Loss is on Bettcher

[Stout]

Not singling you out Stout, but this is the most regurgitated pile of crap that is being spewed. I got tired of looking at last years first half stats VS second half stats, but I can truly say that adjustments were made. It has also been reported that Bettcher help or made most of the half time adjustments when Bowels was the DC. So lets stop this nonsense, just because one person says it, doesn't make it true.

Sorry, Wisconsin. I'm basing it off what my own eyes observed.

 

[Chopper0080]

Ok, so here is why I am critical of Bettcher...we are 28th in the NFL in opponent third down conversion percentage allowing 51.72% completion. Bettcher also has not shown the ability to generate pressure to get stops. If you can't generate pressure vs 1on1 matchups, you have to create it, and Bettcher has not shown he can do this. Lastly, Bettcher has yet to show the ability to take a team's best option away from it. New England's strength is a short, quick passing game, Bettcher did nothing to take that away. Tampa's best offensiv e weapon is Evans, Bettcher did not take that away.

I'm not saying Bettcher is not a league average defensive coordinator, but he shown nothing to show that he elevates this defense. I can put Peterson manonman vs Evans. I can tell Bucannon to read and react. I can tell jones to rush the end. None of those things elevates those players, it is just telling them to be them.

 

[JeffGollin]

Funny - all it took was for us to plug the hole in the #2 CB dyke and Bettcher instantly morphs from idiot into genius.

 

[GuernseyCard]

Ok, so here is why I am critical of Bettcher...we are 28th in the NFL in opponent third down conversion percentage allowing 51.72% completion. Bettcher also has not shown the ability to generate pressure to get stops. If you can't generate pressure vs 1on1 matchups, you have to create it, and Bettcher has not shown he can do this. Lastly, Bettcher has yet to show the ability to take a team's best option away from it. New England's strength is a short, quick passing game, Bettcher did nothing to take that away. Tampa's best offensiv e weapon is Evans, Bettcher did not take that away.

I'm not saying Bettcher is not a league average defensive coordinator, but he shown nothing to show that he elevates this defense. I can put Peterson manonman vs Evans. I can tell Bucannon to read and react. I can tell jones to rush the end. None of those things elevates those players, it is just telling them to be them.

NE passed for 264 yards; 65 on two plays involving Williams, where he first misunderstood the coverage and got greedy on the second. Most of the gains on the day were after the catch, which speaks to poor tackling. Evans scored 1-TD on a great inside out move against arguably the best cover corner in the League.

Hard to see that this is as a result of Bettcher's failings.

No idea what a D-coordinator can do to "elevate" the players beyond call the formation and trust the players to execute.

We held a Tampa offence to 7 points a week after they scored 31, and more than few on this board had the 'willies' in the days prior. No doubt, there were mistakes by all against the PATS, but I saw adjustment and improvement in game two.

 

[Chopper0080]

NE passed for 264 yards; 65 on two plays involving Williams, where he first misunderstood the coverage and got greedy on the second. Most of the gains on the day were after the catch, which speaks to poor tackling. Evans scored 1-TD on a great inside out move against arguably the best cover corner in the League.

Hard to see that this is as a result of Bettcher's failings.

No idea what a D-coordinator can do to "elevate" the players beyond call the formation and trust the players to execute.

We held a Tampa offence to 7 points a week after they scored 31, and more than few on this board had the 'willies' in the days prior. No doubt, there were mistakes by all against the PATS, but I saw adjustment and improvement in game two.

Who is in charge on ensuring that our players work the appropriate amount of time on tackling?

I don't hate the effort that the Cardinals had in week 2, but I would not say that the Bucs are a big challenge either. My big issues with the game are the lack of a pass rush, the inability to take away Evans other than just putting Peterson on him and, and our effort out of halftime.

Nothing vs Tampa made me change my concerns with Bettcher. He wasn't able to take away what the other team did best. Bettcher was not able to manufacture a pass rush in key situations. He has not emphasized tackling to the point where we saw any improvement. Until Bettcher is able to do those things, he is JAG as a defensive coordinator, and we will never be better than our talent on defense.

 

[GuernseyCard]

Who is in charge on ensuring that our players work the appropriate amount of time on tackling?

