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Do defenses really wear out over the course of a game? Do defenses benefit from long drives that give them more time to rest on the sideline? Guest columnist Ben Baldwin investigates.
08 Aug 2012
by Andy Benoit
(Ed. Note: Thanks to The New York Times for allowing us to re-run Andy Benoit's annual team previews. Please be aware that these previews are more scouting-oriented than what we run in Football Outsiders Almanac 2012, and they represent one man's opinion so they may differ from the forecast from our statistical team projection system. -- Aaron Schatz)
Your forgiveness, please, if you think it's inappropriate to present a team as a dynasty-in-the-making when that team is coming off an 0-1 postseason. This is not meant to promote hyperbole or incite reaction. It's true, the word dynasty gets preemptively thrown around way too much these days. (Thanks a lot, Miami Heat.) And yet, what would you say is a more accurate way to depict the 2012 Green Bay Packers?
Just because they lost to the white-hot Giants in the divisional round last January doesn't mean they're looking to avenge anything. That loss wasn't a case of their hidden weaknesses catching up to them, it was just an "off day" coming at the worst of times. In that game, Aaron Rodgers missed a few throws he normally makes. There were eight dropped balls by Packers receivers. The offensive line could not independently hold up against a dominant Giants pass rush, and the Packers' defense was uninspiring and sloppy in a few very costly ways (see: end-of-half heave).
None of these were pervasive issues throughout the year, though. Remember, before that ill-timed bad day, this team was 15-1. Yes, the Packer defense took a step back. After ranking fifth (in yards allowed) en route to a Super Bowl title in 2010, it ranked 32nd in 2011. Opponents averaged a league-high 299.8 yards per game throwing against Dom Capers's unit. This data is a bit misleading, though, as the potency of Green Bay's offense led to a lot of garbage time or shootout games. Yes, Green Bay's defense must bounce back this season, but it doesn't have as far to bounce as you'd think. If it did, the Packers would not have gone 15-1.
It is Green Bay's glistening offense that makes the "dynasty-in-the-making" talk sensible. Reigning MVP Rodgers, at 28, is now regarded by his peers and more than a few analysts as the best player in the sport. He has a cavalcade of big-play receivers, an innovate designer of offense in Mike McCarthy, and a stable supporting cast that allowed this unit to post a staggering 35 points per game last season.
General Manager Ted Thompson did not make many moves during the off-season because he did not have to. He used his first-round draft pick on Southern California pass rusher Nick Perry, hopefully filling the closest thing this team had to a hole. He replaced veteran center Scott Wells with a cheaper, older model: Jeff Saturday. He signed a few backup defensive ends to compete with second-round pick Jerel Worthy. And he made a few shuffles to the coaching staff –- most notably, promoting the quarterbacks coach Tom Clements to offensive coordinator, where he will replace new Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin. This sort of run-of-the-mill off-season is what happens when a front office constructs a sterling long-term roster and manages the cap well. No drama, no hoopla, no story lines.
And so that leaves "dynasty" talk to define the angle on the 2012 Green Bay Packers. There's not a more accurate approach. The Packers are young, well-managed, and clear Super Bowl favorites. Let's examine this dynasty-in-the-making.
First off, let's just get the Aaron Rodgers paean out of the way. You already know about his physical tools. Rodgers has a strong, lively arm. He does not just have great accuracy, he has great precision accuracy. That's the primary reason Packers receivers post such hefty run-after-the-catch numbers. Also, Rodgers's athleticism shows up every time he scrambles and throws darts on the move. He does not rely on his legs, though, because he is so mechanically sound and poised in the pocket, even with bodies around him, that he does not need to.
That's Rodgers from a physical standpoint. Mentally, he's just as good. He works through his progressions as quickly and decisively as any quarterback in the game. He's Bobby Fischer at the line of scrimmage. He doesn't just identify defenses, he manipulates them. He has mastered the art of subterfuge before the snap, and he has mastered subtle, deceptive body language after the snap. It may not matter that Ted Thompson could not keep the backup Matt Flynn (he commanded mid-level starter's money as a free agent); going with the untested Graham Harrell (or the seventh-round rookie B.J. Coleman) is all the same to Thompson. He knows that if his starting quarterback is out for an extended period, his team is finished anyway.
