Just woke up from a dream where Lamar Jackson was playing....me.
The good news is that I held contain and stripped him on one play, leading to a scoop n score. The bad news is that I woke up before i could see the final score.
I’m unsure what this means, but I’m pretty sure the Chiefs should sign me to the 53 if they want to get past Baltimore.
Originally Posted by comochiefsfan:
Just woke up from a dream where Lamar Jackson was playing....me.
The good news is that I held contain and stripped him on one play, leading to a scoop n score. The bad news is that I woke up before i could see the final score.
I’m unsure what this means, but I’m pretty sure the Chiefs should sign me to the 53 if they want to get past Baltimore.
We don’t need any crazy ass Alex Smith fans getting too close to the franchise. I’m vetoing this idea.
Terrell Suggs film review: Does the seven-time Pro Bowler have enough left in the tank to help the Chiefs?
Seth Keysor
Originally Posted by :
Terrell Suggs really doesn’t need an introduction. But let’s try one anyway.
The veteran edge rusher is playing his 17th season in the NFL. He was drafted in 2003 — the year I graduated high school weighing 170 pounds soaking wet, which says something about how long ago that was — and spent 16 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, amassing 132.5 sacks and seven trips to the Pro Bowl. He left Baltimore via free agency this past offseason to join the Arizona Cardinals but was recently released in what the team dubbed a mutual decision to provide him the chance to join a contender down the stretch. The Chiefs became that team, claiming him off waivers Monday.
But what does Suggs have left? At 37 years old, he has 5.5 sacks this season and hasn’t been the same game-wrecking presence he was in previous years. That said, Suggs’ impact has never been limited to his statistical output. So I went to the film, charting Suggs’ two best and two worst games, per Pro Football Focus — that seemed like the most fair way to get a good overall look — for pass rush and run defense wins and losses, neutral snaps, pressures/hits/sacks, stuffs (runs stopped for 2 yards or less) and effective double-teams. Like with all player reviews, it was important that I not pick and choose between plays but rather look at the entire body of work throughout those games to get a better gauge on Suggs.
What I found was a player who still has a useful skill set for Kansas City’s purposes.
Suggs is not the same explosive player he once was, but he still possesses the ability to win at the line of scrimmage and is especially solid against the run along the edge.
It’s worth noting before looking at the numbers that Suggs played the majority of his snaps in a 2-point stance rather than with a hand on the turf. He was also asked to play some coverage and more contain than he will with the Chiefs given his role as an outside linebacker in Arizona’s system.
That said, Suggs still has some juice. He’s no longer a great athlete, but he has excellent functional strength and technique that allows him to be a consistently good run defender.
Suggs rarely lost matchups against tackles — and never against tight ends — when asked to hold up at the point of attack or set the edge. He also shows good recognition and rarely loses track of the ball. He’s a disciplined defender who doesn’t deviate from his responsibility when defending the run. These are all good traits to have, but the most noticeable is his ability to direct blockers where he wants them to go, whether that’s moving them inside so he can protect the sideline or pushing them into running lanes.
Here, Suggs is matched up against a tight end, who has the tough assignment of reaching inside and then driving Suggs out of the gap. Suggs is able to achieve the opposite effect, moving the blocker into the runner’s path and forcing him to slow down through a narrow hole. Notice that while Suggs is crashing hard enough to generate push, he doesn’t lose control and still keeps his leverage to the outside. This prevents the runner from cutting outside and pushes him right into the other defenders on the play.
That sort of subtle move (keeping the edge contained even while crashing) is what separates a veteran like Suggs from less experienced players. That savvy combined with his strength and technique lead to him almost never losing as a run defender. While he’s not a dominant force like Frank Clark is when healthy, he’s an asset when the ball is run in his direction. He’s also very capable in pursuit.
