The Continuing Misadventures of Aaron Curry
by John Morgan on Dec 15, 2009 6:59 PM PST
38 comments
Aaron Curry was back in action before the Seahawks defense could even take the field. He was wracking up a fifteen-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for an unjustifiably late hit. Jacoby Jones was tackled by two Seahawks defenders, his elbow clearly down, seconds before Curry gave him the ol' Brian Russell. It didn't register as dirty to me, but frighteningly unaware.
He started the next series by backing away from his gap and taking himself out of a run play directed at him. It looked like Curry was held, but not flagrantly and not impactfully. The remaining series went:
2. Contain but did not factor.
3. Timed and blitzed perfectly off right end, but lands only an after the fact hit on Matt Schaub. Josh Wilson was burned badly on this play. Ron Pitts called it a nightmare play for a nickelback because the slot receiver has a two way go. Wilson was burned defending the outside route when David Anderson cut in on a post.
4. Stands up and sheds fullback Vonta Leach.
5. Dominates Joel Dreessen but is held and dragged right and out of the play. This would become a theme.
6. [Out] This looked like a 3-3 stack.
7. Stands up left tackle, sheds him with an inside move, closes to the ball carrier and joins David Hawthorne in a gang tackle.
Then Curry executed to perfection and still allowed Dreessen to squirt out for five on second and seven. He was subbed out and Hawthorne, keying Ryan Moats from before the snap, took a bad angle of pursuit, bubbling up and away from Moats to stay parallel, and whiffed so badly that Moats didn't break stride, didn't even slow as he ducked then drove into the end zone. Lofa Tatupu at least gets a shoulder tackle on Moats, and a shoulder tackle would have staggered the roster cut veteran and allowed Seattle's defense to swarm and stop him.
Three more plays before the quarter ended:
1. Bites hard on play action, does not factor.
2. [Out]
3. Can't separate from Dreessen and is unambiguously held.
Now, I'd rather a rookie that lacks awareness than a rookie that lacks tools, but this was a bad, bad start for Curry. He looked as clueless as he did unskilled, and all his size, strength and speed didn't help him when he was reading wrong, reacting wrong and rarely where the ball was.
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Seems to me Curry is constantly taking bad angles
They got to fix that in the offseason. He had a horrible first half but I thought he did better in the 2nd half.
1st half? Really bad. And the offsides penalties are getting annoying.
I’m still patient with him though.
ME! BANE!
Can we all remember that he's still a rookie,
and can I please be allowed to just dream my happy dream wherein Curry studies film in the offseason and suddenly a Big Bright Light Bulb goes off over his head? And then there’s the part where he comes in next year not looking like a rookie at all.. and then I wake up…
"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank
Whoever I'm ripping off, I'm sorry
but sudden change is considered one of the great fallacies of human nature. Instead of hoping for Curry to change into another beast entirely, I hope he improves what he does and is played more to his strengths.
I was mostly joking.
I just keep remembering comments by various coaches over the years when watching players develop. Holmgren used to say “the light just went on for that guy” and he began to play better. Usually in the second or third year. Conversely, every year there is a rookie or two that makes a big impact, only to go on to have an ordinary career. I’m just hoping Curry’s light hasn’t come on yet.
We know he has all the physical tools. I think we are all learning that the mental aspects of gaining an edge in the NFL game are still eluding him.
"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank
The picture and caption brought a little smile to my face.
That same smile then caught a short curl for 7 yards and a first down.
Can someone explain that?
For us outsiders….
by Brendan Scolari on Dec 15, 2009 10:55 PM PST up reply actions
Well, any white receiver who can catch the ball
It's Great to be a Florida Gator!
"I never met a llama I didn't like." - TJ Duckett
All I want for Christmas is Joe Haden, Eric Berry, and Nandamukong Suh in Seahawks blue.
by Wayward Llama on Dec 16, 2009 5:44 AM PST up reply actions
During the Seahawks game against the Texans
Whenever one of Houston’s seemingly dozens of spunky white receivers caught a ball between the hashmarks the announcers would start extolling their Welkerish virtues. It didn’t help that one of ’em was named Walter.
