Simms and Fewell comments

We had a few noteworthy comments made by Simms and Perry Fewell in their Q and A sessions with the media recently.

Simms touched on some of the concerns we have around here about the OL:

“It’s the first note I wrote: The offensive line is not the dominating force I usually see with the Giants ever since Tom Coughlin’s been there,” Simms said. “Ever since he’s been there that offensive line’s body of work has been tremendous.”

Glenn in his game rewind piece, the other day, touched on some issues with their formations.  Not using enough 2 TE formations with Andrews and Ballard/Pascoe.  It also appeared on Game Rewind that they were not finishing their blocks and their run plays were way too slow in developing. We’ve all been frustrated by the length of time Eli spends analyzing the defense and barking out audibles at the line but it may be advantageous once in a while for the OL to throw in some quick snaps on run plays.

Simms did touch on how an OL needs to gel and the importance of continuity but once “that unit really gets clicking the running back and wide receiver positions are definitely top-shelf caliber where they aren’t going to be a detriment to the team, that’s for sure.”

This team could easily be 5-0 or 1-4 at this point but per Simms “the Giants have to be happy to be 3-2.  There’s no consistent body of work, yet. They are trying to hang in there and keep fighting until they hit a groove, until they play really well for four, five, six weeks in a row. Or it’s going to be a struggle all year, and hope you get hot at the very end.”

Here is Perry Fewell’s Q and A with the media: 

Q: Are you concerned about your own defense?

A: We’re trying to learn how to play together. That’s the biggest problem that I think we have right now, learning how to play together. So yes, my focus is more on us than it is the Buffalo Bills because we have to learn how to compliment each other and we don’t know how to compliment each other at this point in time. Q: Do you have to learn how to play next to the guy next to you when that guy is changing?
A: Yes. You have to learn how to play when Dave [Tollefson’s] at tackle and when JPP’s at another place and the linebacker’s a little bit different. You have to learn how to play with those guys in front of you. That’s what I’m most concerned with with our defense right now. Q: What’s the progress that you’re making?
A: It’s in baby steps.  What you see is we have some youth back there in our linebacker corps. Then with some of the guys moving in and out, we’re not consistent. I said that to you last week. We’re not a consistent defense. We’ve been forced to do that a little bit because of some injuries. But we will become more consistent. We will get better. I think we’ll push and we’re striving to be a more consistent defense. Q: The players were supposed to know the system better.
A: The system they know. It’s being together. It’s working together. You’re missing five guys out of our defense right now. That’s a little bit more different. Q: Have you added more to your scheme?
A: I don’t think I’ve added more. I’ve challenged them more from a schematic standpoint than I did a year ago because I think we have smart football players. I’ve challenged them more mentally than I did a year ago, I think.
Q: How do you counteract the no-huddle?
A: I really learned something last week in that the no-huddle is effective. It’s about communication. I think we weren’t communicating. When you use that form of communication verbally everybody doesn’t always get it at the same time. I think I need to do a better job and maybe [install] wristbands on the guys so that everybody knows what the call is. If one person doesn’t know then he has to say it to everybody else. I think I can do a better job and help our players if I do that for them. Q: Are teams playing more no-huddle against you than what you see on film?
A: I can say yes and no. We had planned on Seattle playing no-huddle. The up-tempo offense that we’ve been getting in the past, I would say yes. But we did plan on Seattle playing no-huddle.
A few thoughts regarding Perry Fewell’s answers come to mind.  Other than Jones and J. Williams at LB this is their 2nd season under your tutelage.  How long do they need to “learn to play together?”  The communication issues are primarily in the secondary and all these guys are in year 2 of the Perry Fewell system.  

The injury word came up-yet again.  And we have one question for Perry.  Why didn’t Green Bay use this excuse when they were headed for a Super Bowl last year?

You mentioned getting them “wristbands on the guys so that everybody knows what the call is” to handle the no-huddle offense.  Perry why not use this for the regular defense based on your comments in general?

Sorry this is year two.  You would think the training wheels would be off midway to a quarter of the way through year 1.  It is not like we have inexperienced players in the secondary.  Sorry, Perry, I am not buying what you are selling.  Oh by the way,  in 2007,  they struggled mightly out of the gate with Spags. But in their third game against the Redskins, it all started to click.  Then in 2008, they were a dominant defense.