Suggs had several snaps like this in the games I reviewed, though he wasn’t able to get the stuff every time. He’s good at anticipating when blockers are attempting to reach him and getting ahead to pursue runs away from him, seeing the plays develop before they start.
One area where Suggs’ age has shown up in run defense is that he’s not as capable of chasing down runners as he used to be. The years have caught up to him with regard to his quickness/speed, and he can be beaten to the edge even when he’s in good position.
Suggs does everything right here, keeping his helmet flashing inside while still controlling the edge. He just isn’t fast enough to win the race to the sideline. While Suggs is excellent containing the edge, if there’s no one to the outside and enough space, he can give up yards this way. He also can be beaten in space by quicker running backs — or a mobile quarterback, which the Chiefs might have to contend with in the playoffs against teams such as the Bills, Ravens and Texans.
As a pass rusher, Suggs was able to make at least some impact in every game he played, but the results varied depending on the game and opponent. Against top-end offenses such as the Saints’ and Rams’, Suggs wasn’t as impactful (though it’s worth noting that scheme played a role against the Rams, as it often does for edge rushers).
Suggs doesn’t have a great first step, but he still has the ability to bend around the edge.
Because he has the balance and flexibility to bend as he turns the corner, Suggs is able to shorten his route to the quarterback and keep from being pushed wide around the pocket. His bend combined with his strength to move through half a man forces blockers to at least somewhat respect his speed rush despite the fact that his burst is no longer there.
Suggs’ primary threat as a pass rusher comes from his technique and power, both of which are still very good.
Suggs is able to generate push with both bull rushes and long-arm moves, and his hand placement is generally solid. He also varies his look as a rusher, not sticking to a single move, and consistently attempts to gain control in the hand-fighting battle.
Suggs no longer wins in a variety of ways, as his quickness just isn’t there anymore.
Suggs still attempts some inside/outside fakes and tries to keep opponents guessing, but without the agility of his younger days the threat is generally empty and tackles can sit and wait for him to make a move rather than cheating one way or another. The fear of him running by them no longer forces their hand.
When Suggs can’t win the hand-fighting battle initially or generate push with a bull rush or long arm, he’s generally contained. Because he’s capable enough in those areas, he’s still a functional pass rusher, but he shouldn’t be expected to win one-on-one battles consistently against upper-tier competition. He does win just often enough to prevent teams from ignoring him, though, and he also has enough burst and savvy to take part in stunts/twists when called upon.
Interestingly enough, this current rendition of Suggs as a pass rusher now bears a striking resemblance to Alex Okafor and Emmanuel Ogbah, players who aren’t quick but rely on power and technique to win the day. Given the success those players have had in Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s system, there’s reason for hope with Suggs.
Suggs isn’t a star (or even close) at this point in his career, but he doesn’t need to be to make an impact for the Chiefs. He need only be competent as a pass rusher while being strong against the run. Those are things he has been able to do this season, and his signing should help the defense maintain its momentum despite the loss of Okafor.
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
I can probably think of 500+ places off the top of my head that I’ve been in less safe than Baltimore after dark.
Originally Posted by Showtime:
Just not true, I’m from Maryland been to Baltimore at night millions of times it’s not bad. Just like every city there are bad place that bring the whole City down.l
You make my point. Every major city in the world has places you have no business being in after dark. Unless your up to something nefarious or unluckily born poor and cant get out.
Don't even get me started on total # of whole countries you have to risk your life to just be in.
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
You make my point. Every major city in the world has places you have no business being in after dark. Unless your up to something nefarious or unluckily born poor and cant get out.
Don't even get me started on total # of whole countries you have to risk your life to just be in.
I've been to Baltimore once and loved it. Walked around downtown by the stadiums and the surrounding areas well after dark and felt completely safe. That's not to say other parts aren't bad, but we enjoyed it.
Originally Posted by Rausch:
We may have just stumbled into an upgrade at the position.
And if not we got truly lucky with the recent injuries at DE to find a solid fill in...
