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Alualua: Jumps, Controls and Stunts
by John Morgan on Feb 8, 2010 4:33 PM PST
0 comments
Tyson Alualu shows great awareness. He contributes between stats by creating piles and engaging pull blockers. What can look like a slow jump is revealed to be expert recognition. Alualu knows when to take it down a notch, control his gap and not run himself out of the play.
1. 1st and 10 at UTAH 11 Eddie Wide rush for 5 yards to the Utah 16.
Alu is aligned over left tackle Zane Beadles. He looks slow off the snap, but why is quickly revealed. He's controlling against the run. Alu holds ground but does not factor.
2. 2nd and 5 at UTAH 16 Jordan Wynn sacked for a loss of 5 yards to the Utah 11.
Tyson aligns on Beadles outside shoulder -- five-tech. The Utes are aligned in an empty backfield and Alu explodes off the snap anticipating pass. He bursts into Beadles inside shoulder, swims, separates, blocks out the passing lane and forces Wynn to abort his pass attempt and pull the ball back. Wynn scrambles left but is trip-sacked by a lunging Kendrick Payne.
3. 3rd and 15 at UTAH 6 Jordan Wynn pass incomplete.
A false start puts Utah in desperate down, distance and field position. Alu again stands, this time off right tackle. At the snap, the right defensive end attacks right. Alu charges as if edge rushing, then smoothly redirects, shows nice footwork avoiding the end's legs, and efficiently and effectively loops towards the right guard. Wynn targets the middle, but it's as much throw away as pass.
Drive over.
1. 1st and 10 at UTAH 25 Jordan Wynn pass intercepted by Eddie Young at the Utah 31, returned for 31 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
Alu starts at LOLB, but lowers into a three point as tight end Kendrick Moeai motions from the right slot to right tight end. Alu charges off the snap, wards off an attempted cut block, turns to watch the pass zing over him, sees linebacker Eddie Young undercut the rout and immediately pulls in front of the running linebacker to block his path to the end zone. Young overtakes Alu just as the two reach the goal line.
0 comments | 0 recs |
Powerhouse Seeking Position: Tyson Alualu
by John Morgan on Feb 8, 2010 1:56 PM PST
10 comments
Hater culture is rampant. Blame the internet if you wish, hate on it if you must, but individuals devoted to the downfall of others, that suckle on failure's sour teat with greedy mouths and jagged teethe, are as old as man --old as endeavor. Work hard, extend yourself, take a risk, and there's always strangers to spit on your effort. People that savor the misery of others more than they ever could their own meager accomplishments.
The NFL Draft births experts, but it fattens haters. Most draft picks fail. Even most first round draft picks fail in light of expectations. World beaters beaten; today's Aaron Curry tomorrow's Brian Bozworth.
You won't find any hate here. I love this defensive tackle class and think it could be the greatest defensive tackle class in the history of the NFL. Ok, hyperbole always has a home during draft time too. Greatest ever, any hater will hiss, is hype overripe to fall. Let's remove the greatest and settle for great.
So I start this year's run of tape review with defensive tackles. Pete Carroll is a 4-3 under proponent, and he inherits a talented roster replete with potential. One position it's never properly filled though is three-tech or under tackle. It needs another body beside Brandon Mebane to rip through single blocks and shorten clocks, widen rushing lanes and test the tensile strength on a few pretty boy's mouth guards. It needs someone that lives in opponent's backfields.
Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh are sensations. Word's out about the Beast named Suh, but McCoy is nearly his equal and a year younger. Talent like them is amazing and if Seattle mortgages the offense another season to acquire one, well I'll just toughen up an accept it a sack at a time. But the smarter play is to grab elite talent on offense and see which member of this monster tackle class falls.
I have a feeling Tyson Alualu could be had in the third. Kid has a profile I absolutely love. Alu2 played end in California's 3-4 system, but from his size, a thick-cut 6'2"/291, to his build, he wears his weight in his legs and core, to his game, Alu dominates at the point, but has in-the-box agility and cannot edge rush in a traditional NFL sense, he's an NFL defensive tackle. And if not a special one, if not a generational talent like McCoy or Suh, then a damn fine one that could be a centerpiece player in a top ten defense. Well, maybe.
I scouted the Poinsettia Bowl. Alu was pitted against NFL draft prospect Zane Beadles. Or, on some snaps he was. In six plays, Alualu played ROLB, LDE, LOLB, RDE, RDE and LILB. He was a weapon positioned for maximum wreckage. You know how these matchups work: two men enter, one leaves without his future.
1. 1st and 10 at UTAH 19Eddie Wide rush for 3 yards to the Utah 22.
Alu is positioned at right outside linebacker in a 3-3 front, or what Carroll would call stand up defensive end. Quaint. He gets a good jump off the snap and powers into freshman tight end Kendrick Moeai. He stands up and then forces back Moeai, narrowing the hole, but otherwise doesn't factor.
2. 2nd and 7 at UTAH 22Jordan Wynn pass complete to David Reed for 3 yards to the Utah 25.
