The defense didn't improve. That tells me either the players aren't good enough to be coached, or the defensive staff can't coach.
Only one thing about this season bothers me
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D gave all they had to give, lacked quickness, speed and overall D1 talent. Defense is in need of a complete overhaul, might be looking at 2 to 3 years for major improvement. Stay the course, perhaps win another 7 or 8 next year and then maybe begin to turn the corner the following year. Coaching was OK, talent was not.
If you watched every game this season, I don't know how you could possibly come to any other conclusion other than it's the former?
Our head coach is nearly revered in coaching circles for his defensive scheme. Nowadays, all of the top teams run some variation of press quarters coverage.
He didn't suddenly forget everything he knew. He's just extremely stubborn and he continually put inferior athletes in a position to fail. That is absolutely an indictment of him in the short-term but it might be to his everlasting credit in the long term.
Time will tell.
Seems like you're waffling with your response. your first 2 paragraphs puts the blame squarely on the players and their lack of talent.
Your last paragraph puts the blame squarely on the coach.
From my perspective, Narduzzi/Conklin have amazingly been getting off pretty easy from our fan base which usually loves to come down hard on coaches. I don't care how many short-comings our D players may have, there is no way any defense should have been as complete of a failure as they were this season. Matt House did better with less talent. More blame goes on the coaching than the players for this past year. I'm not looking to can Narduzzi/Conklin, just saying that their coaching/teaching/scheming performance on the defensive side of the ball this year left a whole lot to be desired.
Agree completely. While it is painfully obvious that we lack defensive talent, we finished the year ranked 96th in total defense. Yes, we lack talent, but there is no way I can believe that there are 95 D1 teams with better talent. We lacked talent, but our staff did not put the talent we had in a position to perform. The coaches also need to be accountable for that dismal performance.
Cruzer
It was poor talent this year that killed our defense. We had absolutely horrible LB play this year. They couldn't execute a blitz properly and they weren't athletic enough to drop back in coverage. I remember a TD Northwestern scored yesterday where the LBers dropped back in zone coverage and Caprara totally blew his assignment and left a guy wide open. That happened too much this season.
We're all quick to blame the secondary for every blown play but Narduzzi's defensive scheme relies a lot on getting pressure on the QB and our front 7 couldn't do it besides Price.
We're all quick to blame the secondary for every blown play but Narduzzi's defensive scheme relies a lot on getting pressure on the QB and our front 7 couldn't do it besides Price.
There wasn't a scheme in the world that wasn't going to leave some aspect of this defense completely exposed and hopeless, in particular the talent in the secondary.
Narduzzi is teaching his system and his scheme. Every practice, every day. Yes, there's something to be said about crafting your scheme for now, I won't deny that and it can be debated forever. There's also something to be said for continuity, and the ability for players to learn how to just react based on what they have been coached repeatedly.
In the end they just don't have the horses to compete with the level of athletes they're facing right now regardless of scheme. In two years, the level of talent this team puts on the field is squarely on the coaching staff. That's year four, that's the time you can pass true judgement.
These coaches did not inherit a lot of defensive talent. Thank God they inherited a ton on the offensive side of the ball or we would likely have won three games. For whatever reason the recruiting on the defensive side was just so poor it's almost hard to wrap your head around.
Overall, two straight eight win seasons is progress even though it hurts to think it could have been 8 wins followed by ten wins with two more stops vs. UNC or Oklahoma State. Pretty sure next year will be a step back. After that Narduzzi gets no more "buts" from me, as he will have had plenty of time to recruit and coach his own players.
Narduzzi is teaching his system and his scheme. Every practice, every day. Yes, there's something to be said about crafting your scheme for now, I won't deny that and it can be debated forever. There's also something to be said for continuity, and the ability for players to learn how to just react based on what they have been coached repeatedly.
In the end they just don't have the horses to compete with the level of athletes they're facing right now regardless of scheme. In two years, the level of talent this team puts on the field is squarely on the coaching staff. That's year four, that's the time you can pass true judgement.
