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Where oh where has Ryan Kerrigan gone?

Boone

Boone

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If we can set aside the QB fixation for a minute, the lack of a formidable pass rush is killing us. Specifically, I'm very concerned about the near zero impact Ryan Kerrigan is having on defense this year. I understand that Kerrigan is coming off an injury. I understand that he came into game 1 with no live reps against real opponents. That is going to present some challenges for any player, even one as talented as Kerrigan.

But we're 3 games into the 2015 season and the guy is damn near invisible. 1/2 a sack. 4 tackles. His single shining moment in 2015 was a forced fumble. If we're being honest, rookie Preston Smith has had a greater impact so far this season.

The standard reply I'm seeing is that Kerrigan is constantly double-teamed. The problem with that defense is that it is largely untrue. He is frequently not double-teamed. What IS happening is that Kerrigan is being forced into these looping outside lanes from which he is neither fast enough or dominating enough to get to the QB before the ball is gone. I'm not sure what Barry is thinking about in his use of Kerrigan so far in 2015 - but it's not working. When Kerrigan is used and plays effectively, it creates opportunities for the other DL. That's not happening either.

I'm a little mystified - I thought this would be Ryan Kerrigan's biggest year yet. What's going on with him?
 
Still a little early to have a fix on what Barry likes. Other than zone coverage. I'm hoping that the more he learns the players, he'll find better ways to get them involved.

Maybe preseason is more valuable to vets than they care to admit. I know it wasn't his decision to not play in the preseason. Hopefully, we start to see the Ryan we've come to expect.

Be nice to make Bradford think he's been surgically attached to his ass, next game.
 
Cooley "thinks" that he not quite there physically with the knee. He's lost some of his burst.
Cooley mentioned his own knee 'cleanup' as example saying that he didn't really feel good for almost a year.

Murph has been ok, still waiting on Smith to make his mark, losing Jr really sucked.
 
A year? Geez. Let's hope it's not that long.
 
I think he's a little out of shape, still. Looked like he had a more chubby face in his post-gamer than in the past.

Nick
 
Combination of things, probably. Playing his way back into game shape, getting schemed by the opposition as the only real pass rush threat (total absence of pressure off the other side, spotty pressure up the middle), adjusting to new system under Barry ... maybe being asked to focus more on contain in certain situations given flux in secondary?

One thing for sure ... if this year's defense is going to remain competitive over the course of a long season, they're going to need Ryan to be the impact player on the front seven to complement Keenan or offenses are going to simply pick us apart with ball control.
 
there's no elite pass rusher on this defense. Kerrigan is upper tier but not elite. he needs a partner in crime - and that aint Murphy (at least when it comes to pass rush). one reason the loss of gallete was a big set-back.

yes...IMO!
 
MikeSr619 said:
Not elite? Really?
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Kerrigan is a terrific all-around player, and probably our best player on defense. But I wouldn't say he's an elite pass-rusher.

He's not in the same class as JJ Watt or Demarcus Ware or Jared Allen. Those guys average 13 or 14 sack a season.

That said, Kerrigan does everything well, which is not true of some of the more pure pass-rushing types. I would love to see us get someone opposite Kerrigan who IS a monster pass-rusher. I was hoping that would be Orakpo, but that didn't happen. We do need to find someone else, though.
 
Henry said:
Kerrigan is a terrific all-around player, and probably our best player on defense. But I wouldn't say he's an elite pass-rusher.

He's not in the same class as JJ Watt or Demarcus Ware or Jared Allen. Those guys average 13 or 14 sack a season.

That said, Kerrigan does everything well, which is not true of some of the more pure pass-rushing types. I would love to see us get someone opposite Kerrigan who IS a monster pass-rusher. I was hoping that would be Orakpo, but that didn't happen. We do need to find someone else, though.
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He got 13.5 sacks last year on defenses much worse than those guys you mentioned play on. There is something also about just because he doesn't line up with the very best that he is suddenly not elite. Elite isn't just the very top 3 or 4 guys. Jared Allen is not even a factor in the league at all any more. Kerrigan finished in 7th place last year in sacks behind some of the "elite" guys you are bringing up.

7th in sacks
In the top 10 of sacks he is #4 in total tackles
1st in forced fumbles

View attachment 2639

He also had 2 pick 6's his first 2 years in the league. he is known for knocking the ball down at the LOS, he can cover, he can stop the run....all of those things put him in the elite category.
 
No doubt in my mind that barring injury, Kerrigan will be up for discussion for the probowl. Whether or not he gets in is another story.
 
MikeSr619 said:
He got 13.5 sacks last year on defenses much worse than those guys you mentioned play on. There is something also about just because he doesn't line up with the very best that he is suddenly not elite. Elite isn't just the very top 3 or 4 guys. Jared Allen is not even a factor in the league at all any more. Kerrigan finished in 7th place last year in sacks behind some of the "elite" guys you are bringing up.
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Those guys I mentioned do it year-in year-out Mike. So far that 13.5 sack season is by FAR Kerrigan's best. It sits currently tied with 27 others for the 137th best overall. Jared Allen over his first ten seasons AVERAGED 13.5 sacks a season. DeMarcus Ware in his first ten seasons averaged 12.7 sacks a season. JJ Watt has averaged 14.4 sacks a season so far. And he's on pace for 16 this year.

