Author: Rob Staton (Page 288 of 424)

Russell Wilson, like the Seahawks, are leaping towards further progression

KJR’s Dick Fain asked a very valid question today. Are we expecting too much from the Seahawks?

Earlier in the day, Mike Holmgren admitted on the same radio station he expected more from Seattle in Washington. He’s not the only one. Former Seahawk Nate Burleson told the NFL Network after the game he didn’t believe Seattle was as “invincible” as last year.

The Seahawks have entered this peculiar world where only the complete and utter destruction of an opponent will be acceptable. Not necessarily to the fans who follow the team every week, but to the outside world. The non-Seahawks fan has been sold the idea of a team so good they might as well be from another planet.

Most of that expectation comes from the surprisingly easy Super Bowl victory over a historically good Broncos team. If they can do that to such a dominating opponent, what are they going to do to the rest of the league?

In reality, this is a false position. And it’s creating an unfair level of expectation.

Sure, they beat the Broncos 43-8 in the Super Bowl. Yet as Fain correctly points out — they also had a few stinkers too. They lost at home to the Cardinals despite a four-interception game by Carson Palmer. They struggled mightily against an 0-8 Tampa Bay team at home, squeezing by in overtime. They probably should’ve lost road games in Houston and St. Louis — but found a way to win. It’s still remarkable how they beat the Rams that night.

Last season was not a relentless series of beat-down’s culminating in the ultimate Super Bowl performance. It was a struggle at times. There were games where they couldn’t do anything to stop the run. There were games where the receivers couldn’t make a play. Marshawn Lynch had a little tough stretch. Russell Wilson had the most average spell of his career to finish the regular season.

One of the great characteristics of this team isn’t that it blows everyone away week after week. It’s battle tested. It keeps things tight.

The Seattle Seahawks will never go into a game like the Bengals did on Sunday night and be beaten on the first drive. Cincinnati had no answer to a pumped up New England team. As soon as Tom Brady led that first scoring drive they could’ve boarded the plane back to Ohio. The body language screamed, “Oh crap.”

Seattle had a tough day in San Diego facing a similarly prolific Philip Rivers in 120 degree heat. They were pushed around, they struggled. And yet late in the fourth quarter they had the ball with a chance to drive for the game winning score. That’s Seahawks football.

Beating a pretty pathetic looking Washington side 27-17 shouldn’t be seen as a negative. They won the game handsomely despite having to combat the laundry list of penalties and miscues. Without those fixable mistakes this could’ve been the 40-0 bullying people seemed to expect.

We’ve seen a quarter of Seattle’s season now and here’s my take on it — they don’t have the same depth as 2013, but the overall quality of the two starting units is superior.

The run defense is hitting new heights this year (conceding just 62.2 YPG) and while the sack totals are low (six in five games) this is a league-wide trend through five weeks. Sacks also don’t equal guaranteed success, given the five teams at the top of the sack charts are the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington. Seattle’s defense has faced Rodgers, Rivers and Manning already and generally done an exceptional job — particularly against Denver. For all the concern over the departure of Red Bryant and Chris Clemons — Kevin Williams has been a revelation and Bruce Irvin had a terrific performance last night at defensive end.

Seattle’s defense in terms of its starters is getting better, not worse.

Football Outsiders currently has Seattle ranked at #4 on defense — down from #1 last year. Remember who they’ve faced though. According to DVOA the Seahawks have had the toughest opening schedule in the NFL. The rest of the way they have the 28th toughest schedule. The defensive ranking will be back at #1 soon enough.

Percy Harvin has provided the offense with a new dimension and a legit top-five weapon. Marshawn Lynch is as productive as ever and despite last nights problems with penalties — the offensive line is improving (particularly the play of the two guards). Russell Wilson continues to progress as a quarterback and playmaker. Only Philip Rivers has been more prolific in these opening five weeks. You could make a case for the NFL MVP race going 1) Rivers 2) DeMarco Murray 3) Wilson at this early stage.

