S Will Allen says Monte Kiffin will ‘mix it up’ on defense

[WoodysGirl]

Rainer Sabin / Reporter

“It’s a very simple defense,” Allen said. “We’ll run a little Tampa 2. We’ll run some Cover 3. We’ll run some zone dogs. We’ll do some different things to mix it up. And I think the coaches throughout the years who have been in the system have made hybrids of it. So now you see this morphing of the defense that is not only just Tampa 2 it does different things that it allows players to be successful. It’s going to be exciting to see what this group can do.”

Cornerback Brandon Carr has liked what he’s witnessed so far during the teaching sessions this off-season.

“Guys are out there communicating, talking,” Carr said. “Just things last year we kind of lacked, guys are picking up on it this year.”

Read more: http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...-monte-kiffin-will-mix-it-up-on-defense.html/

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Allen continued:

"..and when i say 'we', i mean the good players will be out on the field running it, and i'll be making sure everyone who needs water gets it."

 

[sureletsrace]

Allen continued:

"..and when i say 'we', i mean the good players will be out on the field running it, and i'll be making sure everyone who needs water gets it."

I just choked on my diet Coke

 

[Doomsay]

:laugh2: Willy Boucher!

 

[The Natural]

Allen continued:

"..and when i say 'we', i mean the good players will be out on the field running it, and i'll be making sure everyone who needs water gets it."

 

[MDHQ]

Who would have thought communication makes your DBs better!

 

[arglebargle]

Allen continued:

"..and when i say 'we', i mean the good players will be out on the field running it, and i'll be making sure everyone who needs water gets it."

Like he wouldn't have been starting for much of the year last year -- and doing better than McCray.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Allen continued:

"..and when i say 'we', i mean the good players will be out on the field running it, and i'll be making sure everyone who needs water gets it."

Who are the proven good players at safety?

 

[MissouriCowboy]

Church I thought before he got hurt was gonna be a player. I would not sleep on Chruch.

 

[Awakened]

Dude sounds like a coach. That must be why Kiffin brought him here, to help teach the system to the other DBs.

 

[CF74]

I would be amazed if Allen was not our starting safety this year...

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

Church I thought before he got hurt was gonna be a player. I would not sleep on Chruch.

Potential can be good. But unproven. I hope he and Johnson can do the job. We'll see.

 

[speedkilz88]

I would be amazed if Allen was not our starting safety this year...

They didn't even pencil him in as a starter over Matt Johnson. Be ready to be amazed.

 

[Idgit]

I would be amazed if Allen was not our starting safety this year...

They didn't even pencil him in as a starter over Matt Johnson. Be ready to be amazed.

Matt Johnson is going to be an interesting test of the abilities of our scouts and coaches to recognize NFL starting talent. They were doing backflips when they drafted him, they've said nothing but good things about his limited practice time, and now they're all but handing him the starting job. If he comes in and plays well for is, I'll consider it a good sign.

I actually liked Will Allen before we signed him, but he's pretty clearly an insurance policy that knows the system and who can guide the young Ss we have on the roster without any sense of entitlement to a starting position. Like any insurance policy, you hope you don't have to use him right out of the gate.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Rainer Sabin / Reporter

“It’s a very simple defense,” Allen said. “We’ll run a little Tampa 2. We’ll run some Cover 3. We’ll run some zone dogs. We’ll do some different things to mix it up. And I think the coaches throughout the years who have been in the system have made hybrids of it. So now you see this morphing of the defense that is not only just Tampa 2 it does different things that it allows players to be successful. It’s going to be exciting to see what this group can do.”

Cornerback Brandon Carr has liked what he’s witnessed so far during the teaching sessions this off-season.

“Guys are out there communicating, talking,” Carr said. “Just things last year we kind of lacked, guys are picking up on it this year.”

Read more: http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...-monte-kiffin-will-mix-it-up-on-defense.html/

Oh, back to simpler defensive schemes.

Wasn't it just last year we were all atwitter as to how fat boy Rob Ryan was doing the opposite -- voluminous playbooks (plural) and he was promising to mix it up too? Reacting insteading of attacking?

To paraphrase a legendary NFL coach: It's not about the plays, its' about the players.

