JAYSON BROWN
HOUSTON, TX
Is it me or is Orlando Scandrick quietly playing sound ball in the secondary thus far?
Nick: I don't think he does anything quietly. He blocks a kick and makes sure we all see it. He gets a sack and does the same thing. It's not a knock on his play, because it's been really good, but it's not going unnoticed. He won't let that happen. Then again, the chip he plays with on his shoulder is the very reason he has been effective.
Rowan:Yeah, he's played well. Scandrick's always been known for his play in the slot, but he's been solid so far in his new role on the outside since Morris Claiborne's shoulder injury. That's allowed Claiborne to come in on nickel situations, when Scandrick bumps back inside. [embedded_ad] Scandrick's work on the outside has helped Claiborne ease back in, and the defense hasn't lost a beat. He'll get a lot more tests in the coming weeks, particularly when Denver comes to town.
JEFF JOHNSON
ALEXANDRIA, VA
They finally ran the ball well and the press are all saying, "Look what happens when you stick with the run." Do you think they should try to keep "balanced" even when they can't run it? Seems like when you're losing as many yards as you're gaining, it's counterproductive.
Nick: I think before you do that, you try to run it in a different way. In this game, they spread the defense out more and still ran it. I think that's the approach. There is more than one way to run the ball. Maybe the jumbo package stuff isn't as effective as they think. So you can still change it up, but still run the ball.
Rowan: They shouldn't keep running the same plays if the defense is stuffing it, but as Nick said, run plays don't have to all be the same. They used a lot of "11 personnel" last week with three receivers, which I think might be their most effective way of going. They sometimes run under center, and they've also gone to the shotgun or the pistol formations. I don't think they should run the same plays that aren't working just so they can say they're running the ball. But mixing up looks can do the trick, as it did when Lance Dunbar got his 12-yard carry against the Chiefs. They're not prolific enough in the passing game to be completely one-dimensional.