I don't hate the effort that the Cardinals had in week 2, but I would not say that the Bucs are a big challenge either. My big issues with the game are the lack of a pass rush, the inability to take away Evans other than just putting Peterson on him and, and our effort out of halftime.

Nothing vs Tampa made me change my concerns with Bettcher. He wasn't able to take away what the other team did best. Bettcher was not able to manufacture a pass rush in key situations. He has not emphasized tackling to the point where we saw any improvement. Until Bettcher is able to do those things, he is JAG as a defensive coordinator, and we will never be better than our talent on defense.

Don't mean to be snide, but I clearly missed the game you're addressing and I watched it twice.

 

[wa52lz]

Ok, so here is why I am critical of Bettcher...we are 28th in the NFL in opponent third down conversion percentage allowing 51.72% completion.

Isnt a 2 game sample too small to make a judgment on his ability to call a 3rd down defense, especially when they were so bad against NE? If not I'll give you week 12-13 of 2015 as a proof he his great on 3rd downs, teams converted on 3rd down at only a 4.7% rate. Overall his defense was 8th in 3rd down percentage in 2015 @ 36%, which is in line with the 38% rate the Bucs converted at Sunday. NE converting @ 63% was an issue but there is a strong chance its an outlier against a team that is/was really good on 3rd downs this season. They were 4 of 6 against Miami prior to JG going down, including 2 TDS, and one of the fails was due to Amendola fumbling after a 15yd gain on a 3rd and 8.

 

[TJ]

And how did that defense look against any of the good teams we played? It's easier to play D when your offense is blowing out the other team.

Great offensive teams putting up stout numbers is no shame, it's teams that allow bottom-tier offenses to score is what's most disconcerting. We hung 39 on Seattle and 34 on Cincy. The Bills, supposedly a defensive team, allowing the Jets to drop 37 on them last Thursday is cause for concern. For most of the 2015 season, the defense did what it needed to do against average-to-below average offensive teams and that was nullify them.

 

[Russ Smith]

I think we need more time to judge how good he is this year. Game 1 the problem was largely Brandon Williams, he gave them 14 points.

 

[Buckybird]

I'm more worried about Bettcher when we play against the best QBs & offenses in the league. A stagnant pass rush with little creativity in the blitz scheme can be a defensive killer against most of those teams.

Carolina & the Hawks & hopefully the playoffs will be those games. This D struggled down the stretch giving up points under his watch

 

[GuernseyCard]

I'm more worried about Bettcher when we play against the best QBs & offenses in the league. A stagnant pass rush with little creativity in the blitz scheme can be a defensive killer against most of those teams.

Carolina & the Hawks & hopefully the playoffs will be those games. This D struggled down the stretch giving up points under his watch

After the first two games, I'd say games against the Seahawks would be nothing but fun for our pass rush.

 

[Mitch]

There was a vast improvement this week. Players were tackling and covering (back to man coverage)---so well that the mediocre pass rush wasn't an issue.

While i've mentioned this before, I do not blame James Bettcher. At crunch times, he's being instructed by BA---it was BA's call to shun the prevent versus Rodgers' Hail Mary and it was BA's call to switch to zone versus the Patriots. And who knows whether it was BA's call to change the defense last year for the Panthers' game---whomever it was, that was a significant mistake. Changing the calls is BA's prerogative---but typically when an offensive-minded head coach starts making calls for the defense, particularly when he wasn't doing that with Todd Bowles---it creates a perception that the defensive coordinator's authority is in question---and once the players get a whiff of that---it's tough on the DC.

In a sense, James Bettcher can't win in this scenario. If the defense is doing well, it's because of the talent. If the defense is struggling, it's Bettcher's fault. That's often the case for veteran DCs on good teams, but in Bettcher's case, because he was a surprise choice (per his 3 years of NFL and no college experience as a DC) over the likes of Dick LeBeau (who was very much available), the brunt of the blame will fall on his shoulders. But, BA is the one to question and he is the one who put a very young coach in the crosshairs.

Curious but it looked during the Bucs game that Bettcher was standing alone most of the time and he didn't have a play sheet in his hands. Could it be that BA was having a coach from the booth call in the plays? Bettcher was very much into the game---he was very intense and was fist pumping when the defense was making big plays...but he looked very much alone and not as engaged in the play calling as he was previously. Anyone else notice that?

