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Time for Dan’s Monday Website Whispers with a variety of notes on a player who needs to focus more, a bad performance Sunday from somebody you wouldn’t expect, and more . . .
Jeff Cumberland is just oozing with potential, but he needs to step up on the mental side.
It’s well-documented that he ran the wrong route in Miami, leading to the Chris Clemons pick in the end zone.
Then against San Francisco, linebacker Larry Grant got by him to block a punt.
He clearly needs to improve his focus.
But he showed his enormous potential as a tight end on a couple of plays vs. San Francisco.
For a 260-pounder, he runs very well after the catch.
On the Jets first drive of the second half, Sanchez hit Cumberland on the short left side, and Jeff broke a tackle on S Donte Whitner, a very good tackler, and took the play for a first down. Then later in that quarter, Cumberland took another very short pass for six yards. On this play, he made the first defender miss with a nifty drop step.
This guy is gifted. The sky’s the limit for his future. He just needs to be more consistent . . .
There was a lot of blame to go around on Sunday, but one of the more surprising disappointing performance was from the usually rock solid Nick Mangold.
What made his struggles surprising is that the 49ers’ starting nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga was out.
On the Jets’ first drive of the game, Jeremy Kerley had a pretty diving catch, but the play came back because Mangold held NT Ray McDonald. He actually tackled him.
Late in the third quarter, Mangold was beat by McDonald for a sack of Sanchez, but the sack was negated by an illegal hands to the face by a defensive back on Jeremy Kerley.
Late in the game, Mangold was beat by DE Justin Smith for a QB pressure.
Mangold was also beat for a sack by a stunting OLB, Ahmad Brooks, on a third-and-one.
This is one of the worst games I’ve seen Mangold play. Expect him to play like a man possessed next Sunday . . .
Remember yesterday we talked about Sione Pouha’s back problems.
Well, here is a perfect example of Sione not being himself.
Early in the fourth quarter, Pouha was pancaked by center Jonathan Goodwin (former Jets draft pick), on a Frank Gore 11-yard gain up the middle.
We all know darn well, that it’s highly unlikely, that a healthy Pouha, a weight room superstar, is going to get pancaked by a journeyman center like Goodwin.
I’m telling you, that guy isn’t right . . .
Speaking of the defensive line, it sounds like there are assignments being blown up front. Just read what Bart Scott said today.
“When things don’t go according to plan, everybody puts it on themselves to try and maybe make a play or try and help fix it,” Scott said. “If you go outside of your responsibilities, then what happens is we can’t get the problem fixed because you’re not where you’re supposed to be because you’re trying to make a play.”
Guys like Quinton Coples need to understand, in a 3-4 defense, you can’t just run around willy nilly, you have to stay in your gap, and do your job. You can’t freelance . . .
October 1, 2012
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