Our Defensive Backs

#27
#27
Idk man I think you still redshirt bailey and start Maurer. Like you said, since the season is already shot, why run your prize horse in a washout? I would rather him be a redshirt freshman starting next year than a true sophomore starting next year.
Everyone gets this year back, he now gets 6 years to play 5, he'll be a Freshman next season no matter how much he plays this year.
 
#28
#28
I would like to know what everyone’s opinion is regarding our defensive backfield. I thought this was suppose to be one of TN’s strengths but it doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s loaded with high 4-stars but seems lacking. Is it coaching or a miscalculation in talent? I’m just curious.

If you look at the two deep for the 5 DB positions we have 6 three star players and 4 four star players so I don’t know if that qualifies as loaded.
 
#29
#29
I have heard that 80% of pass defense is pass rush. Some coach said that.

There is a symbiotic relationship between the DBs and the D-line. Our D-line isn’t getting the push or pressure on the QB they should be getting...this hurts tremendously. That said, they are not getting much help from the DBs or the coaching staff...let me explain. As I stated in another post, our defensive backfield, like our offense, is totally predictable and beatable. The reason is that 5 out of 6 plays we are sitting 10-12 yds off the line of scrimmage in zone. Sure this limits the big splash play, but allows all underneath timing routs (slant, drag, etc) to be completed at will. Not just this year, but since Pruitt arrived, our DBs haven’t played much man, almost never play bump and run, seldom do we see a CB or a safety blitz...no aggression whatsoever!

Our lack of aggression in the defensive backfield puts extra pressure on the line. If, for instance, we lined up in man once in a while...ran a bump and run and as a result threw the opposing teams timing route completely off then the D-line would have an extra second to get to the QB. What’s more, we become much less predictable! Doing something different and unexpected keeps the opposing team’s play calling on their heels...which will help us! Because we are almost always in zone though, never mixing it up with an aggressive blitz or man coverage, we become TOTALLY predictable like our offense. This predictability, on both sides of the ball, is killing us...and it is all on the coaching staff to mix things up! Oh, and play a different QB every now and then!! Just my ten cents. GBO!
 
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#30
#30
I really feel like we could man up and bring heat more than we do. 0 is an excellent cb. 5 is very good. 2 still needs work but love his tracking. Safeties need a lot of work. Shamb still looks like he's getting caught up.
 
#32
#32
I think they’re extremely talented. They struggle in man match zone(mental issue) and this season they’ve dropped like 15 interceptions. There also hasn’t been the same starting 5 DBs in a single game this year so it’s been difficult for units to build continuity in their roles.
 
#34
#34
Idk man I think you still redshirt bailey and start Maurer. Like you said, since the season is already shot, why run your prize horse in a washout? I would rather him be a redshirt freshman starting next year than a true sophomore starting next year.

Normally I’d i would agree with you, but you must remember this year does not count for eligibility whatsoever as this year is a freebie.
 
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#36
#36
The D is playing 3/4 of the game! If the offense could stay on the field instead of 3 n out, it would help tremendously.
 
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#37
#37
Personally, we play WAY too much zone for a team without a pass rush. If the corners and Henry T. are our best defensive players, we are essentially neutralizing them by playing as much zone as we do. I think the corners are good but if you want to nitpick the secondary, Pruitt may have placed too much emphasis on corner size and not enough on speed given how the game is played in 2020.
 
#38
#38
What is interesting to me is that Pruitt loves to be man on man on the outsides but has played a lot more zone coverage this season - partly due to he fact that the pass rush hasn't been there this season. Playing a lot of "don't get beat deep" and "playing not to lose" coverage this season rather than last season. We need our young pass rushers to develop a little more.
 
#39
#39
I would like to know what everyone’s opinion is regarding our defensive backfield. I thought this was suppose to be one of TN’s strengths but it doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s loaded with high 4-stars but seems lacking. Is it coaching or a miscalculation in talent? I’m just curious.


Vols need a defensive coach
Oh wait, we are supposed to have one, Hello, Hello anybody there?
 
#40
#40
Personally, we play WAY too much zone for a team without a pass rush. If the corners and Henry T. are our best defensive players, we are essentially neutralizing them by playing as much zone as we do. I think the corners are good but if you want to nitpick the secondary, Pruitt may have placed too much emphasis on corner size and not enough on speed given how the game is played in 2020.




Henry T needs to greatly improve his coverage skills, like everyone else on that side of the ball, coverage has been a joke
 
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#41
#41
Vols need a defensive coach
Oh wait, we are supposed to have one, Hello, Hello anybody there?

We did not make any adjustments to our gameplan once Waddle went out. I understand a utilizing a good bit of zone with Waddle and Smith but once Waddle exited, we should have made adjustments. Bama made adjustments to their gameplan and sat their #4 receiver and TE in the soft spots of the zone all day and picked up chunk yardage.
 
#42
#42
There is a symbiotic relationship between the DBs and the D-line. Our D-line isn’t getting the push or pressure on the QB they should be getting...this hurts tremendously. That said, they are not getting much help from the DBs or the coaching staff...let me explain. As I stated in another post, our defensive backfield, like our offense, is totally predictable and beatable. The reason is that 5 out of 6 plays we are sitting 10-12 yds off the line of scrimmage in zone. Sure this limits the big splash play, but allows all underneath timing routs (slant, drag, etc) to be completed at will. Not just this year, but since Pruitt arrived, our DBs haven’t played much man, almost never play bump and run, seldom do we see a CB or a safety blitz...no aggression whatsoever!

Our lack of aggression in the defensive backfield puts extra pressure on the line. If, for instance, we lined up in man once in a while...ran a bump and run and as a result threw the opposing teams timing route completely off then the D-line would have an extra second to get to the QB. What’s more, we become much less predictable! Doing something different and unexpected keeps the opposing team’s play calling on their heels...which will help us! Because we are almost always in zone though, never mixing it up with an aggressive blitz or man coverage, we become TOTALLY predictable like our offense. This predictability, on both sides of the ball, is killing us...and it is all on the coaching staff to mix things up! Oh, and play a different QB every now and then!! Just my ten cents. GBO!
 
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