The Packers have not just put Rodgers in a great system (more on that momentarily), they have surrounded him with great weapons. Wide receiver Greg Jennings is a first-class route runner, which makes him nearly impossible to cover one-on-one despite not being an ideal physical specimen. Opposite him, Jordy Nelson is coming off a season in which he scored 15 touchdowns and caught 68 passes at an average of 18.6 yards per pop. Nelson can stretch the field and, more importantly, make quick adjustments to a ball in flight. Behind Nelson is the sagacious 37-year-old veteran Donald Driver, who has not lost nearly as much speed as you would guess.
Inside, if tight end Jermichael Finley's raw athleticism were a form of currency, he would be about 10 times richer than he is even after having signed a two-year, $14 million contract. The reason Green Bay did not give the 25-year-old a longer deal is that he has struggled with injuries, mental lapses, and dropped passes. But it is possible, perhaps even probable, that Finley is still improving. That's scary.
Finley can serve as a slot receiver, though if they want, the Packers have a real slot receiver in James Jones. Sloppy mistakes have skewed Jones's image a bit, but if you look at his skills, he can be as dangerous a big-play threat as just about anyone. So can the man gunning for his job: second-year pro Randall Cobb. Cobb is similar in style to former Steeler Antwaan Randle El ... can we dub him "Antwaan Randall Cobb" yet?
There's not an offensive coach in pro football who would not yearn to have a receiving corps like Green Bay's. What makes this one particularly dominant is the West Coast-style spread system it operates in. Mike McCarthy is superb at creating mismatches through entangled route combinations and formation variation. He remains several years ahead of his time in designing plays out of the increasingly popular three-receiver sets.
McCarthy is also terrific at capitalizing on the flexibility of his personnel. Generally, Finley is the X-factor. Defenses must decide whether to treat him as a tight end or a wide receiver. He is a much better pass-catcher than blocker at this point, but defenses can't always treat him as a receiver because McCarthy has shown a commitment to using base personnel and multi-tight end alignments. That's commendable given how tempting it must be to sling it to these wideouts all day, but slightly fewer touches for the wide receivers in the name of a balanced attack would make this a much better offense in the grander scheme of things.
The Packers are willing to throw from their heavier sets, and they have a bounty of niche players to incorporate here. Tight end Andrew Quarless is effective working off the line of scrimmage inside, and he showed during Finley's injury absence in 2010 that he is capable of occasionally splitting into the slot. (He is, however, coming off a serious knee injury and may be limited early.) H-back Tom Crabtree is a serviceable red-zone target, though mainly because defenses expect him to be a motion blocker. Crabtree will try to keep fending off athletic 2011 seventh-round pick Ryan Taylor for playing time. He also has the more athletic receiving H-back D.J. Williams (fifth-round pick, 2011) behind him. Out of the backfield, James Starks is adequate in the screen game (a tactic the Packers make good use of), and fullback John Kuhn is surprisingly soft-handed in the flats. Additionally, some in the organization believe that the man with the best hands on the team is undrafted second-year running back Brandon Saine, who is in line for an elevated role this season.
Saine shows decent tempo-changing ability with the ball in his hands, which could earn him touches in the running game. This is one area where the Packers can stand to improve. In the playoff loss, the Giants' pass rush forced Green Bay's passing attack to go max-protect and be predictable in its quick strikes. Most offenses would have tried to weather this storm by pounding the rock. The Packers, however, very clearly did not have a formidable enough ground game to rely on.
Starks will likely be listed as the starting back heading into Week 1, but that's only titular. This will wind up being a committee. Starks does not have the consistent burst to handle every-down duties. Perhaps last year's third-round pick, Alex Green, will, though he must bounce back from an anterior cruciate ligament injury that wiped out most of his rookie season. Green, like his predecessor Ryan Grant, is a one-cut runner who will most likely need quality blocking in order to thrive. Green will likely show a better initial burst than Grant, though.
With every great offense, there is a tendency to assume that the front line is good. That's how an undeserving Saints offensive tackle has made the Pro Bowl each of the past two years, anyway. Really, though, in today's NFL, great offenses often have mediocre front lines that are masked by a great quarterback. The Packers are this way. Right guard Josh Sitton, though less impressive last season than he was in 2010, is tremendous in all facets, but he is the only stud up front. At right tackle, third-year pro Bryan Bulaga is dependable but not yet dynamic. At center, Jeff Saturday will prove unable to move powerful players out of a phone booth. But at least he won't make any mental mistakes. At left guard, T.J. Lang will fill in the blanks but don't expect many running plays to be designed around his pulling. At left tackle, Marshall Newhouse will probably beat out last year's first-round pick, Derek Sherrod (who suffered a gruesome broken leg in December), and he'll need plenty of chip-blocking help against quality edge rushers. Or maybe he won't, because his brilliant quarterback will understand the offensive line's limitations and adjust accordingly. After all, that's exactly what Rodgers did last season.
