Game Thread: Seahawks vs Rams: 1:05 PST

[Screamin12th]

Barton has got a lot of blame but Brooks has not. Sad because Brooks has been bad also. Barton is or has been blamed to much I will agree. He is not a OLB and in this 3-4 they are playing him like one more than the middle linebacker that he is. We have seen Barton play for Bobby when we were a 4-3 team and he was more than capable but a 3-4 is a different beast for the middle linebackers. Brooks gets a lot of tackles but when 50% of them are 15 yards down the field that tackle doesn't mean a damn thing to me.

This is one of the reason I say the Hawks need to draft a linebacker early. DT/DE/OLB and Safety. a OLB is more suited to play a wide Middle linebacker like they been playing Barton and Brooks. Also lets be real Brook's play recognition is very slow. Bobby and More so KJ knew what was coming before the ball was snapped.

 

[Anointed One]

Barton has got a lot of blame but Brooks has not. Sad because Brooks has been bad also. Barton is or has been blamed to much I will agree. He is not a OLB and in this 3-4 they are playing him like one more than the middle linebacker that he is. We have seen Barton play for Bobby when we were a 4-3 team and he was more than capable but a 3-4 is a different beast for the middle linebackers. Brooks gets a lot of tackles but when 50% of them are 15 yards down the field that tackle doesn't mean a damn thing to me.

This is one of the reason I say the Hawks need to draft a linebacker early. DT/DE/OLB and Safety. a OLB is more suited to play a wide Middle linebacker like they been playing Barton and Brooks. Also lets be real Brook's play recognition is very slow. Bobby and More so KJ knew what was coming before the ball was snapped.

That could be part of his problem with the new scheme... He doesn't make plays and doesn't seem to have very good instincts, which is a necessity at the LB position - especially in a 3-4... You have to be gap specific... .You guys say he's in position quite a bit but is he making the plays? I don't see him making plays when he is in fact in position... To me it seems like Brooks is playing LB all by himself back there at times... Whenever there are plays made, seems like Brooks is in on the plays quite a bit more than Barton is... Last year, Brooks finished 2nd in the NFL in tackles... This year, he's currently 3rd. Brooks has already made 44 more tackles this year than Barton... When Brooks played next to Wagner last year, Brooks only had 8 more total tackles than Bobby...

I agree with you... I haven't been as hard on Brooks this season as Barton... This is Brooks 3rd season... KJ and Bobby had their hurdles their first few seasons as well... Hard to argue that Brooks won't get better... Do you guys not agree with that?

Barton on the other hand? This is what you get from him imo... He's in his 4th season and doesn't show any sign of being able to be a capable starting LB in the league... If you guys feel like he will improve and become a better player then I can understand why you are sticking up for him like you are...

 

[blstoker]

That could be part of his problem with the new scheme... He doesn't make plays and doesn't seem to have very good instincts, which is a necessity at the LB position - especially in a 3-4... You have to be gap specific... .You guys say he's in position quite a bit but is he making the plays? I don't see him making plays when he is in fact in position... To me it seems like Brooks is playing LB all by himself back there at times... Whenever there are plays made, seems like Brooks is in on the plays quite a bit more than Barton is... Last year, Brooks finished 2nd in the NFL in tackles... This year, he's currently 3rd. Brooks has already made 44 more tackles this year than Barton... When Brooks played next to Wagner last year, Brooks only had 8 more total tackles than Bobby...

I agree with you... I haven't been as hard on Brooks this season as Barton... This is Brooks 3rd season... KJ and Bobby had their hurdles their first few seasons as well... Hard to argue that Brooks won't get better... Do you guys not agree with that?

Barton on the other hand? This is what you get from him imo... He's in his 4th season and doesn't show any sign of being able to be a capable starting LB in the league... If you guys feel like he will improve and become a better player then I can understand why you are sticking up for him like you are...

That's an interesting take since Barton has more TFLs, more sacks, more interceptions and more passes defensed while playing 228 fewer defensive snaps than Brooks. It isn't as if Barton isn't making plays, it's just that when he does there's a certain group that has one of two reactions. 1) "It wasn't that big a play, anyone would've made that play." 2) "No, not Barton. Barton having good plays means the Seahawks might be tempted to re-sign him."

Are people just as quick to praise Barton when he met Akers head on in the hole and dropped him for no gain as they were to criticize him for the 6 yard play you referenced earlier? Did Brooks gain people's wrath for missing the tackle on the first play of the game the same way Barton received it when he missed a tackle on the second play? How about when Brooks misplayed stuffing the hole, being ridden right through it and allowing Akers to score the first touchdown?

This isn't about rewriting the season and making Barton an All Pro, this is just pointing out that Barton's performance doesn't justify the scapegoat status as the reason the defense is failing this year.

