Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst ... 234
Results 31 to 38 of 38

Thread: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

  1. #31
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Re: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

    Quote Originally Posted by Steelerphile
    I guess I am not the type of guy that sees Ryan Clark as an all-pro safety. I don't think he has all the coverage and ball skills that he is being given credit for. Ryan Clark has a career total of 5 interceptions and 9 return yards in a 7-year career.

    These are not the type of numbers that strike fear into QBs and offensive coordinators. So, if someone asserts that passers are afraid to throw against Ryan Clark, I think that is somewhat amusing. Why would they be afraid? QBs are afraid to pass against DBS who might pick the ball off and then do something with it. Someone like Rob Woodson who has 71 career ints and over 1,400 return yards or even Mike Wagner who has 36 career ints and about 500 return yards,

    Clark is given credit for limiting offenses to small numbers of plays over 40 and 20 yards. I don't give Clark all the credit for those stats personally. I think the pass rush the Steelers generated had the most to do with it and the other DBS in the secondary all had more passes defensed than Clark in 2008, who had six and 1 INT.

    People say he is so much better than Anthony Smith was, but this is not true either, because the Steeler defense was number 1 or close to it when Anthony Smith played a lot. Anthony Smith did not so much have a bad season as a bad game against NE, which carried over to the next week against Jacksonville. A more mature A Smith still might be a good player, but he needed a fresh start because the NE debacle was being held against him in PGH.

    Randy Moss would have lit Ryan Clark up in the NE game in 2008 but there was a cold downpour and Moss dropped three passes right in his hands in which he had Clark beaten. And Matt Cassell was playing QB.

    Clark is a spiritual man and I think that he was so thankful and felt so blessed to be able to play this year, that he really brought it to the best of his ability in 2008 and he was in on a lot of tackles. He was an asset to the defense, but not an all-pro IMO.

    I think there still might be lingering effects from the removal of his spleen and pancreas. There were times when he made tackles and appeared to take a blow in the torso area near where these organs were removed. He would lay and the field and seem to be distressed. That is why I think he started tackling by leaving his feet and lauching his head and shoulder at players, in order to not receive a blow in his torso. I also think that is a dangerous way to tackle.

    Somehow the Steelers have maintained a highly ranked defense with or without Ryan Clark. I think Ryan Mundy looks like a prospect but we shall see. Personally I think most safeties have better ball skills than Clark. Just my opinion. But Clark is a great guy and great teammate and an inspiration to us all.
    Being an All Pro is meaningless. Every year we see undeserving players with that monicker. A team is about the sum of the parts being greater than any single part. That is what Clark is. He does what he is asked very well within the scheme we employ. His stats are meaningless because our defense is designed to have the priorities of stop the run first, sack the QB and prevent him from throwing the ball and lastly intercept the ball if thrown. Stats are for fantasy football not real football and Clark is just right for what we ask him to do.
    "My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"

  2. #32
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Re: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

    Quote Originally Posted by Steelerphile
    People say he is so much better than Anthony Smith was, but this is not true either, because the Steeler defense was number 1 or close to it when Anthony Smith played a lot. Anthony Smith did not so much have a bad season as a bad game against NE, which carried over to the next week against Jacksonville. A more mature A Smith still might be a good player, but he needed a fresh start because the NE debacle was being held against him in PGH.
    It wasn't just the New England game where Anthony Smith struggled. The Steelers lost 3 of their last 4 that year, giving up 34, 29, 24, and 27 points in those games. The defense was very good early in that season, and painfully mediocre down the stretch. The loss of Aaron Smith probably had more to do with it than the loss of Ryan Clark, but I don't think we should shortchange the effect that the loss of Clark had on the team.
    Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

    Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

    We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

    We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

  3. #33
    Pro Bowler

    User Info Menu

    Re: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

    Quote Originally Posted by Oviedo
    Quote Originally Posted by Steelerphile
    I guess I am not the type of guy that sees Ryan Clark as an all-pro safety. I don't think he has all the coverage and ball skills that he is being given credit for. Ryan Clark has a career total of 5 interceptions and 9 return yards in a 7-year career.