Alu is in a three point at left defensive end in a 4-2 look. He gets another good jump, pushes back and then swims through right tackle Tony Boogerstom (nee Bergstrom) and forces a dump off before tackling Wynn after the pass.
3. 3rd and 4 at UTAH 25Jordan Wynn pass complete to Eddie Wide for 45 yards to the Cal 30 for a 1ST down.
Standing again, still on the left, Alu is a little slow off the snap, attempts edge pressure but does not factor as the motioning Wide sprints behind the line and receives a shovel pass for 45.
4. 1st and 10 at CAL 30Jordan Wynn pass incomplete.
Our epic matchup is on, as Alu is finally face to face with Beadles on the defensive right. Cal is in a traditional 3-4 look and Alu is in 4-tech alignment. He bulls through Beadles, disrupts play action and forces Wynn scrambling to his right. Alu stumbles in pursuit and is little threat to catch up and pressure the scrambling quarterback from behind.
5. 2nd and 10 at CAL 30Eddie Wide rush for a loss of 1 yard to the Cal 31.
Same Cal look same Alu alignment same matchup against Beadles and the same result, as Alu stands up Beadles, rips through as Beadles pulls into the second level, and worms through and behind Wide on the read option, wrapping securely and hip tossing Wide to the turf.
6. 3rd and 11 at CAL 31Jordan Wynn sacked for a loss of 3 yards to the Cal 34.
Alualu is standing, just off the nose tackles hip, in a 3-3 look that has him playing left inside linebacker. He shows a couple teasing sprinter steps, faking blitz, and then, at the snap, turns his hips and runs into a hook zone. He moves well, and Wynn sacks himself scrambling out of bounds.
First drive concluded.
10 comments | 0 recs |
Saints Crowned
by John Morgan on Feb 7, 2010 6:47 PM PST
56 comments
Never lose hope Seahawks fans.
56 comments | 0 recs |
Walter Jones Announces Retirement Via Twitter
by John Morgan on Feb 7, 2010 1:34 PM PST
74 comments
The greatest player to ever play for the Seahawks, the greatest left tackle in the history of the game, Walter Jones, has announced his retirement via Twitter.
I have come to the conclusion it is time for me to retire from football.
May retirement bring you a fraction of the joy you've brought Seahawks fans. We love you Walt.
74 comments | 0 recs |
Super Bowl XLIV Open Thread
by lemonverbena on Feb 7, 2010 12:00 PM PST
1268 comments
New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts, 3:25 PM Pacific, CBS. Line: Colts -5. Over/under: 57.
Jim Nantz and Phil Simms call the NFL Championship Game from Sun Life Stadium in clear, brisk Miami.
Title game win-loss records: Baltimore/Indianapolis 4-2 (2-1 in pre-Super Bowl era), New Orleans 0-0.
Colts in their home dark-blue jerseys and white pants, Saints in road white over gold. Scott Green works his first Super Bowl as referee after serving as back judge in Super Bowls 36 and 38.
1268 comments | 0 recs |
"Unfortunately, there's also this write-up on Adjusted Games Lost. It seems like a clever, useful idea at first--tallying teams' reported injuries weighted by how bad the injury is (probable, questionable, etc.). But if I taught an intro applied statistics course, I'd use this as the poster-child of how not to construct research. I'd say, "Ok class, let's list all the errors, fallacies, and other problems with this on the board." Data-mining for type I errors, small-sample fallacy, widely varying injury-reporting doctrine by teams, correlation-causation fallacy...Some of their comments have additional criticisms.
Could it be that some teams regularly report half their players as probable or questionable regardless of true injury status? And that some teams don't disclose injuries that they should? Also, once it becomes apparent a team is not in the playoff hunt, many players will suddenly be held out or put on IR. So there is a "causation back-flow" where being a bad team creates injuries. Adjusted Games Lost is like a bad research pinata. It's fine to do something like AGL if you address its shortcomings up front, but claiming they've discovered that some teams are tangibly better at keeping players healthy is an overreach."
Wonder why Seattle wasn't significantly healthier in 2009? Brian Burke offers a scathing critique of Football Outsiders Adjusted Games Lost stat. AGL is another in a bad run of stats created by Football Outsiders. What frustrates me is not so much the inaccuracy, but the method. The best may be the enemy of the better, but the confusing and poorly conceived is the enemy of knowledge.
2 days ago
John Morgan
25 comments
0 recs
Former Seahawks John Randle and Jerry Rice Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame
by John Morgan on Feb 6, 2010 2:44 PM PST
16 comments
Congratulations. We appreciate you ending your careers with us.
16 comments | 0 recs |
Super Bowl Party - Open Thread
by John Morgan on Feb 6, 2010 11:32 AM PST
116 comments
I'm off to New Seasons and Belmont Station to grab supplies. This is an open thread to discuss the game itself, hosting a party, anything else, and what beer and food one needs to tribute the greatest day in sports.
116 comments | 0 recs
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