DVOA ranks Seattle’s offense at #2 this year so far, up from #7 at the end of 2013. In four games they’ve faced the #2 defense (Denver), the #12 defense (Green Bay), the #13 defense (San Diego) and the #18 defense (Washington). Sunday’s opponents, Dallas, are ranked at #24. They then face St. Louis (#30), Carolina (#27) and Oakland (#22). So there’s a chance to be even more prolific over the next few weeks.

This is a superior team. Believe it, embrace it. And don’t be surprised either — the youth of the roster always leant itself to continued development.

They don’t need to blow-out bad teams to prove it. They just need to keep winning.

Bruce Irvin excelled on Monday Night Football

One of Pete Carroll’s principle concepts is to avoid giving up explosive plays. If you take away chunk-yardage you can play effective bend-but-don’t-break defense.

This game had blow-out potential at 17-0. Two explosive plays from DeSean Jackson made it a contest.

Seattle dominated on offense early, strangled Washington’s run attack and bossed the field position battle on special teams. This should’ve been an easy coast on the east coast, but wasn’t because of two plays.

OK — it wasn’t the only reason. Seattle were poor on third down (again) and they gave up a ton of penalties (again). The third down issue is on Seattle. For some reason, despite having all the necessary talent to excel in short and long situations, they consistently struggle in this area. Russell Wilson had another sensational performance (running and throwing) and certainly shouldn’t be criticised. Yet if he’s to ever to be universally accepted among the games elite, he has to convert more on third down. The Seahawks were 5/14 (35%) on third down tonight.

In terms of the penalties, this was a horror show. The officials threw far too many flags. Percy Harvin, unbelievably, had three touchdowns called back. One was a legit foul — a holding call by James Carpenter. The other two? Incredible. Carpenter was called for unnecessary roughness for finishing a block, chalking off a deep-ball TD. Harvin stepped to the inside pre-snap to negate another catch and run. This wasn’t just nitpicking, it was bad officiating.

Seattle totalled 13 penalties for 90 yards compared to Washington’s three flags. Some were fair. Russell Okung — who’s clearly not 100% after that shoulder injury against Denver — had a poor night and received multiple flags. Others were borderline or bordering on the ridiculous.

To make matters worse, Pierre Garcon wasn’t flagged for 1.) yanking Richard Sherman by the hair and 2.) ragging Sherman to the turf by his facemask at the end of a failed third down attempt. There was no subtlety here. Just blatant, punk moves by Garcon — clearly still agitated from the last meeting between the teams.

They weren’t the only missed calls. Marshawn Lynch’s crucial catch and run on a Wilson scramble should’ve been called back late on. Russell Okung was clearly holding Brian Orakpo, while Harvin was shoved to the ground beyond the five-yard cushion. We’re talking two blatant penalties here — both missed. Both fouls should’ve been called, offset and the down replayed.

Despite the issues with penalties and third downs — not completely unexpected coming off an early bye — Seattle is 3-1. With no remaining unbeaten teams in the NFL, only the bye prevents the Seahawks sharing the best record in the league.

Here’s the notes…

— The two big plays to Jackson aside, this was a totally dominating defensive performance. Bobby Wagner excelled in coverage, he picked up a sack and made numerous key tackles. Bruce Irvin regularly set the edge against the run, blowing up four run plays against the over-matched tight end Niles Paul. Kevin Williams and Brandon Mebane were both sensational — this partnership continues to develop with each week. Williams in particular is starting to look like a key addition for the run defense. Washington had 32 net rushing yards in the game.

— The defense deserves a bit more fortune. In the first four games they’ve had multiple close calls on turnovers. Tonight — K.J. Wright forced a fumble (recovered by Washington), Earl Thomas dropped an interception and Wagner came close to snaring a pick jumping a route over the middle. Despite their dominance, Seattle failed to force a turnover tonight and had only one sack.

