Stephone Anthony (1 Viewer)

[bplauche]

He was like 13th in the nfl in tackles and 10th among linebackers, all that with zero interior help and protection from our defensive tackles.

Stephone is a tackling machine and needs to play mike.

It cannot be stated enough how awful our DTs were last year. And that has a huge impact on an ILB.


Oooooph. Scary **** reminding us how many 34 players we have on this D. ******* crazy shifting around like this.

 

[Quiet Storm]

I dunno. He looked pretty bad in coverage.

I would have to agree. There were so many RB's and TE's left open last year it was ridiculous. Not seeing that crap this year.

 

[Meachemdat]

It's been stated before, but his snap count is due to him being our future MLB. Dennis Allen's scheme is based on the MLB being the chess player and setting the defense pre-snap. Much like what we did with Vilma under Williams.

So far Lauranaitis has been doing a really good job of getting the defense set. He's no Vilma, but as a whole, the communication is worlds better with this defense.

Until Anthony is able to understand the game on Lauranaitis' level, don't expect him to be the starter.

The last thing we need is our defense not knowing how to line up pre-snap.

 

[crosswatt]

This has happened before...

When NFL Draft prospect Stephone Anthony enrolled at Clemson, he was a five-star linebacker coming out of high school. He knew how good he was. But sometimes, he took it for granted. As a sophomore, he clashed with head coach Dabo Swinney – to the point where Swinney told Anthony he wouldn’t start.

Looking back, that experience woke Anthony up. It helped him grow and mature.

“All the way,” Anthony said on CBS Sports Radio’s The DA Show. “Yes, sir. That was something that definitely had to wake me up, as you said. I just needed to be humbled, and he humbled me in a way. He got a chance to get my attention – and he did. And as you said, it woke me up and it was time to go to work.”

Anthony, admittedly, was furious when he was told he wouldn’t start. After all, he was one of the best linebackers on the team – maybe the best linebacker on the team.

Stephone Anthony:


Anthony was also carted off the field in preseason, so its not outside the realm of possibility there could be some lingering physical issue that is being handled with some form of snap counts.

Anthony, the returning team leader in tackles and the projected starter at strong-side linebacker, was carted off the field late in the first half of Thursday's preseason loss in New England.

"We were a little fearful it might be something more than it was," Payton said. "But I think he'll be back sooner than later."

But he never said at 100%, so who knows really.

 

[InTheFade82]

What is up with this team trying to shove square pegs in to round holes?

 

[St. Geezy]

There is way too much being made of this. There are three starting linebackers and yes, Anthony is one of them. However the Giants played 3+ wideouts almost exclusively, meaning we were in nickel and dime packages virtually all game long.

We played with two linebackers and an extra safety (Von Bell) a good majority of the time, meaning one of the LBs has to come off the field.

Like it or not, the staff has decided that Lauranitis never leaves the field. He is the leader and guy that gets everyone in place. It is safe to assume they were not happy with Anthony's ability to do this in the past and they've placed a strong emphasis on having consistency in that area.

And I know this may sound like blasphemy, but Craig Robertson is better than Anthony and may even be the best LB on the team when it is all said and done.

So you have JL and Robertson as the two LBs with Von Bell playing the big nickel which = No room for a third LB on the field.

Mauti didn't play all that much either. He did have that big play on that one pressure package they brought him on, which perhaps leads people to believe he played a ton, but he really didn't.

We had 5+ DBs on the field all game long and played 4 man fronts virtually all game long, which leaves you with only 1 or 2 LBs on the field.

He was like 13th in the nfl in tackles and 10th among linebackers, all that with zero interior help and protection from our defensive tackles.

Stephone is a tackling machine and needs to play mike.

Anthony put up some decent numbers for a rookie MLB, but lets keep in mind that we're talking about a historically bad defense last year. I don't think he is as great as some seem to believe. If you start 16 games at LB in the NFL, you're going to get 100+ tackles; let's not over-inflate that stat production. Yes he was 13th, but how many of the guys on the list also missed games? How many of those tackles came downfield due to mistakes? How many tackles for losses did he have? How many of those were assisted tackles?

There is a lot more to LB stats than just saying "oh he got 100 tackles, so he is a tackling machine."

 

[Optimistic Ozzy]

I had heard on the radio it was because of the scheme the Saints were running on Sunday, can't explain the Raiders game unless it was the same scheme.

 

[Meachemdat]

We held one of the best offenses in the NFL to 9 points, if you count the last drive as a TD it would be 16 points.

In no reality should we expect to lose a game when OUR defense holds a team to 16 points.

I want to know why our high octane offense suddenly fell flat on it's face.

 

[LombardiGras]

Mauti only had 6 snaps but he got a sack/forced fumble. Can't really complain about Mauti.

I think Anthony is a good linebacker and an intimidating football player. Know that if we get rid of him, we will be watching him flourish with a new team for years to come.

 

[TruSaint]

I just know when he's on the field he produces. Heck in only 12 snaps vs the raiders he had a nice TFL.

 

[Three Monkeys]

He was hurt. Expect him back by game 1, but maybe its just taking longer.

http://saintsreport.com/forums/f2/p...m-back-sooner-than-later-357365/#.V-KKa4grJ-U

 

[fr3sh]

Our starting LBs should be Robertson and Anthony. Laurinaitis looks tackled out.

 

[lapaz]

I agree that it seems wrong for him to be a backup, but our defense played well against the Giants, so maybe the coaches are doing the right thing for a change. If we play poorly in the next couple of games, then I would certainly want to see a change.

 

[bobad]

Anthony is very talented, and will get plenty of play. I think his best position is Will, but so is Robertson's.

If Robertson or Anthony could be coached up to play Mike, and Ellerbe could get healthy, we would be sitting pretty with Ellerbe at Sam, Anthony? at Mike, and Robertson at Will. That would be our best LB talent on the field in years.

 

[St. Geezy]

I just think we are over-inflating the contribution a season ago from a player that was the starting middle linebacker/"leader" of one of the worst defenses in NFL history.

Yes he made some plays, don't get me wrong, but he's a player that's hardly cemented himself as someone you definitively want to build a defense around at the all-important MLB spot.

Let's not forget, his natural position, the one he played in college, was OLB. We moved him inside. And I'd also like to think the concern about his ability to direct had to have been very real. That was such an emphasis this off-season to improve on. He had to have really struggled in that area.