These coaches did not inherit a lot of defensive talent. Thank God they inherited a ton on the offensive side of the ball or we would likely have won three games. For whatever reason the recruiting on the defensive side was just so poor it's almost hard to wrap your head around.
Overall, two straight eight win seasons is progress even though it hurts to think it could have been 8 wins followed by ten wins with two more stops vs. UNC or Oklahoma State. Pretty sure next year will be a step back. After that Narduzzi gets no more "buts" from me, as he will have had plenty of time to recruit and coach his own players.
You make a good point. When a team like Northwestern is brazenly converting 4th downs and easily converting 3rd and longs as they did you can see how the middle of the D just didn't have the ability to shut down some simple dumps to the flat. Again, speed and talent there get a few more stops. A few more stops means a win.
I think the coaching staff, especially Narduzzi realizes that the defense stinks. His schemes are predicated on two things; man to man coverage and a strong pass rush. We have neither.
Do you coach the young players in the program a different scheme and then change it later which could slow their progress down or do you stay the course and teach the same scheme and recruit better players?
Difficult to say.
Question: Is the defense worse this year than last year? If so, why?
I do agree it was frustrating watching the defense week after week this year...
Do you coach the young players in the program a different scheme and then change it later which could slow their progress down or do you stay the course and teach the same scheme and recruit better players?
Difficult to say.
Question: Is the defense worse this year than last year? If so, why?
I do agree it was frustrating watching the defense week after week this year...
here are my comments;
1) after two years....Narduzzi has built Pitt from a 6 +/- win program to an 8+/- program........and i think most Pitt fans would agree that an over under next year would be 8 wins.
I say 8 wins not predicated on the schedule for 2017..... but rather the body of work to date.....recruiting......playcalling......execution.....this program is on better footing today than it was at any time in the Chryst / Graham era
2) What I also like is this rebuild is based on a solid foundation and not going for broke this year. While the graph is frustratingly spiked up and down....the trend line is pointing higher.
I do think Narduzzi will be gone in 3-4 years. There is no reason to stay here with blue blood programs in need a qualified proven coach.....and certainly several good fits will open for PN. i am on record that PN will end up at Notre Dame.
But because the manner in which this program will be rebuilt is solid and thorough......PN will hand this off in good shape.
I look forward to next year for two reasons. First......we are going to get the first real glimspe of Narduzzis recruits on defense.....
And I think Max Browne is going to have a great senior season.
1) after two years....Narduzzi has built Pitt from a 6 +/- win program to an 8+/- program........and i think most Pitt fans would agree that an over under next year would be 8 wins.
I say 8 wins not predicated on the schedule for 2017..... but rather the body of work to date.....recruiting......playcalling......execution.....this program is on better footing today than it was at any time in the Chryst / Graham era
2) What I also like is this rebuild is based on a solid foundation and not going for broke this year. While the graph is frustratingly spiked up and down....the trend line is pointing higher.
I do think Narduzzi will be gone in 3-4 years. There is no reason to stay here with blue blood programs in need a qualified proven coach.....and certainly several good fits will open for PN. i am on record that PN will end up at Notre Dame.
But because the manner in which this program will be rebuilt is solid and thorough......PN will hand this off in good shape.
I look forward to next year for two reasons. First......we are going to get the first real glimspe of Narduzzis recruits on defense.....
And I think Max Browne is going to have a great senior season.
You lost me at Narduzzi will end up at Notre Dame??? Do people really believe that?? I like Narduzzi. He is a good coach. But Notre Dame will strive for either a bigger name Veteran coach or an up and comer. Narduzzi is neither. Can we at least see if Narduzzi can win the Coastal before announting him the next coach at Notre Dame
I said 3-4 years from now. I obviously think PN has us pointed in the right direction
We will win the coastal during his time at Pitt
You ask the question; "is the defense worse this year than last year?"
The clear answer is absolutely worse this year. Here's the easy summary
2015 2016
Yards per game 363 452
Total yards 4,721 5,886
Points allowed per game 26.1 35.2
It's not even close. Frankly, I threw in the yards stats for fun. The only stat that really counts is points. We're 9.1 points per game worse. That's a shit ton. In most programs, the defensive coordinator would have been given bus tickets out of town for a performance like this. And consider this, we really didn't lose all that much from last year in terms of personnel. No sorry, but this defense went backwards in a big way this year and it's way too easy to blame it simply on the talent.
