I expect a rejuvinated Everson Griffen
It hasn't been talked about, but Griffen looked a bit tired and worn down the last 3 games. This two weeks of rest are going to help him, IMO, big time. I expect him to have a nice game against the Saints.
I'm hoping his foot problem has eased up some and healed a bit. I want that man going at full throttle after Brees...
No, it's been talked about SB. EG is dealing with Plantar Fascia and it's really hampered him and as you have pointed out.
The rest should do him a lot of good and we'll need him back 100% this week no doubt. Rudy should benefit this week too with a bum ankle.
I actually forgot about the plantar fasciatis believe it or not.....
I think 3t is one of our biggest needs next year. The pass rush from the DL seems to have tapered-off this season. Some of it is EG, some of it is we've had to play contain at times vs sack (ie vs Hundley). But its not as ferocious a rush as we've seen other seasons.
Zim is a master at D. Him and Edwards together VERY GOOD. We'll see what they come up with. And Peyton is very good on offense. Should be a hell of a chess match Sunday.
I'm sure EG's foot is bothering and affecting him, but a lot of the reduced pass rush is also Zim keeping the dogs chained up and playing a contain D. I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that he has ultimate faith in our DBs' covering anyone and everyone, while the DL plays run contain. QB's are only going to hold the ball and stay in the pocket for 3 to 5 seconds before either throwing it away or scrambling for their lives. If the opponent has a PLUS running game, you want guys in their lanes, controlling the line. This D has contained everything, every Offense has thrown at us, with few exceptions. Dr. Drew isn't mobile, but their running game is lights out this year. We aren't going to surprise Drew with blitz's. We aren't going to show him something he has never seen before. For those reasons I expect us to play a contain style D again. Contain their running backs and let the DBs do their jobs. Sacks are fun, but they don't mean shit if your getting torched 4 out of 5 times you try it.
Griffin will need to regain his old form which will also help Hunter be more effective, but we also need a strong push up the middle by Joseph and Johnson to make Brees uncomfortable. We may not get many sacks on Brees, but we can disrupt his timing.
@"TBro" said: Griffin will need to regain his old form which will also help Hunter be more effective, but we also need a strong push up the middle by Joseph and Johnson to make Brees uncomfortable. We may not get many sacks on Brees, but we can disrupt his timing.exactly, hits and hurries are often just as effective as sacks in the grand scheme of things. one reason why I've said for years that BRob was underappreciated, while his sack numbers were never mind blowing, the amounts of hurries and pressures he was credited for (without giving up his containg and run stopping responsibilities) from the left side were difference makers in many many games.
Plantar Fascitis takes many months to fully heal. Will he be better with a week off? Marginally. He's in pain. Remember when Moss had it and it completely affected his ability to run routes?
@"Montana Tom" said: Plantar Fascitis takes many months to fully heal. Will he be better with a week off? Marginally. He's in pain. Remember when Moss had it and it completely affected his ability to run routes?the only thing that will heal that is rest... months of it. the two weeks off may help him, but its not like he is really resting, Griff cant afford the time off right now so he will try to just bite his lip and power through the pain, but make no mistake he will be limited the rest of this season, however long that may be.
@"JimmyinSD" said:I agree it's noticiable Griff's not playing at his usual level. He's still out there, but he's not as quick and agile on his pass rush. BRob, on the otherhand, has really stepped up recently, and is now making the big plays.@"TBro" said: Griffin will need to regain his old form which will also help Hunter be more effective, but we also need a strong push up the middle by Joseph and Johnson to make Brees uncomfortable. We may not get many sacks on Brees, but we can disrupt his timing. exactly, hits and hurries are often just as effective as sacks in the grand scheme of things. one reason why I've said for years that BRob was underappreciated, while his sack numbers were never mind blowing, the amounts of hurries and pressures he was credited for (without giving up his containg and run stopping responsibilities) from the left side were difference makers in many many games.Hope Griff's better, but I think BRob will be causing lots of problems for Brees on Sunday.