Who knows what's really going on? Like what is going on with the pass rush? The Cardinals have Tom Pratt and Brenston Buckner coaching the outside and inside pass rushers---so one would think those players are in great hands---and BA goes and keeps 9 interior defensive linemen and thus far not one of them has established himself as a legitimate inside pass rushing threat. On the outside, Golden and Jones are struggling to turn the corner---and they are getting gassed because there is little depth behind them. Bettcher was the OLB coach before he got promoted and that was supposedly his forte as a player and a college coach---but, man, it is still the same old lack of pressure play after play, save when John Abraham and Dwight Freeney were suiting up.

Then---why in the world was Brandon Williams asked as a raw rookie to play press coverage rather than to play off-coverage so as to keep the plays in front of him and have a better chance of seeing the ball? Cooper comes in and they play him in off-coverage and he shines. Defense doesn't have to be made harder than it already is.

 

[GuernseyCard]

According to the man who knew (Dick Lebeau) he, for family reasons (wife's job), was not available.

Against NE, Williams got burned because he missed the 'man' call and stayed in zone thinking he had help. On the second catch, he got greedy.

 

[Mitch]

According to the man who knew (Dick Lebeau) he, for family reasons (wife's job), was not available.

Against NE, Williams got burned because he missed the 'man' call and stayed in zone thinking he had help. On the second catch, he got greedy.

That was when LeBeau was offered to be a mentor to Bettcher, not the DC. That was hardly an offer he couldn't refuse.

 

[GuernseyCard]

That was when LeBeau was offered to be a mentor to Bettcher, not the DC. That was hardly an offer he couldn't refuse.

Well, he wasn't initially hired as D-C by the Titans (Asst H-C Defence - like Tom Moore Asst H-C Offence) He took over the role when Horton left.

 

[cardncubfan]

Where is Horton at now btw?

 

[Chopper0080]

Where is Horton at now btw?

Gettin his cornrows tiiiiiiiiiiiiiighhhhhhhtttttt!

 

[Cardiac]

Where is Horton at now btw?

Browns DC.

 

[DVontel]

I do wish Bettcher had the benefit of coaching the likes of DWash & Dansby, a great & a good LBer during their time here, like Bowles did.

I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Buckybird]

After the first two games, I'd say games against the Seahawks would be nothing but fun for our pass rush.

Problem is they started out slow the last 2 years offensively & they were shut down this year by the Lambs who have given them fits for years.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the lack of pass rushers & lack of speed at LB kills the Redbirds against the Hawks. They've repeatedly killed our defense without DWash & Los. It's been a bad matchup.

 

[TJ]

Where is Horton at now btw?

During the day he is DC for the Browns. At night, he pouts in a corner about how he wasn't seriously considered for the Cards HC job in 2013.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I do wish Bettcher had the benefit of coaching the likes of DWash & Dansby, a great & a good LBer during their time here, like Bowles did.

I'll just leave it at that.

You can leave it at that, but in doing so, you left out that Bowles didn't have either one of them the next season when the D was miraculously almost as good before collapsing at the end of the season with a 3rd string QB at the helm.

 

[DVontel]

You can leave it at that, but in doing so, you left out that Bowles didn't have either one of them the next season when the D was miraculously almost as good before collapsing at the end of the season with a 3rd string QB at the helm.

No it wasn't. We gave up A LOT more yards in 2014 without DWash/Dansby compared 2013 with DWash/Dansby. Giants, Eagles, & Broncos shredded us & they were all games early in the season.

2013 YDS/G - 317.4
2014 YDS/G - 368.2

2013 DVOA - 2nd
2014 DVOA - 7th

I will say though, we did clamp down once the opponent got near the end zone. Bend-don't-Break.

2013 PPG/G - 20
2014 PPG/G - 18.7.


We were still good when it came to run D, but pass D decreased heavy in 2014 compared to 2013.

 

[sunsfan88]

I do wish Bettcher had the benefit of coaching the likes of DWash & Dansby, a great & a good LBer during their time here, like Bowles did.

I'll just leave it at that.

Chandler Jones is arguably better than both.

 

[DVontel]

Chandler Jones is arguably better than both.

Is Chandler Jones 2 people?