Bent Gets Analytical – Vernon Gholston on Sunday
Disclaimer: The following is a complete list of every defensive play from Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans and specifically Vernon Gholston’s contribution. I have analyzed the plays from video footage and cannot vouch for it being 100% correct (in particular where I noted that Gholston was not in the game), although I did watch many of the plays several times to ensure this is as accurate as possible. Gholston also played on the punt coverage unit, but I did not look at this in any detail.
First Series
- Lined up as a weakside DE (ie with his hand down) and was double teamed as the Titans ran to his side and Bart Scott made a tackle in the backfield.
-Was not in on 2nd or 3rd down as the Titans went three and out.
Second Series
- Lined up as a strongside DE on first down, then a weakside DE (false start), then a weakside OLB, then a DT in a 46 package on 3rd down.
- First down was a quick drop pass. On second down, he was handled on the pass rush, but made a second effort and Collins threw an incompletion. He was doubled on third down (another incompletion).
Third Series
- This was a nine play TD drive. He was in for the first four plays and the last one.
- He lined up as a strongside DE on first and second down. The Titans ran the other way on first down for a short gain and Gholston fell on the pile late (albeit somewhat tentatively), but wasn’t credited with an assist. On second down, they ran at him for 21 yards. He kept outside contain, but Johnson cut inside him. A review of the film shows that the motion TE hit him first and then peeled off to block Jim Leonhard on the outside, then the FB followed him and blocked Gholston. The play might have been stopped had David Harris reacted better to the handoff because he hesitated for a split-second and had to avoid the left guard and couldn’t get to the edge in time. This was a negative play, definitely, but it was well designed and he wasn’t completely to blame.
- He was lined up as a weakside DE on first down and Collins made a quick throw the other way. On second down, he lined up as a strongside OLB. They ran right at him, he got upfield penetration and forced Johnson back inside where he was able to make a spin move for a gain of one. This was a very good play by Gholston, although he didn’t make the tackle himself.
- On the touchdown, he had his hand down on the weakside in a short yardage package. White ran to his side and the left tackle blocked him out. He shed the block too late (it was very close to a hold – Roos had a handful of jersey, but let go just in time) and was able to get a handful of White’s jersey, but that was all. Bart Scott might have made this play, but his assignment was to slam into FB Ahmad Hall, which I’m sure he enjoyed. This left a hole behind him, that Jenkins almost filled but then missed the tackle.
Fourth Series
- This was a seven play drive that ended with a turnover on downs inside Jets territory.
- On first down, he lined up as a Strongside LB and, despite being double teamed, pushed the runner out for a one yard gain. DeVito and Scott also did a good job stretching the play out.
- After a play off, Gholston went back in at Strongside LB, but Collins threw another quick pass for a first down. On first down, Gholston was lined up as a DE on the weakside and stood up his blocker, then shed the block to make the tackle for a three yard gain as Johnson tried to cutback on a counter play. Good lateral pursuit on this play.
- I’m not sure what his assignment was on second down, but he stood up the tight end as if trying to prevent him from leaking out and running a route, but the play was a run for a short gain up the middle. Leonhard seemed to correct or advise him after the play.
- He wasn’t in on third down, but on fourth and seven, he lined up as a nose tackle and was double teamed on an incomplete pass.
Fifth Series
- On first down, Gholston was a Weakside LB and set the edge well. Douglas made the stop for a short gain. Gholston also got his hands on the ball carrier but was not credited with an assist.
- On second down, Gholston rushed the passer from the Strongside DE position in a three man front. His initial move was repelled, but he made a kind of inside swim move, so Collins, who had Ellis chasing him from behind, decided to roll out rather than step up and threw an interception.
Sixth Series
- This was a 13 play drive that ended in a field goal just before halftime. Gholston was only in for five of these plays, as Murrell got into the game for the first time.