    These are not the type of numbers that strike fear into QBs and offensive coordinators. So, if someone asserts that passers are afraid to throw against Ryan Clark, I think that is somewhat amusing. Why would they be afraid? QBs are afraid to pass against DBS who might pick the ball off and then do something with it. Someone like Rob Woodson who has 71 career ints and over 1,400 return yards or even Mike Wagner who has 36 career ints and about 500 return yards,

    Clark is given credit for limiting offenses to small numbers of plays over 40 and 20 yards. I don't give Clark all the credit for those stats personally. I think the pass rush the Steelers generated had the most to do with it and the other DBS in the secondary all had more passes defensed than Clark in 2008, who had six and 1 INT.

    People say he is so much better than Anthony Smith was, but this is not true either, because the Steeler defense was number 1 or close to it when Anthony Smith played a lot. Anthony Smith did not so much have a bad season as a bad game against NE, which carried over to the next week against Jacksonville. A more mature A Smith still might be a good player, but he needed a fresh start because the NE debacle was being held against him in PGH.

    Randy Moss would have lit Ryan Clark up in the NE game in 2008 but there was a cold downpour and Moss dropped three passes right in his hands in which he had Clark beaten. And Matt Cassell was playing QB.

    Clark is a spiritual man and I think that he was so thankful and felt so blessed to be able to play this year, that he really brought it to the best of his ability in 2008 and he was in on a lot of tackles. He was an asset to the defense, but not an all-pro IMO.

    I think there still might be lingering effects from the removal of his spleen and pancreas. There were times when he made tackles and appeared to take a blow in the torso area near where these organs were removed. He would lay and the field and seem to be distressed. That is why I think he started tackling by leaving his feet and lauching his head and shoulder at players, in order to not receive a blow in his torso. I also think that is a dangerous way to tackle.

    Somehow the Steelers have maintained a highly ranked defense with or without Ryan Clark. I think Ryan Mundy looks like a prospect but we shall see. Personally I think most safeties have better ball skills than Clark. Just my opinion. But Clark is a great guy and great teammate and an inspiration to us all.
    Being an All Pro is meaningless. Every year we see undeserving players with that monicker. A team is about the sum of the parts being greater than any single part. That is what Clark is. He does what he is asked very well within the scheme we employ. His stats are meaningless because our defense is designed to have the priorities of stop the run first, sack the QB and prevent him from throwing the ball and lastly intercept the ball if thrown. Stats are for fantasy football not real football and Clark is just right for what we ask him to do.
    The number of interceptions and pass defenses a player gets is an indication of his abilities. Clark did what he was asked to do but if you are suggesting that Ryan Clark is irreplacable, then I would disagree. he is a part of the defense and if he weren't there, someone else would do his job, maybe as well and possibly better.

  4. #34
    Pro Bowler

    User Info Menu

    Re: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

    Quote Originally Posted by RuthlessBurgher
    Quote Originally Posted by Steelerphile
    People say he is so much better than Anthony Smith was, but this is not true either, because the Steeler defense was number 1 or close to it when Anthony Smith played a lot. Anthony Smith did not so much have a bad season as a bad game against NE, which carried over to the next week against Jacksonville. A more mature A Smith still might be a good player, but he needed a fresh start because the NE debacle was being held against him in PGH.
    It wasn't just the New England game where Anthony Smith struggled. The Steelers lost 3 of their last 4 that year, giving up 34, 29, 24, and 27 points in those games. The defense was very good early in that season, and painfully mediocre down the stretch. The loss of Aaron Smith probably had more to do with it than the loss of Ryan Clark, but I don't think we should shortchange the effect that the loss of Clark had on the team.
    Anthony Smith sat down after the Jacksonville game and Carter started. So all the blame cannot go to Smith. Personally I think the loss of Aaron Smith was more impactful and like the players were saying, the whole team wilted somewhat. Some said first year coach Tomlin was so tough on them that they had no legs left in the last part of the year. He eased up a bit his second season and they were better down the stretch. So you can say Clark would have made a great difference then, but I am not so sure he would have.

  5. #35
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Re: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

    Dude, individual stats don't tell the whole story.

    Also, that bit about Clark avoiding contact with his torso is ridiculous. Once those organs are gone and the wounds healed there is no more pain from getting hit in the torso without them than there would be with them. No more sensitivity either. I know this for a fact...my spleen was removed in 1984.

  6. #36
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Re: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

    Quote Originally Posted by stlrz d
    Dude, individual stats don't tell the whole story.

