Think of Vilma as like a safety net for the defense. He does not make a lot of impact plays, however he doesn't get run around all that often either. In another town he'd be considered a solid inside linebacker and not a lot more than that. In our area he's a star (some people even think superstar) mainly because he was a first round pick and he made a lot of tackles in a system designed to get him tackles. He's a lot like a typical Denver tailback in that way. The system makes him look great when he's really just doing his job well. And I agree on the play, when he whiffed on Brady I flinched. The same way I did when Hobson ran at Brady in slow motion and failed to get him on the last drive of the first half. The difference is that I expect that out of Hobson and I expect more (reasonably or unreasonably) out of Vilma.
More like 99 times out of 100. It really was a big play in the game and one that he had TIME to plan. He just got greedy.
It's like a loose ball on the ground....you're taught to FALL on the ball, not pick it up with your hands and run with it (especially if you're a bigger guy on offense or defense). You ALWAYS get the QB in that situation and HOPE the ball comes loose...you don't deliberately go for the ball unless you're about to fall on him anyway and can freely use your arms. He was coming around the side on a curve and it was a hit-or-miss play. He missed. We lost. End of story.
I think everyone forgets that it was 3rd and 8 so all he had to to do was stop him and they punt. So forget about the strip, he should have just tackled him that might have led to a fumble. He makes one play at the goal line but what other play has he made this year. They said he studied so much tape to be prepared but it doesnt look like it. Zach Thomas made the adjustments but it doesnt seem like Vilma can. Lets see what he does the next couple of years, cause I agree with alot of people that one year is not enough. So lets just see.
Anyone care to know Vilma's stats for the regular season? I mean, since people say he was invisible and did nothing all year. Rank: 19 Name: Jonathan Vilma Total: 113 Tackles: 66.0 Assists: 47 Passes Defended: 5 BTW: That rank of 19? It's for the NFL, not just the AFC. Guess he had a terrible year huh?
C'mon Alio, he wasn't a difference maker. No sacks, no picks, I don't know if he even forced or recovered a fumble.............and he got burnt to a crisp all year long in between those tackles. Is he a bad player? No. Can he be a good player with better players around him? Yes. But he's not the player we thought he would be.
Vilma has to know better.. In that situation you go for the sack first & the ball second. If you are gonna point to one play that if made would have made a big difference in the outcome, that is the play you turn to. Vilma sacks Brady there, we go into the half at worst tied and with all the momentum.
His job wasn't to get sacks or picks this year. He was supposed to make tackles in the middle. He did just that. Plus, he helped guide the defense through audibles all year as well, it was even complimented by Mangini a few weeks ago. Did he have the same impact as the year before? Of course not. But then again, he was the only bright spot in a dismal defense the year previous. This year we heard the names Rhodes, Thomas, Barton, Hobson. I'm glad Vilma's numbers are down. It means the rest of the D is actually playing for once.
"Hmm, maybe he was going for the big play to put momentum in the Jets corner? It was a mistake, sure, but if the ball had been stripped, would ANY ONE OF YOU be sitting here today saying "Vilma took a big risk there, we're lucky it worked out." NO. You'd be sitting here writing "Now THAT'S the Vilma we're used to!" What type of ridiculous hindsight is that? The ball wasn't stripped so the play ultimately ended up being a failure. If one of the Jets players picks up that backward pass, maybe we don't lose that game and we are talking about San Diego this week; IT DIDN'T HAPPEN! So we are right to criticize Vilma for not making the play. I would have gone for the sack there, but if you're going to go for a risky strip like that, make sure the ball gets out of Brady's hands! It didn't so Vilma deserves the blame.
A fumble recovery, on a backward pass, that was converted to points by the opposition is where I would point a finger if I were to point on a single play out of all that cost us the game. But the fact is, no single play cost the game. We got beat by a team and coaching staff that was more comfortable, and better prepared.
I never claimed I agreed with what Vilma did. He was wrong, and I said so right at the time it happened. That was simply an explanation of what was probably going through his mind when he blew the play.
I think Vilma had a bad year. It's not because he didn't get sacks or forced fumbles. I understand that his role is to set up other players to make big plays. I just saw a lot of times where Vilma was not in the right position to make a play on the ball. If he's supposed to be the anchor, the QB of the defense, then he has to be the brains of the D. He doesn't have to be a game-changer. But I didn't see those smarts this season. Maybe it's too soon for him to be a leader. I still have hope. But I don't like what I saw from Vilma this season.
Part of his job is getting sacks and picks. He was often times sent on blitzes. If he wasn't blitzing then on most passing downs he is in coverage in the middle. His production wasn't great in either situation. I also posted recently the listing of all of his tackles both this year and last which clearly showed many of his tackles were coming down the field after 5 or so yard gains due to his great speed. He definitely was/is a good leader for this defense calling all of the plays and getting people in the proper positions, but in no way was he an impact player this year. His game got much better as the year went on so that is something to build on, and with the addition of some more qualified nose tackles hopefully he will continue to improve. Let's not put him in Canton just yet though....