The difference between the 2011 Packers defense and the 2010 Packers defense was that the 2011 Packers defense gave up a ton of big plays. That's the risk that coordinator Dom Capers takes with his multidimensional, often byzantine zone-blitzing scheme. The big plays given up are often a consequence of the pass rush and blitzes not functioning properly.
The Packer pass rush was inconsistent and underperforming. That became painfully apparent whenever superstar Clay Matthews got tied up, and that happened just a tad more than usual with Matthews battling minor injuries. To correct the problem, Ted Thompson drafted Nick Perry, whom he hopes will become the second USC Trojan in four years to light it up at outside linebacker. Scouts love Perry's fluid explosiveness and violent hands. He left college early and only started for one-and-a-half seasons. If Perry's initial learning curve proves too steep, Frank Zombo (a decent speed guy but not an explosive athlete) and Erik Walden (a slightly limited player that can cover tight ends) will see plenty of snaps. Fifth-round rookie Terrell Manning could get a look, but he also figures to have a challenging early transition ahead of him, and the Packers seem more inclined to make him an inside linebacker in his first year.
A staple of any zone-blitzing defense is the fire-X blitz, which involves both inside linebackers rushing the A-gaps. The Packers have one of the game's best fire-X blitzers in Desmond Bishop, a former sixth-round pick who is also a solid pass defender with improving instincts against the run. Bishop has clearly supplanted the resoundingly average A.J. Hawk as the primary inside linebacker. Hawk has not lived up to his draft position, but keep in mind that "average" does not mean "poor." He is still a better option than the backups D.J. Smith and Rob Francois, both of whom had good and bad moments as fill-in starters last season. Also of note is former starter Brad Jones, who is moving from the outside to the inside.
Hawk plays a lot more snaps in Green Bay than he would anywhere else because, in a lot of their nickel packages, the Packers substitute a defensive lineman and keep four linebackers on the field. In fact, the 2-4-5 is really their base defense. They played that on 61 percent of the snaps last season, as opposed to just 27 percent of snaps in a 3-4.
A two-man defensive line can often suffice when one of the men is B.J. Raji. Though the 2009 first-round pick was a little more up-and-down last year than you would like to see, there is no reason to worry. Raji accentuates his 340 pounds of raw power with the uncanny quickness and agility of Baltimore's Haloti Ngata. It's just a matter of exhibiting those traits on a slightly more regular basis.
Raji, who almost never comes off the field, plays nose tackle in the 3-4. Flanking him is a deep rotation of ends that, the Packers hope, will one day be headlined by second-round rookie Jerel Worthy. Coming out of Michigan State, where he matured greatly between his sophomore and junior seasons, Worthy drew comparisons to Green Bay's current end, Ryan Pickett. If he can play to Pickett's level, and show even just hints of Pickett's versatility, he'll be a successful pick. If he is underwhelming, as he was at the scouting combine, he'll be the next Mike Neal (Green Bay's 2010 second-round pick).
Another possible solution at end is fourth-round pick Mike Daniels, who weighs well under 300 but possesses good quickness. It will probably be tough for the rookie to get a lot of snaps, though, considering that incumbents Jarius Wynn and C.J. Wilson are both experienced in this scheme. The Packers also added free agents Anthony Hargrove and Phillip Merling, both of whom offer upside and little risk. Hargrove (who is suspended for the first eight games for his role in the Saints bounty scandal) lacks quickness but has always had a knack for making big plays. Merling, if finally healthy and focused, can be a lissome bruiser.
What makes Capers's system great is its chicanery and flexibility –- often best exhibited before the snap. The not-so-secret ingredient is Charles Woodson. He's the primary reason the Packers spend so much time in a 2-4-5. With him, the Packers are one of the few teams in football who do not feel unbearably vulnerable to the run when in nickel. Woodson is such a good blitzer that, occasionally, offenses find themselves back on their heels, calling plays in reaction to what this defense is doing. It's not so much that Woodson knows how to get near the football (though he does), it's that he knows how to influence where the football goes. He attacks spots and angles better than any defender in the game.