    Also, that bit about Clark avoiding contact with his torso is ridiculous. Once those organs are gone and the wounds healed there is no more pain from getting hit in the torso without them than there would be with them. No more sensitivity either. I know this for a fact...my spleen was removed in 1984.
    If stlrz_d makes it to the PlanetSteeler tailgate, I am going to sucker punch him in the gut to see if there is no pain from getting hit in the torso where his spleen used to be. :P
    Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

    Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

    We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

    We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

  7. #37
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Re: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

    Quote Originally Posted by RuthlessBurgher
    Quote Originally Posted by stlrz d
    Dude, individual stats don't tell the whole story.

    Also, that bit about Clark avoiding contact with his torso is ridiculous. Once those organs are gone and the wounds healed there is no more pain from getting hit in the torso without them than there would be with them. No more sensitivity either. I know this for a fact...my spleen was removed in 1984.
    If stlrz_d makes it to the PlanetSteeler tailgate, I am going to sucker punch him in the gut to see if there is no pain from getting hit in the torso where his spleen used to be. :P
    A sucker punch is how I ended up losing the spleen in the first place!

  8. #38
    Legend

    User Info Menu

    Re: Why is Ryan Clark so disrespected?

    No, the point of this thread is that Clark is DISRESPECTED. Did you read the title?
    Yes, the title says he is disrespected. The author of the original post explained the fact that he is disrespected because he is UNDERRATED. While we are at it lets take a look at the first post:

    "I understand we need a backup for the S position; although I do believe Mundy is going to step in just fine, so I wouldn't have a urge to draft a S in the 1st 4 rnds.
    If you go to nfldraftcountdown they have us selecting D. McBath S TTU and they are quoted to saying he can compete for the free safety job. Am I missing something--Clark is turning 30--its old but not that old--He should have another 3-4 solid years left in playing that position. He to me is the most underrated player on our team ( Ike gets no love either) I truly felt like Ike and Ryan should of made pro-bowl last year.
    So what gives; how can you be a major nfl draft projecter and not know what you are talking about. I also have heard others say we need to draft a replacement for Clark who is in his last year but we need to resign the guy, he won't break the bank and does more for our team than most others could imagine."


    Look closely at it. Nobody is arguing that simply drafting a safety is disrespecting anybody. Acting like free safety is a weakness that is worthy of a first round pick over our real needs on the oline and dline shows that the writer has no clue how good Clark is. He is underating an excellent player.

    You came in and said the comment about "a couple of big hits" and sounded just like the writer.

    I gave statistics to back up the my agreement with the original post.


    Again, this is an area where statistics can skew reality. 35-37 "assisted" tackles can mean anything from getting a hand on to being primarily responsible for the tackle. BTW, you said Clark led our secondary in tackles, but Pola had more solo tackles than Clark...conveniently overlooked by the statistics you cited.
    "Conveniently overlooked?"
    Nearly every listing of defensive players "by tackles" lists Clark ahead of Troy, because they sort based on total tackles, INCLUDING THE LIST YOU REFERENCED. Clark had the most tackles of anybody in the secondary. You can make a case for the relative value of solo versus total tackles, but dont act like I made up that standard.

    Clark is PART of the best run defending secondary in the league. That's a key statement. Your argument is based on TEAM statistics.
    But you said yourself Ike was an overrated tackler and Clark is a better tackler than Troy. Sounds like you've made a pretty good case for Clarks value as a run defender.

    Put him back there with some different mates and you may not be able to make the same argument.
    You can speculate all you want. But you know what has been proven beyond a doubt? Troys game tanks big time when Clark is out. We have actually seen that

    Not immediately. That's why you draft a rookie this year who can learn behind him on the bench for a season.
    Honestly dude I dont disagree with this, except I would give it "a couple" of seasons. I am not saying he should be an AllPro, borderline probowl backup type is how I see him. He doesnt make a lot of splash plays, which is a limitation. At the same time doesnt allow lot of big plays to be made on him. He is very good, and as I said in my first post an ideal partner for Troy. They complement each other perfectly.

    The weakest part of your argument is that Clark provides blanket pass coverage. He has gotten the most out of his ability because of his discipline and smarts, but he is prone to problems with bigger, faster receivers.
    I really think you believe what you are saying but havent even thought it through. He is not big, not a blazer. Of course he struggles agains big fast receivers right?

    Be specific.
    Please tell the class the long list of big fast receivers who "give him problems".
    If those darn Cardinals had any good receivers I could make my case using the SB as an example.




    In view of the fact that Mike Tomlin has matched Cowhers record I give him the designation:

    TCFCLTC-
    The Coach Formerly Considered Less Than Cowher

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •