Crimson Red Sports

TUSCALOOSA -- Two days after Alabama’s secondary allowed Arkansas quarterback Austin Allen to throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns, the Crimson Tide’s veterans decided to hold a defensive backs-only meeting.
Despite three interceptions, including a pick-six, from Minkah Fitzpatrick, a fumble return for a touchdown from linebacker Tim Williams, six sacks and 12 hurries, Alabama’s defenders were not happy with their performance.
“I made my mistakes out there, too,” Fitzpatrick said Monday after being named SEC Defensive Player of the Week. “There were a couple plays where I played bad technique and I got beat on occasion and I didn’t play the ball the right way. None of us had a perfect game, even though we had some big plays and turnovers. I know I didn’t have a perfect game and nobody else did.
“We’re having a meeting today talking with the DBs about how we need to execute and get back to that national championship secondary. We’ve got to do that by just staying focused, executing and paying more attention to details. We have the talent, we have the athleticism that nobody has in the country. We should be able to execute and keep teams under at least 200 receiving yards a game.”
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Fitzpatrick said he, Eddie Jackson and Marlon Humphrey were behind the impromptu meeting. This comes after giving up the second-most passing yards of the season -- Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly threw for 421 yards.
Before Saturday’s game at Arkansas, the Crimson Tide ranked 27th nationally and second in the SEC in pass defense, allowing 188 yards per game to opponents. After the 49-30 victory, Alabama ranks 61st and eighth (223.3).
On Monday, head coach Nick Saban was asked if the Razorbacks did anything offensively to surprise them.
“There wasn’t anything that they were doing to surprise us,” Saban said. “I think we made a couple of mental errors. The first touchdown, the tight end catches the ball and there’s nobody around. We busted the coverage. A miscommunication. A very simple, easy thing. We just didn’t play smart at times in terms of executing what we were supposed to do, and there were several opportunities where we had a chance to make the decision you always have to make.
“Do I intercept the ball? Do I swap up the guy who has to break down and tackle this guy here? And we didn't do that very well and we need to play better. We need to have better eye control. We need to key better, and we need to execute what we do a little better. I think that players probably understand that and they certainly want to play better and we want to help them play better.”
Fitzpatrick and company will look to clean up their mistakes ahead of a road game at Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 15.

I don't want them to start "pressing" & end up putting so much pressure on themselves that major screw-ups happen. They will be okay, just play the game.

The first steps in fixing a problem are agreeing that there is one, and defining what it is.  Have to hope that their meeting helped them i.d. some things that are 'off.'

I don't remember the DBs having a meeting like this ever before.  A good sign.  Let's hope it translates to the field in upcoming games.

Last year the DBs had a dedicated game day position coach. (Can't remember the coach's name.  Mel Tucker??)  Do they have that this year?  I don't think so. This leaves them largely on their own during the course of the game.

Well one thing for sure we will need them on Saturday. Tenn. and the Golden Horseshoe has won 3 or 4 games by passing and almost the TA&M game. So, we have to be able to stop that passing game so they can't use that horseshoe and make another come back and they will Because they saw what Arkansas did last week. Shaun Hamilton better be good with the TE's cause if he rests RF then they are going to eat those TE's up with passes. I think this is the best team in the East and we will see them again in the SECCG if/when we make it. RTR!

Never a good thing for upcoming opponents.   :clap: