Reminder From Saban….Injuries, Player Impact and Statements From Fans

[bamaslammer]

I'm not sure where the top end for this set of guys could have been as a defense but I don't believe this coaching staff got that out of them. I am thankful for how tough C Harris and S Lee are, I mean these guys played an entire SEC season with the bulls eye directly on their numbers without having even gone though an off season with Cochran. They clearly didn't know what they were doing but nobody should question their toughness. Bottom line is this, our defense is going in the wrong direction and if we have a third straight season of not being able to stop any good offense then some conversations need to be had.

 

[CajunCrimson]

I'm not sure where the top end for this set of guys could have been as a defense but I don't believe this coaching staff got that out of them. I am thankful for how tough C Harris and S Lee are, I mean these guys played an entire SEC season with the bulls eye directly on their numbers without having even gone though an off season with Cochran. They clearly didn't know what they were doing but nobody should question their toughness. Bottom line is this, our defense is going in the wrong direction and if we have a third straight season of not being able to stop any good offense then some conversations need to be had.

Ranked 20th in Team defense this year with how many backups ?

4? 5? 6? At times?



Now take away the officiating foolishness in the Barn game and 1st half meltdown and officiating vs LSU and they are likely a top 10 defense.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I'm not sure where the top end for this set of guys could have been as a defense but I don't believe this coaching staff got that out of them. I am thankful for how tough C Harris and S Lee are, I mean these guys played an entire SEC season with the bulls eye directly on their numbers without having even gone though an off season with Cochran. They clearly didn't know what they were doing but nobody should question their toughness. Bottom line is this, our defense is going in the wrong direction and if we have a third straight season of not being able to stop any good offense then some conversations need to be had.

I mostly agree that we need to see drastic improvement from what we saw in 2019. However, I also think we need to come to the realization of "some things" if we're going to continue running a pass happy offense AND playing more teams than ever that are running pass happy schemes.

If you go back to beginning of Saban's tenure here at Alabama and actually look at the games we played each year. Any time we played a team that legitimately had a potent offense, they put points and yardage on us. However, the more "traditional" offenses we suffocated to the tune of not allowing over 10-12 pts and very few total yards. So what do we mean when we say we need to "stop good offenses"? Keep them under 21 pts and 350 total yards?

 

[RollTide_HTTR]

I still worry Shane Lee is just too slow but he obviously put a heck of an effort in for a TF.

 

[CajunCrimson]

I mostly agree that we need to see drastic improvement from what we saw in 2019. However, I also think we need to come to the realization of "some things" if we're going to continue running a pass happy offense AND playing more teams than ever that are running pass happy schemes.

If you go back to beginning of Saban's tenure here at Alabama and actually look at the games we played each year. Any time we played a team that legitimately had a potent offense, they put points and yardage on us. However, the more "traditional" offenses we suffocated to the tune of not allowing over 10-12 pts and very few total yards. So what do we mean when we say we need to "stop good offenses"? Keep them under 21 pts and 350 total yards?

That’s because we lose the 50/50 battles about half the time. We struggled most with big receivers. Mike Evans, Higgins, those big monsters from Ole Miss. but we usually could outscore them and if we had Foster/Mosley types at LB we could make more than enough plays to withstand the push

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I still worry Shane Lee is just too slow but he obviously put a heck of an effort in for a TF.

Yeah, considering his body type. I'm not sure there's much he can do other than drop weight and do a lot of off season agility drills.

 

[bamaslammer]

That’s because we lose the 50/50 battles about half the time. We struggled most with big receivers. Mike Evans, Higgins, those big monsters from Ole Miss. but we usually could outscore them and if we had Foster/Mosley types at LB we could make more than enough plays to withstand the push

In addition to what you said which is true our red zone defense has gone from possibly the best three years ago to the point of pretty much being money in the bank if they cross the 30. We always gave up yardage between the 20's but we forced field goal attempts at best. We also forced very few turnovers.

 

[OSUTideFan]

IMO, TideFans does a pretty good job of keeping criticism fair and within the construct of the game/circumstances.