@"JimmyinSD" said:Hits and hurries are huge in games. Especially if you have a QB that plays terrible under pressure. I think Zimmer will come up with an all new game plan@"TBro" said: Griffin will need to regain his old form which will also help Hunter be more effective, but we also need a strong push up the middle by Joseph and Johnson to make Brees uncomfortable. We may not get many sacks on Brees, but we can disrupt his timing. exactly, hits and hurries are often just as effective as sacks in the grand scheme of things. one reason why I've said for years that BRob was underappreciated, while his sack numbers were never mind blowing, the amounts of hurries and pressures he was credited for (without giving up his containg and run stopping responsibilities) from the left side were difference makers in many many games.
I've had plantar fasciitis...it's not really painful (mine wasn't) it's just a nagging and annoying condition. What happens is you tear the tendon likely from the heal and then a bone spur forms to reattach the tendon. That feels like a pebble under your heal. If the plantar tendon is torn on the arch that could be debilitating and continuously at risk for further tears and damage. I suspect they tape his foot so tight that he doesn't get leverage while pushing forward. FWIW I'm not a Dr. so this post could be obliterated by a real Doc B)
@"Canthony" said:he doesnt need to reinvent the wheel to beat the aints, he just needs his guys to play 100% for the whole game and we will laugh on monday about how over concerned we were for this game....@"JimmyinSD" said:Hits and hurries are huge in games. Especially if you have a QB that plays terrible under pressure. I think Zimmer will come up with an all new game plan@"TBro" said: Griffin will need to regain his old form which will also help Hunter be more effective, but we also need a strong push up the middle by Joseph and Johnson to make Brees uncomfortable. We may not get many sacks on Brees, but we can disrupt his timing. exactly, hits and hurries are often just as effective as sacks in the grand scheme of things. one reason why I've said for years that BRob was underappreciated, while his sack numbers were never mind blowing, the amounts of hurries and pressures he was credited for (without giving up his containg and run stopping responsibilities) from the left side were difference makers in many many games.now a superbowl against Brady.. yeah I would definitely want to add some new wrinkles. Brady makes mistakes, but not usually more than once so the key to beating him is making him make some errors and then having an offense that can capitalize on them.
@"JimmyinSD" said: we will laugh on monday about how over concerned we were for this game....
This is how I feel about this game. But then again that's just my purple stupidity.....
@"Mike Olson" said:@"JimmyinSD" said: we will laugh on monday about how over concerned we were for this game....
This is how I feel about this game. But then again that's just my purple stupidity.....
well thats the fun thing about making statements about events to come... somebody will be right and somebody will be eating crow and then we get to see who is truly stupid.
@"JimmyinSD" said:@"Mike Olson" said:@"JimmyinSD" said: we will laugh on monday about how over concerned we were for this game....
This is how I feel about this game. But then again that's just my purple stupidity.....
well thats the fun thing about making statements about events to come... somebody will be right and somebody will be eating crow and then we get to see who is truly stupid.
I just didn't know you could be called stupid for being confident in your team on a message board devoted to that team. I am learning every day.
@"Mike Olson" said:@"JimmyinSD" said:@"Mike Olson" said:@"JimmyinSD" said: we will laugh on monday about how over concerned we were for this game....
This is how I feel about this game. But then again that's just my purple stupidity.....
well thats the fun thing about making statements about events to come... somebody will be right and somebody will be eating crow and then we get to see who is truly stupid.
I just didn't know you could be called stupid for being confident in your team on a message board devoted to that team. I am learning every day.
@"Mike Olson" said:@"JimmyinSD" said:@"Mike Olson" said:@"JimmyinSD" said: we will laugh on monday about how over concerned we were for this game....
This is how I feel about this game. But then again that's just my purple stupidity.....
well thats the fun thing about making statements about events to come... somebody will be right and somebody will be eating crow and then we get to see who is truly stupid.
I just didn't know you could be called stupid for being confident in your team on a message board devoted to that team. I am learning every day.
well.... some are more jaded than others and are less tolerant of others view points.... B)
@"purplefaithful" said: I think 3t is one of our biggest needs next year. The pass rush from the DL seems to have tapered-off this season. Some of it is EG, some of it is we've had to play contain at times vs sack (ie vs Hundley). But its not as ferocious a rush as we've seen other seasons.Zim is a master at D. Him and Edwards together VERY GOOD. We'll see what they come up with. And Peyton is very good on offense. Should be a hell of a chess match Sunday.