Though he turns 36 in October, Woodson has not shown any signs of decline. If he does start to leak or gets dinged, backup Jarrett Bush has proved capable of filling his role in short spurts (the second half of Super Bowl XLV comes to mind). Bush is not Woodson's planned successor, though. The Packers drafted Davon House in the fourth round last year and Casey Hayward in the second round this year. House projects to be a man-press-type corner, while Hayward is considered to be a better zone player. Both could evolve into versatile forces; they will be learning behind a possible future Hall of Famer.
What is amazing is that Woodson can also still play man coverage from the slot and, if need be, outside. The Packers have two other very adroit outside man defenders in Sam Shields and Tramon Williams (who is hoping to rebound from a shoulder injury that hindered him in 2011 and ate up most of his off-season). At strong safety, Charlie Peprah was released after a failed physical. Undrafted second-year pro M.D. Jennings will be his primary replacement, though when Green Bay slides into a traditional 3-4 look, Woodson will move to strong safety.
In center field (though also capable of playing the strong side, if need be) is third-year pro Morgan Burnett. He is no Nick Collins, but the Packers don't necessarily need him to be. They do, however, need him to be less reactive to pump fakes and duplicitous deep route combinations. With Peprah gone, the top backup safety becomes the fourth-round rookie Jerron McMillian.
In 2011, Mason Crosby made more than 80 percent of his field goals for the first time in his five-year career. The Packers trust him in just about any situation. Tim Masthay averaged a respectable 45.6 yards per punt last season. In the return game, "Antwaan Randall Cobb" is dynamic but tends to offset his big plays with big mistakes. The Packers are willing to live with that, though, because they believe a) Cobb will grow out of it and b) The big plays can still outweigh the big mistakes.
As long as Aaron Rodgers is healthy, this offense will be nearly impossible to stop. The defense seems too loaded at all three levels not to bounce back from a subpar year. Expect this team to win its second Super Bowl in three years.
47 comments, Last at 10 Aug 2012, 7:01pm by Lance
I love how Benoit insists the defense will regress to the mean but ignores the same applying to the offense. After all, that would get in the way of a compelling narrative. Either regression applies to all statistical measures or it applies not at all.
It's been shown that offenses remain relatively consistent from year-to-year, while defensive performance is far more volatile, and special teams performance completely undpredictable.
-I'm not Billy Bad-Ass.
It's been shown that current measures for how well a defense or special teams unit is are very poor and thus not measuring the true performance.
I think the measures accurately reflect offense's greater consistency, and I think it's because of the old Bill Walsh idea that systems make great offenses, but players make great defenses (and players are subject to injury- schemes aren't, except for when starting quarterbacks have to be replaced)
Even as a Packers fan, I expect a bit of the regression to the mean on offense. They'll still be a top 5 offense. But it's unlikely they'll be as good as last year.
Strengths: Starting QB. Duh.
Talent, experience and depth at WR. The only thing they may lack is a dominant #1 a la Calvin or Andre Johnson, and they use Finley for that role.
Talent and depth at TE. Even with Finley being inconsistent and/or injured, DJ Williams looks like a capable #2 and matchup issue in his own right. Crabtree, and Taylor to a lesser degree, are the blockers unless/until Quarless returns. It's a young group.
Talent at offensive line. Depth at OT is shaky until Sherrod returns, but Bulaga is a stud at RT. If Newhouse improves in his second year as a starter, it's possibly one of the top-5 offensive lines in the NFL. They need more depth on the interior - the only guy they trust right now is Dietrich-Smith. Saturday replaces Clifton as the old man in the group.
Defensive turnovers. It's a group that is good at taking advantage of QB misfires.
Youth on defense, other than Woodson and Pickett. It has a lot of room to improve through the maturation of young players at nearly every position.
Weaknesses: Reliability at HB. Every back on the roster seems to have the injury bug right now, one way or another.
Pass rush other than Matthews. They've got lots of bodies that might fix this, but will they actually do it?
Experience in the secondary, other than Woodson and maybe Tramon Williams.
Tackling, at least last year. Emphasized in camp this year; we'll see if that gets fixed as well.
Short: Da&% this team looks like a contender. Let's see if/how they show up.
Let me be clear, i think the packers are a sb favorite, probably going to again be in the mix. But I have several problems with this article.
