Shaq made more plays last year then this year
I'm gonna bet that I watch Shaq a bit more than you I can tell you which was Shaq best season since he was 7 years old... Over the years I have watched Linebacker Play... when I watch a game I start with the MLB even when my team is on offense... Must people don't realize that a MLB could have a good game without making 1 tackle... by disrupting the Offense... Shaq has more impactful plays this year then he did last year... He will fall short of the numbers he had last year... He has been held 2 times as much this year than he did last year... he has been double team more this year than he did last year.. The big difference with our LB Corp this year compared to last... Last year teams tried to expose them because they were new...This year they were game planned... Last year Diaz kept the D Vanilla to make it simple... this year they can run up to four or five schemes just based on opponent, alignment down and distance and that's every snap.. If [MENTION=5374]HurricaneVision[/MENTION] would have made that comment I would have reevaluate what I thought to be true... but most on here base their facts on what they think is going on
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In my humble opinion, the OP is not really understanding what he's seeing on the field. Shaq is just such a smart player. He often sees things before the snap and is trying to make a play right away. It is always my intention to be respectful to all these kids, so I don't say "he's the best" or "that guy is the best" often. I will say this: Pinck and Shaq are playing completely different roles. Pinck had better be making more plays than any other LB just based on what we are doing schematically and the way he takes chances.
For my money, Shaq could make more plays than he does. He tends to be a step late when pass rushing. I don't think he brings his legs consistently and misses tackles or lets the ballcarrier fall forward when he could stop him in the hole. He will never be a huge interception player because he is not an all-world athlete. For the season overall, I would grade Shaq as a "B" year thus far. For a MLB- and what we ask him to do- he's been really, really good. He can play for my team all day, every day because I know what I'm going to get from him. He isn't going to get a ton of sacks because we don't ask him to do that much. He won't get a ton of interceptions because of what we ask him to do and not being an uber athlete. That leaves me with: Where are the forced fumbles? I want to see Shaq make more plays on the ball and create some balls on the ground. I also want to see him "shock" blockers back more often, rather than "absorbing" them. He does that, he moves to the "A" range for me.
Pinck has given up nearly as many plays as he has created for this defense. He's a really good player, but I'd give him a "C+" this year for a lack of gap integrity, turnover worthy plays, and for just being solid. He's a player that gets plays funneled to him as a WLB. He needs to be creating TFL and turnovers from that spot. He needs to be more physical against RB's. I like him a lot, I just expect more next year.
McCloud is not living up to my standards this year, for reasons I've outlined in long posts. I'd give him a "D"quite honestly. There is more in there, and some of what we are asking him to do in coverage is simply not fair. He should be playing 30% of the snaps or fewer, and that's not a slam on him. That's a schematic belief.
