DMN Blog: What happened to Anthony Spencer?

[Bob Sacamano]

no question Spencer is better against the run, you can't exploit him because of lack of lateral agility

what was that game last year where they can't running sweeps to Ellis' side and he couldn't stop it?

 

[Vintage]

Ellis has better technique as a pass rusher, which is why he stays on the field on 3rd downs and Spencer leaves. Ellis had a down year after the career year he has last year.

Yet, he still actually applies pressure. Spencer.... eh.

Woodley would look nice opposite Ware.

Ware demands so much attention, you'd think someone opposite Ware could take advantage of that. OTOH, its funny how [insert whomever] and Ware is considered an elite OLB tandem.

Its because Ware is that damn good.

 

[tyke1doe]

The Dallas Cowboys: where promising talent underachieves and learns how to become lazy.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Ware demands so much attention, you'd think someone opposite Ware could take advantage of that.

We did lead the NFL in sacks, and it wasn't even close. We finished eight sacks ahead of the #2 Steelers.

 

[djmajestik]

Hey, I think I saw you there!!

Hopefully you cleaned up before you walked in your door

 

[Randy White]

is that all Three ( Ware, Spencer, Ellis ) cannot play pass rushing LBs at the same time, all of the time. One of them, more likely Ellis, would have to move inside to the DT/DE spot.

I think the combo worked great this year. Spencer played well enough on 1st and 2nd downs ( people forget that he's still making the transition from college 4-3 DE to NFL 3-4 OLB ) and that, in turn, kept Ellis' legs fresh to rush the passer on 3rd downs. Spencer should start seeing more time on 3rd downs next year. Ellis should rotate a little bit more with D-Ware so he, too, would be more fresh towards the end of the season.

I'm of the opinion that if a stud OLB falls to the 2nd round, then, by all means, pull the trigger. However, if that doesn't happen, the logical thing to do is to wait until the 4th/5th/6th round range and grab one of this developmental guys who the club can take it's time grooming to eventually take over Ellis.

:starspin

 

[aikemirv]

Interesting, I think just the opposite. Ellis is better against the run than Spencer. But Spencer's youth make him better as a pass rusher. His potential suggests he'll be an overall better player in time.

The play versus Baltimore is the only evidence you need to support that argument.

 

[jterrell]

But that's about the only explanation for it, isn't it?

Maybe it's also that Spencer now, unlike last year, is more an all-around linebacker than Ellis. We all have seen how lousy Ellis is in space, while Spencer can at least run around a little.

And I could swear Wade also said in some PC that Spencer was really hard to block in the run game.

And a lot of it is age. Ellis isn't 25 anymore. He's better used in spot situations, and I think the coaches see that one role being more as a passrusher than a run player.

Didn't we get a lot better against the run about when Spencer got back and started playing more on early downs, too? Not saying it was all due to him, but still.

If by all-around you mean faster I'd agree but that's where it ends.

Ellis is a stronger player, a player who uses better technique.
Ellis right now is the better player thus Wade uses him as the pass rusher because Wade values pass rushing more so than anything else.

I think Spencer can develop as a pass rusher while Ellis slowly loses his ability there.

I watched the games... Spencer never played with solid leverage but he is fast. He can move laterally but how often does he challenge a block like Ware does? At least with Ellis you have to run around him, away form him and he keeps you honest. Team can block Spencer with a Tight End and then run to him and he will not make the tackle.

The team got better on D when Wade took over.

It probably does help to have Spencer but Ellis was still the far better player.
Ellis did a lot of pine riding as we closed the season 1-3.

FWIW, Spencer missed 4 games.
Week 1 which we won 28-10
Week 3 which we own 27-16
Week 7 which we lost 14-34
Week 8 which we won 13-9

So not sure his absence hurt the defense or helped it. It was just as up and down as the rest of the year.

 

[Alexander]

It's simple... He was better against the run than Ellis. Ellis is better as a pass rush specialist at this point.

I don't know why all three weren't in there more, though.

I am not even sure he's that solid against the run. If I am not mistaken, his failure to contain on at least one of the Ravens long runs was obvious.

 

[28 Joker]

Spencer is very good against the run. Phillips has pointed this out more than one time, for sure, like C. Lab said. He did mess up on one of the Ravens' runs, but that was one play. You really can't judge his run defense on one play. If you look at the big picture, you will see a very good run defender.

Ellis didn't do anything for most of the year. He came on very late and tallied some sacks, and he got a couple of big ones. However, he's going to complain about his playing time when camp starts while Spencer starts taking over his job, again. Enough is enough.

You lose opportunities for sacks if you are on the pine on third downs. Anthony Spencer's time is now. I remember the Giants got a holding call when he beat their RT on a rush. You drafted him, play him all the time, on every down. You are 9-7. Play him in the sub-packages, too.