To begin, he starts with a common fallacy of assuming rodgers' accuracy is terrific because of the receivers high YAC. While rodgers probably does have great accuracy, brian burke has basically shown that YAC has 0 correlation with qb quality(i suggest people who don't believe me look up this study). In addition, i can't understand how matt flynn's two performances in rodgers absence didn't indicate that maybe Rodgers(gasp!) is being overrated by his supporting cast. Now, i happen to think rodgers might be the best player in the nfl, but that doesn't mean that his stats aren't being inflated by the top flight talent he's got all across the board. Andy mentions gb's overall talent, but acts as if the two are mutually exclusive when i think correlation runs both ways.(In fact, one could argue we have more evidence to suggest its gbs offensive talent thats the key than vice versa).
2nd, and this was mentioned above, the packers offense was unsustainably great all last year and to just assume that its going to hum forever and ever is just wrong. I expect it to be great again, maybe the best in the league, but nearly every offense suffers regression to the mean and last year in particular was too much of an outlier.
Finally, the worst offense is that andy seems to be handing the packers defense a complete mulligan for all of last year. He acts as if their poor play was the result of bad pass rush and too many big plays, but in reality, their run defense was even worse than their 24th ranked pass defense. If not for the turnovers, this defense was pitiful. I also question just how qualified andy benoit or really anyone is at dolling out praise on individual levels, especially when it seems impossible to know without watching a specific unit every week. For instance, despite the team's poor defense, he seems to act like BJ raji, woodson, williams, and shields were all good last year, but in fact, by pff(again, i like their numbers but some may not), they all struggled, including raji being rated as the worst nosetackle in the league.
I initially liked Andy's comments but these are feeling more and more like regular espn stuff.
PFF is a context free zone and if they really knew their stuff they would have realised the futility of the task they were attempting before they started.
The FO charting project has Woodson with quite good numbers.
I actually was wrong about Woodson. He graded negatively in terms of their pass rush grades, but was actually positive in coverage and run defense, both seemed in line with Fo's charting numbers(which are a good thing)
I actually was wrong about Woodson. He graded negatively in terms of their pass rush grades, but was actually positive in coverage and run defense, both seemed in line with Fo's charting numbers(which are a good thing)
I accept they have flaws and I submit that many of their grades are probably heavily influenced by scheme/players to an extent, but exactly why are all of their ratings so terrible? Are you suggesting that their work provides absolutely 0 information? Id like to hear a detailed response about why its completely useless, when instead, i think what they're doing feels pretty good and if you are to believe them, they've actually been praised by nfl personnel and greg cosell himself.
The best thing that FO does is the D in DVOA and DYAR where they adjust for the strength of the opponent. I don't think that PFF have a rigorous system for accounting for this, which is problematic.
However, I think the larger issue is that their methodology is flawed. Bill Barnwell recently recounted an anecdote where an NFL team decided to attempt to create a database grading every offensive lineman in the NFL. They were professional front office personnel, scouts and coaches with access to the coaching tape that showed every player on the field and they found that it wad an impossible task as they were unable to determine the blocking schemes with any certainty.
ROn Jaworski wrote in The Games That Changed the Game, "Heck, a lot of the times the players themselves aren't always sure what their responsibilities are. You can diagram a play, practice it all week, and then all of a sudden face a different look during the game, and an adjustment would be made on the fly. In the own postgame critiques, coaches aren't always completely sure what happened until they ask the player."
Given this I have difficulty placing much credence in the grades handed out by a non professional group whose pro scouting experience is little to none. For example, if a defensive end is allowed a free rush at the quarterback is it the fault of the tight end, the tackle, the back or the quarterback? Was there even the option to audible out of the play in that offense? This is compounded by the NFL not releasing the all-22 until now, so how on earth were PFF making any reliable judgement on defensive backs other than plentiful guesswork? If a quarterback throws a pick is it due to the receiver cutting the wrong way? A football writer once told be that an agent had said that their participation data contained substantial errors.
It isn't a totally useless source, they do watch the games closely, which is more than can be said of the goons at PFT or a certain SI writer, who might be even more influential (though in their defense they don't purport to be scouts, just reporters). In my opinion their work should be taken with a shovelful of salt, it's qualitative analysis at best.
In addition to everything you just wrote, pff tries to distill a players performance into a single number. Which is such a ludicrous idea, it makes me not trust anything else they say.
