This DB was the real goat last night, not Ike! (Caution: answer may surprise and infuriate)

Troy is every bit as much to blame for our defensive backfield failures last night as Ike. In fact, more so. I didn't see Ike totally leave his man uncovered so he could try to add to his highlight reel. Troy did that late in the game when he inexplicably decided to leave Ray Rice (RAY RICE!) uncovered so he could potentially make a splash, highlight reel play. That was just STUPID football. How could he do that?! That was a huge play at a critical point in the game and it gave the Rats the momentum back late in the game. The result of the drive was a FG. We lost by 2. Troy has always been high on my list, but his freelancing this year has led to more big plays by the opposition than by him.

 

I've said this before a few weeks ago, but Troy's play this season really reminds me of his rookie year, when he was kind of 50/50 on making the play and making a colossal miss.

On the play you're talking about, he had already decided he was going for the QB I think... maybe he predicted the rush on the left side would get more penetration; maybe he thought the receiver on the left would be running shallower so have the covering DB closer to the LOS... I agree that it was a huge play, but also that this is what you get when you play Troy.

I'd like to say: if he had got a tip or an interception, then it would have been a different story. But really, he was never going to get either. Just a mistake.

 

Of course this is all speculation, as we don't know what play was really called (unless someone can dig up an interview laying the blame on Troy for guessing), but unfortunately I felt the same way about the game last night. There was the pass to Rice, and the pass to Jones (I think) down the right side of the field that put them in the red zone. Both times Troy was not in coverage, assuming he was supposed to be. Both plays were on thrid down and led to 6 points in a game lost by 2 (or 1, depending on how you look at it).

He still has some game left, but his mistakes seem to be more frequent than his splash plays. Maybe he's pressing too much.

 

Wasn't Troy playing LB last night? When they showed the starting lineup they had Clark and Will Allen as the Safeties.

 

Yes, he plays more and more hybrid LB/S now, which is where he should be at this point in his career, in the 15-yard box around the LOS, where he can still be highly effective. He still roams deep, though.

 

Did you catch that where Will Allen and Clark were listed as the starting safeties? By the time I saw that they were past the LB. wondering if Troy was listed as a starting LB?

 

No, I missed the first 2 1/2 quarters because of Thanksgiving festivities, so didn't catch the intros. My guess would be he started at ILB for Williams.

 

I blame whoever responsibility it is to play the middle of the field. If Troy is playing linebacker it has to be either Allen or Clark. Because if it was Vince Williams was playing LB we wouldn't expect him to be playing center field or safety position.

 

Do we know for sure that's what happened, or is it still an assumption? I saw the play so I know why you think that, but this is the kind of thing we just don't know until we hear it. For all we know Troy could have been supposed to blitz on that play, and someone else should have had the flat.

Also, even if it was Troy's responsibility, it's a second assumption to say that he abandoned it so he could seek the glory of another highlight for his reel. People make honest mistakes all the time, so that's another possibility.

 

did troy play his rookie year?

 

He played some but didn't start.

 

You're right, those are assumptions and were emotional ones at that. And we all love it when Troy makes those highlight reel plays but it seems he's gambling and losing more than ever these days and it's just so dang frustrating. He's getting older and I'd give him the same advice I'd give Ben if given the same opportunity; as you age you've got to rely more on the gray matter underneath the skull and above the neck. Those below the neck parts don't work quite as well as they used to.