Clark On Williams

[skadura]

i've always been under the impression that shifting a te to one side is to help the o-lineman out in blocking a de by DOUBLE TEAMING HIM not letting a te, who is a weaker blocker in the first place just str8 go 1 on 1 with the 2nd best de in the league.........

god this coaching staff is gonna get exploited so much these next couple weeks

and this is why we complain in the preseason when everything looks like same old same old....run d is horrible pass protection horrible special teams horrible.

[Blueblazes]

i've always been under the impression that shifting a te to one side is to help the o-lineman out in blocking a de by DOUBLE TEAMING HIM not letting a te, who is a weaker blocker in the first place just str8 go 1 on 1 with the 2nd best de in the league.........

god this coaching staff is gonna get exploited so much these next couple weeks

and this is why we complain in the preseason when everything looks like same old same old....run d is horrible pass protection horrible special teams horrible.

[ruksak]

i've always been under the impression that shifting a te to one side is to help the o-lineman out in blocking a de by DOUBLE TEAMING HIM not letting a te, who is a weaker blocker in the first place just str8 go 1 on 1 with the 2nd best de in the league.........

god this coaching staff is gonna get exploited so much these next couple weeks

and this is why we complain in the preseason when everything looks like same old same old....run d is horrible pass protection horrible special teams horrible.

I thought this had been pretty well covered?

It wasn't a flawed design, rather, it was a dreadful mistake by our RT (Likenbach) whom failed to identify his responsibility.

I was a little puzzled as to why the coaching staff didn't yank him after the second time, but they must feel Ijalana isn't ready. Not sure he could have done worse.

[grmasterb]

I thought this had been pretty well covered?

It wasn't a flawed design, rather, it was a dreadful mistake by our RT (Likenbach) whom failed to identify his responsibility.

That is the conclusion of many armchair analysts on this board. I would prefer confirmation from either Bill Polian or the coaching staff. Listening to Polian's show last night, I'm not 100% certain you're drawing the correct conclusion.

[Robin]

It was pretty brutal seeing Clark getting destroyed

[ruksak]

That is the conclusion of many armchair analysts on this board. I would prefer confirmation from either Bill Polian or the coaching staff. Listening to Polian's show last night, I'm not 100% certain you're drawing the correct conclusion.

I cannot fathom any other explanation. Williams doesn't drop back, so I cannot see how they couldn't understand he was coming, and that being the case, why they would shoulder that responsibility to a small receiving TE.

Was this question brought up at the post-game press conference? Anybody?

[Thewholefnshow28]

That is the conclusion of many armchair analysts on this board. I would prefer confirmation from either Bill Polian or the coaching staff. Listening to Polian's show last night, I'm not 100% certain you're drawing the correct conclusion.

If it was not a mistake by Link then that makes it even worse because that blocking scheme was designed that way. I am sorry if Clyde Christensen thinks having Clark block Mario is a good idea then he should just be fired now. It happening once is forgivable, but for it to happen twice is unforgivable. You are going to get your QB killed if you want your pass catching TE who is not known for great blocking to block one of the best pass rushers in the entire game.

Cannot wait to see Clark try to block James Harrison or LaMarr Woodley.

[Coltsfanman1953]

I didnt get to watch or even listen to the game. I watched the progress(or lack there of)on the NFL Network Statzone and it was even looked bad on it.

[chad72]

In this recap of the Polian show that I listened to, he did say this (not just going based on the recap but I did listen to it while it was being played):

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2011/9/13/2422620/recap-of-the-bill-polian-show-week-1-2011-colts-nfl-peyton-manning#storyjump

In that, there are these lines:

Lots of 'little things' went wrong, such as penalties and busted assignments on the offensive line.

Polian said Kerry Collins throws harder ball than Peyton Manning. Also, during the game, the sack-fumble on Collins was a missed blocking assignment.

Polian said Anthony Castonzo had a fine game. Jeff Linkenbach did as well. (his actual words were "I thought Linkenbach did pretty well too")

So, it depends on if you want the glass half empty or glass half full, you will borrow the lines you want to read, you will never find the true answer here on this board, just opinions on both sides, and people on both sides understand that. The true question is, did we really expect Clark, who is normally a weak side blocking TE to block Williams by himself? So, it is either the coaching or the player that had to be responsible for both cases in totality. I have never, I repeat NEVER heard Polian state that a specific player by name did bad in the game, it is a team game after all. He has talked about a particular play gone bad, or the O-line as a sum of the parts not having done as well as we would have liked (post Saints SB) but Polian is a master of carefully articulating his words. As a GM, I would not expect him to do it any other way either.

I remember coffeedrinker telling me that the Colts use zone blocking for the most part and you block a particular zone and the guys who rush your zone, not individual guys. I also remember watching the NFL Network segment where Marshall Faulk, one of the most cerebral RBs to have played the game, shown in film to pick up a defensive end that was coming free by going low, quickly recognizing that the LB that he was supposed to be picking up was picked up but not the DE from the corner of his eye. The result was Kurt Warner got the extra second of time, found Az Hakim in the end zone, touchdown!!! This was before his HOF induction, with Mike Martz giving big props to Marshall for recognizing that. THAT is recognition, and in a zone blocking scheme, recognition is a key element for O-linemen, I would think.

[Phil J]

this was the biggest jaw dropper for me all game.

we are done for against the steelers if Clark has to be on Harrison. Collins wont make the plane trip to Tampa the next week.

[Rich Cannon]

I thought this had been pretty well covered?

