ZBIKOWSKI NEEDS TO BE BENCHED

[needanoline63]

he is totally ineffective. u saw what alex green just did to him. he needs to go

[corgi]

I had this conversation with my wife before the game started. He missed green and just took a knee. Get up and run Tom, even if you have 0 chance don't quit.

[Indyfan4life]

In all fairness to Zbi, Bethea was off and whiffed on a lot of open field tackles as well.

[Captain Americolt]

In all fairness to Zbi, Bethea was off and whiffed on a lot of open field tackles as well.

Bethea is a trillion times better than Zibs and will never give up on a play. He did miss a few, but not consistently game after game like Zibs. That kneel Zibs did after he got his ankles broken says it all

[Mr.Debonair]

AGREED!!

[colts52761]

what other options do we have at ss? brown?

[Hans Moleman]

How many times did the Packers' elite passing game beat us deep? TZ plays a part in that and I think he's been playing solid ball. Not Pro Bowl level or anything special, but I've seen much worse safety play than what Zbikowski's giving us.

Give Zibby a little credit here. I don't know what it is with you guys, but it seems like once a player's in the doghouse, there's no getting back out of it. Zbikowski, Brown, Fleener,and Castonzo get a ton of undue hate on here for some reason.

Linkenbach and Olsen's is totally justified, however. I'm not surprised we did better run blocking today without Olsen.

[krunk]

Overall I was okay with Zibi today. There were some moments I was unhappy with, but he played ok for the most part.

[Nostrils]

I have my doubts with him but as far as today he played well, one missed tackle doesn't warrant a release... do you know how hard it has to be for a defender 1 on 1 to make an open field tackle on a RB??? prob not, thats why you made this thread

[Peytonparker]

what other options do we have at ss? brown?

Joe Lefeged

[dgambill]

Amazing how we had so many praising him coming here like it was some major signing. Now..as for cutting him...that is just plain dumb. He is an ok safety. Not good not bad. He isn't a long term answer but he is decent enough to not get us beat. Some teams safety's are playmakers...ours are there as a safety net. I don't expect a ton out of him...and I've seen nothing as to warrent praise or ridicule.

[PrincetonTiger]

No major mistakes

[needanoline63]

Amazing how we had so many praising him coming here like it was some major signing. Now..as for cutting him...that is just plain dumb. He is an ok safety. Not good not bad. He isn't a long term answer but he is decent enough to not get us beat. Some teams safety's are playmakers...ours are there as a safety net. I don't expect a ton out of him...and I've seen nothing as to warrent praise or ridicule.

I was excited about him comming here, I thought he would bring his success from the ravens with him, I was wrong so far. Maybe he will turn it around

[CopenhagenColt]

*.. So Tommy's not a Pro Bowler, but he didn't make any major mistakes today. Is there better safeties out there? Sure there are, but Zibi has done okay for us.

Before Tommy became the favorite scapegoat on this forum, a short while it was our entire CB crop that just blew chunks, just like Donald Brown/Anthony Castonzo and our entire O-line has had their share of critics, and some players are apparently beyond criticism, despite making errors, because of past performances and being forum favorites, like Bethea who, this season, hasn't played at the level we have come to expect from him.

It's a team effort out there, and unfortunately they can't all perform like Luck/Wayne did today all the time.

[BOTT]

i'm not sure what people expected from a career backup. he admitted to losing his edge last year....not sure he has gotten it back.

[Andy]

You can say that again, maybe it's worth giving Lefeged a shot. Can't do much worse than Zbi.

[Superman]

I think time sharing with Lefeged might be a good idea. He's always struck me as a player who can find his way into the play. And Lefeged's special teams play so far has been phenomenal, so getting him some defensive snaps seems to be in order. Zbikowski seems to be a step late on a lot of plays. I'm not in favor of benching him, and I don't think he's been as bad as people are suggesting, but he hasn't really been good either. And the way he got broken down by Green was pathetic, simply put. But I'm not terribly concerned about the safety play. I suffered through Aaron Francisco and David Caldwell. Zbikowski at least doesn't give up big pass plays, which is the primary job of a safety.

