Yep. I heard the interview. So, maybe, I have a better handle on what was said than you? Woodyard wasn’t angry or whining. He was talking about the lack of identity on the Titans’ defense. Said that Vrable needs to take a step back and let the defense find its identity. He also said he respects Vrable. No malice.
Ok.. then jump the OP ash. Not those of us who were just responding to his post. I understand what you are saying.
How about you stop being a B and find the podcast, listen to it, and then come with an opinion.
I've said before, and I will say it again, the scheme sucked last year. Corners played too far off, the Titans rushed 3/4 men far too often (and those rushers at times were assigned with mostly containing the QB), and clearly there were massive communication issues as there were way too many busted coverages. In addition, players like Landry and Clowney were playing way too many of the defensive snaps. The coaching staff isn't 100% responsible for the defense, but they put together the gameplans and they are ultimately responsible for the players properly implementing their gameplans.
Beyond the first game of the season, the Titans as a defense were mostly worked by opposing offenses on a fairly consistent basis. After the Steelers game, opposing offenses settled in to consistently throwing underneath and allowing their receivers to rack up yards after the catch as the corners were playing about 10-12 yards off the LOS far too often. The Titans coaching staff never really made an adjustment to opposing offenses dinking and dunking them to death and opposing offenses exploited it. Although Pees ran a similar defense, he was saavy and found ways to create pressure without a dominant defensive line. Injuries racked up and the defense only got worse, not that it was even mediocre to begin with. However, to give Bowen/Vrabel some credit, starting with the Packers game the defensive scheme did adjust a bit and the Titans started sending 5 man rushes more often..
The organization clearly thinks it was primarily a players problem, they are attempting to upgrade seemingly every position group on the defense while at the same time, the defensive coaching staff remained relatively intact. Will the defense be better? I would certainly hope so as it is hard to be as bad as they were over the course of last season and I expect it to be better. A year of experience calling plays certainly can't be a negative for Bowen and he no longer has to pull double duty as a LB coach. Vrabel should also be able to shift away the added focus on the defense he probably gave it and that will be a benefit. I'm happy that Robinson and the organization have made it a priority to upgrade the pass rush. The Dupree move doesn't give me the excitement that it does for other posters, but I am a big fan of the Autry signing as Simmons needs help. A better pass rush would certainly benefit any defensive scheme. But if they are going to continue to play corners 10-12 yards off the LOS, teams will still dink and dunk them to death. Even a great pass rush can't get to a QB in less than 2.5 second. The back end of the defense has to hold up as well and playing corners that far off prevents that from happening. Sucks that they had to cut both Butler and Jackson (particularly Butler as he fits in well with the man coverage they want to play), but the salary cap dropped and it is what it is.
Without the Titans offense being as exceptional as it was, the Titans could have been a 7/8 win team. After the 5-0 start (where 3/5 games came down to last minute field goals against teams that all finished under .500), the Titans finished the season 6-6 (that includes the playoff loss) and looked far from being a superbowl contender. No amount of homerism covers that up.
Overall I think the Titans are doing pretty well this offseason. They're focusing on the defense, even it means having to sacrifice some of the offense. The question will be can the near identical defensive coaching staff do much better with what they feel are better players? I hope so, but I have my doubts as making substantive scheme changes has not been a hallmark of any defense under Vrabel.
Dude already said you were wrong, I don’t really care what Woodyard said. I’m going to assume it lays somewhere in the middle and leave it there, It’s not a big issue to me. Vrabel is no different than NFL HCs. Except he has been more successful than most to date.
Vrabel is on thin ice, or should be..he made so many idiotic calls last year. The only time I remember being impressed was his trolling of Belichick in the wildcard
What are you stage and sound on apology tour for him?...
Not only released but he was benched by Vrabel in favor of Evans.
What are you, secretary for the “we hate Woody” club?
Nope, I just know a personality trying to make waves when I hear one... oh if some were the same.
Did you actually hear it?
Wesley Woodyard: Blame Mike Vrabel for Tennessee Titans defensive woes
Woodyard quoted several times. Calls Vrabel out on being close minded and punitive to suggestion. Also says when he (Vrabel) runs out of fingers to point at others (players) he should look at himself. Woodyard came off As disgruntled and bitter to me. In that read.
Woodyard quoted several times. Calls Vrabel out on being close minded and punitive to suggestion. Also says when he (Vrabel) runs out of fingers to point at others (players) he should look at himself. Woodyard came off As disgruntled and bitter to me. In that read.
I certainly get the argument that in order for a football team to work, everyone has to be singing from the same hymnal following one leader. So I have no problem with a tyrannical approach.
However you have to back it up. A tyrant that wins gets statues and glory. One that loses gets beheaded.
I've been fairly happy with Vrabel in terms of general leadership. He seems to get the players ready to play.
His game management has generally been pretty good, not perfect, but he's still new.
Player development, it's really too soon to tell.
Scheme wise... his defensive track record concerns me. His defense in Houston sucked. As soon as pees left, we fell to sh!t.
This season will be telling.
He could be or he could simply be expressing his oppinion. The audio of that interview is embedded. That should give context to the quotes.
I listened to it and that’s exactly how it came off to me as well. The first question he is asked if what does he think of Vrabel as a coach and he says “I respect his mind when it comes to game planning. And I’ll leave it at that”.
But then he turns around and bashes his game planning lol. He sounds a little butt hurt that he got benched and cut while Vrabel was head coach. Which is fine because that sucks and he should be upset about it. But I guarantee you if you ask him about Whisenhunt or Mularkey he’d sing a different tune even though we both know they aren’t as good.
Bernard Pollard did this same thing. He claimed the locker room sucked (when he’s not even in the locker room) and then we went to the AFC Championship game. His was all for attention. He tried to launch his own podcast after that BS
That’s fine. I didn’t take it as him “bashing” Vrable’s game planning. But, we can interpret it differently. I do find it interesting that some are completely dismissive of Woodyard’s comments because they think he is just disgruntled. Woodyard is a pretty regular guest on that show, so I don’t think he just came on to blow Vrable up and make a name for himself. I think there’s some truth to what he’s saying.
He did bash Vrabel’s game planning though. That’s why he went out of his way to say he needs to let the coaches do their job and be more hands off.
I’m not saying he’s lying or his comments are incorrect but you also can’t say he’s got cloudy judgment of the coach who basically ended his career.
I guess your definition of “bash” and my definition of “bash” are different.
Dude he blamed Vrabel for the defensive struggles lol how is that not a bash?
Is TuckFro actually Wesley Woodward?
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