It wasn't a flawed design, rather, it was a dreadful mistake by our RT (Likenbach) whom failed to identify his responsibility.

I was a little puzzled as to why the coaching staff didn't yank him after the second time, but they must feel Ijalana isn't ready. Not sure he could have done worse.

Link virtually looks like a rookie s why not put the real rookie in lol

[Coltsfanman1953]

Sorry about the last line of the previous post but its been a long day.

[Malakai432]

I cannot fathom any other explanation. Williams doesn't drop back, so I cannot see how they couldn't understand he was coming, and that being the case, why they would shoulder that responsibility to a small receiving TE.

Was this question brought up at the post-game press conference? Anybody?

Perhaps it was like an M. Knight Shablamlamannamn movie with alot of twist and turns? What if, just what if Mario Williams was really a dead person and everyone on the field except for Link had the sixth sense to see him, but he was invisible to Link the whole time??? Very possible scenario.

[ruksak]

Perhaps it was like an M. Knight Shablamlamannamn movie with alot of twist and turns? What if, just what if Mario Williams was really a dead person and everyone on the field except for Link had the sixth sense to see him, but he was invisible to Link the whole time??? Very possible scenario.

On a related note; When I look at Linkenbach I see dead people.

[Malakai432]

On a related note; When I look at Linkenbach I see dead people.

Yes, perhaps Kerry Collins is already dead??

[4mvps]

AKA colts r horrible

[deedub75]

Peyton would have audibled and changed the play so that matchup wouldn't have taken place. It would have been a long pass play for Clark and Williams would have looked foolish trying to to cover Clark in coverage. I put this problem more on play calling than I do Link.

[Manning2Wayne]

this was the biggest jaw dropper for me all game.

we are done for against the steelers if Clark has to be on Harrison. Collins wont make the plane trip to Tampa the next week.

+1

[ruksak]

Peyton would have audibled and changed the play so that matchup wouldn't have taken place. It would have been a long pass play for Clark and Williams would have looked foolish trying to to cover Clark in coverage. I put this problem more on play calling than I do Link.

Before the game I went on and on predicting Clark to have a MONSTER game specifically due to what you mentioned above. WTH happened?

I think you're right about the playcalling. For the first time in a very long time, we have an offensive coordinator that has to call a game. It isn't working out.

Here's an idea....why not have Manning on the sideline calling plays? I mean we're paying the guy $23 million why not get some of that juicy brain involved?

[21isSuperman]

Clark blocking Williams on that one play was a mistake by Link. He was supposed to be the primary blocker with Clark in to help, but Link completely missed his assignment. Plays like that are why I blame the loss on the players, not the coaches

[doogansquest]

this was the biggest jaw dropper for me all game.

we are done for against the steelers if Clark has to be on Harrison. Collins wont make the plane trip to Tampa the next week.

If the Steelers played like they did against the Ravens, then we have absolutely nothing to worry about. They have zero confidence right now, and they haven't since getting smoked in the Super Bowl by a pass-only team.

[JManekia]

Harrison is coming off a back surgery and he himself has admitted that he has lost much of his explosion and stamina. Also, the Packers may have showed the NFL how to attack the Steeler Defense seeing as how comfortable Flacco looked against them. Did Troy Polamalu even played against the Ravens?

[wanabecoach]

I'd like to see Ben Ijalana get a chance at RT myself. He can't be worse than Link...

[buccolts]

Before the game I went on and on predicting Clark to have a MONSTER game specifically due to what you mentioned above. WTH happened?

I think you're right about the playcalling. For the first time in a very long time, we have an offensive coordinator that has to call a game. It isn't working out.

Here's an idea....why not have Manning on the sideline calling plays? I mean we're paying the guy $23 million why not get some of that juicy brain involved?

Unless things have changed, I thought the OC had always called a play that Peyton had the authority to audible out of.

Kerry's been with the team just over 2 weeks going into the game, and it's been said he needs to call out the entire play name.

This offense is so new to him, he's probably thinking too much, and not yet able to just play the game.

I think Kerry wasn't able to audible out, and Link didn't follow his assignment. The combo killed them.

[ruksak]

Unless things have changed, I thought the OC had always called a play that Peyton had the authority to audible out of.

Yes, but we all know the deal. It was more of a 'suggestion' when Manning had the helm. Our OC never asserted his gameplan fully, as Manning would adjust and audible on the fly more often than not.

Its just something else that we're all going to have to get used to.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Seems like that play where the personnel were completely mismatched would have been a dandy time for Caldwell to use a timeout.

[JoKeR]

Yes, perhaps Kerry Collins is already dead??

He hasn't realized that was shot dead by a half naked schizophrenic.

[OLD FAN MAN]

Seems like that play where the personnel were completely mismatched would have been a dandy time for Caldwell to use a timeout.

caldwell was going to use a timeout but didnt know how many he had left, but he relalized clark got beat twice and next time he will make some adjustments

[GoColts8818]

I'd like to see Ben Ijalana get a chance at RT myself. He can't be worse than Link...

If he's not ready yet he can be. You don't want to throw young guys out there before they are ready you can ruin a player that way. When he's ready he'll play. Again just because Link is struggling doesn't mean Ijalana is ready or that we have someone better we are just hidding on the bench. If we stick Ijalana out there before he's ready and struggles I can also tell you how the fans are going to react, they are going to call him a bust right off the bat and never give him a real chance after that. During the pre-season I watched Ijalana a lot and he did okay against other teams number twos and threes. That probably means he would struggle against other teams starters right now.