What Happened to HHCD?

[TheOnlyThing]

A first round pick in 2014, HHCD showed promise as a rookie and improved as a second year player.

He did not take take the expected step forward to stardom last season, but I chalked that up to all the injuries at CB.

This year? A strong case could be made that he has been the worst or at least most disappointing defensive player on the team.

I see a few possible explanations for the drop off in HHCS's play:

1) He has an undisclosed injury. That would be the easiest explanation. However, he has not shown up on the injury report. media sources report that he has not been getting treatment, and he has played in every game. If this is the explanation, we may never know it. 

2) His frustration has adversely impacted his play. From the sideline spat in Carolina two years ago to the tweet after last season, I have long suspected that HHCD has chafed playing in this defense. This season, he appears listless and almost indifferent, which is no way to play professional football. It is possible HHCD's frustration has spilled over and caused his play to deteriorate.

3) He just isn't that good. I don't think this is true, but after this year and to a lesser extent last it is no longer out of the question. HHCD has been that bad. However, I believe a fresh start could do for HHCD what it did for Hyde and Hayward. The question is whether that "fresh start" will be under a new defensive coordinator in Green Bay or elsewhere.

Anyone else have a better explanation for what has become of HHCD?

[{Family Ghost}]

I can't believe how many times he has passed up chances to knock someone into oblivion this season, or failed to simply play the football.  He's just a guy out there this year .. doesn't play like someone looking for a nice hefty contract extension.  Hopefully they finally dump Capers and the new guy will be able to light a fire under him.  It's been really frustrating to watch him play this season.

[AlexGreen#20]

He looks like a middle of the road safety. 

He looks like a guy who didn't necessarily do what he needed to do in the offseason thinking that the next step was going to come naturally to him. See Bakhtiari in his third year. 

He looks like a safety playing with crap talent at CB.

He looks like a safety who has been a middle of the field guy his entire life who is now playing hash to boundary.

He looks like a guy who is frustrated with points 2, 3 and 4.

 

Get the CBs healthy so he can go back to doing what he was picked to do.

Get a new DC in here and hope the breath of fresh air turns him around. 

[incognito_man]

I've never thought he was all that great and his ceiling isn't very high. He's not instinctual, and he doesn't have fantastic athleticism to overcome that lack of instincts.

He's a safe player, he's fairly consistent but his ceiling is average and he's not playing there currently.

I'd look to upgrade there.

[Pugger]

10 hours ago, incognito_man said:

I've never thought he was all that great and his ceiling isn't very high. He's not instinctual, and he doesn't have fantastic athleticism to overcome that lack of instincts.

He's a safe player, he's fairly consistent but his ceiling is average and he's not playing there currently.

I'd look to upgrade there.

I don't know if he is as bad as you are suggesting.  If he was how could he have played so well last year to be voted 2nd team all-pro?  

[MacReady]

It looks to me (very not X/O type football watcher), it seems like HaHa has been playing it EXTREMELY safely as a safety this year.  He's always late, always too deep.  I remember at least five plays this year where he was just way too deep to make a play on the ball.  Is it possible he has no confidence in his teammates?  Is it possible he was told to be safer this year?  Is it possible Burnett playing all over/missing games had a big impact, too?

I think, just like Davante, just like Damarious, that HaHa will come back strong next year even if the unspeakable happens and DC comes back. 

[AlexGreen#20]

13 minutes ago, HorizontoZenith said:

It looks to me (very not X/O type football watcher), it seems like HaHa has been playing it EXTREMELY safely as a safety this year.  He's always late, always too deep.  I remember at least five plays this year where he was just way too deep to make a play on the ball.  Is it possible he has no confidence in his teammates?  Is it possible he was told to be safer this year?  Is it possible Burnett playing all over/missing games had a big impact, too?

I think, just like Davante, just like Damarious, that HaHa will come back strong next year even if the unspeakable happens and DC comes back. 

I think a portion of it is that he's not used to playing deep halves and it's new for him. I think it's very possible that we're new to playing lots of Cover-2 and Cover-6 and the scheme isn't as perfected as it should be and the players don't have a ton of reps playing it.