Daily Short #54, September 5th, 2017: Deep Dig - Maryland Defense
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How on Earth am I going to keep this short?
How about this -- The Texas defense failed miserably in its first outing under new DC Todd Orlando (who is making $1 million a year). It looked like a unit that, more than anything, was coached terribly. It failed miserably in four key areas that all point much more back to the coaching than the level of talent on the field: 1) Inability among the defensive line and linebackers to get run fits right (specifically in the A-gaps); 2) Inability at the second and third levels of the defense to get off of downfield blocks; 3) Complete, abysmal failure in keeping contain by overcoming cut-blocks, specifically among the safeties and 4) Missed tackles. This team should have been vastly more ready and that falls directly on the plate of Tom Herman and his coaching staff. To say this performance was a cause for concern would be an understatement.
With that said, here is the player breakdown by the Deep Dig's productivity rankings through one week:
1) CB H Hill - 50 snaps; 39.24% of total defensive productivity; 2.89 snaps per production caused
Holton Hill was the star of the game and comes out of the chute as the runaway leader in defensive market share like the Deep Dig has never seen. This has to do with so little productivity among other players on defense and the fact that he scored a defensive pick-six TD right out of the gate. He did allow completions on the three times he was targeted in coverage, but was never allowed a coverage burn.
2) LB M Jefferson - 54 snaps; 12.49% of total defensive productivity; 9.82 snaps per production caused
As you'd expect, Malik Jefferson as a 100% snap participant is going to be toward the top of this list by being a warm body on the football field at his position. Despite a continued inability to gain leverage against second-level blockers and shed (this is becoming a real fundamental issue that flies in the face of so much premature first-round draft bluster) he was the team's leader in points off tackles per the Deep Dig. He also pressured the QB once and recorded one stuff but whiffed for a team-lead-tying three times on missed tackles. When this is the second-best performance of the week, you're going to be in trouble -- especially when playing against what appeared to be a mediocre team.
3) NT P Ford - 41 snaps; 11.36% of total defensive productivity; 8.20 snaps per production caused
No missed tackles for Poona Ford up front, and he actually generated two run-stuffs and one pressure. He also held up best at the line of scrimmage of any interior defensive lineman. His ability to use his long arms to press defenders off and two-gap should be helpful to the defense as a whole once the linebackers and stunters are taught how to scrape and fill correctly, but it's unlikely he'll rack up many stats on his own based on the dirty job he's asked to do at the nose.
4) LB N Hughes - 43 snaps; 10.22% of total defensive productivity; 9.56 snaps per production caused
Hughes finds himself higher up on the Deep Dig's list than I can ever remember in recent memory thanks to one nice TFL and also a run-stuff. He did have a costly horse-collar penalty, however. Not only did he dominate the B-Backer snaps, he was also more productive than backup Jeffrey McCulloch on a per-snap basis. It's concerning when considering Hughes certainly didn't light the world on fire in this one.
5) DE C Omenihu - 31 snaps; 9.08% of total defensive productivity; 7.75 snaps per production caused
The highlight of the day on defense -- outside of the pick-six from Hill -- was a nice sack by Omenihu who dominated snap counts over a Malcolm Roach who still might be ailing somewhat on his hurt foot. With that said, Roach was slightly better than Omenihu on a per-snap basis and this rotation should certainly not be as one-sided moving forward.
6) S D Elliott - 54 snaps; 6.81% of total defensive productivity; 18.00 snaps per production caused
He's sixth on the list and he missed three tackles and blew contain once while recording no other production statistics except for three solo tackles and two assists. Another ominous sign for what's to come on the list. He was not targeted in coverage during the game which kept his Deep Dig lockdown bonus intact, however.
T7) DB P Locke - 54 snaps; 6.25% of total defensive productivity; 19.64 snaps per production caused
Locke assisted on three tackles, had a pass break-up and half of a TFL which are all positive but he did allow one coverage burn (for a TD) on two targets into his coverage. He also missed a tackle and gave up a critical case of outside contain.
T7) DE M Roach - 19 snaps; 6.25% of total defensive productivity; 6.91 snaps per production caused
There was worry among many that this staff was going to "two-gap" Roach into irrelevance as a pass-rusher in this 3-4 front and after this game, I'd say their fears were well-founded until further notice. Roach was more productive than Omenihu on a per-snap basis, but didn't look like anywhere near the menace he was being groomed to become under Strong's old staff.
T9) LB B Hager - 7 snaps; 2.27% of total defensive productivity; 7.00 snaps per production caused
Hager only came in on what I believe is called "Cowboy," which is the third and long dime package similar to "Cheetah" which Charlie Strong ran last year. It replaces the two defensive ends with one extra linebacker and one extra DB. It is exceptionally sad that Hager, who tallied a grand total of one tackle on seven snaps, is this high up the list. It's even more sad that he and Roach, last year's runaway leaders in these very same market-share rankings, appear to be set for underutilization by the new staff until shown otherwise.
