Better/Worse in 2016: Tennessee pass defense

#1

dduncan4163

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Better/Worse in 2016: Tennessee pass defense

BETTER/WORSE IN 2016?

When Butch Jones hired Bob Shoop to be his defensive coordinator, he challenged him to create a new culture and identity on defense, and to improve fundamentals. Mostly though, he charged him with finishing games, and that’s likely to be a big difference this year. Look for the Vols to be better against the pass, and maybe even substantially better.

Pass D will be the biggest upgrade with Shoop running things. We don't loose to Florida or Oklahoma last season with Shoop and I fully expect our D to be 2005 special this season because of him.

Our D is going to be simply SICK Nation

Go Vols
 
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#2
#2
Dramatically better. Shoop's Vandy defenses were all Top 25. If he can do that in Nashville, there's no reason to believe that with this talent, we won't be Top 10 and dominate all facets.
 
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#4
#4
Pass Defense STARTS with a Pass Rush...

Tennessee needs improvement from the interior line here...hope he can improve that aspect.
 
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#6
#6
Not trying to be a grammar nazi, but it's lose not loose

I guess you COULD say Tennessee's Secondary was a little "loose"...specifically on the 4th & 16 game winning play...where they (DBs) looked like the Keystone Cops chasing Callaway.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjotaPaMY5U[/youtube]


We should NEVER forget this...
 
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#8
#8
Justin Martin and Malik Foreman (and Mosely) really grew into their roles after the UGA game last season. Gaulden will be a great Safety and if necessary NB or Star.

TK2 is ready to go and I see no drop off for his Safety position. Evan Berry and 4-5 others will be more than ready to step up for the other secondary spots/depth.

Supporting Cast will help the Secondary as well:

LBs more experience and better. Kirkland will be more ready to "Al Wilson" the Defense into greatness.

DL more experienced and better. DE is stacked with talent, experience and depth. DT looks good but can be great if we get Alexis Johnson back and Tuttle is 100%.
 
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#9
#9
WAY WAY better. With what we have returning & what we have coming in as freshmen then we have depth & plenty of skill on defense.

We should be great against both the pass & run. The only place lacking in real depth on defense is the DL but we should have 2 deep at most DL positions. Our secondary is absolutely loaded though.

2-deep+ there at all secondary positions. We're easily 3 deep at both safety positions. We're close to 3 deep at the CB position including nickelback. Our starting LB's are going to be really really good.

It might be some drop-off after those 3 starters though. I'd say right now we have 5 capable LB's that can play but we're getting a couple in the fall too from incoming freshmen. That would mean seven LB's capable of playing on the field.

Let's hope we don't have any injuries to the LB core or DL. We should be one of the best defenses in the SEC if not the best. Shoop will make a huge difference too.
 
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#10
#10
i think it should be a lot better. coaching seems to be on the up....and starting off with gaulden and martin helps as well. plus Mosley and Foreman won't be "learning on the job. we have a lot of experience in the def backfield, and a ton of talent.

up front, i have to believe we'll see more out of Barnett. especially if the DT rotation gets healthy (tuttle) and stays that way.

solid rotation of DE's after Barnett....

there's plenty of reason to believe that this defense, in general, should be pretty darn good....
 
#12
#12
Should be much improved both from a more consistent pass rush and due to the experience, talent, and development of the CB's.

IMO, the key to watch is the safeties. TKjr is a ball hawk who seems to show up at the right place constantly. Berry otoh is a guy with tremendous talent who hasn't been able to nail down his playing time and role at S. Gaulden should be an asset in pass D but can he hold up in the run game?

The good news is that UT has options and talent through out the secondary.
 
#13
#13
Did that article just label Vereen a 1st rounder??? First I've heard that. Might be a stretch, but I hope he plays like one this year.
 
#14
#14
Did that article just label Vereen a 1st rounder??? First I've heard that. Might be a stretch, but I hope he plays like one this year.

not sure about 1st round, but he has an opportunity to move up. he's going to get opportunities to shine this year.

in fact, a lot of guys in that front 7 should get opportunities to shine....they need to take advantage.
 