— As noted earlier, Okung doesn’t look right. When he went down against Denver he was in serious pain, only to return for the second half (somewhat surprisingly). With Alvin Bailey also injured, it’s possible he played through the pain here. A healthy Okung is one of the better left tackles in the game. The problem is he’s been consistently unhealthy ever since he entered the league. He has one year left on his contract with a modest 2015 cap hit worth $7.28m. I’m not sure they’ll cut ties after this year, but he’s unlikely to warrant an extension in the off-season. And with a good crop of offensive tackles likely turning pro they could consider drafting a long term replacement.

— Byron Maxwell appeared tentative all night. He might be the most opportunistic defensive back Seattle has, but he’s also more technique than physical brilliance. He will have games like this.

— Jackson’s 60-yard touchdown came on the exact same concept that led to Denver’s game-tying drive in week three. Seattle has to keep working to fix this — they can’t keep getting caught on a little wheel to the outside with a receiver running a post to draw the coverage.

— This was yet another game where Seattle didn’t really challenge with the deep ball. It was particularly surprising against an exposed, young secondary missing its top corner. Seattle is keeping everything tight and compact. A lot of runs (expected), some read option. Harvin motions a lot and gets used in bubble screens. I’m not a coach or an offensive coordinator, but to the untrained eye you can’t help but question whether a few deep shots would help open up the short game? Seattle has the speed to test any secondary deep. Is this deliberate through the early weeks to keep it off tape?

— It sound crazy, but Wilson’s creativity is so completely underrated. There were many examples in this game where an immobile, traditional pocket passer would just be flattened for a big loss. Wilson’s ability to extend plays, improvise and run when needed is crucial to combat the extra athletic advantage most teams have on defense these days. It’s simple — the best athletes in college play defense. That’s filtered through to the pro’s now. Nearly every team faces a weekly battle matching up offensive linemen against superior athletes. You need a mobile quarterback — unless you have a future Hall-of-Fame type player (Manning, Brady).

Lest we forget (check the date of the tweet)…

Are the Seahawks drunk? You draft QB Russell Wilson in the 3rd round when you already have Matt Flynn & Tarvaris

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2012

— There will never be another Marshawn Lynch. Simple as that. He is totally unique. It’s annoying to hear college players compared to Lynch. Jon Gruden asked, “Will he be a Seahawk next year?” He has to be, unless he decides to retire. He is miscast as a big-back with great size. He isn’t. He’s tough as hell but he’s not ‘big’. Not like Todd Gurley, who has about 10lbs on Lynch. You cannot teach a running back to play like this. It’s natural and distinctive, unique only to Marshawn. Gurley could be a top-15 pick next year but nobody should compare him to Lynch. They’re totally different players. Seattle doesn’t need Beast Mode to run the ball effectively, but they’ll be significantly weaker on the day Lynch hangs up his cleats.

— The Seahawks take on Dallas (4-1) at Century Link next weekend, a game I will be attending.

Vic Beasley has 28 sacks in his last 25 games — tying a Clemson record. The 28th was a sack, strip, touchdown (see above). He explodes off the edge, coasts past the tight end and makes a huge play. Beasley is well known but remains underrated purely due to a lack of brilliant size. In terms of a speed rusher, he’s a fine prospect who certainly warrants top-15 consideration. Look at the production. He’s not going to set the edge and play dominant run-D. He’s not going to line-up inside in nickel. He’s just a flat-out speed rusher off the edge. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Of all the top ranked pass rushers eligible for the 2015 draft, Beasley remains the most intriguing right now. Nobody has his get-off, speed to round the edge and lean/balance. He can use his hands when he needs to. He’s a big-time competitor. He’ll make a ton of money at the combine. Expect a split in the 1.5 range and a very fast forty time.

He lacks bulk and length. Ideally you’d like to see longer arms and the ability to add weight. Marcus Smith was long and looked like he could add 10lbs — he went in round one to the Eagles. Beasley shouldn’t try to add too much weight and he has shorter arms. But he’s incredibly fast. Difference making fast. He’s on a different speed level compared to Smith.

