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Fewelll......Up in the Box? Cover-2?


JMFP

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I read this online last night; don't have a link right now, but it was from one of the local outlets.

 

From what I read, Fewell runs a Cover-2 system, and prefers to call plays from the box.

 

Do you think this is what we'll be getting?

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From today's New York Post"

 

1.. In each of the past two seasons his teams gave up 14

touchdown passes. (Giants gave up 31 this season)

 

2.. This season with 20 players on injured reserve, and

only four players who began the season starting on

defense making it through the year..Fewell's defense

created 33 takeaways, 5th best in the league

 

3.. His defense finished 10th, 18th, 14th and 16th

in points allowed in the past four seasons, but

consider the Bills had marginal talent on defense and

not much of an offense to speak of either.

 

4.. And my favorite, "When Dick Juaron was fired in

November, Fewell took over on an interim basis, the

Bills went 3-4 but there was a notable increase

in defensive intensity. Sources in Buffalo said

Fewell wanted to be more agressive with the Bills

defense, but the conservative Jauron hamstrung him.

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Here's that link (I believe pdouble quoted from it above, too).

 

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/giants_fill_up_on_fewell_C0RV06fZw13opltTPURSFO

 

The reputation Fewell brings to the Giants is that he develops a close emotional relationship with his players -- something one-and-done coordinator Bill Sheridan failed to do this season. Fewell is considered to be a straight shooter unafraid to call a player out and has a natural enthusiasm that helps him motivate those around him. In Buffalo, he called the defense from upstairs in the press box.

 

While I think having the DC down on the field improves communication with the players, I think Coughlin needs to let him call the game from where he is most comfortable.

 

 

As much as there is "hot-seat" talk in NY regarding Coughlin, it's nothing like what Lovie Smith is facing.

 

I'm thinking that Fewell's decision was based upon him getting "Spags" results from the Giants defense....this is a unit that has nowhere to go but up.

 

He'll be working for a guy he knows (Coughlin)....granted he knows Lovie Smith as well, but Lovie is a defensive guy, like Jauron was....Fewell has to think he'll have a freer hand in the defense.

 

I don't know much about the Cover-2 other than it relies on a good pass rush from the front four, and man-coverage from the corners. The safeties are relied upon to apply pressure and assist in run support, and linebackers need speed.

 

At least on paper, the Giants have the front 4 to apply pressure. And they also have good cover guys with Ross and Webster.

 

If Kenny Phillips comes back into form (a big if, given the nature of his injury), that would be huge.

 

Pierce is likely out....he's simply not fast enough.....we need a Brian Urlacher type that can run, run, run.

 

So it appears clear to me that linebacker and safety should be a priority if Fewell is going to run the same sort of stuff that he ran with the Bills and Bears.

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There was an audio interview on Giants.com last night with a Bills reporter (i think that's who it was) on what Giants fans can expect from Perry Farrell. The part I liked (as I interpreted it, i could be wrong) is that Perry used bump and run man coverage with the CBs, but the rest played in a zone (Cover 2 man?, i'm not that intelligent with coach speak) . I was expecting a Tampa zone D with no man coverage and just a bump of the WRs at the line. I hate a zone D. If there is man coverage on the WRs, I'll be happy.

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I'd actually be fairly encouraged by this hire.

 

I remember watching some Bills games this year and Fewell ran some pretty interesting defenses. Against the Pats, he had a D where all D linemen and linebackers stood up at the line. The O couldnt' tell who was rushing because nobody was in a three point stance. It kept the offense off-balance and looked pretty cool. Imagine if he had an Osi, a Tuck, and a Kiwanuka in that D... it could be pretty formidable.

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Most of the time, Perry Fewell is smiling.

 

But one November morning last year, in his first team meeting as interim head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Fewell entered the room with a serious expression that told George Wilson the former defensive coordinator meant business.

 

“From that very moment, he took ownership of the team,” Wilson, the Bills’ veteran safety, said the other day by phone. “He changed expectations, he changed the way we traveled, he changed the way we practiced. Guys rallied around it, and we played our best football when he was leading the way.

