masthead.jpg

switchconcepts.com, U3dpdGNo-a25, DIRECT rubiconproject.com, 14766, RESELLER pubmatic.com, 30666, RESELLER, 5d62403b186f2ace appnexus.com, 1117, RESELLER thetradedesk.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER taboola.com, switchconceptopenrtb, RESELLER bidswitch.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER contextweb.com, 560031, RESELLER amazon-adsystem.com, 3160, RESELLER crimtan.com, switch, RESELLER quantcast.com, switchconcepts , RESELLER rhythmone.com, 1934627955, RESELLER ssphwy.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER emxdgt.com, 59, RESELLER appnexus.com, 1356, RESELLER sovrn.com, 96786, RESELLER, fafdf38b16bf6b2b indexexchange.com, 180008, RESELLER nativeads.com, 52853, RESELLER theagency.com, 1058, RESELLER google.com, pub-3515913239267445, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
August 11, 2007

Practices Move to Pads

Filed under: Coaches,Football,Practice,Wannstedt — Chas @ 11:34 pm

Another late day so time to do this quickly.

Practices are in pads from here on out. It means injuries of the season ending kind, unfortunately, can be expected at some point. It’s simply the nature of contact drills. Derek Kinder went down without contact today. It was his knee and it was X-rayed. Not much else right now.

Look, I’m very biased against Defensive Coordinator Paul Rhoads, so at this point, there isn’t much he can say in the pre-season that I won’t want to twist into something that mocks him or is just completely sarcastic. Hardly a revelation, but I was reminded of that when I read the piece on the defense today.

The second is tinkering with the defensive scheme and putting the Panthers’ best players in the best position to make plays.

To that end, the Panthers are using more five-man fronts and also bringing a safety into the box to have eight men committed to stopping the run.

“You change schemes and you tweak schemes and do things like that to address needs, but the No. 1 priority is the ability of the players,” Rhoads said.

“And the ability to stop the run starts with the front guys, and you can see that group looks like a Division I defensive line and we’ll stop the run just because of that. But we’re also trying to do some things to make sure we’re shored up in order to stop the run.”

Last year, the Panthers experimented with safety blitzes and bringing some safeties up into run support.

I suppose I should just be relieved that the idea of eight men in the box is actually being considered. My first reaction after the way the defense has been since 2003, though, was an eyeroll and something to the effect of, “Oh, now you think of that?”

Again, the defense (and especially the defensive coordinator) doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt from me that they will be that much better merely in training camp.
Speaking of not getting the benefit of the doubt, the offensive line also falls into that category.

Q: Every year we’re told the offensive line is improved and every year they struggle. Is that where we are again?

Zeise: Well, the line did improve some last year from the year before and now, with basically the same group back, you’d think it would improve again. But that’s just it — I’ve now covered this team for six seasons and the line has never been anywhere close to as good as it was my first season — 2002 — so I have learned to take a wait and see approach. Again, I think Jeff Otah will be good, I think C.J. Davis is solid and it looks like Joe Thomas is starting to live up to his pre-college hype. The center spot is struggling, but Chris Vangas is working hard to become more consistent. Jason Pinkston had a great spring and is talented, but he is still basically a first-year starter, so he could have some growing pains. The wild card to it all is Mike McGlynn — he must get healthy and prove he can play either guard or center at a high level. If he does, it really solidifies some things.

In Kevin Gorman’s blog notes from practice today (and there’s plenty of goodies), he is of the opinion that John Bachman at Center appears to be a “failed experiment,” and it will be Chris Vangas or Mike McGlynn when he’s healthy. Bachman has just showed no connection with any of the QBs as fumbled snaps was a big problem again today.

LaRod Stephens-Howling gets a piece today, and I like the goal RB Coach David Walker sets versus the 1,000 yards rushing.

Walker, however, would prefer if Stephens-Howling used a minimum average of 5.0 yards per carry as a benchmark, instead of a 1,000-yard season.

Bill Stull’s hurt thumb (banged it off of a helmet in practice) kept him out of practice today. Not broken, but with a couple stiches on the top. Stull not being out there contributed to the QB-Center exchange problems with Kevan Smith as the only scholarship QB out there. Well Maurice Williams went under center but he was recruited to be a WR.

Freshman RB Shariff Harris has continued to impress in practice, and Coach Wannstedt admitted that he won’t be going be moving Harris to the defense.

“I really thought that Shariff Harris did some good things today,” Wannstedt said. “He got a lot more opportunities today in practice and I really thought he did a heck of a job. He’s got more explosion, and he’s strong. He’s a big back who can run. The big thing is, as with most of these freshmen, he just needs to learn what to do.”

