Thread: better dline help LBs become probowlers

with a Dline that will draw most of the blocking. are LBs should be able to over whelm teams by hiding the blitz, or all just dropping back to help in covering the pass, and let the dline do QB bashing.
with EJ and greenway playing at the level they did last year they should be able to improve even more and make the right kind of push to become probowlers

I hear what your saying, problem is, I don't put any value or credit behind Pro-bowl voting/nominations/selections.

EJ played at a probowl level last year and didn't get selected by the way. :

I have to agree with you bdohb, not having to blitz to get pressure will open up our defensive playbook, and we can hide our coverages better. This year EJ makes the pro-bowl.

not to discount EJ's skills, he he wasn't considerably better than Tatupu.
Their stats aren't that different, Tatupu having more picks and pd, but ej ahs more tackles and sacks, but he would also be the guy who is often responsible for getting beat over the middle.
Take off the purple glasses and tell moe honestly that EJ should have been there instead of Tatupu.
No way e beats out Willis.
174tackes as a rookie is nuts.


Lofa Tatupu: 109t 4int 9pd 1sck
Patrick Willis: 174t 0int 5pd 4sck

or EJ: 118t 0int 4pd 4.5sck

"i_bleed_purple" wrote:

not to discount EJ's skills, he he wasn't considerably better than Tatupu.
Their stats aren't that different, Tatupu having more picks and pd, but ej ahs more tackles and sacks, but he would also be the guy who is often responsible for getting beat over the middle.
Take off the purple glasses and tell moe honestly that EJ should have been there instead of Tatupu.
No way e beats out Willis.
174tackes as a rookie is nuts.


Lofa Tatupu: 109t 4int 9pd 1sck
Patrick Willis: 174t 0int 5pd 4sck

or EJ: 118t 0int 4pd 4.5sck

Why is it when someone says something positive about a Viking on here you accuse them of wearing purple glasses.

If your referring to me, I raise the bullshit flag.
If nothing I am harder on alot of players on this team than anyone.
When I say something good it is because they deserve it and not because I am some sort of hack fan who has man love for the guy.
:

As to your point.
I will give you Willis, but who the hell said that he was considerably different that Tatupu?
You yourself gave the numbers.
Do you really think that Tatupu and EJ's play were that much different to the point that you are trying to say he didn't warrant a pro bowl spot?

Put EJ on a defense that can get pressure from the front 4 on a consistent basis and he will get the INT's that are the only difference.

Purple glasses indeed.

I never said EJ doesn't deserve to be there, but he wasn't considerably better than Tatupu, about the same.
If you were a seahawk fan and EJ got in instead of Tatupu it would be the same thing, you'd be pissed at the pro bowl selection because a player of equal talent got picked instead.
EJ has played very well, Pro bowl worthy, but there's only so many spots available.
I am also dissapointed that EJ didn't make the pro bowl, but you can't have everything.


as for your saying he'd have even better stats with a better Dline, thats not what the pro bowl is about.
The pro bowl is SUPPOSED (doesn't always end up happening) to be about picking the players who performed the best, not the players who could perform the best under ideal conditions.
EJ played great all season, so did Tatupu.
Neither of them deserves to be in more than the other, but someone has to go.
I try to take an outside stance when looking at things like this, and ignore the fact that I am a viking fan and want the entire starting lineup to be there.
I pretend i'm something like a browns fan, and try to look at this without any bias.

"i_bleed_purple" wrote:

I never said EJ doesn't deserve to be there, but he wasn't considerably better than Tatupu, about the same.
If you were a seahawk fan and EJ got in instead of Tatupu it would be the same thing, you'd be pissed at the pro bowl selection because a player of equal talent got picked instead.
EJ has played very well, Pro bowl worthy, but there's only so many spots available.
I am also dissapointed that EJ didn't make the pro bowl, but you can't have everything.


as for your saying he'd have even better stats with a better Dline, thats not what the pro bowl is about.
The pro bowl is SUPPOSED (doesn't always end up happening) to be about picking the players who performed the best, not the players who could perform the best under ideal conditions.
EJ played great all season, so did Tatupu.
Neither of them deserves to be in more than the other, but someone has to go.
I try to take an outside stance when looking at things like this, and ignore the fact that I am a viking fan and want the entire starting lineup to be there.
I pretend i'm something like a browns fan, and try to look at this without any bias.

If I was a Seachicken fan and EJ went I wouldn't care......
Again.......My opening statement was......

I hear what your saying, problem is, I don't put any value or credit behind Pro-bowl voting/nominations/selections.

I then used EJ as a "for instance".
No were did
I say he should have gone over anybody.

"i_bleed_purple" wrote:

not to discount EJ's skills, he he wasn't considerably better than Tatupu.
Their stats aren't that different, Tatupu having more picks and pd, but ej ahs more tackles and sacks, but he would also be the guy who is often responsible for getting beat over the middle.
Take off the purple glasses and tell moe honestly that EJ should have been there instead of Tatupu.
No way e beats out Willis. 174tackes as a rookie is nuts.


Lofa Tatupu: 109t 4int 9pd 1sck
Patrick Willis: 174t 0int 5pd 4sck

or EJ: 118t 0int 4pd 4.5sck

I don't think tackles is a great way to compare players.

tackes shows that a player has great range and can be a playmaker.
For a rookie, that is a fantastic first step in the right direction, I would love to see any player on the vikings make 174 tackles.
To do that you need good speed, instincts and reaction, which Willis seems to get.
Some of the finer points of the position will come with playing time, but like they say, you can't run before you learn to walk, and Willis has certainly mastered the art of "walking"
(now granted, they do run a 3-4, so one less DT = more plays going to the linebackers (aka willis)

Indeed. The linebackers will doing their job more of the time, instead of rushing the passer.

More time doing what LBs do = Better stats = Pro-bowl possibilities.

But I don't really care about pro-bowls, except for when our guys get gypped, and when Peterson dominates it