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#15
#15
Dramatically better. Shoop's Vandy defenses were all Top 25. If he can do that in Nashville, there's no reason to believe that with this talent, we won't be Top 10 and dominate all facets.

I wonder how much impact Vandy's lousy offense had on those rankings? Opponents could game plan knowing it wouldn't take much to out score Vandy and thus probably played more conservatively.

Kind of like our 2008 game with Florida. They could have hung 60 on us that day but took their foot off the gas in the second quarter and ended up with much less yardage and points than they would have if we had a pulse on offense.
 
#16
#16
It will be much better statistically. Tennessee will be avoiding any established QB/WR passing duos this fall. Outside of App State, no other teams on the Vols' schedule return a proven QB. The lone exception may be Trevor Knight at TAMU. Though they have not played a season together, Knight has the WR's in Speedy Noil, Christian Kirk, and Ricky Seals-Jones. Time will tell if the Aggie passing attack will gel before October 8th. Outside of those tow teams, I feel that Tennessee will be defending a plethora of run-first offenses this year.
 
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#17
#17
The Vols pass defense should be better this year and will need to be better if the Vols are going to win the SEC east.
Go Vols
 
#18
#18
If the DTs stay healthy and are as dominant as the DEs, we should have a top 10 defense this year. Gave up too many plays last year where the edges crashed in but the opposing QB was able to step up into the pocket.
 
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#19
#19
Although we've been better at rushing the quarterback the past two years, it's never been consistent to be a game changer. I loved the way we got after during the OU and Bama game though.
 
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#20
#20
If the DTs stay healthy and are as dominant as the DEs, we should have a top 10 defense this year. Gave up too many plays last year where the edges crashed in but the opposing QB was able to step up into the pocket.

Agreed. If McKenzie eat up double teams or just get his insane push inside, it'll wreak havoc.
 
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#21
#21
I guess you COULD say Tennessee's Secondary was a little "loose"...specifically on the 4th & 16 game winning play...where they (DBs) looked like the Keystone Cops chasing Callaway.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjotaPaMY5U[/youtube]


We should NEVER forget this...

Everything about this play shows why Janek should have been fired a long time ago. QB is injured and has a piss pour O-line so we only rush 3. We drop a DE into coverage knowing full well that under that down and distance the QB wasn't going to run for it and he wasn't going to hand it off/dump it off. Even if the DBs aren't playing the weakest zone possible and get out of position allowing the TD, it still would have been a 1st down. Part of this blame probably goes on our WRs since they are taught to catch and turn up field instead of curling under. The safety was sure he was going to turn up field and gave up the sideline, which was his job to cover.
 
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#22
#22
I believe our pass defense will be lock down. Justin Martin for some reason really makes me excited. I feel like he could be a first round corner back.
 
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#23
#23
Everything about this play shows why Janek should have been fired a long time ago. QB is injured and has a piss pour O-line so we only rush 3. We drop a DE into coverage knowing full well that under that down and distance the QB wasn't going to run for it and he wasn't going to hand it off/dump it off. Even if the DBs aren't playing the weakest zone possible and get out of position allowing the TD, it still would have been a 1st down. Part of this blame probably goes on our WRs since they are taught to catch and turn up field instead of curling under. The safety was sure he was going to turn up field and gave up the sideline, which was his job to cover.

I don't even want to watch that play. It made me sick after the shock wore off.
 
#24
#24
Defense should be much improved in the passing game. McNeil had a lot of busts in the backend last year and Foreman and Moseley started off very poor. Foreman got much better as the year went on and played well in the bowl game. I worry about him when we line up against the power run teams line UGA and Bama though. Shoop's creative and relentless blitzes should shorten the time the corners have to play their man and provide the safeties with more INT opportunities.
 
#25
#25
I believe our pass defense will be lock down. Justin Martin for some reason really makes me excited. I feel like he could be a first round corner back.
our back end was noticeably different once he entered the line up last year. that's for sure. he gets some technique and reps...and he could be one of the special ones.
 

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