- On the first two plays, Gholston lined up as a 3-4 DE on the weakside. On first down, he was popped by the left tackle and lost contain. Johnson got outside for 9. On second down, they ran the other way and Gholston appeared to be either loafing or worn out. Having said that, he still was back into position to make the tackle if the tackle had been missed, so perhaps this is an optical illusion. It would make sense that he might have been tired, but you can’t take a play off at this level.
- After a play off, he re-entered as a Strongside DE in a 46 look. The overload was picked up well by the Titans and Collins made a quick pass. On third down, Gholston lined up as a Strongside DE in a four man front and beat the Right Tackle with his speed to the outside for a pressure/hit on the QB. Collins completed a quick pass for the first down.
- He then returned to the sideline until re-entering as a weakside DE on 3rd and 18, where he drove a double team back into the backfield and Collins completed a quick short pass to set up the field goal.
- For the record, Murrell rushed the passer on each of his 5 plays on the drive and did beat the left tackle once for a pressure.
Second Half: First Series
- The Jets opened the second half with an extra DT and a 4-3 look. Gholston was only in on one play for a eight play TD drive that gave Tennessee the lead.
- He was a Weakside DE in a 46 formation, but there was a problem with the clock and then Murrell came back in. Gholston was only in on the TD play (as a Weakside 4-3 DE), but there was a quick throw to the other sideline for the score.
- Murrell actually got another pressure, but the pass was completed for a big gain. Other than his two pressures, he was handled, but 2 pressures in 8 or 9 plays so far perhaps isn’t a bad ratio for a back-up situation rusher.
Second Series
- The Titans went three and out. Gholston was only in on third down (as a Strongside DE in a 3 man front) and actually dropped into coverage as Collins threw the ball away.
Third Series
- The Titans went three and out again with Gholston only in on third down. This time he was a Weakside DE in a 46 formation and was picked up by the left guard as the Jets went for the overload blitz.
Fourth Series
- Another three and out. On first down, Gholston dropped into coverage from Weakside OLB on an incompletion downfield. He sat out the next play and came back in as a Strongside DE on third and 10, but the Titans ran the other way.
Fifth Series
- Gholston opened this series as a Strongside DE. The first play is where he made a touchdown saving tackle downfield after a missed tackle by Kerry Rhodes. While many people have pointed to this as one of his more positive moments of the game, it was actually one of his worst plays, as he lost outside contain and Johnson broke for a big gain. In Gholston’s defense, he was double teamed by the RT and the TE and did have Jim Leonhard behind him, but Leonhard got nailed by a block too. It was good hustle to catch Johnson from behind.
- He missed the next play, but on second down he rushed the passer from Strongside DE, showing good burst and speed. The tackle did kind of “lead” him wide, which enabled Collins to step up, so I don’t think he deserves credit for a pressure on the play. The pass was incomplete, as was the pass on third down with Murrell dropping into coverage and Gholston on the sideline.
Sixth Series
- Yet another three and out. Gholston was only in on second down, but Collins threw a quick pass. On third down, Murrell made a move where he pretended to drop into coverage, then rushed the passer. It didn’t work, but I found it interesting.
Seventh Series
- He opened the next drive at Weakside DE. One thing that is clear is that he is trying some pass rushing moves other than pure speed/bullrush. I still haven’t seen him spin, but he tried a swim move earlier and on this play he tried the Jenkins Club Move. Again, Collins threw another quick pass before he could get there.
- After a play off, they ran right at him and he got mauled by the LG and was unable to shed the block until Johnson was already by him. After the play, I noticed that he shrugged/extended his arms, so I wonder if he felt it was a hold.
- On the last two plays, he was a Strongside DE. On the first, he skipped over an attempted cut block by the fullback and would have had a clear path into the backfield had Jenkins not already engulfed the runner for a loss. On the second, he overpowered the right tackle and beat him with an inside move. Collins, under pressure, threw another interception. Gholston still probably won’t get credit for a pressure on the play, because both Pouha and Ellis got to Collins a half-step ahead of him.
