special teams guy and a back up safety type. That's it.

The Jeff Heath love is one of the things I will likely never, ever understand. Do people like him because he's a small school, hustle type player?

 

[I need 6]

Explain yourself.

The single high safety was 38 on the play. He is responsible for help over the top. LVE was on the TE but the single high safety is supposed to supply help over the top.

 

[Sydla]

Explain yourself.

People did.

While Heath is listed as the SS and Woods is the FS, they are used interchangeably. Woods isn't always the deep safety, Heath also finds himself in pass coverage a lot, especially against TEs. So you can't wipe away his mistakes in pass coverage by claiming it wasn't his fault as he is the box safety.

 

[America's Cowboy]

That's one play. There was a few others where Heath was totally beat and trailing Goedert. He got beat by Ertz on a key third down too. And again, he was the deep safety on the Agholor throw.

Look, you won't get me defending Richard or Marinelli. But Heath is what he is. People keep saying he's a box safety but the previous two years he was pretty bad in run support. So I am not sure where all this "box safety" chatter is coming from. He's a good special teams guy and a back up safety type. That's it.

The Jeff Heath love is one of the things I will likely never, ever understand. Do people like him because he's a small school, hustle type player?

So I guess the guys at PFF and the league office are wrong when they have ranked Heath among the top Safeties based on performance?

 

[America's Cowboy]

People did.

While Heath is listed as the SS and Woods is the FS, they are used interchangeably. Woods isn't always the deep safety, Heath also finds himself in pass coverage a lot, especially against TEs. So you can't wipe away his mistakes in pass coverage by claiming it wasn't his fault as he is the box safety.

Maybe the Cowboys need to play more dime or nickle packages? Or how about playing the rookie Safety Donovan Wilson since he has better pass coverage skills?

 

[Sydla]

So I guess the guys at PFF and the league office are wrong when they have ranked Heath among the top Safeties based on performance?

One, I don't put a ton of value in PFF grades.

That being said, he has a rating right now of 67 which is kind of average for a S. In fact, they have a stat that shows he's been targeted 24 times and let up 20 catches, which rank him 3rd worst amongst safeties. So where are you getting this PFF rating that they have him as one of the best safeties in football?

 

[Sydla]

Maybe the Cowboys need to play more dime or nickle packages? Or how about playing the rookie Safety Donovan Wilson since he has better pass coverage skills?

I would like to see Wilson play more as well. I think Heath is an ideal 3rd safety. Great special teams guy, good backup in a pinch, used in certain packages.

Will be interesting to see if he has any offers for starting gigs in FA this offseason. I'd like to see him back in the role I described above.