Cruzer
The coaches didn't change either. It was the same coaches with the same players, yet they got worse results. It's too easy to lay blame on the coaching too.
Part of the reason for the defense getting worse is because the QB's we faced we're a whole lot better; Watson, Kaaya, Trubisky, Randolph, McSorley, not to mention the VT QB.
The WR's were better too... No passing defense and no pash rush means a record number of passing yardage by opponents.
The run defense was very good this year except against Northwestern.
Part of the blame can go to the coaches for not changing schemes. I understand why they didn't change them, but you can't expect better results...
I don't want to drag this thread out any longer, my point is simply this....there seems to be a school of thought that our defense failed because we have real lack of talent on the defense. I do not dispute the fact that our talent level is nowhere near where it needs to be. That said, we had 8 returning defensive starters and we're in the second year of this defensive scheme. You would think we might be the same or slightly better defensively, yet we were far worse. The coaches absolutely need to get called out for that type of result. When you're making a couple of mill a year for being a defensive genius, you don't get a hall pass.
Cruzer
It's all about Narduzzi's scheme. He's committed to placing 9 men in the box and leaving his corners out to dry. Against 6'5" receivers we are toast. no corner 5 star recruits can overcome that mismatch. But, Narduzzi's obviously committed to it.
Not really. I would agree that our schedule was tougher this year then last, but it's not like we suddenly started playing in the SEC. Tougher schedule is legit, but 9 points per game harder? I don't think so.
Cruzer
I partially agree with you (geez, did I just agree with SVP???? The apocalypse must be coming soon). Narduzzi is committed to stop the run first at all cost. With our current roster, our front 7 is not capable of stopping the run on their own. This forces us to put 8 or 9 in the box and leaves our corners completely on an island. We all saw how that worked out. I'll be very curious to see if next year, with what we hope will be more athletic linebackers (and hopefully better Dline play too), we can stop the run primarily with our front seven, which allows safety help for the corners. Obviously, better corners is also a must.
My fear is that this defensive scheme is designed to stop offenses of 20 years ago and not the way football is played in 2016. Given the desire for more and more offense in the game to attract eyeballs and the decided advantage given to offenses in the way the game is officiated (see the VT game), seems our approach plays right in to the hands of what most of our opponents are trying to do. Seems to require corners of the caliber of Darrelle Revis and Deion Sanders and judging by our recruiting, it appears neither will be suiting up for us in the near future. Our Head Coach does not strike me as the most flexible of guys, so hopefully some of the youngsters or incoming class will be up to the challenge.
It was disappointing how bad the D was this season, but I don't think they were necessarily worse than last season. They gave up more points but after about half way through the season last year they started to play good offenses and got torched by all of them. Also the stats look worse because the offense was scoring at a much higher rate. If Pitt scores 35 on SU, its not like SU was still going to score 60+ points. They might have scored 42 and Pitt could have lost but the offense scoring a lot of points pushed the opposition to open up more to keep up.
You mean the defense regressed as the season progressed. Allowing 61 to Syracuse is pathetic. The secondary was horrid. Narduzzi defense requires good man coverage. Pitt did not have good man coverage. Even when the front seven was creating ample pressure, chucking prayer balls was an effective method for opposing qbs all season.
Exactly. I hate when folks try to spin it and blame it all on talent. That is simply a excuse.
We had 8 or 9 starters back from a defense that finished middle of the pack last year. In the entire NCAA. You would think a year later after being in the strength and conditioning program. Those same 8 or 9 starters would be bigger, faster, stronger. On top of being in the system for the 2nd season. You would think the defense would finish the same the year before........nope
We went from middle of the pack. To 125th out of 127 teams in the country. Honestly, i cannot remember a defense regress like that a year later. With all those players coming back.
That is not solely a talent issue. Fans can try and spin it anyway they want.
I like Nards a lot. I really hope he makes some adjustments on his staff......especially on the defensive side of the ball
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