Final Series
- He lined up as a Strongside DE on first down and the Titans ran at him for a first down, as he was double teamed again.
- On first down, he lined up as a DE on the Strongside in the 46 and got some penetration with a Bullrush on first down. On second down, he lined up as a nose tackle and was double teamed as David Harris made a sack. He wasn’t in on third down, but on fourth and long, he initially blitzed but then dropped off to cover against a potential dumpoff to the RB. Collins threw incomplete downfield.
Conclusions
- I will defer to you guys to draw your own conclusions from the above information and your interpretation of what you saw on Sunday. However, here are some numbers which indicate the variety of ways he was used:
- Was in on (by my count) 38 of 72 plays (just over 50%)
- Strongside 18 plays, Weakside 18 plays, DT or NT 2 plays
- Plays with his hand down = 32, Plays at LB = 6
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gholston is such a bum what a waste of money i watched him for most of the game he can’t rush the passer at all!! he made some tackles for once though but id much rather see a Jammal Westersman out there then a Gholston
come on man i got 3 tackles what else do you guys want from me?
He is coming along. And each game he is better and better. To all the haters… be ready to suck it up when he starts piling up the sacks as the season goes on. Just imagine the combo of he and Pace shifting in alternately? Or however Rex wants to play him. Trust me… he will make plays.
JP
Just want to talk about two plays. I was at the game and forgot to DVR it, so please note that my opinions are based off of seeing it live
-The play where you think he may have taken a play off, I think that he was tired, but I also think he did his job. He kept contain against a cutback instead of getting caught up in a block. I thought he did a fine job that play.
-The big run, I didn’t think that was his mistake. I thought Leonhard, with Gholston double teamed, was a split second too late to the play, which is why it worked, he needs to get there and, if not make the tackle, at least stop the run and make him cut.
It’s hard to evaluate his pass rushing because the Titans made the adjustment to have a lot of quick dropback passes, but he is already looking much better technically than he did in preseason and he has been good against the run – especially when we were told teams would run straight at him.
Interesting that on the three scoring drives he was mostly on the bench.
Bent – awesome job! Must’ve taken quite some time to compile. Seems like VG is making some plays and is getting close to making some impact plays. There is definitely improvement and that is encouraging. Unfortunately, when someone is taken with the 6th pick, they are expected by many to do more than slowly come around but I for one am happy to see VG contributing and I predict he will make some big plays this year.
In a way, it would have been really encouraging if the film showed multiple errors and no production. That would mean that when Pace returns, he would be a huge upgrade. I’m not sure how much of an upgrade it would be if Pace replaced all of Gholston’s reps for this game.
I wonder if that will happen, or will Gholston get somebody else’s reps when Pace returns?
Thanks, Expert. It took less than 2 hours to watch the film and about an hour to write it up. Not too heavy. I found that the film basically reinforced my initial impressions of his performance, although I did notice a few extra things (good and bad) which I included above.
Good point but Pace’s fresh legs means that with whatever rotation they decide to go with, they will be collectively stronger (maybe less risk of being tired) by the end of games. Gotta love depth.
Looks like rex is trying to bring him along slow, let him play in a stance he is more comfortable with, that way he can learn some more moves and grow into the game a bit then move him to LB more and more. Last year really stunted his development, he should have been in on some plays last year and working on his technique then be ready for LB this year, not starting back at year one.
Nice job.
He’s improved as a pass rusher but he’s not at all ready to be a full time player and that’s evident with how Chris Johnson’s biggest runs came from running in his direction.
Gholston is pretty much the reason Chris Johnson averaged over 4 YPC and not 2-3 YPC.
cmart – That’s exactly what I saw too in both cases, but I didn’t want to be seen to be too much of an apologist in the article, so I left it open to interpretation. As I said, he did get back into position on that run (note: that was one of CJ’s longer runs that WASN’T right at him) and Leonhard was behind him on that other play, so might have maintained contain had he read the double team and covered the outside instead of getting caught inside.
