opinions on Ratliff needed

[theogt]

Ratliff is a liability when he's double teamed in the run game. He got pushed around. He's unstoppable when he's single teamed, but teams never single team him in the running game, which, sorry to say, is more important than his eight sacks.

You put him at DE, and you stunt a lot. Simple. It would take a truly poor replacement for us to get any worse in run defense at NT (Tank was awful, too), and we'd be improving our ability to collapse the pocket, which we currently are pitiful at.

Oh dear lord. You couldn't be more wrong. Go back and watch the games.

Inman - On second thought, "liability" against double teams might be too strong of a word, as Ratliff is phenomenal at shedding blocks. I guess I should say he's a liability as far as holding the point of attack goes. IMO, he hasn't shown the ability to stand up double teams, only the ability to break them.

The problem comes when he doesn't break them, though. It seems to me that Rat either breaks through or gets pushed back five yards with no happy medium.



Still, I want to distance myself from the idea that we need a BIG nose tackle (especially someone like Haynesworth). In the 3-4 it seems to me that stouter nose tackles are much more preferable, because holding ground is all about getting lower and bracing against the double team. A guy like the Boston College DT and Michigan's Terrance Taylor have ideal 3-4 NT builds in my mind.

Nope, still wrong. The guy holds up a double team amazingly.

 

[Idgit]

Oh dear lord. You couldn't be more wrong. Go back and watch the games.

Nope, still wrong. The guy holds up a double team amazingly.

Why in the world is the idea that Rat can't hold up in the running game, or handle double teams getting traction? Offseason complaints are like water, trying to find cracks. People hear announcers say how good Rat is getting pressure from the nose, despite his size, but they don't hear anything about how he holds up against the run, so they just decide he can't do it?

I honestly don't know where this is coming from, but with all the problems this team can address in the offseason, I just don't get how NT is getting any play at all, from anybody. This isn't a rant like my Tony Romo rants. I'm just befuddled.

 

[Iago33]

The first Giants game, I believe. Ratliff was driven off the line consistently and they ran inside very effectively. Ratliff did improve against the run later in the year (maybe that game--or whichever it was--was an anomaly), but we still need someone big to clog the middle on short yardage and obvious running downs.

 

[Idgit]

The first Giants game, I believe. Ratliff was driven off the line consistently and they ran inside very effectively. Ratliff did improve against the run later in the year (maybe that game--or whichever it was--was an anomaly), but we still need someone big to clog the middle on short yardage and obvious running downs.

The Giants scored on a couple of draws on that game, which goes in part to Ratliff, but I don't recall him ever being blown off the line in any one game.

The fact that the Giants are good at running the ball is no reason to switch NTs, though.

 

[superpunk]

I feel the need to inform our fans that Ratliff's number is 90 - not 95. Please note that and then revise any opinions you may have formed prior to this revelation.