I’ve often thought that Gocong doesn’t deserve all the crap he gets, and this is an excellently conceived and executed post to that effect. Interesting, to boot. Thanks for this.

This shows that Gocong is truly an effective force on the defense and is often overlooked.

Gocong definately gets criticized because he doesn’t get the big play on the highlights and his name doesn’t show up on the stat sheet as much as some may want it to. But plays like these make those big plays possible.
On the other hand, Gocong has shown some lack of production and lapses. I haven’t quite thrown him under the bus like a lot of people though. Plays like this are what make him effective.

but he does what hes supposed to…the think about gocong is he makes less mistakes as opposed to more big plays…thats a plus in my book

I never got the gocong bashing either

I was defending him last week when guys thought Spoon would take over at Sam next year with Bradley back.

Gocong doesn’t have the #s that all-star Sam backers in the league do, but he’s a big body who supports against the run really well, and isn’t bad in coverage.

For the record, I like him, I have liked him

I first noticed what you’re describing last year in the Giants playoff game. Gocong was like a 5th Dlineman that day and was key to shutting down the run by taking on blockers like a beast. He sucks in coverage and is slow though, so I like him more in NFC battles than facing the Arizonas and New Orleans’ of the NFL.

good post a lot of info

nice play by play

you are just proving the fact that Gocong does nothing but make 1 offensive lineman work. Isn’t that something any linebacker can do? All I see from that play is, Gocong and Mikell blitzed from the strong side which freed up the middle for Spoon to sack Campbell. That play worked because of the design of the play and being called at the right time. Gocong cannot guard the tight end and is not a play maker. He doesn’t get a lot of tackles because somebody is always there to tackle before him. He has just 149 tackles,4 sacks, 0 int, and 2 FF in nearly 2 1/2 full seasons. He doesn’t shred blocks fast enough nor reads the play. He is just a below average linebacker that I don’t see being resigned next year.

I would absolutely love Kirk Morrison(yes, I know he is a MLB but Oakland has been wanting to move him outside where he can excel as well), Thomas Howard or Carolina’s Thomas Davis(although he might be too small for strong side being only 6’0) as free agent signings. Now those are play making linebackers!

I didn’t notice Trent Cole’s nice rush fake before, thanks for pointing that out.

This just shows exactly how little stats can mean some times in football

It just shows he knows what to do. I mean when a receiver sets a pick or pulls coverage up across the middle for a deep route, we don’t start saying he’s an underrated star who is great, he is just a player that gave a good fake. I mean if we want to analyze single plays that a player makes then everyone in the league would look like an all-pro

I ain’t one to knock players because I believe in giving them time before I judge them. Its been 2 1/2 years for Gocong and he has shown me nothing. Stats or not. He is a 3-4 linebacker or a DE and that’s it. His contract is up at the end of the year and it would be wise not to resign him unless just for depth. I’m with everyone in picking up Thomas Howard or Kirk Morrison. The problem is Kirk might want to resign since he seems to have this love of Oakland and Al Davis has a love for speed and might not let Howard go (probably franchise him). I know we aren’t going to get Davis since he is starting to come along and the Panthers wouldn’t be in the right mind to let him go. If one of those 3 happens to hit the market, I would stand corrected. But for now I am just analyzing LB’s that could possibly enter the draft. I’ll keep my eyes open.

The play in question was Spoon’s strip sack.

Come on start the chant …SPOOON…

and that is Bradley and Spoon. Everyone else is a question mark in one way or another and needs to be looked at to see if we can’t improve the spot.