PS – Our spam filter doesn’t like your website for some reason. Could you post without it, otherwise your comments will continue to be automatically held in a queue.
Bent, thanks much for taking the time for this breakdown. Great job, it’s what makes this blog great!
I’m DVR’ing all the games this season on my computer hoping it’s a big one.
I’d presume VG will get burn at all the D line spots as a sub. I doubt BT and CP will come out much at the LB spots.
Yea running his direction and he was getting double teamed..
Also he can’t rush the passer he is always in the area if you watch, ESPECIALLY if its one on one.
If Gholston can learn some moves he will be good. I agree with what someone said in college he just Bull Rushed and steam rolled past lineman.
JAMAAL WESTERMAN AND GHOLSTON PLAY 2 DIFFERENT POSITIONS STOP SAYING BENCH GHOLSTON FOR HIM PLEASE.
Sure Bent
Basically, Pace will be a big upgrade, because he’s been around a while and, for that reason, will know how to work the double teams better. That’s not a knock on Gholston as much as a product of the fact that he’s a young guy who didn’t play last year.
I said it earlier, that they seemed to have figured out that his best chances of contributing are with his hand down on the ground. Considering that after a year up in a two point stand and through this years camp, give him time to find his level of comfort playing back down in the end spot in a four man front. He did seem to look more comfortable this week. Albeit, nothing special, but it really was his first game with his hand back down and playing the edge. I’m still going to support him until he gets playing time in the same spot over a sustained period of time.
between gholston being over hyped after the combine and mangini either being a horrible teacher or impatient with him i think we are gonna have to wait some more games or even worse next year til vg starts paying dividends for us…plus vg is all brawn and speed i think hes lacking the football smarts which you can get away with in college not in the nfl
we have so much depth and talent on defense this year that we can play any system and thas whats gonna keep us a top 5 d this year its gonna be hard for teams to know what we are doing gotta love it
Bent,
Thank you very much for all of your work. It is amazing that you spent the time to do that and the local media wouldn’t even think about it. They get paid but, you love it. That is the difference.
As Gholston was being used primarily on the D-line and Pace is an OLB, their production cannot be compared. What fans have to remember is that Gholston has a drop more experience then Sanchez. He was totally misused last season. Now, Rex is trying to find a way to use his athleticism where he can do the most damage. When it all comes together for Gholston — we will have another killer in our front seven. Have some patience.
As for the play by play that Bent provide for us, two thoughts. One, Gholston’s position changed, from OLB to DE. Two, he held his own against a quality offense. What happens when he learns what he is doing?
Indeed. I cannot wait to see what happens when VG puts it all togethor.
Just wanted to say thank you Bent. I certainly appreciate your devotion.
bent
great job man…
harvlis
agree 100%…
1 thing we can all agree on…he is developing as the year goes on…he will become a much better player by years end…who knows…maybe a beast…i also would like to throw this out there…mcfadden isn’t making any headlines and he went 3rd or was it 4th overall…just saying my thoughts…
i know its still early in the year to say that though…but then again mcfadden didnt have to change his position like VG…
Bent, that is unbeleivable! Big Kudos to you!!
Thanks, Bent. Exactly as I saw it in real time and thanks for validating what I thought I saw. A baby beast in the making.
All I have to say about VG is number 99 – Bryan Thomas – another first round bust that turned out pretty nice. VG is a high character individual that will try hard, he will be a solid player – star? But don’t hate – he got the first round money. His father is in a wheel chair and VG spent a good amount of time caring for him – so he deserves the money. Now lets all hope he can contribute.
I can’t understand why FANS care so much about his production when as a TEAM defense we are one of the best.
Bart Scott did not start until his 4th year in da league!!!!!
Let’s change the media’s perception of Jet fans.