 

[Anointed One]

That's an interesting take since Barton has more TFLs, more sacks, more interceptions and more passes defensed while playing 228 fewer defensive snaps than Brooks. It isn't as if Barton isn't making plays, it's just that when he does there's a certain group that has one of two reactions. 1) "It wasn't that big a play, anyone would've made that play." 2) "No, not Barton. Barton having good plays means the Seahawks might be tempted to re-sign him."

Are people just as quick to praise Barton when he met Akers head on in the hole and dropped him for no gain as they were to criticize him for the 6 yard play you referenced earlier? Did Brooks gain people's wrath for missing the tackle on the first play of the game the same way Barton received it when he missed a tackle on the second play? How about when Brooks misplayed stuffing the hole, being ridden right through it and allowing Akers to score the first touchdown?

This isn't about rewriting the season and making Barton an All Pro, this is just pointing out that Barton's performance doesn't justify the scapegoat status as the reason the defense is failing this year.

It’s awesome to see you stand by your guy. That’s OK. I don’t view him as the scapegoat. Coby Bryant is even worse on our defense right now. You really going to use interceptions as a stat? Both his pics were as easy as they get…

I already said that I see more upside from Brooks than I do Barton, which is why I’m a bit more critical of Cody. It’s amazing to hear that you don’t have any criticism of Cody but you do Brooks… Do you honestly feel that Barton is better than Brooks? Because the way you’re defending him seems to be the case.

 

[Screamin12th]

I was going to say that Barton was a back-up and Brooks has been a starter the last 3 years. You really can't compare their stats but when you do Barton looks like the better player of the two LMAO.

I think it has more to do with what you need as a 3-4 Middle linebacker. One of the main things is very fast read and react ability then you also need good speed and great quickness to work from the inside out and Barton is not a fast or quick Linebacker. Barton had a 4.7 ( 4.69 ) 40 and a 6.98 3 cone drill. So he is not fast or quick. As a 4-3 Middle he is a good Linebacker as a 3-4 middle which is more like a OLB than a true Middle linebacker he comes up short. Still Barton looked like the better linebacker of the two yesterday.

I still say the Hawks need to draft a linebacker early ( one of their first 4 picks ) next draft. They also need a safety and a couple guys on the DL (DE/DT). the Hawks OLB are nothing to right home about either not for a 3-4. Until that gets fixed they will continue to be gashed by the running game.

 

[blstoker]

It’s awesome to see you stand by your guy. That’s OK. I don’t view him as the scapegoat. Coby Bryant is even worse on our defense right now. You really going to use interceptions as a stat? Both his pics were as easy as they get…

I already said that I see more upside from Brooks than I do Barton, which is why I’m a bit more critical of Cody. It’s amazing to hear that you don’t have any criticism of Cody but you do Brooks… Do you honestly feel that Barton is better than Brooks? Because the way you’re defending him seems to be the case.

Yep, both his picks were "easy" and thank you for proving the point that even if he does have a positive play there has to be an asterisk next to it.

No criticism? I say he's playing better than what a certain segment of the posters here (who are very vocal) say he is and all of a sudden I have no criticisms for him? I've seen the tackling issues (which I've already caveated in this thread) that everyone else has seen. You know, not wrapping up, being caught flat footed at times, etc. He's too dependent on everyone else also being in the right place at the right time, he just isn't fast enough to go sideline to sideline if outside contain isn't maintained (which we saw all day yesterday as he was constantly following the play to the sideline). He isn't physical enough to be a traditional linebacker, and not fast enough to be a hybrid/undersized linebackers of today. He plays too much in his head and can be hesitant when he should be flowing. He's a better special teams coverage guy than linebacker, but he's what the team has.

Do I think Barton is better than Brooks? No, I really don't. But the fact that Brooks is better should require more expectations out of him than out of Barton. It's weird that Brooks gets more leeway because he's better, that's just a little backward to me. Brooks shouldn't have as many missed tackles as Barton does - but he does. Barton is pulled off the field for most third downs and obvious pass downs, so Brooks should be better against the pass - but he isn't. Brooks has twice the experience as a linebacker yet hasn't shown he reads plays any better. Brooks being better to excuse the occasional mistake would be fine if he wasn't making the mistakes at roughly the same rate as Barton. By year three as our starter, Brooks should be more than a half step better than Barton - he should be miles better than Barton.

I think Barton is best suited to what the Hawks had him doing last year and that he's thrust into the role he has now due to lack of depth at linebacker. I don't think he's played his role on the d any worse than half the defense and gets significantly more vitriol thrown his way on the board. That's the whole of the conclusion I have drawn on here. Not that he's great. Not that he's better than Brooks. Just that he's not as bad as needing to be actively hated and cheered against by his own team's fans.

 

[Screamin12th]

the Hawks OLB are nothing to right home about either not for a 3-4.

I just noticed I said right home about not write home about and I'm 100% sober! LMAO! that's bad that's not even a typo. Your and You're I can understand but write and right ... yeah


I think Barton reads and reacts fine I just don't think he has the top flight physical tools you need in todays NFL to play a 3-4 Linebacker at a high level.