Five Things The Alabama Crimson Tide Can Improve On For 2014
By Chris Hale
Pass rush
If you are a fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide, you are probably a fan of that stifling defense that has been its hallmark since Saban’s arrival. One thing that has been missing, however, has been a pass rush that gets to the quarterback.
During the 2012-2013 season, the Tide recorded 35 sacks with Adrian Hubbard (7) and C.J. Mosley (4) leading the way. This past season, that sack count dropped to 22, with A’Shawn Robinson leading the way with 5.5 and Hubbard and Denzel Devall coming in right behind him with three each.
From the sounds of the practice reports, we should see an improvement in this during the season. Great defensive ends in a 3-4 defense can tie things up to allow the linebackers to get to the quarterbacks on a called blitz. Even the line can get theirs as well; see A’Shawn Robinson. After everyone gets healthy again, you’ll have Robinson and Jarran Reed at those spots.
When you think of the linebacker corps, you got to take a look at what type prospect the Tide has recruited over the past few seasons. Coach Saban and staff have given up just a bit of size to gain some prospects with power, speed, and with the ability to wreak havoc on the quarterback.
Look at this weekend’s scrimmage stats and you will see some improvement in the sack category: Dillon Lee (1 sack), Jonathan Allen (2 sacks), and Landon Collins (1 sack). And that’s without one of those projected starting defensive ends.
I think we will definitely see an improved pass rush, especially with the return of Bo Davis to coach them up.