At the end of the day you can’t ignore the production. 28 sacks in 25 games — seven in total in 2014. At the next level he can be productive in passing situations and on third down. Any team needing a speed rusher will have a long hard look at Beasley.

Brett Hundley is not a first round pick

Draft pundits are desperate to force quarterbacks into the first round debate. It happens every year. Every season we see mid-round QB’s getting hyped up. I guess it helps fill out a pointless October mock draft.

This year UCLA’s Brett Hundley and Michigan State’s Connor Cook are getting the hype treatment. Cook is a very average prospect. He’s not particularly elusive or a threat to run. He doesn’t have a big arm. His decision making in the pocket is inconsistent. He’ll force throws and make mistakes. The Oregon tape was hit and miss. Where’s the first round appeal?

Against Nebraska he completed just 11/29 passing and threw a pick and a score. Eleven completions at the college level?

The league is hopefully learning from Minnesota’s error in drafting Christian Ponder in the first round in 2011 — a pick that looked hopeless at the time. Average college quarterbacks lacking tilt-the-field ability are wasted picks.

Hundley is a different case. He has some arm talent. The problem, however, is he’s so lacking in terms of pocket awareness. He takes an age to get the ball out. He’s gun-shy and unwilling to pull the trigger. He constantly hesitates looking for a wide open target. It’s the main reason why he’s been sacked over 100 (!!!) times at UCLA.

Yes, he’s playing behind a poor offensive line. There aren’t many ‘dirt bags’ blocking for Jim Mora. But it’s no excuse and last night’s Utah game was a prime example. Hundley was sacked ten times and several could’ve been avoided.

On the sixth sack of the night he was supposed to fire a quick throw to the outside after a three step drop. His footwork was appalling — it took him far too long to complete the drop and set. He had the single coverage he wanted but still pumped the ball anyway and absorbed the sack. Everything about this play has to be sharp. Drop, set, throw. Hundley made it look so laboured and it’s a really simple concept.

There were various other examples where Hundley’s basic technique let him down — but he also has a really bad habit of holding onto the ball far too long. He locks onto his first read and lingers. He’s not progressing through reads and at the nearest sign of pressure the eyes drop and he’s trying to scramble. He’s not going to be getting overly complicated defensive looks in the PAC-12 and even still — he’s finding it hard to make quick decisions. At the next level he’s going to need to read plays a heck of a lot better — and he’s going to have to be much more decisive to go with the technical improvements he’ll have to make (footwork is vital).

The frustrating thing is he had two throws in the game that really wowed. The first was a lazer between two DB’s to the right sideline. Perfect placement, arm strength and touch. He scored a late touchdown to put UCLA ahead (they were eventually beaten) that looked equally pretty. Yet these are offset by the issues. He conceded a terrible pick six lofting an attempted screen pass straight to the DB. Again — he’s not reading the situation. The screen wasn’t on, Utah had the play covered. He needed to improvise or throw it out of bounds. Instead he just lobbed it straight to a defender who gladly accepted the pick and the touchdown. It’s not good enough.

You can’t invest in Hundley as a potential franchise quarterback. For me he’s a mid-round development pick who needs to sit and learn behind a veteran, accomplished starter. He will struggle like crazy if he’s challenged to start quickly. It’ll be car crash.

Right now it wouldn’t be a major surprise if Marcus Mariota went first overall and we didn’t see another QB taken in the first round. Jameis Winston’s laundry list of off-field incidents will be a major cause for concern — so much so you wonder if he’ll even declare for next years draft. This is only his second season as a starter, after all. He’s a redshirt sophomore. As things stand — Cook, Hundley and the rest don’t warrant first round consideration.

Other notes:

— Kevin White (WR, West Virginia) equalled Steadman Bailey’s WVU record with a sixth straight 100-yard game. White had six catches for 132 yards in a win over Kansas, including one touchdown grab. He leads the NCAA for passing yards after a relatively ineffective day for Alabama’s Amari Cooper at Ole Miss.