[Tark The Shark]

Personally for me, I was just reading it play by play on my phone.

The whole defense should get a pass after the 2nd half of this game. You don't normally allow the reigning MVP to only 1 TD in the 2nd half.

In my eyes, the whole defense gets a free one this week

[Hans Moleman]

You can say that again, maybe it's worth giving Lefeged a shot. Can't do much worse than Zbi.

The first time he gets beat, the same people calling for him to replace Zbikowski will turn on him like a pack of jackals.

That's how it works around here....everyone loves the backups until they become starters and we find out why they were backups in the first place. Not that it'll make people admit Zbikowski's better. It could just be a weird Ballard/Brown situation where people just want Donald benched and don't care that Brown outproduces him by every measure.

[Andy]

The first time he gets beat, the same people calling for him to replace Zbikowski will turn on him like a pack of jackals.

That's how it works around here....everyone loves the backups until they become starters and we find out why they were backups in the first place. Not that it'll make people admit Zbikowski's better. It could just be a weird Ballard/Brown situation where people just want Donald benched and don't care that Brown outproduces him by every measure.

Still worth giving him a shot. As mentioned, he can't do much worse than Zbi.

[BleedBlu8792]

The way he gave up on the play is what annoyed me the most. Instead of attacking, he waited for Green to come to him. He has to be "clean up" as the SS. What bothered me even more was on the same exact drive, next play if I remember correctly, Rodgers threw a pass right over his head and he didn't even jump or try to bat it down when he easily could have and that pass ended up being a TD. He gave up not once, but TWICE on the same drive. That's a problem and there is no excuse for that.

He's been OKAY so far, but I don't think he's really that much of a game changer in that Lefeged couldn't come in and do anything less than what Zbi's done.

[lollygagger8]

I said it a few weeks ago. Zibs is NOT the physical prowess we brought him over to be. Lefeged has playing his tail off on Special Teams and should be given the chance to get his job back. Maybe that would light the fire under Zibs?

That knee that Zibs took after Green went blazing past him was absolutely ridiculous!!!

[JaseAiden23]

Zibs looks lost out there! At least give Joe a shot, i dont see how it could be any worse. I was really high on the guy too. Im not sure what the guys problem is, but he looks like the weakest link in this defense. I would have yanked his butt as soon as Green smoked him and just sat there. UNREAL!! tick poor effort, that is not Colts football! We may never have had the best secondary but I dont remember a time when we had a guy just give up so blatently on a play. All in all, GREAT COLTS WIN!! CHUCKSTRONG!!

[John Waylon]

I'd be alright with giving Lefeged a chance simply because Zbkowski hasn't made any real plays. He's by and large been invisible out there. There are some guys who you don't ever really notice because they are doing their job. Like Pat Angerer when he started starting. Then there are guys who don't get noticed until they give up a big play who aren't getting noticed because they just aren't making an impact. That's Zbkowski. Maybe Lefeged can make an impact. Or at least not get noticed in the Angerer-type way.

[ericnan]

....anybody got the clip where he goes to his knee? I was not able to watch the game, rather followed it on my phone while munchin' some chili and tossin' a ball around with my nephew and kids.

[braveheartcolt]

Many posters on here forget about the Draft and the Salary Cap, and our bust rota due to Polian's bad contracts. If it was that easy to have only good players as a minimum in every position, everybody would be doing it. Including the Browns. The key is damage limitation at some spots. Zib is damage limitation personified. Maybe we get Bob Sanders II in the 2013 Draft??

[B-B]

....anybody got the clip where he goes to his knee? I was not able to watch the game, rather followed it on my phone while munchin' some chili and tossin' a ball around with my nephew and kids.

Here it is, it's about half way through the video when Green rips off a big run

http://nfl.cpl.delvenetworks.com/player/usatoday/carousel/embed_code_560.html?channelId=de89a8aeb3e422bac4eb48567f10ebd0&channelListId&mediaId=6564cb61c9864686ade141a72879bd37

[Warhorse]

Still worth giving him a shot. As mentioned, he can't do much worse than Zbi.

