Originally posted by Wubbie:
Originally posted by DRCHOWDER:
Originally posted by dj43:
Originally posted by DRCHOWDER:
this guy has been on a tear the past 4 weeks. KEEP IT UP SON!
Yesterday Greg Papa pointed out that the turnaround for the defense has coincided with putting Thomas on the corner and moving Lenoir to the slot. Lenoir is better in the slot than was Oliver and Thomas has been lights out on the edge.
Everyone said Ambry had talent but he missed his final year of college and had a lot of work to do to regain his form and confidence. It certainly looks like he has arrived as a quality CB. His work over the past two weeks has been stellar.
if Lenoir and Thomas can maintain this high level of play rest of season, we will be holding the Lombardi come Feb.
That play where the Eagles ran double posts, and Jalen Hurts just backpedal'd and fell down... resulting in a Kinlaw sack.
IIRC, Lenoir and Thomas were covering A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith in one-on-one coverage. Absolutely locked them down.
Moving Lenoir to the Slot and bringing Ambry Thomas in on the boundary will go down as one of the best moves of season. Wilks' influence on this secondary will be his legacy here. If we look back on the Shanahan era, each of the DCs has had a hand in progress this defensive unit forward. Saleh established culture/identity and installed the foundations of the current scheme. Ryans brought the Wide 9 rush and made the Warner/Greenlaw duo the most dominant in the league (They were already pretty damn good, but under Ryans they moved into legendary status). Now Wilks' influence on the secondary is starting to come into focus. The pass rush plan to keep Hurts in the pocket meant that he had all the time in the world to work and this unit shut down one of the best receiving groups in the NFL. So great to watch. Next steps:
- Teaching Lenoir the slot blitz. K'Waun Williams was elite in this area. Oliver had some nice moments in the beginning of the season, so you know they want to use it. I think we will see it against slower pocket passers like Howell and Stafford at the end of the season.
- Shore up safety play. Logan Ryan seems like the perfect vet to come in and impact the room positively. Tig Brown has the ability. Wilks and the other vets just need to help him grow. If he falters, Wilks needs to have Gipson/Ryan/Oliver ready to go.
- Ambry Thomas needs to be consistent. Now that he is having some success, he needs to hold onto that confidence and trust himself and his defense. He is going to give up some big plays. He can make them too and I think Wilks has shown more confidence in him that past coaches.