Current state of D backfield?

[RU-05]

I love the offense right now.

I love the D-line(though I'd love to see Hamilton back out there).

I love the starting LB's though the depth maybe lacking.

But what about the D-backs. Thought we were finally putting a good unit togethor before the arrests, but they did happen, and now we are asking a bunch of young and inexperienced guys to get out there and make plays.

Now I think with Hester healthy he and Cioffi make a good starting pairing, and Austin was thought to be the best of the (eligible) CB's. So 3/4 of the starting D backfield is still in tact, but losing 3 guys thought to be in the top 8 is going to hurt your depth. Overall however, where do we think it sits?

 

[StyleKnight]

We are very vulnerable when teams go with 3 WR sets, even more so against 4 WR sets. We blew a bunch of coverages last week, WSU will capitalize on those mistakes if we make them again.

 

[RCTrooper]

Barnwell was our best CB- gone
Boggs was a starter at CB- gone
Stephenson was the starter at FS- gone
Peele was the #5 CB- gone

Compared to spring ball depth chart, 3 back ups are now starters and one of the new starters is a true freshman. Moreover, can you think of one season when a starting DB didn't miss a game due to injury?

CB is the 2nd most important position on D in college. We gave up a school record amount of passing yards last year BEFORE the thugs were kicked off. Do I need to state the obvious?

 

[RutgersROB]

Barnwell was our best CB- gone
Boggs was a starter at CB- gone
Stephenson was the starter at FS- gone
Peele was the #5 CB- gone

Compared to spring ball depth chart, 3 back ups are now starters and one of the new starters is a true freshman. Moreover, can you think of one season when a starting DB didn't miss a game due to injury?

CB is the 2nd most important position on D in college. We gave up a school record amount of passing yards last year BEFORE the thugs were kicked off. Do I need to state the obvious?

Thugs ? Ur a nerd

 

[jellyman]

Barnwell was our best CB- gone
Boggs was a starter at CB- gone
Stephenson was the starter at FS- gone
Peele was the #5 CB- gone

Compared to spring ball depth chart, 3 back ups are now starters and one of the new starters is a true freshman. Moreover, can you think of one season when a starting DB didn't miss a game due to injury?

CB is the 2nd most important position on D in college. We gave up a school record amount of passing yards last year BEFORE the thugs were kicked off. Do I need to state the obvious?

Actually, it was in 2013 we gave up a school record passing yards.

Last year was the year of giving up rushing yards. Not that the pass defense was very good either.

 

[Ru2bnj]

I would not put much stock in the game last week at all. NFSU isn't a top level Div1AA team right now, so because the offense looked good...needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Will have a better picture after the WSU game. The secondary is going to have issues, you can't expect to lose 3 of the top 6 DBs...the experienced ones...replaced by true freshmen and a redshirt freshman and think there will not be mistakes, people out of position and probably some bad angles. To be a good DB takes time and game experience.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

I think it's safe to say that there are quite a few teams on our schedule who are going to throw, throw, and throw some more, against us this season. Even if the "kids" have talent, they're very, very young and inexperienced. We know how this goes (most unfortunately).

 

[Kbee3]

I think it's safe to say that there are quite a few teams on our schedule who are going to throw, throw, and throw some more, against us this season. Even if the "kids" have talent, they're very, very young and inexperienced. We know how this goes (most unfortunately).

Nuts is back ?!?????[cheers]

 

[Kbee3]

Barnwell was our best CB- gone
Boggs was a starter at CB- gone
Stephenson was the starter at FS- gone
Peele was the #5 CB- gone

Compared to spring ball depth chart, 3 back ups are now starters and one of the new starters is a true freshman. Moreover, can you think of one season when a starting DB didn't miss a game due to injury?

CB is the 2nd most important position on D in college. We gave up a school record amount of passing yards last year BEFORE the thugs were kicked off. Do I need to state the obvious?

Please.....let's not pretend that the thugs were getting any votes for All-Big Ten. Sure, their backups will struggle, but the thugs didn't exactly set the bar very high. The guys that many here are missing were more Elvis Patterson than Richard Sherman. We'll be O.K.

 

[koleszar]

Please.....let's not pretend that the thugs were getting any votes for All-Big Ten. Sure, their backups will struggle, but the thugs didn't exactly set the bar very high. The guys that many here are missing were more Elvis Patterson than Richard Sherman. We'll be O.K.

Love the Elvis "Toast" Patterson reference. Classic for us Giants fans and know exactly your meaning.

 

[jmc11201]

I think it's safe to say that there are quite a few teams on our schedule who are going to throw, throw, and throw some more, against us this season. Even if the "kids" have talent, they're very, very young and inexperienced. We know how this goes (most unfortunately).

Welcome back!

And I agree, the group of DBs will be very tested this week and all season. I am hoping for the best, but even if they get burned a bunch, considering some of them shouldn't be playing yet, I'll be more annoyed at the guys that let themselves, the team, and the fan base down than the ones out there competing.

