Who to start at safety?

Arrington56 · Post by **Arrington56** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:49 pm

Obviously Taylor will start, but between Bowen and Ohaletae I am unsure. I think I would go with Ohaletae because he is more of a ball hawk, but Bowen hits HARD.

Joe G. · Post by **Joe G.** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 5:55 pm

I would go with Bowen becasue he hits harder and even covers better. He is also more of a Gibbs player.

Arrington56 · Post by **Arrington56** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 6:04 pm

Bowen has been known to have an attitude also. Not sure if its a good or bad one. I just remenber all the training camp scuffles with him last year.

Smithian · Post by **Smithian** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 6:12 pm

I am Ohalete bandwagon.

Also, hasn't Bowen knocked our own players out of games and got in alot of practice fights?

DEHog · Post by **DEHog** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 6:18 pm

Bowen is more suited for the SS spot, he will be musch better closer to the line. Iffy is a great on ST's

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 6:34 pm

Smithian volunteered for a pop quiz when he wrote:I am Ohalete bandwagon.

Okay, quick. What's his jersey number ?

Smithian wonders if an aggressive football player practicing isn't some overlooked felon, because he wrote:Also, hasn't Bowen knocked our own players out of games and got in alot of practice fights?

If you meant "practices" and not games, yes - he has. He practices at game speed. You can look at that two different ways. You can say, "Well, he should be nice to his teammates, and not try to hit them so hard", or you can say, "Next time, Trung Canidate won't get lazy on a reception, because this is how NFL safties tackle ".

As for fights on the practice field, it's hard to compare a skirmish between two fiery competitors with some kind of thuggery. Bowen doesn't consciously decide to injure his fellow Redskins. He's pure adrenaline when he gets to going. Believe me, we have the coaching now to harness that rare quality.
I think, in recent Redskin history, the Westbrook-Davis altercation has to be the definition of pointless aggression. Bowen goes balls-out on every play, Smithian, and that is what you want your starting safety to do.

Redskins4Life · Post by **Redskins4Life** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 6:36 pm

Ohalete is better

Arrington56 · Post by **Arrington56** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:05 pm

I agree that Bowen's competative attitude is good when you play another team, but it is a different thing when he starts trying to hit someone on his own team in a manner that could injur them. Even if they are getting lazy or making a mistake. That is what the coaches are supposed to address.

johnjack · Post by **johnjack** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:24 pm

People keep saying that Bowen hits hard. Quick question, who did Bowen hit hard this past year besides Trung Canidate in training camp? I don't know what the Bowen bandwagoners are seeing that I am not. They are both about even as far as I can tell.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:25 pm

I respectfully disagree. When you practice in pads (and they were practicing in pads on the day that Canidate was knocked silly), go you full bore. Especially in the backfield. Bowen was reprimanded for the hit(s), but his aggression was certainly welcomed, if not publicly. He brings something to the team that's been missing, and that's attitude. Practice like you play. There should be no differentiation.
Trung should've kept going. He got cocky, and he got slammed.
This is football, not neighbor relations or meet-and-greet time.
If your job is to stop the runner, stop him. No tags, no flags, no "Gotcha!" cutesy games. Bowen is a throwback, and we need more like him.
Keep your Iffy's. There's no "if" in this guy. Give me a Matt Bowen any day of the week.

Smithian · Post by **Smithian** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:27 pm

John, he hit Smoot hard enough to let another CB get his first start

Also, Ohalete has the #30.

Steve Spurrier III · Post by **Steve Spurrier III** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:28 pm

Matt Bowen is Matt Stevens version 2.

Ohalete all the way...

Joe G. · Post by **Joe G.** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:28 pm

What are you all a bunch of pansies, they get in fights during training camp. Good I hope they get in fights in training camp, that shows intensity (Matt's fights are on the field). As long as it is not on the sideline like Westbroke's.

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:31 pm

Spurrier, I'm waiting. You usually present some sort of case to support your view.