That's what I think of when I think elite pass-rushing.

Kerrigan has had one season in four of that calibre (and unless he picks it up mightily it will be one in five.) Don't get me wrong, he is a solid pass-rusher and a playmaker and the heart and soul of our defense. Pick sixes, tipped passes and forced fumbles are all important and we are lucky to have a guy who does those thing. One could argue he's a better overall player than a guy like DeMarcus Ware.

But straight-up pass rushing ... he's not on the level of guys like that. And I think that's what Al was talking about. Not whether or not Kerrigan is a great player, which he is.
 
Henry said:
Those guys I mentioned do it year-in year-out Mike. So far that 13.5 sack season is by FAR Kerrigan's best. It sits currently tied with 27 others for the 137th best overall. Jared Allen over his first ten seasons AVERAGED 13.5 sacks a season. DeMarcus Ware in his first ten seasons averaged 12.7 sacks a season. JJ Watt has averaged 14.4 sacks a season so far. And he's on pace for 16 this year.

That's what I think of when I think elite pass-rushing.

Kerrigan has had one season in four of that calibre (and unless he picks it up mightily it will be one in five.) Don't get me wrong, he is a solid pass-rusher and a playmaker and the heart and soul of our defense. Pick sixes, tipped passes and forced fumbles are all important and we are lucky to have a guy who does those thing. One could argue he's a better overall player than a guy like DeMarcus Ware.

But straight-up pass rushing ... he's not on the level of guys like that. And I think that's what Al was talking about. Not whether or not Kerrigan is a great player, which he is.
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funny, Jared Allen didn't hit 13 or 14 sacks a year until after failing out of KC for drugs. And even after then has had 4 years of 14 or better out of 11 years. But, we can go with someone who's career started over 10 years ago.

I want to bring up some guys from the past, too. Jared Allen is no Lawrence Taylor. He is no Derrick Thomas. JJ Watt is no Deacon Jones. JJ Watt is no Nighttrain Lane. So, I guess we can both cherry pick top of the top players to discredit those we don't want to call elite.

or, we can see that Kerrigan is in his 4th year, progressing each and every year, and is coming in to his own. Ware didn't really get to where he is until his 4th year, Allen didn't get to where he was until his 4th year. Kerrigan had an amazing year his 4th year....

You can cherry pick all day long; its cool. But Kerrigan is proven stat wise to be top 10 sack wise (missing being 4th by 1) and is considered to be one of the most skilled in his position.
 
Not calling Kerrigan not an elite pass rusher is not discrediting him. He's a great player. He's a fine pass rusher. He's just not the best in the business at that one thing.
 
Henry said:
Not calling Kerrigan not an elite pass rusher is not discrediting him. He's a great player. He's a fine pass rusher. He's just not the best in the business at that one thing.
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well, I disagree. His 13.5 sacks and 5 forced fumbles are my backing of my statement. Just because he isn't JJ Watt doesn't mean he isn't elite at it.
 
I think though to be elite you have to do it consistently. He had an elite caliber year, but over all he hasn't quite made the bar. If he get's on track and has a similar year, the discussion changes.
 
stevenaa said:
I think though to be elite you have to do it consistently. He had an elite caliber year, but over all he hasn't quite made the bar. If he get's on track and has a similar year, the discussion changes.
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I get that and can agree to a certain point. But I'd be more inclined as a Redskins fan to call my own player elite and let him work himself down from there before calling him "fine". After all, he is the best player we have on this team and one of the only we've had sign a second contract in a LONG time.
 
MikeSr619 said:
I get that and can agree to a certain point. But I'd be more inclined as a Redskins fan to call my own player elite and let him work himself down from there before calling him "fine". After all, he is the best player we have on this team and one of the only we've had sign a second contract in a LONG time.
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I'm with you there. Gotta find the positives where they are. Nothing wrong with that. :)
 
MikeSr619 said:
I get that and can agree to a certain point. But I'd be more inclined as a Redskins fan to call my own player elite and let him work himself down from there before calling him "fine". After all, he is the best player we have on this team and one of the only we've had sign a second contract in a LONG time.
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That's fine. If I ever find myself on a Cowboy board I'll take anyone on who calls him not elite. :)

However, when we are talking about needs, and how to improve the defense, I think it's ok to recognize that we could use a pass-rusher opposite Kerrigan, because Kerrigan is more of an all-around player than an elite pass rusher. That is what I think Al was saying.
 
Henry said:
That's fine. If I ever find myself on a Cowboy board I'll take anyone on who calls him not elite. :)

However, when we are talking about needs, and how to improve the defense, I think it's ok to recognize that we could use a pass-rusher opposite Kerrigan, because Kerrigan is more of an all-around player than an elite pass rusher. That is what I think Al was saying.
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Well, I don't want to speak for Al or anything along those lines. I have a feeling that EVERY player benefits from having someone else on the line to assist with pressure.

But that doesn't mean Kerrigan isn't elite. He is very good at getting to the QB, stripping the ball, sacking them, batting balls down. He is just in a lull is all. It happens...not all of us are Super Henry
 
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