Team Identity

Overseasfan · Feb 22, 2016

There has been some people talking about us moving from a defensive identity to an offensive identity. This is bothering me as it's simply not true. The Hawks are trying to dominate in all three phases of the game and it's working. During the 2015 season we were the 4th ranked offense in both YPG and PPG, we were the 2nd ranked defense in YPG and 1st in PPG and we were amazing at special team play as well being tied for 1st for field goal percentage and 5th in both KR and PR average.

Becoming a better offensive team doesn't mean we aren't defense focused anymore, it means we are a complete team.

Sgt. Largent · Feb 22, 2016

I don't care what our identity is, as long as it's a winning identity.

As far as what you've heard, I think the sentiment is if there's an offensive shift it's going to be a going away from a physical pound the rock run the ball 25-30 times a game because we had Marshawn...........to a more dynamic offense letting Russell do his thing.

firebee · Feb 22, 2016

I don't think we're moving from a defensive identity to an offensive identity. Just look at who most consider our priority resigns to be... Rubin, Lane, Mebane... We find ourselves really caring less about spending on our offensive FAs for the most part. I think that mindset speaks volumes about the identity of this team.

chris98251 · Feb 22, 2016

LOB took a quieter approach last year, the offense has received some notoriety with Wilson and Lockett and Baldwin, we won't go to a offensive minded team, Pete will get the defense back on track. Were just now a balanced team more or less which was much different them years 1 - 4.

RussB · Feb 22, 2016

I still think they are a great defensive team , the offense is just more explosive now with all the receivers they have and Wilson showing what he can do consistently along with rawls. Still the LOB

hawksfansinceday1 · Feb 22, 2016

peachesenregalia":8lgrucur said:
Sgt. Largent":8lgrucur said:

I don't care what our identity is, as long as it's a winning identity.

Click to expand...

Truer words ne'er spoke.

+2

IndyHawk · Feb 22, 2016

We are a Championship Identity,Defense wins Championships that's proven period.Our offense may move to a spread type but the clock will run down still as TOP means a lot.As for last year our defense finished strong as ever don't kid yourselves into thinking otherwise.I look for the Hawks to be great this coming season with last seasons distractions over.

Torc · Feb 22, 2016

Just remember, if we go to a higher volume passing offense, the ball gets moved more quickly, and scoring happens in fewer plays/less time. Not exactly something to complain about......but it does mean the defense is on the field for more plays. That's going to have an effect. This year's Stealers game was fun to watch but I'm not sure my heart could take that every week.

sutz · Feb 22, 2016

Torc":1um32hpk said:
Just remember, if we go to a higher volume passing offense, the ball gets moved more quickly, and scoring happens in fewer plays/less time. Not exactly something to complain about......but it does mean the defense is on the field for more plays. That's going to have an effect. This year's Stealers game was fun to watch but I'm not sure my heart could take that every week.

Not sure that's a big concern. As a "run-first" we'll still be handing the rock off to the RB du jour, and trying to set up the explosive plays that Pete loves.

Plus, it's nice to know that we can win games like that if we need to. Maybe we're 'run first' but if an opponent thinks we're a bunch of plodding 3 yards and a cloud of dust types, they'll get burned. Being able to strike quickly is not a bad thing.

Erebus · Feb 22, 2016

I don't think the team identity should be tied to a specific side of the ball. Instead it should be about being a physical team that always competes. Even without Lynch, Pete is going to want to have a physical offense, which may require replenishing the o-line with nasty maulers. We can throw the ball 50% of the time and still be physical.

Tech Worlds · Feb 22, 2016

For whatever reason nobody, nobody, seamed to fear us this year. We didn't seam to have that physical presence we have had in recent years.

Maybe part of it is due to Lynch and his slow down. He brought us an edge and a nastiness that I didn't see us have last year.

I don't know how we recapture the status of being the most physical team in the NFL but we need to. Imo it's the number one reason we won our first championship.

DJrmb · Feb 22, 2016

I think John Schneider said it best in a radio interview recently when he said "We need to get back to being the bully". I completely agree. The year we won it all we came into games and punched our opponent in the mouth. We clearly were the most physical team on the field in every game we played that year. Last year we were not. I don't know if it's a problem with the players losing the chip on their shoulder or if it's just a shift in focus by the coaching staff. Whatever it is Schneider's got it in his sights and it will be a main focus this offseason.

irocdave · Feb 22, 2016

If the Hawks are going to be the bully again, they need a guy like Browner on D and a guy like Breno on the Oline. They don't have either as of today.

TwistedHusky · Feb 22, 2016

Wilson is unpredictable, and there is that to fear if you are a defense.

But Lynch was predictable.