Ok, I agree with what you said, but again, its a rough composite. They do an aggregate of the play for the majority of the year. You make this feel like you either are in the club or your not. As if every play an o lineman makes is either a complete schematic contribution or its such a bizzare play that its impossible to apportion credit/blame. My question is, why do you trust Fo's charting numbers then? And also, i ask, do you think they are completely useless? I think most of the time their numbers are pretty good. Again i wrote above, their methods are not the final word, but they do provide a nice outline and they do have a methodology that they've run by coaches and scouts to ensure they're doing things correctly as much as they can.
And btw to Tuluse's pt, they do actually have a composite of stats that go into building their grade.
One crucial difference between the approaches from FO and PFF is that FO are up front and emphatic about the limitations of their products to a much greater extent than PFF. It' quite common to find a disclaimer of either total or partial ignorance within their articles and research, which is as it should be.
And no I don't think that it is impossible to grade every play but what proportion of plays have to be opaque before the assessment becomes infirm? I would point out that PFF managed to anoint Chilo Rachal as the best young guard in the NFL two seasons ago, despite him being benched during that year.
As for FO's methods; I think that DVOA at the unit level (ie offense, defense) is the best measurement of the strength of football ability available. Personally I have less trust in the figures below that level as I think that individual play is too difficult to differentiate from the player's surroundings. FO's game charting project appears to be devised to remove subjective judgement as far as possible. I think that you can say this for FO's approach in general.
Any football stat that tries to assess an individual player is going to be imperfect, since context influences everything. For some reason this comes up all the time as a complaint about PFF in particular, when it is also endemic to much of what Football Outsiders and mainstream football statistics do.
Football Outsiders has a column which tracks sacks allowed by individual offensive linemen, which is subject to exactly the problem that you describe. And I'm sure that J.J. Cooper's judgment of whether an offensive lineman is responsible for a sack will sometimes be mistaken, but I'd still rather have that information than not have it. And, despite the noise, over the course of a season I think it does a pretty good job of evaluating individual players' pass protection. There are some systematic errors (for instance, the QB has a large influence on sacks allowed) but there is a lot of signal that gets through (Marshall Newhouse was still able to crack the sacks-allowed leaderboard).
PFF is doing something a lot like what Cooper and the FO Game Charting Project are doing, they're just being much more systematic about it - tracking more things, for more positions, using the same charters (which presumably means a more consistent standard). For pass blocking, they track hits & hurries in addition to sacks. I suspect that makes their stat, Pass Blocking Efficiency, a better measure of pass blocking performance than sacks allowed, since it gives them a larger sample of pass blocking mistakes and is less influenced by the quarterback's ability to get rid of the ball (bad quarterbacking turns hurries into sacks). They also have their grading system, which is supposed to take other things into account (like how long it took for the blocker to allow pressure) but is something of a black box. For pass blocking, the grades have such a strong correlation with Pass Blocking Efficiency that it's not really important to distinguish the two (r=.96 for offensive tackles last year, between PBE & pass blocking grade per snap, n=58).
I'd guess that PBE is about as good a stat of pass blocking as the various mainstream & advanced stats that get used to evaluate "skill position" players (yards per carry, receiving DYAR, adjusted net yards per attempt, or whatever). Having close to the same level of systematic information about linemen as we've had about quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs seems like a huge success to me, even though those statistics of course have some flaws.
I don't really see PBE as that different to the sacks, hits, hurries charts that FO does and I think both have the same problem.
I can't agree with most of the rest of what you have said. Basically, I prefer to use my eyes.
Theres a big difference between Fo's dvoa metrics and charting metrics. In fact, they are basically providing two different sets of contexts. Yes, Fo's dvoa is the best macro stats in the world, but they can only tell you macro stats. At the end of the day, football is like any other complex system, comprised of individual parts and to those try to understand or forecast the future, the individual parts weigh heavily. To blithely just say you cannot do it is something that I don't think is true. Again, we can question how much weight to put into pff's numbers, but i don't think you can paint it all as futility the way you are doing. They have an approach that as mentioned is systematic and fair across all teams, therefore, if there is a bias in their methods, it should affect all teams the same way. And finally, most of their number seem to actually make sense by in large.
And btw, according to pff, Chilo rachal had an outstanding year as run blocker in 2010 but but was a horrendous pass blocker, which explains why why he was benched.
It isn't that the project is entirely futile, it's that they present their information as a precise number even though it is inevitably incomplete and subjective. FO's rigorous objectivity is valuable to me because it is something that I cannot arrive at myself.
