How well Wake can cover is relevant. How well he can stop the run is not. Running the ball has nothing to do with winning games in the NFL.
Well fans may be bitter right now but to be honest jason taylor, no one in miami will ever forget about you for what you did on the field.
I hope to see him grow into his position more this season. Great athletes make great pass rushers. Great players make great linebackers.
To me it seems that with the type of raw athletisism Wake has and drive (refusing to watch TV and whatnot), not to mention strength and conditioning that he should be dominating this year unless the guy is a moron... With the types of attributes he possesses he only needs to grasp his assignments mentally now.
I'm not trying to pull geezer rank on you or anything... but... I've been watching or playing this game for over 50 years - and over time one thing has proven true: a team that cannot run the football will not win consistently. They may make the playoffs, but they very rarely walk away with the big enchilada. Even the great air shows of Indy and NE have the threat of a running game to keep a defense honest. THis is no more than the most recent itteration of an old trend which keeps swinging back and forth between running and passing oriented teams. I watched Air Coryell with Fouts. Before that the Mad Bomber Raiders with Lamonica, Tarkenton's Vikings, Jurgenson/Kilmer with the Skins, Namath and the Yets. More recently, Elway less the running game in Denver, and even our lamentedly running game lacking Dolphins led by Marino light up the game with the passing yardage galore and win diddley squat. Teams that win consistently have a balanced attack, neither run nor pass heavy. The current trend is nothing more than another swing. It will meet a match in a defense that has faster LBs and employs more DB, and instead of packing eight in the box to stop the run, they will deploy 7 back to stop the pass. If a team does not have to respect the run, look out. They will smother the receivers, and pummel the quarterback - specially a good team. You might just possibly see that with the Patriots this year, if their RB corps doesn't get the job done. Now, wouldn't that be sweet????
Wake is a Beast. We'll glean an outstanding LB four from this roster. not to worry. however, FreeSafety, what to do?
Wake will be our best pass rusher, guaranteed double digit sacks and consistent QB pressure / hurries / hits. Big pass plays are allowed to develop in the first place by giving the QB time and a comfortable pocket then receivers have time to beat coverage and the QB finds him with an accurate throw.
I'm going to disagree with you on this one. The importance of running the ball (and stopping the run)has been decreasing for the last 20 years at least. At the same time passing (and stopping the pass) has increased in importance during that same time period. This is not just a current trend. Every statistical analysis arrives at the same conclusion (and there have been several by many different parties). Teams that run the ball well and/or stop the run well make the post season about 50% of the time. Basically it's a coin flip. You're chance of success does not improve if you're run proficiency improves. But teams that pass the ball well reach the post season at a 70% - 75% clip. Statistically that is a huge difference. And if you win the YPA battle and the turnover battle then you win an astonishing 95% of the time. That is how you win in this league. Sure, some running is necessary but the main benefit seems to be that it helps you pass more efficiently.
Friend RevRick is right: things change & the more they change, they stay the same. the NFL pendulum swings along a returning ark: what's new is old, what's old is new. 50 years is long enough to discern the pattern & get it right
Oh give me a break dude. It's valid to say it's become more about the pass nowadays but to downplay the importance of a running game is foolish. You have to have balance and you have to be able to run the ball, especially in inclement weather.
Thats not entirely true in Nolan's defense. Most of the coverage will come from the the strong side backers and or one of the Mike backers; more than likely Dansby. Wake will be primarily a pass rusher in most circumstances, unless ofcourse Noaln changes what he has done in his last two stops in Denver and SF.