He had more praise for Harris after today’s practice.

On The Battle at Running Back:

Shariff Harris is more explosive and might be the strongest of all the backs we have. I thought Conredge Collins did some nice things. He can come out and make some plays. He is off to a good start. He is more mature, in better shape and he is hungrier.

On Depth at Tailback:

For the first time, we have a few guys back there. We are going to have to run the ball so that is a good thing. We have to go through the offensive line. It will take a couple days. Skill spots, you can form somewhat of an opinion before they put the pads on, but with the offensive line, it takes a couple days.

Of course, that still requires an offensive line to block and open up some holes for the running game to really matter.





“McCoy, however, had one run where he went left, cut back inside and stiff-armed safety Jovani Chappel,” according to Gorman, Tribune-Review (08/11/07) at: link to pittsburghlive.com

WTF? J. Chappel might make for a D1 CB (height/ weight/ speed), but his physique is hardly cut out for placement at safety. For those of us who (geographically) couldn’t possibly attend a scrimmage, the position change seems equally incongruent to M. Williams’ supposed switch from WR to QB” (as reported by P. Zeise 8-10-07).

Comment by Neil 08.12.07 @ 12:50 am

One of the papers is already talking about a medical redshirt for Kinder – holy crap, what the hell is going on around here?

Well…like I said before – I think 08 could be a great year.

Comment by Stuart 08.12.07 @ 4:25 am

Looks like Tyler did well in his 2nd preseason game. This is some postive stuff from link to blog.nola.com:
” To me, the story of game the Saints lost, 13-10, was the three-quarter audition by Tyler Palko, the undrafted rookie out of the University of Pittsburgh.
Despite throwing two interceptions, I thought the 24-year-old lefty did an admirable job running the backups.
His first mistake was untimely all right, coming after he had moved his team from his 3-yard-line to the Bills’ 11, where he made an errant throw on a slant that was picked off in the end zone.
On the march, however, Palko exhibited a measure of poise.
First he got his team out of a deep hole with an 18-yard strike to Lance Moore, a soft lob under pressure that found its target.
Then he bought time when he had to, he was patient, he wasn’t rushing things, he tossed one away rather than risk a pick, and he found Terrance Cooper on a third-and-8 that showed plenty of smarts in going to the right man.
His interception into the end zone was behind the receiver, a poor throw, but it was a call the head coach said was more his fault than the quarterback’s.
“I thought Tyler did a decent job,” said Payton. “He showed a comfort level out there and some poise, but he has to do a better job protecting the football. There’s a lot he can learn from watching this tape.”
Palko’s touchdown drive was more impressive, a 16-play march that ate up seven and a half minutes, that covered 78 yards, that ended with a 2-yard third-down touch pass on a fade route to Robert Meachem that did both men proud.
The biggest play of the drive came on fourth-and-1 when Tyler caught the Bills napping, turning left end for 19 yards on a bootleg that turned out to be the longest run of the evening.
“I thought Tyler did a fine job,” said Brees. “Every young quarterback is going to make mistakes. What I liked is the way Tyler responded. He keeps on improving and he’s going to get better.”
Palko finished 15-of-27 for 172 yards and was sacked twice. Still, he had mobility and escape instincts to finish with 47 yards, turning losses into positive yardage.
The kid who threw for 66 touchdowns at Pitt, second only to NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino, suggests he’s a work in progress. But with Brees and Payton in his corner, he appears to have a better than decent shot to hang around and do some good if opportunity calls.
In the NFL, you never know when that opportunity might arrive. Obviously, the number one prayer offered by all Saints fans is directed toward the continued health, and well being, of No. 9.
In the case of Tyler Palko, living in a climate a savvy coach and quarterback, the rookie could not be in a better position. And he knows it. ”

Comment by Jason in Columbus 08.12.07 @ 8:29 am

Sorry, I put the above comment in the wrong entry….

Comment by Jason in Columbus 08.12.07 @ 8:33 am

Defensive coordinator situation is really a puzzle. No one seems to have been happy with the defensive play since 2002. Probably the biggest criticism leveled at PR’s schemes has been his playing of the LB’s so far off the LOS. Either that is a dumb scheme (as many believe) or it implies that it was necessary due to a really porous DL (I don’t pretend to know which). Originally it was believed PR was kept because his contract was believed to be too expensive for Pitt to buy out. Now everyone is puzzled that he continues to be kept. DW made is coaching mark as an excellent defensive coordinator getting credit for several excellent college and pro defenses. So, irrespectiv of whatever his head coaching abilities may, or may not, be; one would think he should know defense and defensive coaching. Why then is PR still kept by DW if he really is such a bad coach? The only explanation that fits is that DW really believes the problems on defense have been mostly due to a lack of adequate overall talented depth. Since talent, depth and experience on defense seems to be improving, this year and next should tell the tale as to whether the bad D has been mostly due to bad coaching schemes or mostly due to lack of overall talented depth. Did/does Pitt’s D just “need to run faster” (i.e., be faster and more athletic) or just use better “schemes”?