PFF are the embodiment of the phrase, 'a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing'. It is just my opinion but I wouldn't give any more weight to their grades than I would to any reasonably informed fan.
I've seen every snap of Rachal's career, they blew it with that call, he can generate movement in the run game when he actually manages to get his hands on the defender but he's so slow that he rarely does.
Your eyes have a lot of the same problems as any other approach. They don't know what the blocking scheme is supposed to be, either.
The eye test has some advantages over counting statistics like PBE, since your eyes provide a much richer set of information. You can get some sense from watching a play of how much of an advantage the pass rusher got from the play call, whether there was a protection breakdown or if the individual blocker just got beat, how much help the blocker had, whether the quarterback helped his blockers (with a quick throw or movement in the pocket) or hurt them, and just how impressive the players looked.
But the eye test also has some major disadvantages (for me, at least). I don't see every play by every team. With the plays I do watch, I don't pay close attention to each individual player. What I notice is influenced by what the announcers point out, and by what I'm expecting or looking for (e.g., during J'Marcus Webb's rookie year I thought it was a huge mistake for the Bears to have their rookie 7th rounder on the field, and so I noticed every time he blew a block). When I do notice what a player did on a play, I don't have a systematic way to keep track of what I noticed (I just form some messy aggregate impression in my memory). I'm not a trained scout, and I've watched less football than most analysts & charters, so there are parts of the game that I'm not able to evaluate as well as some other people can. So I do use my eyes some, but I also get a lot of information from other people who have used their eyes and devoted more time/attention/expertise/systematicity to their work.
I agree that my eyes don't know the blocking scheme but they might notice that the tackle has quick feet and good knee bend, that he got beaten because he failed to pick up a stunt. I would struggle to present that as a number between 2 and -2.
Webb is a great example, if he played in a system where the ball came out quickly or they often ran behind his tremendous bulk then he would be much more highly regarded. There is no accounting for factors like that in PFF's grades.
I don't really care about PFF but I do get irritated when their numbers are deployed to back up an argument. You may as well say 'I think he's good' as quote their figures.
I'm beginning to get the flavour of these reviews, they tend to be rather sweet on the subject, saccharine even. It was inevitable that the Packers' write up would make most readers diabetic.
Metaphors that haven't been used in this series:
'X is so fast that if he lined up for the 100 meters final in the London Olympics, he'd win in Beijing.'
'Their coach has more Xs and Os than a Tic-Tac-Toe simulator on crystal meth.'
'if tight end X's raw athleticism were a form of currency, he would be about 10 times richer than he is even after having signed a two-year, $14 million contract'
Hang on, he used one of those.
It is nice to see a review of the Packers that recognises that the offensive line isn't that great.
Also, and im sure this going to incite more debate: Pff had gb ranked 11th in terms of o line rankings, noting it was a very solid group overall with the exception of the horrid left tackle position. And btw, they do take into account qb effectiveness with their rankings.
I don't think GB has an awful line, I think they are helped by an elite quarterback, two very good receivers and excellent reserve wideouts. I was thinking about SB Nation's line ratings who said that they are the best in the NFL, which I think is more than generous.
Thinking about it, the NFL doesn't boast many very good lines. It' hard to think of any with five established, quality veterans. I can't think of one in the NFC, in the AFC who? The Pats, the Broncos, maybe Cincinnati? There isn't a unit that compares to a line like the early 2000s Chiefs.
There was this team in NO who managed consistently clean pockets for their 4'7" QB...
That would be a very good example of a team whose coaches take advantage of their strengths. Brees does a great job of getting rid of the ball and his guards allow him to step up. That doesn't necessarily mean that the tackles are that good.
it does make you wonder how good the 49ers o line would be if they had a diff qb. I was asked this by my 49er friend when we went to their game against the cowboys. Did the 49ers have a good o line? I think the easy answer is to say no, but I suspect the 49ers o line might go from being considered a liability to a strength if they had say picked up peyton manning(especially now that they got rid of chilo rachal)
My comments:
QB: Nobody really knows if Harrell is any good. He hasn't taken a regular season snap. Most teams are finished if their starting QB goes out for more than a few games. The Packers coaches think Harrell can at least hold the fort or they would have signed one of the many mid-level QBs that were available this offseason.
WR: Most people don't realize the only non-sub 4.5 WR is Jones. This is one fast group. It would not surprise me to see Borel and/or Gurley make the team. Borel is a converted QB who runs a 4.5 40 and Gurley is slightly slower (4.53) but bigger.