This is the most civil and respectful sports forum I have found in my whole life, and coming across it and lurking for a while was responsible for making me into a Tide fan.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

In addition to what you said which is true our red zone defense has gone from possibly the best three years ago to the point of pretty much being money in the bank if they cross the 30. We always gave up yardage between the 20's but we forced field goal attempts at best. We also forced very few turnovers.

Our defense resembled a walking MASH unit last year. Why don't you hold off till we see what they can do next season?

 

[CrimsonRuss]

I still worry Shane Lee is just too slow but he obviously put a heck of an effort in for a TF.

I’m hoping he uses what happened on the field last year as motivation to trim down an gain speed.

 

[TiderJack]

I’m hoping he uses what happened on the field last year as motivation to trim down an gain speed.

I'm assuming that the staff and Cochran have let him know he has to lose weight and get faster also. If he can get down to the 230 lb range he would gain at least a 1/2 step or so.

 

[RTR_UA#1]

Our defense resembled a walking MASH unit last year. Why don't you hold off till we see what they can do next season?

I agree.... After seeing what these true freshmen were able to do last season..... I can't WAIT to see what the D will be able to do next season. CERTAINLY these guys will be much better next year... PLUS... with incoming help, the D won't be a weak spot next season.

 

[CoolBreeze]

I still worry Shane Lee is just too slow but he obviously put a heck of an effort in for a TF.

It is amazing how much faster one gets when he's been in the program a minute...reacting not thinking. Shane can be all SEC.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I wonder if they might go the other way with Shane -- let Cochran put 15-20 pounds of good weight on him and put his hand on the ground. Might not be quite tall enough for the prototypical DT. But whereas he's a relatively slow LB, with vulnerabilities in pass coverage, he'd be a fast DL, even with the extra weight, and greatly reduced coverage responsibilities.

You have to like his motor, and I promise you he's a lot wiser today than he was this time last year.

 

[B1GTide]

I wonder if they might go the other way with Shane -- let Cochran put 15-20 pounds of good weight on him and put his hand on the ground. Might not be quite tall enough for the prototypical DT. But whereas he's a relatively slow LB, with vulnerabilities in pass coverage, he'd be a fast DL, even with the extra weight, and greatly reduced coverage responsibilities.

You have to like his motor, and I promise you he's a lot wiser today than he was this time last year.

at 6'0", not sure he is tall enough to add that much weight and still be a functional athlete.

 

[The Ols]

at 6'0", not sure he is tall enough to add that much weight and still be a functional athlete.

Didn't Mizzou have a run of a couple undersized guys that absolutely killed it at the collegiate level? (Michael Sam was one, right?)

 

[B1GTide]

Didn't Mizzou have a run of a couple undersized guys that absolutely killed it at the collegiate level? (Michael Sam was one, right?)

Yeah, but they were all 2-3 inches taller than Lee. I am not even sure that Lee is 6 feet tall.

 

[bamaslammer]

It is amazing how much faster one gets when he's been in the program a minute...reacting not thinking. Shane can be all SEC.

I agree, I don't see lee ever being a 1st round draft pick or possibly not a draft pick at all but he can get significantly faster if he can read the defense and get moving quicker. Case in point Will Lowery, he was a walkon from Hoover I believe and was never technically fast but because he read the D and got a head start nobody ever got the jump on him.

 

[Padreruf]

I just have to say this: IF we have Dylan Moses & Tua both healthy -- and IF Mack Wilson had returned for one more year -- we would be 2020 SEC and CFB Champions, Tua would have won the Heisman Trophy and would have been the 1st pick in the draft. Moses & Wilson would both have been 1st round draft picks...and we, not LSU would have set the record for draft picks, etc.

That's just how close we were last year...and we called it a down year.

 

[Moro Creek]

Growing pains last year will pay high dividends this year (if we get to play). Also, the talent that is incoming, combined with new training practices, will create healthy competition that may shuffle some players. It's going to be fun to watch.