T9) LB J McCulloch - 11 snaps; 2.27% of total defensive productivity; 11.00 snaps per production caused
Like Hager, McCulloch came in mostly on Cowboy and only played 4 snaps in a base B-Backer capacity. He had two assisted tackles on 11 snaps and failed to make any pass-rush impact.
11) DB J Bonney - 7 snaps; 1.72% of total defensive productivity; 9.22 snaps per production caused
As with the two players above, Bonney came in in Cowboy, playing what I'm assuming is the "Cowboy" or sixth DB position that lines up all over the formation in many different spots. It's a good role for Bonney who's played every position in the defensive backfield. He assisted on one tackle and preserved his tiny amortized percentage of a lockdown bonus as he was never targeted in coverage.
12) LB A Wheeler - 54 snaps; 1.14% of total defensive productivity; 108.00 snaps per production cause
The last member of the defense on the list before we get to the "No productivity" and "Negative productivity" guys is your mike linebacker, who should, as a function of just being a human lined up on the field in his position, be atop these rankings. Wheeler was a 100% snap participant but only had one solo and one assisted tackle along with zero run stuffs. Unacceptable. He did have on QB hit, but I'm not even sure the Deep Dig should have credited him with it as it came on a screen play.
T13) CB D Davis - 4 snaps; No productivity
T13) DE C Nelson - 37 snaps; No productivity (yikes)
T13) DE T Graham - 10 snaps; No productivity
T13) NT G Wilbon - 5 snaps; No productivity
17) DE J Chisolm - 5 snaps; NEGATIVE productivity
While he got decent upfield penetration on one play, it was in an out-of-control fashion, and in general, he needs to work on keeping his head up and not going to the ground so easily. He didn't record any productivity statistics but missed one tackle.
18) S B Jones - 54 snaps; NEGATIVE productivity
An abysmal effort from Jones was highlighted by one coverage burn on two throws into his coverage as well as four missed tackles and three instances of blowing contain when the defense (presumably) had sky calls on. Jones simply needs to be taught how to take on blocks in free space and keep the outside half of his body free as the force player.
19) CB K Boyd - 54 snaps; NEGATIVE productivity
And finally (aren't you glad it's close to being over?) Kris Boyd takes the cake as the least productive player on the Texas defense to start 2017. On top of missing three tackles, he was thrown at three times and allowed completions on each one, with two resulting in coverage burns. One for a touchdown and another on a critical third-and-long.
presented by the Dental Offices of Wendy Swantkowski, DDS
The Absolute BEST in family and cosmetic dentistry for the Houston-Memorial Area
Now Accepting New Patients --- 281-293-9140
How on Earth am I going to keep this short?
How about this -- The Texas defense failed miserably in its first outing under new DC Todd Orlando (who is making $1 million a year). It looked like a unit that, more than anything, was coached terribly. It failed miserably in four key areas that all point much more back to the coaching than the level of talent on the field: 1) Inability among the defensive line and linebackers to get run fits right (specifically in the A-gaps); 2) Inability at the second and third levels of the defense to get off of downfield blocks; 3) Complete, abysmal failure in keeping contain by overcoming cut-blocks, specifically among the safeties and 4) Missed tackles. This team should have been vastly more ready and that falls directly on the plate of Tom Herman and his coaching staff. To say this performance was a cause for concern would be an understatement.
With that said, here is the player breakdown by the Deep Dig's productivity rankings through one week:
1) CB H Hill - 50 snaps; 39.24% of total defensive productivity; 2.89 snaps per production caused
Holton Hill was the star of the game and comes out of the chute as the runaway leader in defensive market share like the Deep Dig has never seen. This has to do with so little productivity among other players on defense and the fact that he scored a defensive pick-six TD right out of the gate. He did allow completions on the three times he was targeted in coverage, but was never allowed a coverage burn.
2) LB M Jefferson - 54 snaps; 12.49% of total defensive productivity; 9.82 snaps per production caused
As you'd expect, Malik Jefferson as a 100% snap participant is going to be toward the top of this list by being a warm body on the football field at his position. Despite a continued inability to gain leverage against second-level blockers and shed (this is becoming a real fundamental issue that flies in the face of so much premature first-round draft bluster) he was the team's leader in points off tackles per the Deep Dig. He also pressured the QB once and recorded one stuff but whiffed for a team-lead-tying three times on missed tackles. When this is the second-best performance of the week, you're going to be in trouble -- especially when playing against what appeared to be a mediocre team.
3) NT P Ford - 41 snaps; 11.36% of total defensive productivity; 8.20 snaps per production caused
No missed tackles for Poona Ford up front, and he actually generated two run-stuffs and one pressure. He also held up best at the line of scrimmage of any interior defensive lineman. His ability to use his long arms to press defenders off and two-gap should be helpful to the defense as a whole once the linebackers and stunters are taught how to scrape and fill correctly, but it's unlikely he'll rack up many stats on his own based on the dirty job he's asked to do at the nose.
