Is hooker living up to his hype ?

[John Waylon]

There’s been a lot of metric stats used to make the case that he’s been some kind of elite safety that QBs just go out of their way to avoid throwing towards and that he’s some kind of crippling pass defender. He hasn’t been BAD, but he hasn’t been GREAT either. Certainly not as great as the metrics make it sound.
 

There was one point someone referenced stats earlier this season and said “he’s doing great! He’s only been targeted 6 times and allowed 4 receptions.”

 

That means he’s giving up almost 70% of passes thrown his way. And that’s good?

 

Honestly he’s just another guy. He’s (Usually. Been some real ugly spots recently, but we’ll call those a rough patch and not the norm) not a detriment, but Ed Reed he is not, though you’d have been led to believe otherwise around here at times. 

[DougDew]

14 minutes ago, John Waylon said:

 

There was one point someone referenced stats earlier this season and said “he’s doing great! He’s only been targeted 6 times and allowed 4 receptions.”

 

That means he’s giving up almost 70% of passes thrown his way. And that’s good?

 

 

I've posted too much in this thread and will let others continue the discussion, but this is a point I was having issues with.

 

The notion that QBs don't throw his way....the deep ball.....might simply mean that the offense chooses to break off the routes short and flood the intermediate and short zones with more players than what the other 10 defenders can handle.  That relegates Hooker to simply being a body hanging out way back there, not involved in the play at all, and the offense moving the ball down the field.  I think we see this.  That lack of targeting Hooker is an intentional positive strategy to move the ball, not a strategy of avoidance.

 

[coltsfansince65]

[Chrisaaron1023]

All this talk about no pass rush.. maybe that's what we should be asking? Didn't we have a good pass rush early in the season? 

 

I'm pretty sure the ghost of Pittsburgh past just came in and stole the souls of the Colts.. that's when all heck broke out. 

[SOMDColtsfan]

Speaking of Hooker, how are 2 safeties 4 yards deep in the end zone and a single WR runs to goal line, turns around and catches an easy TD like the Saints game? Looked lost out there

[BigO]

Should have taken Marlon Humphrey instead of Hooker. He is a real difference maker on defense with the Ravens!

[throwing BBZ]

14 hours ago, The Fish said:

Agree that he's not a bust (at all), but he was overvalued as a top 15 guy and that's going to hang over him. Also being in the Colts secondary that last two weeks isn't a place to get accolades. 

 

  I recall Ballard was pleased getting the #1 player on his draft board with that 15th pick.
 The 3 pics he had to start his rookie season pretty much sums him up as a playmaker in pass defense. He shows no anticipation reading opposing QB's.

[Kyle]

It is hard to judge his play when the rest of our secondary consists of dudes that got cut from other teams and late draft pick rookie.  

[Blueblood23]

He plays so deep that we don’t even know if can actually cover someone.

[colt18]

He isn’t living up to his potential, that’s for sure.

 

The team overall isn’t good tho. The secondary is a mess partly because the front seven gets minimal pressure. 

[will426]

14 hours ago, DougDew said:

Shouldn't that be the other way around for a great player? Hooker should make the corners look better than they are.

unless we’re playing a crappy style of defense (which we are) he’s been put in bad positions we either play him WAYYY to deep in zone to do anything or we play him way to close to the los in which yes his tackling has improved but there’s much more to focus on playing closer to the los besides coverage 

[Flash7]

It can be equally true that Hooker is not that good, and neither are the other Defensive Backs, and nether is the pass rush.

[aaron11]

i thought he was better last year.  he probably wont stand out much if we keep running cover 2

[DougDew]

19 minutes ago, will426 said:

unless we’re playing a crappy style of defense (which we are) he’s been put in bad positions we either play him WAYYY to deep in zone to do anything or we play him way to close to the los in which yes his tackling has improved but there’s much more to focus on playing closer to the los besides coverage 

I can't agree with everything you said, but I mentioned elsewhere in this thread that he has not, and maybe can't very much and won't ever here, be put into the situations he excels at most.

[compuls1v3]

I see Hooker as the type of player that if we traded to another team with a different defensive scheme, he'd be making more plays.  The way he's been used this year has been questionable, in my humble opinion.  I do feel more pressure up front would lead to more opportunities for him.  Hopefully it gets addressed in the upcoming draft.

[DougDew]

2 hours ago, compuls1v3 said:

I see Hooker as the type of player that if we traded to another team with a different defensive scheme, he'd be making more plays.  The way he's been used this year has been questionable, in my humble opinion.  I do feel more pressure up front would lead to more opportunities for him.  Hopefully it gets addressed in the upcoming draft.

That's a tough call, because the trend in the NFL is to be moving away from the Carson Palmer type of QB/offense and more to the quick passing offense where the ball simply isn't in the air long enough for a deep FS to intercept.  

 

His particular skill has less impact because its fairly moot on bubble screens and crossing routes, which are gaining popularity.  All defenses have to find personnel to defend those plays than the legacy Palmer/Arians stuff, IMO. I think he would become a narrower fit for many teams in the future.

[WoolMagnet]

A lil pressure on the QB could make him look like a Pro bowler.  
  He was hyped to the level Minkah is playing in Pittsburgh.  Tough to live up to that.  
  We get a lil pressure from a stud DT (hopefully in draft), and Turay and co, the LBs, CBs and safeties will all suddenly look better.  Especially in this defense that dives us nuts.  Ah Cris, could you surprise us with some cover corners this offseason?  Please?!!

[Blueblazes]

 We really need to get over this ''homer'' attitude of overrating our own players just because they are Colts. Hooker is mediocre at best, in fact only Moore is above average of all our DBs. They make average QBs look good and make great Qbs like Brees break records (29-30 attempts).  We need a lot of help rushing the passer for sure, but the DBs are collectively not good.  A lot of help needed there too.

[GoColts8818]

3 hours ago, Blueblazes said:

 We really need to get over this ''homer'' attitude of overrating our own players just because they are Colts. Hooker is mediocre at best, in fact only Moore is above average of all our DBs. They make average QBs look good and make great Qbs like Brees break records (29-30 attempts).  We need a lot of help rushing the passer for sure, but the DBs are collectively not good.  A lot of help needed there too.

Agreed.

 

i don’t know how many times this season I’ve seen a guy catch something wide open because Hooker played the wrong man or took a bad angle.  That has nothing to do with the pass rush, that’s all on Hooker.

 

i will say I like what I see from Willis, especially in the running game.  I have some hope for him.

[Coltsman1788]

I doubt Hooker ever becomes the ball hawking safety that many of us hoped he would be when drafted.  I gave him some time given the ACL injury.  But haven’t seen many big plays from him in 3 years...he should be showing something by now.  Not a difference maker in my opinion...unfortunately.