Stop being NEGATIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great suff, Bent!
I gotta pile on the Mangini blame game. Mangini’s schemes are too cerebral and tripped the rookie up in his head, not on the carpet, especially considering VG’s converting from 4-3 DE to 3-4 OLB.
Rather, Rex Ryan schemes a physical game around thue players capabiolities. It’s good to wittness Rex finding ways to make the most of Vernon.
Polish the Stone ’til He Shines in the Super Bowll!!!
Whoops! Sorry about the typos.
Rex Ryan schemes a physical game around the players capabilities.
Bent-
Great article! I ordered game rewind last week and watched every defensive play in the pats game about three times to see what was going on. I can’t wait to find time to do it for this weeks game. Nothing is better to me as a football fan than to actually enjoy breaking down your own defense because it’s a good one!
It appears to me that VG has actually improved his run support. He’s been holding his ground and one play in paticular where he really set the edge well on an outside running play which allowed his teamates to make the tackle. I believe that was the first half fifth series play. His best pass rush play was the one you(bent) described on the 7th series of thr second half when he beat the right tackle with an inside move. He showed alot of strength in that one and would have had clear shot on kerrys back!
Maybe he can get a sack next week? Please?
VG does not have football instincts nor is aggressive enough to be a quality NFL player. He’ll wash out when it benefits the Jets salary cap.
This article is a prime example of what i love about this site…
Objective analysis from a devoted fan.. Doesn’t get any better than this! Nice work, Bent…
Bent
Tremendous job, Thanks. This is what we all ought to be doing between starts.
As for Gholston, I think there’s enough in your analysis to be optimistic that he can be a contributing, solid defender. Of course, by this time in his career, we were already excited about David Harris’s future, and that prediction was borne out.
What is lacking so far is a sense of the player wanting to transcend, not just meet expectations. What you see in the body language of DHarris, and the hustle, dominance and sideline presence of KJenkins, and the determination of Bart Scott, isn’t really there in VG, at least not yet. That’s what we get when Pace comes back, not just a big, strong pro linebacker. He’s got that special willingness to put in the extra effort, too. Maybe Brian Thomas-2 is all we can hope for.
As for his current contributions, it’s troubling that both long runs and two other successful scampers were either to his side or right at him. If he’s not going to excel, at the very least he’s got to do his job. On the thirty yarder in the fourth quarter, he let himself get trapped inside while Johnson ran outside. That can not happen even to a double team.
Once again, your work is much appreciated.
Believe what you will get out of Gholston eventually is a situation player who hopefully will develop some pash-rush moves and be most effective rushing the QB with his hand in the dirt. Problem is that he is too stiff/lacking instincts to be a LB and he is too small to be an every-down 3-4 lineman. I have zero expectations…but maybe he can contribute as a role player
When Pace comes back, our D will be even nastier.
Couple of points:
On Mangini – Yes, he should definitely have used VG as a situational pass rusher instead of dropping back into a prevent on third and long a lot of the time, but the fact he tried to force Gholston to be a complete OLB and he struggled is actually paying dividends. Look at the versatility he displayed, playing several different positions and dropping into coverage etc. That wouldn’t come so easily to him if all he did last year was pin his ears back. Of course, if he had done that, his reputation and confidence would be better because he would have made a few more plays last year.
On Playing With His Hand Down – It’s true that he seems more comfortable overall. If you review the plays where he was employed as a linebacker though he was excellent against the run, but didn’t do much as a pass rusher. With his hand down, he had more success rushing the passer, but was caught out a few times against the run. That’s interesting.
On Body Language – I think it’s a good sign that on the play when he looked tired or slow, he still got back into position to make the play. He’s just not very demonstrative and, I think, still afraid to make a mistake.
On Running Right At Him – I make it five times that plays that were right at him were stuffed too. Also, if Leonhard and Harris had done a better job as VG was being double teamed, two of those runs would still only have been a short gain, as noted one other could have been a hold.
