The CheckerBoard

so, what is the answer on D? This defense is historically bad, beyond what you should see from a scheme change. Other teams change coaches and scheme and have less talent and have more success than our D..I have said before, I never played or coached so, though I know the difference between a 3-4 and a 4-3 and between zone and man, I'm not sophisticated enough to know if our problems are scheme related, play call related, talent or coaching. I'm sure the easy answer is "all of the above", but I'm really looking for a more specific and serious discussion about such a glaring and, quite frankly, embarrassing, issue.

I think the 2 big issues are: outside linebackers just can't control the edge and our dbs are just not good. I am not sure the reason for that second one. I think someone explained it well earlier this year, now you see why Wilcox was so conservative. Vols need a lot of help defensively lets see if recruiting addresses that.

I would like to know the answer to that question as well and so would our coaching staff. I think our biggest problem is just overall talent. And I dont think sunseri is ready to call defense in the SEC. It seems like his fix for everything is keep blitzing, and if it still ain't working just blitz more people. But I think our major issue is just overall talent and team speed on defense.

I keep hearing them say they don't get the calls in or they didn't execute. They've claimed the same problems all year but yet they still make the same mistakes over and over

I can 't say for sure of course, but I do have a theory.
I'll throw it out and see what ya'll think.
The corners and safety's have seperate position coaches. I think this contributes to the break-downs in communication. Mostly I think neither the LBs or the CBs know whether the safetys are going to be in run support or deep coverage. An example was when (I think it was PW) was beat at the line by a receiver running past him at the snap because he was looking back at the safety still trying to find out if he had help over the top when the ball was snapped. He was beat at the line and had no chance to recover.
Now, I don't know whether the safeties themselves don't know where they're supposed to be or if they just aren't communicating it to everyone else, but I think if the safetys and corners had the same coach it could at the least cut down on the general confusion.
I've seen better organized 'Chinese Fire Drills' than what our secondary looks like sometimes.
Just a theory.
Any thoughts?

"The kind of miscommunication or missed assignment you described happens all the time in football,...."

Well, it certainly happens all the time in our defense, anyway

"Even the best defenses screw up those types of plays from time to time."

Yes they do, but our defense screws them up pretty much ALL the time. Yesterday to the tune of 721 yards allowed to a good, but certainly not great offense.

What do you think IS causing the problem?

Ryan, what I can't get is why people can't get this. Why in the flip do people NOT like hearing this?

When your D stinks this badly, historically badly, isn't it crystal clear that it's EVERYTHING? That the problem is Dooley, Sunseri, each and every position coach on defense, the defensive line, the linebackers, the corners, and the safeties? That we can't defend either the run or the pass? That we can't cover in either man or zone? That we can't cover if we drop 8, and we can't get to the QB if we rush 8? That we can't contain on the perimeter, and that we get gashed up the gut? That we can't get lined up right? That we can't make the play, even when we are in position? That sometimes it's a lack of strength, sometimes a lack of speed, and sometimes, we have plenty of both but we don't play fundamentally sound? That our atleticism fails us when we play sound and smart, but we play dumber than gump, even when we're plenty talented to defend a given play?

This is a defense that doesn't do ANYTHING really well, and thus, EVERYTHING is the problem.

Dooley continues to say what frustrates him the most is playing well enough to get the opposing offense in 3rd and long, but then give up the big play over and over again. He, understandably, asks how we can play that well for two plays where the offense has an advantage, and then screw it up when WE are supposed to have the advantage. Today, my lovely wife, who has been the biggest Dooley supporter in the world not named Dooley until yesterday, said she thought we must just be getting lucky on those first and 2d downs, and/or the opposition is shooting themselves in the foot.

At least this defnse yesterday became consistent--consistently awful. Players seemed frustrated with coaches, and some coaches looked like they wanted a stick to beat some sense into the players' heads. The kids may not be turning on each other, but they may have already turned on the defensive staff. If so, it's a toxic situation that can only get worse.