Justice Hog · Post by **Justice Hog** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:32 pm

Bowen is our man at SS. With the coaches we now have here to train him, he's gonna be a terror.

Smithian · Post by **Smithian** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:33 pm

Joe G. wrote:What are you all a bunch of pansies

Wow, tough guy...

Also, on your "Tough and Dirty" play topic... I had to sit out for about a year of any sports in the fifth grade because an O-Lineman hit me below the knees in a game.

johnjack · Post by **johnjack** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:34 pm

Smithian, maybe that means that Bowen will now hit Ohalete since he is now wearing #30. LOL. Still awaiting someone to tell me who Bowen hit this past year that made us all go....ooooooooooouuuuuccccchhhhhh!

ChillWill · Post by **ChillWill** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:48 pm

Bowen hits hard but with his poor angles of pursuit he hardly ever gets to make a hit.

Justice Hog · Post by **Justice Hog** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 7:57 pm

Hey Chill, that'll change this year. Wait and see what happens when the team actually "coaches" its players!

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 8:00 pm

Smithian wrote:
Joe G. wrote:What are you all a bunch of pansies
Wow, tough guy...

Also, on your "Tough and Dirty" play topic... I had to sit out for about a year of any sports in the fifth grade because an O-Lineman hit me below the knees in a game.

You quote Joe G., but I assume you mean to address me on the "Tough and Dirty" play.
Let me first say I'm sorry that you missed a year of sports due to a chop block. That's not right, at any level. However,
you'd have to show me that Bowen was playing dirty before I went into any of that nonsense. Near as I can tell, he laid out Canidate cleanly, only in practice. I'm not clear on what he did to Smoot. Here's my take. What did Canidate say after the hit ? Nothing bad, kiddo. I'm betting Smoot is also favorable on the topic of Bowen.
If his teammates can appreciate his intensity, why can't you ?

Steve Spurrier III · Post by **Steve Spurrier III** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 8:17 pm

tcwest10 wrote:Spurrier, I'm waiting. You usually present some sort of case to support your view.

I already tried in some other thread to prove that Ohalete was better than Bowen with no luck. We will just have to wait and see.

My feeling is that not only is Ohalete the incumbent strong saftey, he is the better playmaker. Ohalete is a little bigger, but Bowen is apparently faster. They put up almost identical numbers last season in terms of tackles and interceptions.

It should be a great battle...

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 8:21 pm

I agree. Iffy will likely get more picks...but Bowen will make the hit that stops the clocks.
I wonder if Iffy is better suited at CB, where his sure hands are more likely to make an impact ? Unfortunately for him (if this is the case) he's got a couple of potential Pro Bowlers ahead of him. What an excellent insurance policy though, huh ?
As you say, time will tell.

Steve Spurrier III · Post by **Steve Spurrier III** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 8:25 pm

ESPN.com lists him as a cornerback. It's very interesting...

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 8:26 pm

ChillWill wrote:Bowen hits hard but with his poor angles of pursuit he hardly ever gets to make a hit.

Chill, he was feeling that he was the only one around back there last year. He felt like he had to do it all. Spurrier and Edwards were in no way the "be all and end all" of backfield coaches. What I like about Bowen is that he approached every play like he was playing for his starting job.
Imagine the harnessing of that raw ability and basic desire to inflict damage. Can anybody say, "Mark Carrier" ?
I'd be really interested in hearing Carrier's take on Bowen. I think he'd be more than favorable in his estimation.

ChillWill · Post by **ChillWill** » Sun Jun 06, 2004 9:10 pm

TCWEST,

Yep, I sure did enjoy Carrier's hits. I think he got a bad rap on some of those hits with us. After a while the refs started looking for him. I would really like to see Matt and Sean gain a reputation for popping aanything that comes across the middle. Especially Keyshawn.

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Who to start at safety?

Bowen or Ohaletae

Who to start at safety?