On Being Double Teamed – The fact that he is being double teamed at all is a plus. Even when he was, a couple of times he got penetration or still set the edge.
On Rushing the Passer – As recently as preseason, people were saying that he constantly runs into the blocker and can’t get off the block. In this game, he used hand fighting and leverage to make a second move whenever he was initially repelled. That’s a step forward. If the Jets had been playing a QB that holds onto the ball for too long instead of one that made some quick throws, he’d have got to him a few times.
That’s all positive stuff. He’s far from a complete player, but this is a guy I wasn’t expecting to contribute at all yet, so I see no reason to focus on the negatives. The Pace suspension could prove to be a blessing for this franchise, especially if he returns fresh to give them a huge boost and this extra playing time speeds up VG’s development.
Thanks for this Bent, very informative and insightful breakdown.
I think the Jets D and Gholston in particular are being seriously effected by their own reputation as a D that will create heavy pressure and force quick decisions. Opposing offenses are game planning to get rid of the ball quickly in order to offset the pressure. What that does is allow little time for the pass rush to actually get sacks, although they do create pressure. Fans will look at the final stat line and say Gholston had no sacks and therefore had a bad game or 3 sacks on the season and say he never lived up to his draft position. Now granted I don’t think he has lived up to his potential yet and he has some things to work on, but as we can see he is playing multiple positions and helping to keep others fresh while not killing us when he is in there.
Excellent job Bent. Im not sure if the cameras picked this up or not, but VG was involved with a ton of presnap movement I was guessing to hid his spot on the field. I saw him often begin standing and at the last second end up with his hand in the dirt typically on the opposite side he began on. I was surprised at how much time he spent on the bench especially on third down. He does get a ton of support from his teammates every time he gets called to the sidelines.
Ill be interested to see what they do with him once Pace gets back. I think they view him right now as a situational DE and those will be the looks he gets once Pace returns. The game this week is a big one for him and it might be his lst chance to make an impact for playing time rather than simply getting a few snaps when Pace comes back. The Saints may be down to their 3rd string LT this week and I expect the Jets to play a good amount of 43 if the game is close late. The Saints are not going to try to hit him with a TE and this could be is best chance to get those hits on QB.
Bent my friend, great work as always!
Two things, which others have kind of already said –
1. Gholston may lack that killer football instinct, but the guy is not afraid to work hard and seems quite earnest in trying to become a better player. Seems like a good character kid.
2. One of the things this demonstrates to me — in conjunction with the production out of guys like Eric Smith and Drew Coleman — is that this coaching staff seems particularly adept at figuring out what players’ particular best skills are, and then getting them into positions to best use those skills to help the team overall. Simply, they are not hammering square pegs into round holes, but looking at how they can tweak their established board to best work in the pegs they have. Now that’s coaching!
Jason – Yes, I noticed that on some plays. Someone is moving before the snap on almost every play (multiple people when they’re in the 46) and he was that guy on many occasions. I don’t know if that was specifically to help him or just what the guy in that position would have done anyway.
Although he did spend time on the bench, it wasn’t always him being taken out on passing downs. In fact on two consecutive series, he sat out the first two downs and came back in on third and long. There’s no particular pattern, which is smart from the Jets point of view.
Barring injuries, I still think it’s unlikely he will make the 45% snap count this year (which will earn him about $3.6m in bonuses). He must be slightly behind even with Pace having been out and I think they’ll use 5 DBs a lot on Sunday (although, as the analysis shows, he can still get into the game as a 3-4 DE or a 46 lineman). That bonus is good motivation for him to keep improving.
Here’s my question. Everyone used to say VG was too small to play DE in a 3-4. Now, he seems to be lining up primarily at DE. Are we in the 4-3 everytime, or is he in fact, able to play the DE spot in a 3-4 effectively. I mean, it sounds like he is getting double teamed often, and hanging in there.