Comment by Pitt1972 08.12.07 @ 8:58 am

yea i doubt the defense will be much better than last year…we had three guys drafted from the defense in the NFL draft….and pitt still couldn’t stop Connecticut, Mich. St, Louisville, or Rutgers from scoring very much and running all over us…Rhoads does not put the defensive players in the best spots to succeed…i cannot stand WVU, but I am sure they will run us right over once again..

Comment by pittfan527 08.12.07 @ 9:19 am

Not sure how the D will be. It’s certainly possible to have a couple (3 NFL caliber) players and have a bad defense (especially vs teams that run the ball well) if the majority of the other 19 players in the D two-deep aren’t close to that level. If (and it’s a big if) the DL is vastly improved and can stuff playa at the LOS, then maybe we will do better than last year on D. Hope that’t the case–but not counting on it.

Comment by Pitt1972 08.12.07 @ 10:23 am

There was a post up a few minutes ago on Gorman’s blog on the Trib, but it’s since been taken down when you click on the link.

According to the post, though, Kinder’s done for the year…torn ACL.

Comment by Stoosh 08.12.07 @ 11:03 am

Confirmed by Gorman…

Kinder’s out for the year, likely to get a medical redshirt.

Hopefully Turner, Pestano and Porter are ready to step up. I’ll be interested to see what this means for Aundre Wright and Mo Williams as well.

Comment by Stoosh 08.12.07 @ 11:12 am

Wow, this is a huge loss. This is not looking good this year.

Comment by Chris 08.12.07 @ 12:16 pm

Terrible blow, mostly for the young man. Receiver is one position where we have quite a bit of talent. I think we’ll be fine, but it is a difficult situation for Kinder. I hope he recovers quickly.

Comment by Omar 08.12.07 @ 12:30 pm

Is Bostick back yet? At this rate he will need to take a redshirt himself?

Comment by Marco 08.12.07 @ 12:57 pm

This really is looking like a blown year. At this point, I think Bostick should definitely take a redshirt. Any bowl game would be a big accomplishment for this team in my book. While it’s bad news for Kinder and the team this year, it will be a big help to Bostick to have Kinder around in 2008.

Comment by Maile Man 08.12.07 @ 1:50 pm

God hates us….let’s just face it.

Comment by Jon C 08.12.07 @ 1:58 pm

I thought Bostick was a strong candidate to redshirt even before his absence from camp. And Kinder, while I feel for the guy, it certainly won’t kill us to have the speedier Porter on the field more.

I’d say it’s a bit early to be writing off the season just because two guys aren’t going to be contributing much this year, MM.

Comment by Jeff 08.12.07 @ 1:58 pm

Relax, guys, relax. Honestly, although Kinder is a great player, we have PLENTY of people to replace him. Andre Wright is our slot guy, TJ can play outside, Mo Williams – guys, the dude is VERY impressive. Some of these guys might already be better than Kinder, first team all-big east or not. And another thing I think we are forgetting a bit is that not only should be be able to run the ball better, we have 3 solid TEs. And two of those can make big plays. We are going to be FINE. Yes, the combo of the QB situation and losing Kinder is an issue, but were we not expecting anyone to get hurt?

There are a few guys that could go down and we’d be in BIG trouble, but Kinder is not one of those.

Comment by Ryan 08.12.07 @ 3:02 pm

Yeah I think after two practices last year, we had already lost 7 or 8 lineman to broken ankles. This year we are way ahead of the injury curve (for us.)

Comment by Jon C 08.12.07 @ 4:16 pm

With everybody pointing to 08 as “the year” that Pitt breaks through….I can only caution everybody about not focusing on the task at hand….don’t paint 07 as a throw-away year….and teach, develop and play football….one only has to look to the Pittsburgh Pirates as an example of planning too much on the future…at the expense of present….David Littlefield’s focus has been on 2009 as the year the Pirates will contend….that plan has fallen apart…due to an incompetent management team….I hope that’s not the same fate for the Panthers….bottom line…play hard with what you got…and don’t whine about a lack of talent…

Comment by deter 08.13.07 @ 11:12 am

Powered by WordPress © PittBlather.com

Site Meter