— Whatever happens to Georgia down the stretch, Todd Gurley should win the Heisman. He’s the best player in college football this year and should be a first round pick in 2015 — even as a running back. Melvin Gordon (WR, Wisconsin) also has a great shot of getting in round one. It’s hard to imagine any other RB’s cracking day one, including T.J. Yeldon and Jay Ajayi.

— Shawn Oakman (DE, Baylor) is going to be a top-ten pick if he tests as expected at the combine. In one play against Texas he shed the left tackle, destroyed the running back and made a huge sack. Height, length, power, speed. Oakman is a beast and will go a lot earlier than some are currently projecting.

#Seahawks TE Zach Miller had surgery on his ankle during the bye week, source confirmed @RossJonesFOX report. Should be out 5 or 6 weeks.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 29, 2014

It’s a big blow for the Seahawks. Miller’s blocking ability has been crucial in helping rookie Justin Britt through the first three weeks. Seattle doesn’t feature the tight end in the passing game as much as they could, but when Miller is involved he’s a reliable safety net.

They had plenty of time during the bye to adjust schematically and adapt to this news. But it’ll be interesting to see if this has an adverse effect on Britt.

UPDATE — this is positive at least…

Seahawks believe TE Zach Miller will only miss two games after having an ankle scoped during bye week.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 29, 2014

Damian Swann has a chance to rebuild his stock this year

Tennessee vs Georgia
Damian Swann (CB, Georgia) showed a lot of promise in 2012 before regressing last year. The Georgia defense was terrible in 2013. A real joke at times. In several key situations they failed to line up correctly, they were badly organised. They’ve changed the staff and Swann appears to be benefiting. Against the Vols he played well in run support and had a sack on a corner blitz. In coverage he was extremely competent. It took a superb route by Marquez North to beat him in the red zone late on. He also had a big time impact on special teams. On a punt he made an incredible play on the ball to down it on the one-yard line. Two plays later Tennessee fumbled the ball in their own endzone for a defensive touchdown. Some players have what it takes they just need the appropriate pro-coaching. Richard Sherman was one of those players. Swann could be a steal if he lands on a team that knows how to develop defensive backs.

I’ll go out on a limb and suggest Georgia aren’t likely to drag their way back into playoff contention, but Todd Gurley still deserves to be at the heart of the Heisman chase. Whether he can translate his insane promise into a productive pro-career, who knows. He’s insanely talented, but so was Trent Richardson. In college he’s a class above and a huge run in the fourth quarter acted as a real exclamation point. It’ll be very interesting to see how he tests at the combine given his size.

I’m not sold on Leonard Floyd — a favourite of some. He’s tall and lean, looking more like a wide receiver playing defensive end. He’s not as explosive or as polished as Barkevious Mingo — a player he at least compares to physically. He didn’t have much impact here. As a redshirt sophomore it’s hard to imagine him declaring for the 2015 draft on this evidence.

Missouri vs South Carolina
I just sat and watched Markus Golden and Shane Ray in this game, clearly the two best players on the field. Missouri’s pass rush caused problems all day, usually due to the attention given to the star pair. Golden wasn’t playing at 100% after missing the loss to Indiana with a hamstring issue. The fact Mizzou lost to such a basic opponent and played this well on defense a week later says a ton about Golden’s talent. Even without a mega stat-line he had numerous splash plays. For his size he has great balance and lean. He can mix it up and dip inside. He’s an impact pass rusher and is destined to be an early pick in 2015. Terrific prospect.

We’ve talked about him a ton already so without re-hashing the debate, they key here is the ability to engage a blocker and still make plays. Golden is smooth enough to round an edge but if he needs to use his hands he can. He plays with an attitude and on a day where he doesn’t get any sacks — he’ll help others make plays.