4) LB N Hughes - 43 snaps; 10.22% of total defensive productivity; 9.56 snaps per production caused
Hughes finds himself higher up on the Deep Dig's list than I can ever remember in recent memory thanks to one nice TFL and also a run-stuff. He did have a costly horse-collar penalty, however. Not only did he dominate the B-Backer snaps, he was also more productive than backup Jeffrey McCulloch on a per-snap basis. It's concerning when considering Hughes certainly didn't light the world on fire in this one.
5) DE C Omenihu - 31 snaps; 9.08% of total defensive productivity; 7.75 snaps per production caused
The highlight of the day on defense -- outside of the pick-six from Hill -- was a nice sack by Omenihu who dominated snap counts over a Malcolm Roach who still might be ailing somewhat on his hurt foot. With that said, Roach was slightly better than Omenihu on a per-snap basis and this rotation should certainly not be as one-sided moving forward.
6) S D Elliott - 54 snaps; 6.81% of total defensive productivity; 18.00 snaps per production caused
He's sixth on the list and he missed three tackles and blew contain once while recording no other production statistics except for three solo tackles and two assists. Another ominous sign for what's to come on the list. He was not targeted in coverage during the game which kept his Deep Dig lockdown bonus intact, however.
T7) DB P Locke - 54 snaps; 6.25% of total defensive productivity; 19.64 snaps per production caused
Locke assisted on three tackles, had a pass break-up and half of a TFL which are all positive but he did allow one coverage burn (for a TD) on two targets into his coverage. He also missed a tackle and gave up a critical case of outside contain.
T7) DE M Roach - 19 snaps; 6.25% of total defensive productivity; 6.91 snaps per production caused
There was worry among many that this staff was going to "two-gap" Roach into irrelevance as a pass-rusher in this 3-4 front and after this game, I'd say their fears were well-founded until further notice. Roach was more productive than Omenihu on a per-snap basis, but didn't look like anywhere near the menace he was being groomed to become under Strong's old staff.
T9) LB B Hager - 7 snaps; 2.27% of total defensive productivity; 7.00 snaps per production caused
Hager only came in on what I believe is called "Cowboy," which is the third and long dime package similar to "Cheetah" which Charlie Strong ran last year. It replaces the two defensive ends with one extra linebacker and one extra DB. It is exceptionally sad that Hager, who tallied a grand total of one tackle on seven snaps, is this high up the list. It's even more sad that he and Roach, last year's runaway leaders in these very same market-share rankings, appear to be set for underutilization by the new staff until shown otherwise.
T9) LB J McCulloch - 11 snaps; 2.27% of total defensive productivity; 11.00 snaps per production caused
Like Hager, McCulloch came in mostly on Cowboy and only played 4 snaps in a base B-Backer capacity. He had two assisted tackles on 11 snaps and failed to make any pass-rush impact.
11) DB J Bonney - 7 snaps; 1.72% of total defensive productivity; 9.22 snaps per production caused
As with the two players above, Bonney came in in Cowboy, playing what I'm assuming is the "Cowboy" or sixth DB position that lines up all over the formation in many different spots. It's a good role for Bonney who's played every position in the defensive backfield. He assisted on one tackle and preserved his tiny amortized percentage of a lockdown bonus as he was never targeted in coverage.
12) LB A Wheeler - 54 snaps; 1.14% of total defensive productivity; 108.00 snaps per production cause
The last member of the defense on the list before we get to the "No productivity" and "Negative productivity" guys is your mike linebacker, who should, as a function of just being a human lined up on the field in his position, be atop these rankings. Wheeler was a 100% snap participant but only had one solo and one assisted tackle along with zero run stuffs. Unacceptable. He did have on QB hit, but I'm not even sure the Deep Dig should have credited him with it as it came on a screen play.
T13) CB D Davis - 4 snaps; No productivity
T13) DE C Nelson - 37 snaps; No productivity (yikes)
T13) DE T Graham - 10 snaps; No productivity
T13) NT G Wilbon - 5 snaps; No productivity
17) DE J Chisolm - 5 snaps; NEGATIVE productivity
While he got decent upfield penetration on one play, it was in an out-of-control fashion, and in general, he needs to work on keeping his head up and not going to the ground so easily. He didn't record any productivity statistics but missed one tackle.
18) S B Jones - 54 snaps; NEGATIVE productivity
An abysmal effort from Jones was highlighted by one coverage burn on two throws into his coverage as well as four missed tackles and three instances of blowing contain when the defense (presumably) had sky calls on. Jones simply needs to be taught how to take on blocks in free space and keep the outside half of his body free as the force player.
19) CB K Boyd - 54 snaps; NEGATIVE productivity
And finally (aren't you glad it's close to being over?) Kris Boyd takes the cake as the least productive player on the Texas defense to start 2017. On top of missing three tackles, he was thrown at three times and allowed completions on each one, with two resulting in coverage burns. One for a touchdown and another on a critical third-and-long.