It quickly became a yip-yippish skit experience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qxWGr8VhzQ
by John Edwards on Dec 16, 2009 5:28 PM PST up reply actions
I just hope he doesn't turn into Lavar Arrington,
a 250 lb 4.5 LB who makes amazing plays but misses a lot of assignments. What happened to his cover skills I wonder? I envisioned opposing TEs rendered useless with him and Lofa covering the middle (granted Lofa is out).
I know he’s just a rookie, but LB seems to be one of the positions along with RB that rookies excel at. I wonder if Lofa were in if it would help Curry out.
The funny thing about our defense is if I go on a position by position basis, it doesn’t seem that bad to me with the exception of Colin Cole, though Redding and Mebane isn’t a horrible interior, and I rather like Kerney and LoJack switching off. It must be some combination of scheme and execution, and perhaps players not being a good fit. Of course if an offense goes 3 and out for its first 3 drives every time, that’s bound to tire a defense out at some point.
I think his coverage skills were overvalued because of his interceptions.
I remember seeing him run some tight routes in man coverage, but I don’t remember thinking he would be a great coverage linebacker.
I think a lot had been made of his projected ability to cover prior to the draft accross this blog and others.
I wonder if he just lacks the experience to do it successfully, consistently at this level. Are we asking too much of him too fast? It seemed to me that the common consensus was that Curry would be a huge improvement particularly in comparison to what Leroy Hill would be capable of. One reason they are in the positions they are is because Curry was supposed to blow up Tight Ends and cover in space.
This.
The elite talent isn't there
Especially with Tatupu out.
Mebane is the only really good player on the line. Tapp and Jackson both are decent players but not really good pass rushers, yet at least. The linebackers obviously have a lot of money invested in them but without Tatupu, is that really a very good group? Hawthorne is really good, but I don’t think Hill or especially Curry has been much better than decent this year. Obviously they have a lot of potential though. And I think the secondary is pretty bad for whatever reason. Wilson is good and Babineaux is okay but everyone else has sucked, including Trufant for reasons unbeknownst to me.
by Brendan Scolari on Dec 15, 2009 10:54 PM PST up reply actions
Exactly right.
Overall, I think Hill is a far better linebacker than Hawthorne.
The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.
I'm inclined to agree.
It’s hard to quantify LBs maintaining gasp or causing redirection of plays to where another player (such as Hawthorne) ends up making the tackle. These LB disciplines are some of the same reasons we got rid of Peterson. I still contend that Hill is rarely being used to highlight one of his best skills and that’s rushing the passer.
This.
I'm fine with it
Curry is a different kind of Ruskell pick. He has extreme athleticism and ideal size. But he’s not polished. One year of acclaim at Wake Forest does not an accomplished player make.
He’s now mired in a mis-designed, offense-hampered defense. But his is the type of talent which, when properly harnessed with some experience and a better scheme and, heaven forbid, a functional offense, will provide the kind of play that anchors the next generation of Seahawks competitiveness. He’s not Lofa but he’s unique in a different way. And in a way that we have not seen here for a very long time indeed.
Keep charging hard, Aaron Curry, and your exceedingly rare combination of size and speed will be one of the finest parts of the not inconsiderable defensive legacy of Tim Ruskell.
by jeager on Dec 15, 2009 8:00 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Interesting point
Curry does represent an unusual draft pick for the Ruskell years. One big criticism of our last five drafts was the conservative picks, especially in the first round, that seemed like Ruskell was too afraid of reaching or making a mistake. He ended up with mediocre Spencer, mediocre Jennings, mediocre Jackson.
In contrast, Curry looks like an impact player waiting to happen. I still think he will become that player, but even if he doesn’t, I still think he was worth the risk.
"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank
Disagree, Curry was a very safe pick
Curry was the archetypal safe pick of the draft, at least at #4. His physical gifts unquestionable, passion for the game, high character, intelligence. Well rounded skill-set. Good to go.