Ray had an explosive first half and was virtually unstoppable at times. He stunted inside to great effect, he rushed the edge with success. He’s lighter than Golden and has a better first step and initial burst. It’s deadly. The only concern will come with his size. He’s listed at a generous 6-3 and 245lbs but looks shorter and lacks length. He had less impact in the second half. If he measures well at the combine and the athleticism he showed here translates to the combine, he too will be an early pick. Both players are superior to Kony Ealy — a second round pick in 2014.

Other notes

Arkansas running back Alex Collins has some talent. He showed a great cut-back ability in a tough loss to Texas A&M. He keeps his feet moving, he has good size. He’s capable of a pro-career. I think he’s only a redshirt sophomore.

Vic Beasley (DE, Clemson) had two more sacks against North Carolina. Make that 27 sacks in his last 24 games. He’s explosive and productive and will go early.

Leonard Williams (DE, USC) could easily play his best football at the next level but I’m not sure what he is watching him for the Trojans. He doesn’t look like a speed guy off the edge. He doesn’t look like a natural three-tech. If he’s just a 3-4 five-tech do you have to limit his stock? I have a hard time imagining him going in the top 5-10 of the draft.

Are the Seahawks weaker than last year?

That was the question debated on ‘First Take’ this week. The answer, resoundingly, is ‘no’.

Pete Carroll made quite a bold statement on the Brock & Salk show on Monday. He claimed the Seahawks had done a better job against Denver’s offense compared to the Super Bowl rout back in February. The 43-8 and 26-20 scorelines suggest otherwise.

Having watched Sunday’s game for a second time today, the score doesn’t matter.

He’s right.

The Super Bowl was an avalanche. Seattle got momentum early with the safety, forced a couple of big turnovers (including a pick six) and scored on a kick return to start the second half. It was a very opportunistic performance. They took their chances.

Denver still put up stats — Demaryius Thomas had a Super Bowl record for receptions. Peyton Manning threatened a couple of times before Seattle took the ball away. On the night everything that could go wrong for Denver did go wrong. They were helpless.

On Sunday, Seattle completely shut down the Broncos. They didn’t rely on huge momentum-changing turnovers. They didn’t need a kick return for a touchdown. They simply did to Manning and his record-breaking offense what they’ve done to so many lesser teams in the last couple of seasons.

They made them look bad.

The run game was totally ineffective. Denver tried desperately to establish it early and were forced to become one-dimensional. The screen game — so integral to their system — was never allowed to prosper. They didn’t attempt any downfield throws and kept everything short. Emmanuel Sanders had some success because hey — you can’t cover everyone brilliantly and he’s the only one on that offense with the speed to compete with Seattle’s defense. He played well. Nobody else did. Not Demaryius Thomas. Not Julius Thomas. Not Wes Welker. Not Montee Ball.

As the game headed to the fourth quarter, this was a beat-down. Another one. A more comprehensive destruction of Denver’s much vaunted offense. They had no answer. Manning sat sweating on the sideline with a look on his face that screamed, “this team has our number”. On another day Seattle would’ve added a couple more scores and romped to the kind of home win they had in week one.

They were totally responsible for what happened in the fourth quarter — turning a coast into a near crumble. The missed a field goal, conceded an avoidable safety and gave up a careless interception. Then to cap things off — an 80-yard, 40-odd second, eight-point drive where the Broncos used the same concept multiple times.

Kudos to Denver — this time they were the opportunistic team. Manning still had to make those throws. The two-point conversion was a brilliant piece of scheming and execution. The shovel pass for the first touchdown was equally good. Aqib Talib breaking off his route to deflect Russell Wilson’s pass was another excellent play.

All of this was avoidable though. Seattle almost gave the game away — before finally snatching it back.

None of this should diminish the performance of Seattle’s defense for three quarters of smothering, dominant football. This was possibly their most accomplished performance in the Carroll-era.

A 2-1 record might look only ‘Okay-ish’ for a team carrying so many expectations. In reality they played incredibly well against Manning and the Broncos, handled Aaron Rodgers and the Packers and were beaten, just, in 120-degree heat in San Diego at the hands of Philip Rivers at his very best.

