Jacques Reeves = Texans' Best DB in 2008. Discuss.

[coloradodude]

Barrett, you wrote this...

"Either way even if he is targeted more he has 13 passes defended (9th in NFL) and 3 interceptions."


And if you know the answer to my question, then please answer it. How many receivers have got the first down when he was covering them?

Reeves will be playing in Canada within 2 years.


Edit: I just read the rest of the thread and found out what it was about. Is Reeves better than our other corners? Who cares? Our secondary (minus Dunta) sucks! And I'm not impressed with our D-line nor our LB's play.

The question I have is who's the worst starting defensive player overall?

[barrett]

Originally Posted by coloradodude

Barrett, you wrote this...

"Either way even if he is targeted more he has 13 passes defended (9th in NFL) and 3 interceptions."


And if you know the answer to my question, then please answer it. How many receivers have got the first down when he was covering them?

Reeves will be playing in Canada within 2 years.


Edit: I just read the rest of the thread and found out what it was about. Is Reeves better than our other corners? Who cares? Our secondary (minus Dunta) sucks! And I'm not impressed with our D-line nor our LB's play.

The question I have is who's the worst starting defensive player overall?

CD,
It took you going back to read it again, but you hit my thoughts perfect. Our Defense sucks and the problem is not Reeves. He is replacable, upgradable, and generally mediocre, but on this defense that is not bad. That was the only point I ever tried to make. That the finger pointing and scape goating belonged on plenty of guys before him.

I won't answer your question directly but I'll tell you the blame I'd asess for our defense.
1. Gary Kubiak (bad hire, too much loyalty, not enough involvement on D...all of them equal asleep at the wheel and make him ultimately responsible even though I am a big fan of his).
2. Richard smith
3. Amobi Okoye (started all season but has impacted one game I can remember)
4. Fred Bennett (toasted all season)
5. Anthony Weaver (sad when your 290 lb DE who is supposed to play the run makes his biggest contribution in pass coverage).
6. Greenwood (terrible two years ago, ok last year, terrible again this year)
7. Harrison/Brown/earl/etc... (clearly the worst spot on the team to me, but I don't blame them since I don't think they have underachieved. Usually a SS can hit if they are bad in coverage. These guys can't cover anyone and they can't hit anyone. The recuring view of our SS is of one of them pulling on a guy's ankles 12 yards down field)
8. Travis Johnson (warm body who plays mediocre)
9. Reeves (made a few plays and gave up a few more)
10. Demeco Ryans (played well in week 1 and disappeared until two games ago. Injuries mean I understand it, but he was still on the field not making many plays).
11. Mario (disappears too often but makes more plays than the rest combined)
12. Diles/bentley (solid play at a position that calls for solid play).
13. Eugene Wilson (first safety in Texans history to look at the QB after the ball is snapped)
14. Buhlman/cochran (two overachievers who have played better than expected)

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

I won't answer your question directly but I'll tell you the blame I'd asess for our defense.

This is a pretty solid list.

[coloradodude]

You know what would really help out our D line would be to pick up a veteran DE in the offseason. I mean a real vocal leader that can contribute on the other side of Mario.

I realize we're not close to where I want but if you're gonna spend money, let's get some value.

[Mike]

I am not an apologist for Reeves, but he has played better as the season progressed. His pick last night was fantastic, nice read and break on the ball. Overall, the corners have been playing better, I do not think it is by chance once #23 was back and they started playing more press coverage and not giving up the easy completions. Reeves also appears to be locating the ball better than he was earlier in the year. He still has a way to go, but he is playing at a competent level.

The front 7 have also been playing better and Wilson and Ferguson are the best safty combo that we have seen.

[barrett]

Dunta coming back has been a plus, but the linebackers have been the key in my opinion. Demeco got healthy and is back to making plays all over the field, and adibi got healthy and on the field. We now have speed at LB and as a result we have blitzed far more effectively. I think this (along with eugene wilson) is why the CBs have looked better. They are still a below average group of corners, but you can get away with that if you're athletic enough at other positions to apply pressure to an offense.

Just look at tampa bay, they are one of the best defenses in the NFL and they start philip buchanon at CB. But they pressure the QB and that makes all the difference.

[Nconroe]

I think it is all of the above. The players are maturing on defense, so overall line play and all of defense improves, confidence in each other. Coaches have appaeared to allow tighter coverage and blitzing more the past couple of games which seems to be working. And not just statistically, but from what I observe, Jacque Reeves himself is getting much better at anticipating the ball and his tackling the past two weeks.