All of the available tackles would have been bigger reaches (and so far, Oher may be the best of the bunch)
Crabtree had some character and injury issues: reach
Sanchez had some experience issues: reach
BJ Raji: character issues if I recall correctly.
I like Curry, still think he could develop into a great linebacker. But he was most certainly not a risky pick (except from the point of view that #4 is too high for a 4-3 linebacker)
ok, but many safe picks are available at #4
I get your meaning, that Curry was not a “reach”. True. But all the guys you list are probable Pro Bowlers some day. None would have been a reach, despite the storylines that Mell Kiper and the talking heads try to make out of draft picks. Plenty of low-risk high-reward athletes were available at #4, including everyone on your list.
I see the “safest” pick (and hence the most Ruskell-like pick) to have made there would been one of the big OTs – Monroe, Smith, or Oher (all of whom will likely be solid staters within a year or two). Drafting Crabtree, Sanchez, or Curry involved more risk since that was drafting at a position that was not the team’s greatest need in order to get a potential impact player. I still like the pick from that perspective. Even though the “safe” pick of a 320-lb OT may have been more help to the team this year. Fans would have been livid at Ruskell making such a safe and boring pick at #4.
"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank
I don't necessarily disagree with you,
but Don Banks seems to think that all 3 tackles taken in the top 10 are early candidates for the bust label. Not that I necessarily agree with what he says, but I find redos of drafts interesting.
I’m not sure I think of an OT as a ‘safe’ pick. Certainly a boring pick, but safe, not necessarily. And to look at each player specifically Monroe had knee surgery, Jason Smith shot up the draft rankings in the last few months and came from a odd offensive line scheme, and Andre Smith is 400 pounds of lazy unpredictable mass.
As disappointed as I am in Curry, I look at the other picks and can’t help but think: It could be worse. Also I wonder how Orakpo would have fit as a DE in our defense? I don’t know much about him except 11 sacks, but 11 sacks is very impressive on its own.
Don Banks article
Yeah, I read that Banks article. Its a fun read, but a bit flimsy as football journalism goes, don’t you think? Comparing NFL OT’s after they’ve been in the league for only 13 games, playing on different teams? Its a useless comparison. Oher has had the best impact on his team this year, but let’s take a look at J. Smith and E. Monroe in a year or two. They weren’t drafted to win rookie of the year.
I think it was pro football weekly that used to publish ratings of draft picks at the mid-point of their second season. I find that a lot more useful.
"Football players are temperamental. That's 90 percent temper and 10 percent mental." - Doug Plank
Agreed, it's a bit flimsy and premature,
but you have to look back at a draft at some point. Though my biggest beef with Banks is how much research he actually put into the article. Does he really think Curry is the 15th best rookie, or did he just look at 60 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 FF and decide to put him at #15? Same goes for any other rookie on his list.
He could do with focussing on the next play instead of mouthing off to all and sundry
If there’s a contretemp after the whistle it’s a good bet somewhere in the middle of it is Curry jawing someone.
I missed an 's'
Was too busy jawing out some guy who’d just made 15 yards on me.
Joke went over your head
and has already been addressed in the comments.
So yeah – you missed something.
Yeah I havent read the post yet.
I just saw the picture of Welker with a caption saying that It’s David Anderson catching a pass from Schaub. I thought i’d clarify before I started reading.
I'd like to add...
That as a rookie member of a defense that has been absolutely buried in many of it’s games, I wouldn’t necessarily expect AC to standout from the crowd. Sometimes when things are going wrong for a particular side (offense or defense), any one guy can end up looking like he’s chasing his tail.
By contrast, it seems like when a team is firing on all cylinders, everybody seems to be in the right spot at the right time. Drop a DT like Suh, or an elite edge rusher into the mix, and I’d expect Curry would look different.
HEY… My point validates John’s “value of a linebacker” theory.
Would you say that the value of an elite linebacker is more accentuated on a team with an appropriate supporting cast, than it would be for that same linebacker on a team without the other pieces?
Example: Is the gap between Lawrence Taylor and the rest of the LB’s in the NFL at that time, as apparent if he played on this years Seahawks defense?
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