Seattle lost three games last year. In none of those defeats did they face an opponent like Rivers playing at such a high level. They almost lost other games too — including against a Kellen Clemens led St. Louis and against hopeless Tampa Bay fielding a rookie QB.

In the video above it’s pointed out that Seattle has conceded a lot more points in their first three games this year compared to 2013. This year they’ve faced Rodgers, Rivers and Manning in weeks 1-3. Last year they faced Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick and Chad Henne.

That information wasn’t disclosed in the take-making process.

Week four college football notes

— I posted the video earlier in the week, but I was very impressed with Vic Beasley (DE, Clemson) against Florida State and left tackle Cameron Erving. Seattle has the smallest roster in the NFL but they’ve got a ton of speed. Beasley plays in the 235lbs range but he has fantastic get off, terrific balance to lean round the edge and explode to the quarterback. He’s prepared to use his hands (vital) and will mix it up. Yes — he will get blocked out of plays. Yes — he will struggle in run defense. As a pure pass rusher though he is exceptional. He’s a fighter. He plays with the required attitude. In his last 23 games he has 25 sacks. I’m convinced he’ll go a lot earlier than people think next year, especially if he tests well at the combine.

— Markus Golden didn’t feature in Missouri’s costly defeat to Indiana. He reportedly has a hamstring issue — but it’s not clear how long he’ll be absent. The Tigers clearly need him alongside prolific team-mate Shane Ray.

— We highlighted Kevin White (WR, West Virginia) in week one after he put up gaudy numbers against Alabama. This guy is legit and worth monitoring. He’s tall (6-2/6-3) with deep speed and excellent control. He high points the football well and he’s competitive. In the past he suffered with confidence issues but there’s no sign of that in 2014. Against Oklahoma he posted a 10-catch stat-line for 173 yards and a touchdown. He looks a bit like Bruce Irvin with the WVU jersey, dreads and #11. Only Amari Cooper has more yards in the NCAA after week four.

— Landon Collins (S, Alabama) had his best game in college against Florida on Saturday. At times he’s looked a bit pedestrian — perhaps more suited as an undersized linebacker without the range at safety. Yet against the Gators he was all over the field — breaking up plays, making tackles at the LOS and grabbing a nice interception. On this performance he has the skills to be effective at the next level. He’s got to keep it up though. It looks like another weak group of safety’s this year.

— Amari Cooper (WR, Alabama) already has more touchdowns than last season and it won’t be long before he has more yards too. Cooper was sensational as a true freshman — flashing natural catching ability, route running skills and the ability to get open. Arguably he was the best receiver in the SEC in 2012. Last year was a step back. I’ve seen arguments to suggest he wasn’t 100% — but he still made to many mental errors. Alabama are throwing a ton right now and Cooper is putting in a Biletnikoff winning year. He had ten catches against Florida for 201 yards and three touchdowns — you can see the tape below. He’ll need stats and technical quality to make up for a lack of elite size/speed.

— Austin Hill (WR, Arizona) has injury issues but is incredibly talented. On Saturday he had his first big performance in a while — helping the Wildcats beat California with 127 yards and two scores, including the game-winner. A serious injury history will hold him back, but he can make it in the NFL.

Here’s Tony Pauline’s take:

A year ago when Florida State annihilated Clemson, Beasley’s performance ran parallel to the beating his team received as he tallied one solo tackle and was handled all game by Seminoles left tackle Cameron Erving. And while Clemson lost a close game in overtime this weekend, Beasley’s performance was brilliant compared to a year ago. The senior terrorized Florida State all night posting 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. It was obvious Florida State focused on Beasley as two blockers were assigned to him most of the night. The end result was Beasley breaking through blocks to make plays or the creation of opportunities for teammates. Most impressive was his ability rushing the passer out of a three point stance as well as standing up over tackle. This time around Erving looked intimidated and confused through much of the game.