 

[koleszar]

I just pray our DC Rossi will simplify things for them. They seemed to do fine playing man. I know it's not optimum to just play man but he should as much as possible. Better than blowing zone assignments and having no one within 20 yds of the receivers. Like we saw on the 1st touchdown.(I believe we will see lots of this as our DC is unwilling to adjust to what he has). Have a safety over the top and if they get beat they get beat. I know I won't bitch as you've done the best you could with what you have. Just don't want to see receivers wide open with no one in sight. That would be a plus.

 

[RUbacker]

I love the offense right now.

I love the D-line(though I'd love to see Hamilton back out there).

I love the starting LB's though the depth maybe lacking.

But what about the D-backs. Thought we were finally putting a good unit togethor before the arrests, but they did happen, and now we are asking a bunch of young and inexperienced guys to get out there and make plays.

Now I think with Hester healthy he and Cioffi make a good starting pairing, and Austin was thought to be the best of the (eligible) CB's. So 3/4 of the starting D backfield is still in tact, but losing 3 guys thought to be in the top 8 is going to hurt your depth. Overall however, where do we think it sits?

The thugs being arrested put us in a bad position . Chiofi is ok but not great and the other guys have promise but they are not ready for prime time . It will be a long season back there . Just have to hope we can come up with some ways to win a few. This week will tell a lot about our team .

 

[RU#1fan]

Thugs ? Ur a nerd

You are joking right ?
Not only were these clowns "Thugs" but also losers for letting down all their teammates. Some FAMILY they were.

 

[RUbacker]

You joking right ?
Not only were these clowns "Thugs" but also losers for letting down all their teammates. Some FAMILY they were.

Yep they are what they are .....thugs . Sick of these people who sugar coat and are all worried about being PC. They let everyone down and I mean everyone .

 

[ArminRU]

I just pray our DC Rossi will simplify things for them. They seemed to do fine playing man. I know it's not optimum to just play man but he should as much as possible. Better than blowing zone assignments and having no one within 20 yds of the receivers. Like we saw on the 1st touchdown.(I believe we will see lots of this as our DC is unwilling to adjust to what he has). Have a safety over the top and if they get beat they get beat. I know I won't bitch as you've done the best you could with what you have. Just don't want to see receivers wide open with no one in sight. That would be a plus.

This. We just afford to have those walk in td's where the closest defender is 20 yards away.

 

[Kbee3]

" This week will tell a lot about our team ."

Nah. There will be a bunch of posters here that will claim that WSU wasn't any good....lost to Portland State....and that the Pedd St. game will be the TRUE test.

 

[rurichdog]

As has been mentioned upthread, don't get too excited based upon the outcome of the Norfolk State game. WSU slings the rock 50+ times per game, and our secondary will do their best, but they are going to get burned early & often. They're just very green and about to be thrown into the fire.

I'm left wondering what we're going to do depth-wise. If the Fighting Leaches come out 5 wide all day long, our corners & safeties are going to need to cycle out for a few breathers, and if an injury happens...yikes.

 

[wcfan10]

We're going to get torched by Qbs every single week. Why run it on us if they can score at will through the air...

 

[RCTrooper]

Thugs ? Ur a nerd

Absolutely 100% thugs.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

We have no more use for them as players that can help win on the field so the next logical step is to label them thugs for getting into a fight. A fight that no one knows all the facts.

So, if the 4 players are found innocent are they still thugs?

 

[jerzeyguy]

Barnwell was our best CB- gone
Boggs was a starter at CB- gone
Stephenson was the starter at FS- gone
Peele was the #5 CB- gone

Don't forget Darian Dailey. Another dangerous criminal that Kyle Flood invited to the University

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Don't forget Darian Dailey. Another dangerous criminal that Kyle Flood invited to the University

okay....I'll ask you as well. If he is found innocent is he still a thug and a dangerous criminal?

 

[JQRU91]

I'm even more grateful now that Adams stayed with us when Harbaugh tried to put the press on him late in his recruiting.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

If Leach can get his QB and WRs ready to read blitzes and make quick decisions and put the ball on target we are in for a tough game.

We have seen, with too much time for route-running, our DBs will be forced into making mistakes. So, the only answer for this is the blitz early and often..force the offense to throw it early to spots you have purposefully opened. Hopefully the young DBs can blitz well.. a relatively straight-forward assignment. This will create opportunities for the offense. How well the offense can take advantage may decide this game.

On R offense, WSU's run-defense woes last week may be too much for Flood to take. He might want to run the ball 80 times and this might keep the game close enough that a quick passing team like WSU can take advantage. We may not realize we need to score quickly and often in a horse race until it is too late.

On paper, ball-control and clock domination seems to be just the answer in such a situation.. but we are going to need touchdowns and without passing the ball much we may not get those big scoring plays we may need.

 

[Degaz-RU]

Being found "not guilty" is a lot different than being determined to be "innocent."