If the Cowboys get to the end of 2009, and Spencer still hasn't been playing full time, they don't have anyone to blame but themselves.

It's time to let Ellis go. You have to let young players fly, and that means that they shouldn't have to listen to someone gripe to the media about their "role on the team".

You drafted Anthony Spencer for a reason. Play him, and play him every down. That is how you get better. DeMarcus Ware played from day one.

According to Spagnola, Marcus Spears had 16 quarterback pressures, and he didn't play on 3rd down . If you don't play on third down, you lose opportunities to rush the passer like I stated earlier.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Jerra the eternal optimist would want to have Ellis back as a low-cost backup.
But Speencer's year is coming up and Ellis is gonna have to live with it our go to Cleveland or the Raiders. Without his comfort zone he'd flounder and then wash out there.
I'd rather have him here, backing up Spencer.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Spencer needs to know he's the man, enough of Wade Phillips catering to Ellis girlie ego.

 

[ABQcowboyJR]

Ellis has better technique as a pass rusher, which is why he stays on the field on 3rd downs and Spencer leaves. Ellis had a down year after the career year he has last year.

Yet, he still actually applies pressure. Spencer.... eh.

Woodley would look nice opposite Ware.

Ware demands so much attention, you'd think someone opposite Ware could take advantage of that. OTOH, its funny how [insert whomever] and Ware is considered an elite OLB tandem.

Its because Ware is that damn good.

I was a big advocate of drafting woodley. Ol man said I was crazy. I still would like to have him.

 

[Vintage]

I was a big advocate of drafting woodley. Ol man said I was crazy. I still would like to have him.

Best advice I can give you: ignore your ol' man. All the time.





(Only kidding ABQ Senior)

 

[JordanTaber]

Spencer played a role in those two long runs getting busted on the Boys at the end of the Ravens game. Over pursuing instead of just doing his job. That said I think he's better against the run than Ellis. Ellis can't change direction at all. There's no way he's tackling a guy on a consistent basis in space.

Not true; Spencer had absolutely nothing to do with either of those runs; he played his gap correctly.

The first one was on Marcus Spears (and then Ken Hamlin for missing the tackle/Keith Davis for coming up and missing the play) for getting blown off the ball by the double team and letting not one, but BOTH blockers wipe out linebackers behind him (James and Thomas).

The second was also primarily on Spears for getting blocked to the ground by the double team and allowing one of the guys he was taking on to cut Zack Thomas to the ground. Ken Hamlin and Keith Davis both missed tackles. Bradie James got pancaked by Lorenzo Neal, so he also shares a little blame as he could have at least held up against the block and slowed it down a little.

 

[Idgit]

The second was also primarily on Spears for getting blocked to the ground by the double team and allowing one of the guys he was taking on to cut Zack Thomas to the ground. Ken Hamlin and Keith Davis both missed tackles. Bradie James got pancaked by Lorenzo Neal, so he also shares a little blame as he could have at least held up against the block and slowed it down a little.

I hate it when players completely blow plays by being taken out by double teams.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I hate it when players completely blow plays by being taken out by double teams.

 

[JordanTaber]

I don't think he was being sarcastic.

The problem isn't that Spears was successfully blocked by the double team, it's that he didn't hold it. And not only did he not hold it, but he let BOTH blockers peel off and wipe out linebackers. He was left standing there, blown off the ball, and he made a futile diving effort to try to tackle McGahee (if anything, he actually hit Hamlin and did more damage by trying that).

On that play, Marcus Spears being out there was the equivalent of having only 10 players on defense.

 

[rangers71]

Not true; Spencer had absolutely nothing to do with either of those runs; he played his gap correctly.

The first one was on Marcus Spears (and then Ken Hamlin for missing the tackle/Keith Davis for coming up and missing the play) for getting blown off the ball by the double team and letting not one, but BOTH blockers wipe out linebackers behind him (James and Thomas).

The second was also primarily on Spears for getting blocked to the ground by the double team and allowing one of the guys he was taking on to cut Zack Thomas to the ground. Ken Hamlin and Keith Davis both missed tackles. Bradie James got pancaked by Lorenzo Neal, so he also shares a little blame as he could have at least held up against the block and slowed it down a little.

That is wrong. on one of the plays he jumped around his block which created a hole. He should have taken on the block and at the very least created a pile for the back to run around.

 

[JordanTaber]

That is wrong. on one of the plays he jumped around his block which created a hole. He should have taken on the block and at the very least created a pile for the back to run around.

Well, I watched that play again (the McClain run) and I can see where people are coming from on that one. While McClain still probably would've gained a large chunk of yards running to the outside (assuming Neal adjusts his course and leads outside to block James), he could have put more pressure on McClain than he did.

Still, he had absolutely nothing to do with the first one (by McGahee).