With Hatcher and Ratliff as our "stars" we will continue to be mediocre.

I give Jerra credit for Carr and Claiborne and even for Ware and Lee.

But after that we are a defensive team of over-the-hill and overmatched defenders. The front line and safeties really sux. It will show as the season goes on, belief me.

 

[RoyTheHammer]

Like he wouldn't have been starting for much of the year last year -- and doing better than McCray.

Hmm.. doubt it. He started last year for the Steelers for a bit and didn't do much at all.

McCray: 71 tackles, 2 PD, and an INT.

Allen: 34 tackles, 3 PD, and no INT's in the last decade.

..I know we all like to overreact when players don't play up to our expectations, but McCray was forced into starting most of the year when he probably wasn't ready in the first place, and while he did struggle at times in coverage, overall he made some nice plays for us in the run game, was at times all over the field making tackles, and in reality, didn't do nearly as bad as some want to believe.

Of course, those crucifying his play are probably the same ones who have never seen Will Allen play a down in his life and simply think he's better because he played for Kiffin before, or because they heard from somewhere that he was decent for the Steelers last year, etc, etc..

Bottom line.. we can play the guessing game all we want, but as it stands right now, McCray is clearly the guy with the potential to be the better player, and Allen is a washed up "never was" who wouldn't know how to create a turnover if it was gift wrapped into his arms.

 

[speedkilz88]

McCray is a STs player only. When the team had a shortage of cover LBs he could fill in there on passing downs but beyond that he just doesn't have safety skills.

 

[Frozen700]

Oh, back to simpler defensive schemes.

Wasn't it just last year we were all atwitter as to how fat boy Rob Ryan was doing the opposite -- voluminous playbooks (plural) and he was promising to mix it up too? Reacting insteading of attacking?

To paraphrase a legendary NFL coach: It's not about the plays, its' about the players.

With Hatcher and Ratliff as our "stars" we will continue to be mediocre.

I give Jerra credit for Carr and Claiborne and even for Ware and Lee.

But after that we are a defensive team of over-the-hill and overmatched defenders. The front line and safeties really sux. It will show as the season goes on, belief me.

The thing with Rob was, he came in throwing so much at the defense, and was selling an aggressive style type of D.

Come game day, at time we saw the opposite. So they practiced all that stuff, only to come out and be simple in their approach. So when your scheme is predicated on being simple or doing the little things, you will suck at it.

Kiffin comes in with a certain type of scheme and we most likely will see it 85% of the game. The other 15, we may see various blitzes .

Also throw in the many times we went with a 3 man rush, with Rob Ryan, no wonder we failed

 

[Awakened]

What Ryan achieved with poor depth and half the defense out with injuries was impressive. I think his firing has more to do with a lack of compatibility with Garrett's approach, with the culture Garrett is trying to create.

 

[arglebargle]

Hmm.. doubt it. He started last year for the Steelers for a bit and didn't do much at all.

McCray: 71 tackles, 2 PD, and an INT.

Allen: 34 tackles, 3 PD, and no INT's in the last decade.

..I know we all like to overreact when players don't play up to our expectations, but McCray was forced into starting most of the year when he probably wasn't ready in the first place, and while he did struggle at times in coverage, overall he made some nice plays for us in the run game, was at times all over the field making tackles, and in reality, didn't do nearly as bad as some want to believe.

Of course, those crucifying his play are probably the same ones who have never seen Will Allen play a down in his life and simply think he's better because he played for Kiffin before, or because they heard from somewhere that he was decent for the Steelers last year, etc, etc..

Bottom line.. we can play the guessing game all we want, but as it stands right now, McCray is clearly the guy with the potential to be the better player, and Allen is a washed up "never was" who wouldn't know how to create a turnover if it was gift wrapped into his arms.

Nope. McCray was not up to the task of reliably co-ordinating the secondary, and Sensabaugh was never able to do that. While McCray probably has Allen in physical skills, Allen understands the system better, and was brought in for that one reason. Unless McCray makes a quantum leap this year, he's likely to continue to be a great special teams player and a decent nickel safety/lber replacement. McCray was third on the depth chart at safety, and he played like it.