Yep, it’s a borderline miracle that this guy was available at the perfect time for us. I’m pretty sure we put the claim in before Okafor ever got hurt (as we should have), but now Suggs has become a necessity for depth purposes.
I look for him to play many meaningful snaps come playoff time, and as you hinted at, I think he is very similar skill wise to Okafor and Ogbah at this stage in his career. Maybe even a smidge better still.
Where I think we never gave Ford any credit and where I think ALL of our DEs have been a little lacking in this year appears to be an area where Suggs can help - pursuit on run plays.
Everyone wants to focus on how a DE is doing when the run goes to his side and that's part of the story, but not all of it. All too often we have been leaving cutback lanes open because our backside pursuit isn't getting home. Ford was excellent at that because of his speed. Suggs appears to be very good at it because of his technique. He seems to really do a nice job of setting the T up or firing underneath him to get on the backside and seal those cutback lanes off.
Looks like he could have a far bigger impact against the run than he will against the pass. The few clips I've seen of him generating a significant pass rush came from a 2-point stance and he's just not going to be doing a lot of that. I'm not sure he's going to win many pass-rush reps with his hand in the dirt at this stage of his career.
But is presence, especially his pursuit ability, could see teams running MORE to the strong side in the hopes of overloading the defense rather than just trying to win 1v1.
The only worry I might have is how quickly he can grasp the gap concepts that Spags is running. I don't expect it will be a major issue, but you'd hate to see him trying to fill gaps that aren't his responsibility or trying to split them on the backside when he actually had a contain role. Run defense requires a little more knowledge than strictly rushing the passer and as it looks more and more to me like THAT will be his real contribution, the learning curve may be a little steeper than I expected.
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
Where I think we never gave Ford any credit and where I think ALL of our DEs have been a little lacking in this year appears to be an area where Suggs can help - pursuit on run plays.
Everyone wants to focus on how a DE is doing when the run goes to his side and that's part of the story, but not all of it. All too often we have been leaving cutback lanes open because our backside pursuit isn't getting home. Ford was excellent at that because of his speed. Suggs appears to be very good at it because of his technique. He seems to really do a nice job of setting the T up or firing underneath him to get on the backside and seal those cutback lanes off.
Looks like he could have a far bigger impact against the run than he will against the pass. The few clips I've seen of him generating a significant pass rush came from a 2-point stance and he's just not going to be doing a lot of that. I'm not sure he's going to win many pass-rush reps with his hand in the dirt at this stage of his career.
But is presence, especially his pursuit ability, could see teams running MORE to the strong side in the hopes of overloading the defense rather than just trying to win 1v1.
The only worry I might have is how quickly he can grasp the gap concepts that Spags is running. I don't expect it will be a major issue, but you'd hate to see him trying to fill gaps that aren't his responsibility or trying to split them on the backside when he actually had a contain role. Run defense requires a little more knowledge than strictly rushing the passer and as it looks more and more to me like THAT will be his real contribution, the learning curve may be a little steeper than I expected.
How far down the line the backside E flows on runs away from them is somewhat scheme dependent, too, is it not?
Ford’s speed was a factor on backside pursuit, sure. On plays he actually did what he was supposed to and didn’t get confused (which was easy to do). But no matter how good he was on the backside, teams could run right at him - and smart teams rarely would do anything but run at him.
When you can handle a DE/OLB on any run with basically any TE who doesn’t F up and even WR who are good blockers, why would you ever not run to that guy’s side? That means you can get TE/OL to the second level consistently.
I think Suggs will help a ton against the run - I love the idea of having bookends who are smart/crafty and good at diagnosing and also disciplined in maintaining their assignments - which both Clark and Suggs are.
It’s what I was hoping they were getting with Okafor. He wasn’t quite as good against the run as I expected. Think Suggs can at least provide that level of play.
He looks like he still has a knack for stripping the ball, too, with 4 FF. That’s big.