A Moment of Truth for Ryan Kerrigan

[armada58]

I have been disappointed in Kerrigan this season and I am starting to question whether he will be a great player. There is no doubt that he is a GOOD player. He's not a liability in any aspect that I can see. I love his heart and his motor. He's very strong at the point of attack, too. Those skills will serve him well for his entire career. However, he simply does not affect the game the way a 1st round pick should and I don't see any explosive moves that would scare an O-Line. He NEEDS to get pressure on the QB. He needs to show that he's more that just Robin to Orakpo's Batman. The scouting report on him needs to be scarier than "Don't throw the screen pass to his side. Other than that, no worries."

Well, the game against The Eagles this week is his Moment of Truth. He will be facing a rookie Right Tackle who has been playing guard that last couple weeks or King Dunlap. (Seriously, The Eagles may be the only team to look at Tyler Polumbus and be jealous) If Kerrigan has any hope of turning into an elite player, these are the kinds of matchups and the kinds of games that he needs to OWN. Another game where Kerrigan is invisible (See: Panthers, Carolina) is simply unacceptable considering the matchups and the circumstances.

I'm rooting for you, RK! This is your moment of truth. Go get Foles and make those horrendous Right Tackles of the Eagles fear you.


UPDATED AFTER THE GAME.............

Kerrigan had a hell of a game. The Eagles clearly tried to take him away and that attention led to a lot of other plays being made by Jackson, Riley, etc. AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, he did affect the game by himself, too. Forced Foles to step up into the rush, was stout at the point of attack, and recovered a fumble.

Greta job, Ryan!!! Keep it up!!!

[SWFLSkins]

Sophomore slump>? Lack of scheme? Rak and Carriker were better compliments than thought? I would not throw the towel in on Kerrigan yet.

[sens11]

Here's a good sign... He's on the front of the tickets for tomorrows game.

[Chump Bailey]

I don't understand why Ryan is getting singled out? He's not Superman. I see a guy that plays his butt off every Sunday - not sure what you're seeing...

[darrelgreenie]

I think some people were really pumping the hype that Ryan was as good or better rush LB then Rak and it just ain't true.
But that doesn't mean Rak isn't a good rush LB in his own right.
Ryan is getting more attention, not neccesarily being double teammed but he's getting more attention and just needs to win his match-ups more often.
I think he can and will going forward.

[stevemcqueen1]

Ryan will be fine. I think you can make the case he's already an above average starter and he should be for a long time (er... hopefully).

It's every position around him except for Orakpo that I worry about more.

[armada58]

I don't understand why Ryan is getting singled out? He's not Superman. I see a guy that plays his butt off every Sunday - not sure what you're seeing...

Its what I'm not seeing that is the issue. This game coming up is the type of matchup where he SHOULD dominate. If he doesn't, then I think he's destined for "good but not great" status.

And I'm not singling him out. Nowehere in the OP do I suggest he is responsible for our defensive issues.

---------- Post added November-17th-2012 at 10:07 AM ----------

Ryan will be fine. I think you can make the case he's already an above average starter and he should be for a long time (er... hopefully).

It's every position around him except for Orakpo that I worry about more.

That's just it!!! Its the "er.... hopefully" part I'm talking about!! This game coming up and the matchups he will have should put that "er....hopefully" stuff to rest. Again, moment of truth for Kerrigan.

[stevemcqueen1]

The er... hopefully part was talking about injury, not a decline in skill.

I thought LaRon and Freddy D were going to be excellent for us for a long time too and then they got injuries that put their careers in doubt.

[Painkiller]

I think people have expected Kerrigan in his 2nd season to play as well as he could as if Orakpo was still out there with him...no drop off. In my opinion, they are dissapointed because they have unrealistic expectations. Kerrigan is the least of our concerns on defense. A Football team is like any other team. If you lose a key player and the replacement is largely less effective, the overall productivity of the team diminishes.

[da#1skinsfan]

"the sky is falling the sky is falling!!!!"

ugggggh why are Skins fans so EXTREEEEEEEEEEEME!?!?!

[skinny21]

We've got several guys on D that played quite well last year - Kerrigan, Fletcher, Wilson, Bowen, Cofield (Carriker and Orakpo too, of course) - and all but Kerrigan are not playing nearly as well. Whether it's injuries, personnel (the safeties) or coaching (partially due to injuries/personnel) Kerrigan is the only one I see playing at a similar level.

Could he play better? Sure. Should he play better against an inferior matchup? Yes. But Kerrigan is probably the only bright spot on our D. Thats how I feel anyway.

[MLSKINS]

I can't be mad at this post. Aint nothing wrong with wanting a good player to become an elite player.

[bowhunter]

I think Kerrigan and Orakpo would be absolutely unstoppable IF they learned how to defeat the illegal choke holds that every lineman puts on them. Their coaching sessions every single day should begin and end with practicing techniques to defeat that hold. I also think Shanny should have a pre-game briefing with the officials about that hold, and a post-game complaint to the league office.

[CjSuAvE22]

it seems to me this board finds ways to single out perfectly good players on the skins.... Carlos Rogers is a perfect example....and now Kerrigan, really? LOL

[Wyvern]

Sorry MLSkins -- I read the OP as calling out Kerrigan to perform well enough, to 'justify' being picked in the first round. "Moment of truth" is about validating his value.

Frankly, however many sacks, etc, that Kerrigan gets in this week's "moment of opportunity" -- won't alter my belief that Kerrigan was a great acquisition for the Skins. I don't think he would have slipped into the second round of the draft, either. So he doesn't have to prove anything more than do any of his team-mates.

The one thing that I'm confident about Kerrigan is that he's going to give it his all. In year two, he's shown me a professional NFL-level player who plays hard, has a non-stop motor, and doesn't give up or loaf. Considering all the time he's been on the field, I suspect the bye week was a good for him, and may allow him to re-charge.

But lets not forget that the results of an outside linebacker, depends on a lot of factors. One of those factors is how well his team-mates around him are playing.

I note how everyone is talking about the loss of Orakpo. Frankly, I'd scrutinize the impact of the loss of Carriker, and in particular how well Jarvis Jenkins has stepped up. If Jenkins could generate a little more pressure -- I think Kerrigan would take advantage of the opportunities created.