Seriously, Andy? I can think of many situations that could be worse than this game where arguably the best QB in the league is held to a second half TD. As was mentioned by Hans, he was apart of the team that nearly shut down Rogers in the second half. Not jumping on you, I just don't understand the criticism.

[Andy]

Seriously, Andy? I can think of many situations that could be worse than this game where arguably the best QB in the league is held to a second half TD. As was mentioned by Hans, he was apart of the team that nearly shut down Rogers in the second half. Not jumping on you, I just don't understand the criticism.

The defense's play in the 2nd half was great, but Zbi was still performing badly. He wasn't great in coverage, and was deked out a couple of times in the running game. Look at the Alex Green run.

I say they start rotating Lefeged in. He did a not bad job last year and that was in a putrid scheme. Still worth giving him a shot.

Don't think because the D was great in the 2nd half that everybody did a phenomenal job. They were still some negatives.

[ericnan]

Here it is, it's about half way through the video when Green rips off a big run

http://nfl.cpl.delve...de141a72879bd37

Thanks Bryce! Yeah, I can see why so many question this. Not sure why he just went to a knee? Maybe he felt a tweak or a pop or something? Thanks again for the clip!

- Eric

[Mameluc]

he is totally ineffective. u saw what alex green just did to him. he needs to go

Green juked Bethea on the same exact play...are we supposed to bench him also because green owned him on that play?

of course not.

people are just looking for every single play for him to do something bad and say "he sucks"

[Boiler_Colt]

He's not terrible, but honestly, I haven't seen him do anything particularly good either. Lefeged had a few great picks last year and he sure can deliver a pop on special teams. If the coach's feel Zibs is better than Lefeged, I trust them. I do think we look for a safety prospect in the coming draft though.

[Superman]

After rewatching the game, I have to say, it was actually one of Zbikowski's better games so far this season. He made plays against the pass, he got pressure on Rodgers a couple times, and he had a few tackles.

But there were other plays where he was a step late, and of course the Green run, not just getting broken down like that, but not hustling back into the play. Billick kept praising Clay Matthews for his motor, how he'd get blocked out of a play or put on the ground, but would get right back up in an effort to get back into the play. And Matthews is one of the very best players in the NFL. Zbikowski is a player getting his first real chance at a starter's position, and he plays on a team that hasn't had really good strong safety play in four seasons now. It wouldn't be hard for him to look good by comparison. But he's got to give more effort and get involved in more plays. I don't mind so much him getting juked; Bethea got juked on the same play. But turn and get back into the play, or at least try.

[Captain Americolt]

Seriously, Andy? I can think of many situations that could be worse than this game where arguably the best QB in the league is held to a second half TD. As was mentioned by Hans, he was apart of the team that nearly shut down Rogers in the second half. Not jumping on you, I just don't understand the criticism.

It was a team effort, not just Zibs, that shut down Rodgers in the 2nd half. Andy was just saying starting Lefeged couldn't be any worse than Zibs, who has been below average in my, and many others, opinions.

[PrincetonTiger]

Give him a break

[Fx Stryker]

Zbi got beat bad, and so did Bethea. How is Bethea going to a jog anything different then Zbi taking the knee?

[dgambill]

I would love to see some Ed Reed/Troy Palomalou out of my safety play but lets get real....there is only a handful of safeties like that in the league and we don't have one on our team. He gave up a bad play and should get his butt chewed out for his effort no doubt...call him out thats fine but I don't see anything yet to say he deserves to be benched. His job is to prevent big plays and he has done that pretty well. If the secondary starts to play worse or he continues to miss plays than fine bring someone else in but Lefegad isn't an upgrade...its pretty close to even in my mind....truthfully...I don't want to upset chemistry...which is important...knowing where guys are going to be and trust....if we see the chemistry slip then bring in Lefegad but for now....I think the secondary while not lights out has played better than last year and no reason to change things. It isn't always bringing in a guy and that always makes things better. If he is out of place taking chances or not getting signals right or communicating...it could make things worse...besides Bethea hasn't really been any more impressive so why single out Zibs.