(No Longer) Joe Woods’ Defense

[buzzdog]

When this defense has a team third-and-forever, and they let a RB rip off a 40 yard gain up the middle? When they leave a receiver open in the end zone with no-one in the same zip code for the 3rd time in 2 games? How can anyone defend this?

This is a veteran defensive backfield, with lots of talent and depth. These failures are inexplicable, and at some point it simply HAS to come down on the coaching.

All I hear is miscommunication, miscommunication, miscommunication. You can blame the responsible players all you want but the buck stops with Woods, he is doing something seriously wrong for these defects to continue week in and week out.

 

[CBBI]

Gregg Williams D was able to scheme and generate turnovers. I feel we’re not utilizing our talent at best and we’re playing scared or even too loose. Unable to stop on 3rd and long for multiple times is really design and scheme. It’s not the players.

Meh. There's a lot of luck in generating turnovers.

Case and point, the Cardinals fumbled the ball 3 times today and recovered all three of them.

The Browns fumbled the ball twice and Arizona got it both times.

 

[Real Deal]

Come on Keys.. there's no defending this defense today

A 3rd and 21 TD!

 

[Vee-Rex]

When this defense has a team third-and-forever, and they let a RB rip off a 40 yard gain up the middle? When they leave a receiver open in the end zone with no-one in the same zip code for the 3rd time in 2 games? How can anyone defend this?

This is a veteran defensive backfield, with lots of talent and depth. These failures are inexplicable, and at some point it simply HAS to come down on the coaching.

All I hear is miscommunication, miscommunication, miscommunication. You can blame the responsible players all you want but the buck stops with Woods, he is doing something seriously wrong for these defects to continue week in and week out.

I can't wait to see some breakdowns. We have the talent on the defense to get it done - can't blame Sendejo anymore.

I feel like the major problem is that offenses seem to know ~exactly~ what we're doing. That's how they beat us so much on 3rd down - they're stretching the field and hitting us in spaces our zone can't really cover. A QB who is mobile enough can buy the time needed to make those downfield strikes.

One recurring thing I keep seeing is when we play Cover 3. Take this sketch for example:

What I saw the Chiefs, Chargers and now Cardinals do is attack the field between the deep corners and free safety. The Vikings did it too on the Greedy interception but Kirk couldn't get the ball far enough and Greedy made a great play. Whichever side the safety helps on, the wide receiver runs a post towards the middle. As long as the QB can get enough time, it'll be open fairly often. And sometimes it'll even work on a condensed field (Hopkins TD where he was all alone) because the CB is expecting help from the safety, but the safety sees a guy on the other side.

If we run Cover 4 (SS plays deep instead of the flat) or some variation of that, it opens the flat route OR the inside curl/slant depending on how the LB plays. Or, basic comeback routes against the corners if they aren't tight enough.

Smart, spread offenses are killing this defense, and while I know man coverage presents some issues (especially vs. scrambling QBs), we cannot keep giving up these big plays. We need a better mix of man coverage.

Things SHOULD get easier since we no longer face an elite passing offense until Christmas (Burrow isn't there yet and Lamar is just a different kind of challenge). So we'll see if things get better, but if we face a team like the Chargers or Chiefs in the playoffs this can't be the same defensive gameplan.

 

[J_J]

Meh. There's a lot of luck in generating turnovers.

Case and point, the Cardinals fumbled the ball 3 times today and recovered all three of them.

The Browns fumbled the ball twice and Arizona got it both times.

What I mean is we’re not being aggressive and attacking and applying blitzes enough. We’re not setting the tone and it feels we are letting the opposing offense dictate the game.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Come on Keys.. there's no defending this defense today

A 3rd and 21 TD!

Wait now, the guy who posted a tribute to the coaching prowess of Gregg Williams doesn't get called out... and I do?

I'm not saying the defense played well. They missed a lot of tackles and there were blown coverages.

I've also said the fans are calling for a lot of people's jobs and maybe it's not very well thought out.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

What I mean is we’re not being aggressive and attacking and applying blitzes enough. We’re not setting the tone and it feels we are letting the opposing offense dictate the game.

The Browns don't need to blitz, and blitzing Kyler is asking for trouble.

I don't think the scheme or zone defense is the problem. But there is a clear communication/play recognition problem in the secondary

 

[inliner311]

What I mean is we’re not being aggressive and attacking and applying blitzes enough. We’re not setting the tone and it feels we are letting the opposing offense dictate the game.