You knew he was doing to take 3-4 guys each time to finally go down. You knew eventually he would break one or two loose, no matter how tightly you welded yourself to the LOS.

And if you were a defense, you knew you would be exhausted and sore by the 4th quarter, whether you were head by then or not.

It is just a different type of a game with that kind of guy playing and it probably isn't a coincidence that the year we didn't have Marshawn Lynch to rely on, is the year we almost missed the playoffs and barely did anything in the playoffs.

It should also be pointed out that Kam wasn't the enforcer he once was, but our secondary (thanks CJ) was handing out free passes all year anyway - at least on the opposite side of Sherman. Browner was no longer there either, so the enforcer type of hits were only going to come from Earl - who I am convinced played hurt last year.

Combine that with the utter lack of interior pass rush unless the guy doing the rushing was A) named Bennet and B) not getting held - and yes, not even close to the same kind of dominant team.

Since the leadership will come from Wilson, we are clearly going to be switching to an offensive weaponry type of team. I think that make the team better for longer, since that is the engine for the future, but it probably means this is a team that is going to be more like the Packers or Steelers - does a lot of damage in the reg season but if the offense has a bad day or faces a great defense it ends up in trouble.

I am hoping we can fix the defense but since the problems with the D are pieces that every other team in the league puts a premium on (CBs and DTs), we have to be thankful for what we have. We still have a pretty good LB group, though I think Wagner didn't shine as much this year.

Just like this team used to go like Lynch and the Defense would go, I think now the team goes as Wilson goes. So we need him healthy + productive.

chris98251 · Feb 22, 2016

TwistedHusky":2bvs5rc1 said:
Wilson is unpredictable, and there is that to fear if you are a defense.

But Lynch was predictable.

You knew he was doing to take 3-4 guys each time to finally go down. You knew eventually he would break one or two loose, no matter how tightly you welded yourself to the LOS.

And if you were a defense, you knew you would be exhausted and sore by the 4th quarter, whether you were head by then or not.

It is just a different type of a game with that kind of guy playing and it probably isn't a coincidence that the year we didn't have Marshawn Lynch to rely on, is the year we almost missed the playoffs and barely did anything in the playoffs.

It should also be pointed out that Kam wasn't the enforcer he once was, but our secondary (thanks CJ) was handing out free passes all year anyway - at least on the opposite side of Sherman. Browner was no longer there either, so the enforcer type of hits were only going to come from Earl - who I am convinced played hurt last year.

Combine that with the utter lack of interior pass rush unless the guy doing the rushing was A) named Bennet and B) not getting held - and yes, not even close to the same kind of dominant team.

Since the leadership will come from Wilson, we are clearly going to be switching to an offensive weaponry type of team. I think that make the team better for longer, since that is the engine for the future, but it probably means this is a team that is going to be more like the Packers or Steelers - does a lot of damage in the reg season but if the offense has a bad day or faces a great defense it ends up in trouble.

I am hoping we can fix the defense but since the problems with the D are pieces that every other team in the league puts a premium on (CBs and DTs), we have to be thankful for what we have. We still have a pretty good LB group, though I think Wagner didn't shine as much this year.

Just like this team used to go like Lynch and the Defense would go, I think now the team goes as Wilson goes. So we need him healthy + productive.

This will not be a offensive dominate team, consistent winners have a defense with an offense that can score, whether that's a passing attack with ball control or a running game that can wear down teams. The wishful thinking of a 5000 yd season in passing would require soaking the cap into the offense and having a more porous defense and shoot outs every week.

Nothing I have seen from Pete indicates that direction.

Your statement about finding defenders doesn't hold a lot of weight with how this team works as well, Pete and his staff are teachers and player developers, they take the player that has raw skills and then mold them, they are not really a plug and play team. I also think it's why Schneider values the adding of picks in later rounds, bringing in players that need a portion of their game worked on and knowing they have the ability of the player works to turn them into something.

Sgt. Largent · Feb 23, 2016

irocdave":2tfvbrfl said:
If the Hawks are going to be the bully again, they need a guy like Browner on D and a guy like Breno on the Oline. They don't have either as of today.

Cable says Sweezy is every bit the bully of Breno, without the stupid personal foul penalties.

But I understand what you're saying, our O-line was not the nasty road grating O-line of two 2-3 years ago. Pete and John know this, which is why it'll be priority #1 to get it solidified before camp opens so we're not in another having to wait half the season for the O-line to get their crap together like last year.

Team Identity

Overseasfan

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Sgt. Largent

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firebee

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chris98251

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RussB

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hawksfansinceday1

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IndyHawk

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Torc

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sutz

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Erebus

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Tech Worlds

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DJrmb

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irocdave

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TwistedHusky

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chris98251

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