It's now confirmed. Coming off a game in which he had 8 tackles, several at the LOS, 2 TFLs, and a forced fumble behind the LOS to save the day, Key Lawrence will be yanked from the box and stuck on the outside in a 9th-week experiment at corner. He takes over after a similar on-the-fly experiment failed dismally, resulting in a promising young NB being embarrassed on national TV when the coaches inexplicably stuck him on the best WR in the Big 12 FIVE DAYS AFTER asking him to start training with the CBs.
Some say it's good. We need our best DBs on the field, they say. And I totally agree with that principle. But guess what? That's the very principle this decision violates. There are two spots manned by some of the worst defensive backs in America, right next to where Lawrence has been playing. And both of those spots are tailor-made for a physical, run-stuffing safety with a good nose for the football, just like Key. I humbly submit that Pat Fields - who PFF grades out as one of the worst safeties in America - and Justin Broiles should maybe, just maybe, not be so untouchable. Fields has played like every damn snap for three damn years. And there have *always* been guys that were better than him. It's borderline intolerable at this point.
I hope I'm wrong, I really do, but I'm pretty damn sure this is who we get Saturday: Graham, BROILES, DTY, FIELDS, and Lawrence. Lawrence will take like 25-35 reps at CB. He might well get burned because, God bless him, he has no earthly idea what he's doing -- he will have trained as an OU CB for all of FOUR FREAKING DAYS. Broiles and Fields will be at or near the very top in reps, perhaps taking every snap. Bowman and Lawrence, two of our very best DBs, will be mid to bottom third in reps, meriting a middling rotational spot after, you know, the coaches experimented with them in the wrong damn position.
This decisionmaking raises A LOT of questions about Justin Harrington in my mind. That kid has safety written ALL OVER HIM. His tape looks INCREDIBLE. 6'3" 220 LBs and runs like a deer? Doesn't Grinch claim to scheme his defense around this kind of dude? Then why on earth is he a 4th string CB while 5'10" Patrick Fields is lined up on the hip pad of the WILL backer? It makes absolutely no sense. I mean, is Pat Fields so good that it's not even worth giving Harrington, Lawrence, or Bowman a look at his spot during live game action? Sheesh.
I truly believe there is outright bad judgment governing the D's personnel decisions. That combined with the alignment issues and tackling are making the D start to truly look and feel Moopsy.
Some say it's good. We need our best DBs on the field, they say. And I totally agree with that principle. But guess what? That's the very principle this decision violates. There are two spots manned by some of the worst defensive backs in America, right next to where Lawrence has been playing. And both of those spots are tailor-made for a physical, run-stuffing safety with a good nose for the football, just like Key. I humbly submit that Pat Fields - who PFF grades out as one of the worst safeties in America - and Justin Broiles should maybe, just maybe, not be so untouchable. Fields has played like every damn snap for three damn years. And there have *always* been guys that were better than him. It's borderline intolerable at this point.
I hope I'm wrong, I really do, but I'm pretty damn sure this is who we get Saturday: Graham, BROILES, DTY, FIELDS, and Lawrence. Lawrence will take like 25-35 reps at CB. He might well get burned because, God bless him, he has no earthly idea what he's doing -- he will have trained as an OU CB for all of FOUR FREAKING DAYS. Broiles and Fields will be at or near the very top in reps, perhaps taking every snap. Bowman and Lawrence, two of our very best DBs, will be mid to bottom third in reps, meriting a middling rotational spot after, you know, the coaches experimented with them in the wrong damn position.
This decisionmaking raises A LOT of questions about Justin Harrington in my mind. That kid has safety written ALL OVER HIM. His tape looks INCREDIBLE. 6'3" 220 LBs and runs like a deer? Doesn't Grinch claim to scheme his defense around this kind of dude? Then why on earth is he a 4th string CB while 5'10" Patrick Fields is lined up on the hip pad of the WILL backer? It makes absolutely no sense. I mean, is Pat Fields so good that it's not even worth giving Harrington, Lawrence, or Bowman a look at his spot during live game action? Sheesh.
I truly believe there is outright bad judgment governing the D's personnel decisions. That combined with the alignment issues and tackling are making the D start to truly look and feel Moopsy.
Last edited:
![[zoomLENS]](https://rivals-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/forums/oklahoma/data/avatars/m/6/6732.jpg?1633963129){kind=avatar}