We aren't challenging QBs with different looks at all. We are in a 4-2-5 99% of the time. It's as simple as looking at the snap counts and an opposing offense doesn't have to worry about what this defense is doing. The biggest question with this defense is if 3 corners or 3 safeties are on the field. Everything else is the same and Woods doesn't change anything.

I feel like we just send the 4 linemen all the time and there is very little variation to what our front 6 do.

 

[CleveRocks]

Yeah, we spent a lot of money and draft capital on the defensive side of the ball.. We fixed the line backer situation, got rid of Senejo and Redwine, and picked up another pro bowl DL in Clowney as well as Maliks.. We should not be giving up 40 points a game.. Offense also sucked but that is another thread

 

[Randolphkeys]

Yeah, we spent a lot of money and draft capital on the defensive side of the ball.. We fixed the line backer situation, got rid of Senejo and Redwine, and picked up another pro bowl DL in Clowney as well as Maliks.. We should not be giving up 40 points a game.. Offense also sucked but that is another thread

If we are talking about who had more talent on the field Sunday, the answer is the Cardinals. I'm getting used to the idea that the Browns defense are exposed by dual threat QBs, and they don't have the answer yet. They destroyed pure pocket passers this season, but Murray and Mahomes blew up the scheme. When I see calls for man defense and more blitzes, no. Can't buy that going back a decade is going to solve a dual threat QB. The Browns are only sending four because of the dual threat QBs

I know very few people want to hear it but offensive performance and the defense they are related. Going 1-4 on fourth down conversions in a game influences how well the defense plays.

The biggest issue I have is missed tackles and penalties. I can't blame a scheme on that. The young players and players slow to pick up the scheme need to acclimate quick. They are both the problem and solution for 2021.

 

[CBBI]

Pretty damning thread on Woods on how it pertains to Johnson's usage.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Pretty damning thread on Woods on how it pertains to Johnson's usage.

While I agree that he isn't being used correctly, wouldn't Harrison in the back end also being used incorrectly? I'd like to see more Delpit and less Harrison to increase safety diversity.

 

[Kbiz]

I don't think the scheme or zone defense is the problem. But there is a clear communication/play recognition problem in the secondary

Which should be cleaned up by a competent coach.

A competent coach knows where their players perform at their best and put them there.

I know very few people want to hear it but offensive performance and the defense they are related. Going 1-4 on fourth down conversions in a game influences how well the defense plays.

Never getting off the field on third down and giving up easy TDS the last two weeks due to blown coverage influences the entire outcome of the game.

6 games in now - over a third of the season. We have a sample size and it's safe to say that our defense sucks outside of one complete performance. Don't give me this not enough talent crap. We have Pro Bowlers all over the defensive side of the ball. JJIII was the top-rated safety in the NFC last year.

It is time for Woods to show us how good of a coach he is and make some adjustments.

 

[Los216]

Did y'all remember a play yesterday where Myles and Clowney lined up on the same side on a third down and Kyler Murray went up to the line and audibled and ran the play to the opposite side for an easy first down?

I'm sitting there thinking that this has to be some disguise or something but nope. I watched Murray see what I saw and audible the play for an easy first down. I was thinking to myself that there's no way that I could see that from my seat and Joe Woods doesn't see it.

There was also multiple plays where the gaps on the line were so wide that Murray once again just audibled the plays and they ran right up our gut for first downs.

There were huge holes in our zone on the crossing routes. Moore ate us up there all day.

Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams spent the majority of the day giving old ass AJ Green and D-Hop who hasn't exactly been lighting it up this year 7 yard cushions. I swear AJ Green got most of his yards before contact. On a chilly, windy day playing a team from the west coast on a cross country trip we played about as soft of a defense as you could ask for.

We didn't start sending creative blitz packages until the second half and you could see right away that they were working.

There were some plays where Myles and Clowney were just too damn wide on the line and Kyler would talk to the line and the RB's and change the play and go up the gut.

When ARZ had the ball in the redzone both Greedy and Denzel were still giving their receivers 7 yard cushions which makes no sense since ARZ had the ball at the 15 yard line.

Overall there was just too many questionable defensive play calls.

 

[FrontPageNews]

While I agree that he isn't being used correctly, wouldn't Harrison in the back end also being used incorrectly? I'd like to see more Delpit and less Harrison to increase safety diversity.

I don’t even remember seeing Delpit out there yesterday. The whole secondary is being used incorrectly. Need a lot more man coverage need delpit and JJ farther back and Harrison in the middle. Ward and greedy need to be in man coverage that zone shit is the opposite of their strengths.

one of these days I’d like to finally get a DC who cares about their teams strengths rather than their own scheme.