Hunter joined the xmen. His power is invisability. Brob slowed a step this year it seemed? All might be by scheme?
@"AGRforever" said:@"purplefaithful" said: I think 3t is one of our biggest needs next year. The pass rush from the DL seems to have tapered-off this season. Some of it is EG, some of it is we've had to play contain at times vs sack (ie vs Hundley). But its not as ferocious a rush as we've seen other seasons.Zim is a master at D. Him and Edwards together VERY GOOD. We'll see what they come up with. And Peyton is very good on offense. Should be a hell of a chess match Sunday.
Hunter joined the xmen. His power is invisability. Brob slowed a step this year it seemed? All might be by scheme?
I don't know that he really slowed this year especially after running a screen down from behind a few games ago. I think it was the Cincy game. I do believe in that game he also had 2 of our 3 sacks and was 2nd in tackles. If that's slowing down then so be it.
Honestly, he probably is but i think he is still plenty savvy and gets plenty of rest so i believe he may have benefited from going from 80+% of the defensive snaps to about 50% or a little more.
And actually i think Griff, Hunter and Brian all 3 along with Joseph and Johnson. Basically our entire DLine need to have a good game for us to win.
I think Brian really has to have a good game and here is the reason why.
Passing downs are his time to take over the defense and when he's out there on passing downs the coaches put the defense, especially the DLine, in his hands. He's free to change the sline and place players in position to make plays. Not necessarily put himself in position to make plays. In fact, many many times this year i saw where the opposing OLinemen doubled and sometimes triple teamed Brian while singling up on both Griff and Hunter. The reason, i believe is because the opposing OLinemen believe he is placing himself in position to make a play. With Brian he places himself in a position to draw blockers away from other players and if it doesn't work and they leave him one on one then it's time for him to step up. I still feel that his best position is at LDE, when he's allowed to just pass rush but he's been pretty decent at doing what he's doing when moving around as a LB along the DLine.
However, in this game i think his game has to be sharp between the ears. In eecent interviews he elaborated on what his job is on passing downs and if Brees is going to be Brees then he will be passing a lot this game which should compute to Brian being in there a lot. That is iespecially true if we stop the run early
That said, Brian explained in recent interviews that when he comes in on nickel defenses, he first has to decipher the QB and OLine calls for their protection. Then he makes a call, moves guys around or moves himself around. Forcing the opposition to change their calls and just as they do he makes a move or changes the call again. By this time the clock is running down and the offense has to go with their last play call. As he told me, he's having a ball doing this and waching the chess match going back and forth. He enjoys the mental aspect and confusing the shit out of the OLine. Add in the crowd noise on Sunday and it'll be very hard for the Aints offense.
However this is going to be a huge challenge and the reason why i believe Brian has to have a great game for us to be successful, not necessarily in terms of sacks, tackles etc. but he has to have a great game between the ears. Why because he will be going against another great football mind, Brees!! What Brian does when he is doing what he is suppose to do is not shown in his stat sheet. Instead it is shown in the defensive stat sheet. Knowing this i think he's had a helluva year this year. No not overwhelming stats, but probably the most impressive stat that reflects what he has done is the fact that this defense is the #1 defense on 3rd downs. The down that he is on the field the most and the down that he's in charge of.
Oh yeah, when he is playing his old LDE position, in relief role, he needs to play it the way he use to and put some hits, sacks or pressures on Brees.
This is the playoffs guys and these games will be won or lost just like any other football game, not by the specialty players like the QBs, RBs, WRs and DBs, but this game will be won or lost by the play in the trenches, by the big uglies!!
I say this with all the confidence in the world that we have the advantage in the trenches, especially when it comes to our DLine, who are the BEST AND BADDEST MOTHER F-ERS IN THE NFL!!
SKOL BROTHERS!!!!!
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