Perhaps we can develop him to play opposite Ellis, especially if we can bulk him up even more (if that’s possible). Ellis ain’t gettin any younger…
Thoughts?
bent, sorry to go off topic, but “mr. suck” the troll from yesterday has to go. blatant attempt at disrupting the blog.
Matt – Great question, Matt. VG is too small to play DE in a Mangini-style 3-4, but in a flexible system like Rex Ryan’s, when they do occasionally line up with a conventional three man front, he can do a good job there on a play-to-play basis, but not as an every down player. He has a nice combination of speed and size to do this on passing downs, but against the run, he’d find it tough. You might see him bulk up so that he can do more of this, perhaps.
To answer your question, he was mostly employed as a DE when there were 4 on the line and when he did it on a three man front, it was usually either a passing down or an overload blitz (usually on his side, presumably because if he ended up being the free man, he could get to the QB quicker than a Douglas or DeVito).
john – I don’t expect him back. If he comes and does it again, I’ll block him so effortlessly you’ll think he’s doing a satirical impersonation of Gholston as a rookie.
Bent – this is great stuff ! Thanks!
I’d bet that no other blog site is “putting on the foil” like TJB is with stuff like this from it’s avid fans.
That’s why this site is the best!
Gholston has to learn how to execute a spin move because of his speed. LTs will continue to run him past the QB if he doesn’t learn how to spin into the pocket. Guys like Strahan who were primarily bull rushers learned how to club and swim. Gholston, however, doesn’t bull rush well.
IMO, Pace will be a HUGE upgrade. He’s just better at every aspect at 3-4 OLB play and he knows how to bull rush and execute moves off of his bull rush.
I watched Freeney on Sunday night, fear of his spin move made his bull rush more effective because LTs EXPECT him to spin. So, now and then, he just bulls on a straight line to the QB. VG could be the opposite, if he learns how to bull rush better, with a more direct angle to the QB and with more power exerted against the LT.
I must say though, he’s looking less clueless and one day I expect him to spin and flatten a QB. Watch the tape, it’s wide open.
What a great post (and comments). All about understanding the game, the team, and the players better. I have to say that the analysis was a lot more positive than I anticipated. People have noted (rightly) how clueless he has looked at times. The fact that he was lined up in so many different formations and basically did his job is a very positive sign. Unfortunately for VG, his reputation will always be influenced by his draft position and last year’s invisibility. OK, he’s getting paid big money and that’s what comes with it. But, as Bent has pointed out in many previous posts, VG came out as a junior and got absolutely no experience last year. If he was a rookie this year and had the game described above in his third professional game, then everyone would feel very, very encouraged. I’m not saying he’s going to be a superstar, but he is far from the bust a lot of people have made him out to be. Hopefully, this post can signal the beginning of his growth into a solid contributor AND a more objective analysis of his skills and potential as a player. Great job, Bent.
Given his speed and size, he ought to be better on special teams, but on those he’s AWOL, at best. Maybe he doesn’t even play them? I never see his number called in the plays. How is it that Brad Smith is in on nearly every punt or kickoff coverage and VG is nowhere? Trade him to Cleveland for Brady Quinn? Worth considering. Or find some other 1st round bust? One other thing: he’s still pretty young. And he does seem to have a good character.
matthewm – He had 10 special teams tackles last season. This season, he’s the right tackle, so his primary job isn’t really to get downfield and make tackles. Wright and B Smith (and the next wave, Trusnik, E Smith and Izzo) are so good, there won’t be many chances for him to get tackles in punt coverage.
Bent
That was really cool stuff how you broke down the entire game. I have to say man, you are pretty right on. I too see a definite improvement in VG’s play.
So far he’s disappointed. However, look at the Steelers’ Harrison who took sveral years to develop and was cut by a number of teams. I’m reluctant to rush to judgment. There are too many cases of athletes becoming stars after a team gave up on them.
Bent,
Just stunning work.
Thank you.