 

“He’s matured as a coach. He has a complete perspective of a team now and that, in turn, will make him a better defensive coordinator.”

 

Fewell might be a head coach again some day. For now, though, his assignment is to change expectations and restore pride for a Giants defense that this past season was repeatedly embarrassed by missed tackles, blown assignments and lopsided scores.

 

Some of Fewell’s former players from his four-year stint as the Bills’ coordinator believe he’ll be successful. They say the Giants can expect a coach with outstanding knowledge of the game, a willingness to adapt and mix up schemes, and the ability to build true connections with his players —

correcting their mistakes or celebrating their successes with equal zeal.

 

“He brings a lot of energy, he’s very enthusiastic and loves what he does,” Bills middle linebacker Paul Posluszny said. “It was a lot of fun to play for him.”

 

Former Giants linebacker Kawika Mitchell, who signed with Buffalo as a free agent two years ago, said via his Twitter account the 47-year-old Fewell is a “creative” coach who listens to his players.

Fewell also makes it easy to listen to him, current Jets and former Bills safety Jim Leonhard said.

 

“You know what he expects from you, you know what to expect from him,” Leonhard said. “It’s not like he’s leaving a lot of things in the gray area. If you’re not doing it, it’s pretty black and white why you’re not.”

 

Leonhard, now with his third team, has been around coaches who will “be your friend in the meeting room but as soon as something goes wrong, it’s like, ‘That’s not what I told you.’ ”

 

That was Osi Umenyiora’s gripe when he walked out of the Giants’ practice facility last season after being criticized by Bill Sheridan.

 

“You lose respect for coaches when that happens,” Leonhard said. “And you won’t get that from Perry.”

 

What the Giants will get is a passionate coach who has a reputation as a yeller on the sideline. But former Bills and Rutgers defensive end Ryan Neill rarely heard Fewell curse at or berate a player.

 

Rather, everyone understood Fewell’s intent was “to chew you out, tell you how to do it the right way and then applaud you when you did it right.”

 

Fewell applauded even the little things, such as when Neill disrupted a pass to the running back the Bills knew would come out of a certain formation. Fewell, who appreciated Neill’s executing what he stressed all week, also admired Neill’s desire to contribute on defense as well as special teams.

 

Pass defense has been the strength of units run by Fewell, a former defensive backs coach. The Bills ranked second to the Jets in passing yards per game allowed, and their 28 interceptions were also second-most in the league. Buffalo also finished seventh in 2006 and 13th in 2008. The only hiccup on Fewell’s watch came in 2007, when the Bills slipped to 29th.

 

Wilson said the biggest key was a solid pass rush that disrupted the offense’s rhythm, forced opposing quarterbacks to move the “launch point” of their passes by creating pressure and allowed the defensive backs to be aggressive.

 

Fewell dialed up blitzes and man-to-man coverages out of “single-high” (one safety) packages, which means his being categorized as strictly a “Tampa 2” (Cover-2) coach isn’t accurate. Posluszny agreed Fewell broke the Cover-2 mold on second and third downs.

 

And Neill provided a bit of information that should make the Giants’ pass-rushers happy after a season full of zone blitzes under Sheridan.

 

“If he trusts they’re going to get to the quarterback, he’s going to let them do it,” Neill said. “He’ll occasionally drop them back into coverage, but he won’t do it a lot.”

 

And if they have concerns about the schemes, Fewell will listen. And adjust. And correct, while also

encouraging his players.

 

“It makes you want to play for him,” Neill said, “and be excited to come to practice.”

 

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2010/01/perry_fewell_charged_with_rest.html

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I expect him to rely on Webster and Ross to provide a heavy dose of man coverage....look for both of these guys to have excellent bounce-back seasons as long as they stay healthy.

 

Most importantly, it sounds like everyone is going to know what is going on out there.....I don't have to tell anyone here how clueless the D (especially the secondary) looked this season.

 

Also, the fact that he is capable of making adjustments during the game will be huge.

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