How Many Sacks Will Calvin Pace Have?
- Thread starter Jim O
- Start date
kerouac9
Klowned by Keim
Crappy schools get tough schedules all the time, because they get paid to get killed by better schools. They play in a good conference, yes, but just because Duke plays in the ACC doesn't mean that their football team has good players, or better players than a good team in a weaker conference (Miami, anyone?).
The fact of the matter is that Wake Forest has produced one first-round draft pick in the history of the NFL draft. Grambling--yes, Grambling--has produced more NFL talent than Wake Forest. That's not a knock on Calvin Pace--I'm hoping for him to become a world-beater--but the school is not particularly competitive in that conference.
Your missing the whole point. it doesnt matter what Wake Forest has done as far as producing picks over the years.
Pace had 18 sacks last year and it was against superior competition. That says something. Whats even more impressive is that he did as a DE playing in a 3-4 defensive system! Thats damn near incredible!
The guy is a player!
Alot of times I agree with you but "Crappy School"? They were 7-6 last year...beat Oregon in whatever bowl it was they went to (I assume you don't think Oregon is crappy). Also Beat Purdue, won the games they were supposed to win and played tough.
Their two biggest losses were against Maryland and NC State...nowhere close to pushovers. Played FSU tough, lost one game (NIU) in OT.
kerouac9
Klowned by Keim
I'm sure that those games against Northern Illinois, East Carolina, a 7-6 Purdue, Duke, Navy, and Oregon are really going to be useful in preparing for a 16-game schedule in which there are no "cake" opponents.
LVCARDFREAK
In the league 20 years!
You dont consider going to bowl games as being competitive? You dont consider winning bowl games as being competitive?
Will they win the ACC? no, but to say they are not competitive and play against 'weak competition' is ridiculous.
By the way, the teams they so-called got paid by to get killed they actually beat-BC, Oregon, Virginia,
- Joined
- May 14, 2002
- Posts
- 88,309
- Reaction score
- 39,949
Yeah but Freeney got double digit sacks as a rookie without starting early in the year.
Since we're picking sacks, I think it's relevant. he's one of those guys that it appears will get sacks regardless of who's around him or what scheme. He won't stop the run, and he'll run himself out of plays rushing the passer, but he WILL get sacks.
I agree Pace should be a better overall player than Freeney eventually, just talking about sacks.
I guess Wake Forest should have done better to schedule all the top teams huh? I guess you think Oregon is a crappy team judging by this post...even though it was a bowl game in which they played.
Oh well. I don't disagree the length of NFL season will have an effect, but it isn't like Wake was playing a bunch of DIAA teams. NIU and East Carolina are much better than you give credit for. Duke and Navy just aren't very good. Other than that, they played some decent to very good teams.
Agreed!
Krangodnzr
Captain of Team Conner
Oh come on Kerouac, you are getting a little ridiculous now.
Pace played against good competition last year, just admit it. Sure he played a handful of bad teams, but every team in the freakin' country did as well.
Heck Miami plays against Temple and Rutgers, both of which suck worse than any of the above listed schools (cept' for Duke of course). Miami plays against, arguably weaker competition, but I never hear you downgrading their players for it.
And East Carolina is usually good for their level (Conference USA) and Northern Illinois is pretty good right now as well.
kerouac9
Klowned by Keim
Um, 18 sacks? How many of those (real sacks) were against Eastern Illinois, East Carolina, Navy, North Carolina, and Purdue? I agree that what he accomplished in his system was incredible, but I'd rather have Dwight Freeney than Calvin Pace every day of the week. And it's no comparison to Julius Peppers.
It's neigh near impossible for Division I teams not to finish above .500 every year. That's why they schedule the Eastern Illinoises and Navys every year. Maybe six or eight games in a 14-game schedule are really contested. For all the cupcakes on the schedule, the defense gave up nearly 25 points per game.
My point is that, at the minimum psychologially, it's harder for rookies to compete in the NFL, where every game is important and contested, than in college, where, for all but a handful of national-championship-contending teams (like Miami), maybe only seven games are important. In my opinion, part of the reason that Miami players are so successful early in the NFL is that they've gone through college (such as it is at Miami) knowing that they have to bring it every game in order to stay in BCS contention. Do you think Calvin Pace has that kind of mental and physical preparation built in after playing for four years at non-contending Wake Forest?
Krangodnzr
Captain of Team Conner
Calvin Pace is actually MORE impressive coming out of Wake.
He doesn't have studs all around him, so he has to pick up more of the slack. Watch the draft highlights of Pace, and you see him getting double teamed, and breaking through against FSU for a sack.
He doesn't have studs all around him, so he has to pick up more of the slack. Watch the draft highlights of Pace, and you see him getting double teamed, and breaking through against FSU for a sack.
Dwight Freeney any day? Sure if you want a guy that only rushes the passer and overuns plays constantly and whiffs on almost every running play sent his direction.
Sorry Ill take a DE thats solid against the run and gets 8-10 sacks a year over a guy that sucks at the run and gets 12-13 sacks a year! I guess its a case of pick your poison.
Krangodnzr
Captain of Team Conner
Yeah, William Joseph was really psychologically prepared.
Look how out of shape and lazy he looked at the combine, where he ran a 5.3Pace had to be more prepared, because he didn't have a single defender playing with him that was good enough to play in the NFL.
kerouac9
Klowned by Keim
You're right: Pace is a better player for coming from Wake and getting noticed in the NFL. What I'm saying is that I expect him to hit "the wall" harder than most other high-profile rookies because the expectations are preparation are so much higher than it surely was at Wake Forest.
So, in essense, Wake Forest lays down because their games aren;t as important as Miami's? Are you serious? You actually think the games mean mroe to a Miami (or the handful of teams contending?) player than a Wake Forest player?
Do you think Nebraska didn't take their games seriously last year? What about Michigan?
This part of you post is grabbing at straws IMO.
kerouac9
Klowned by Keim
Pace was drafted specifically to rush the passer!!!! He was supposed to come in on passing downs and KVB would move over into Wakefield's spot. That was the plan. When KVB went down Pace suddenly became a starter. In that sense, yes, I'd rather have Freeney than Pace. I'd rather have Peppers than either of them, but that's besides the point.
Regardless, from what I saw in the preseason, Pace was getting ridden upfield on almost every down, so he might not be much of a factor against the run, anyway. We'll see.
LVCARDFREAK
In the league 20 years!
Knowing the coach at WF I would say Calvin Pace is well prepared as a player and a person to life in the NFL. Furthermore he is smart and I think that is something a lot of people overlook.
Do you know anything about college football? First it is Northern Illinios who competes every year and just beat the #13 ranked Maryland Terrapins, second Purdue was solid last year as well and a Big Ten school..not many teams would call them a cupcake!
Besdies have you ever even watched WF or Calvin Pace play at WF?
I will give you Peppers-the guy is a stud, but Freeney? all 240lbs of him? umm wrong, would much rather have Pace!