TE: DJ Williams seems to be one of those guys who has made the second year receiver leap. I think he'll end up as the #2 TE. In any case, Quarless will probably be on the PUP list and may end up on IR. His injury was that bad.
OL: Solid starting five, but no depth. Sherrod also may end up on the PUP list, but will probably be ready by mid-season. If anybody goes down before then, it could get ugly. If two go down, A-Rod could get happy feet.
DL: Raji is probably the second best NT in the NFL. Last year, the depth was so bad he was gassed by the end of the year. Worthy and Daniels may help, but Neal is suspended for four games and if the DL looks good by then Neal may get cut.
LB: Matthews will probably play more coverage this year. Perry has a lot to learn as converted DE, so he'll be pass-rushing almost every play. Look for the unheralded and undrafted Dezman Moses to jump up the depth chart and make the final 53. He was an undersized DE at Tulane after starting college as a LB at Iowa. He seems to be a natural pass rusher who they won't be able to hide on the PS. Look for DJ Smith to come in Hawk in blitzing situations.
DB: Peprah would have probably been cut even without the physical. The staff was angry about his playing at the end of the season and especially during the Giants game. Woodson is almost always the slot corner. Shields is also in the coach's doghouse, but has too much talent to give up on given his history. Travon Williams claims to be back, but probably only has a couple good years left. He's never had elite speed. It would not surprise me to see House and Heyward as the starting corners in two years.
Regarding backup QBs, I agree that most teams (probably including the Packers this year) are finished if their starter is out for an extended period of time. One thing I didn't like about this article was that Benoit suggested that it doesn't matter that Flynn is gone. I think it's arguable that Flynn could carry the team if Rodgers had to miss a few games, and that he's clearly better than the Packers' backups this year. (Kind of a moot point, I realize, since there's no way that they could have kept him).
Plus, maybe this is a sore topic for me as a Bears fan who suffered through the Caleb Hanie era last year, but while pretty much every team is going to suffer without their starting QB, a serviceable backup could be the difference between making it to the playoffs and not. Give the Bears a replacement-level backup and they would've limped in, and maybe Cutler would have been ready to go in January.
These previews are pretty boring. I demand entertainment!
Regarding the excuses from the Packers vs. Giants playoff meeting... didn't those teams play twice last season? The Packers dropped passes in the first meeting, as noted by Aaron Schatz in the Audibles article for Week 13. The Giants carved up the Packer defense in the first game, leading to Mike Tanier's "Giants know they can match Packers score for score" article in NY Times. The Giants also got pressure on Rodgers in the first meeting, as Tanier also mentioned in the Times article. The Packers barely won the first meeting and were soundly beaten in the second meeting. I don't know why people feel the need to make excuses for why it happened.
It's especially infuriating considering how bad the officiating was. If I remember correctly the Giants had two GB fumble recoveries taken away, in addition to the phantom Roughing the Passer call on Osi which kept one of GB's scoring drives alive.
(Disclaimer NYG Fan)
And the Giants in no way benefitted from having a fumble ruled as halted progress. That was a BS call, he fumbled immediately, the fact that he went flying backwards too is irrelevant for my mind, the Niners weren't stacking and stripping him, he got hit so hard he dropped the ball.
(disclaimer, no horse in this race)
The officiating favored the Packers overall but there were a few bad calls against them too. It was a poorly officiated game in general but over the course of the game the bad calls did favor the Packers. I only disagree on how much with some of the Giants fans.
My basic summary is that the Packers did have an off game, but not all of how bad they looked were because of that, some of it was caused by the play of the Giants. The end of half hail mary was more about the Packers than the Giants, but some of the "dropped" passes I feel were more about the Giants defense than the Packers.
The Giants also played better than they had during most of the regular season.
Had the Packers not had a flat game and just played closer to their average from the regular season I think the game would have been much more similar to the first meeting and could have gone either way.
I agree the Packers had a bad day but that was not the only reason they lost that game. The Giants should get more credit than they generally do (I think on this site they generally do get the credit they deserve). They thumped the Packers and like I said I'm not convinced the Packers fixing most of their mistakes would have changed who won though it would have made the game closer.
Everything that's been said about that game is true, and the Giants did woop the Packers' ass.
And, though 8 is a lot, the Packers' receivers are known for dropping passes.
But the real factor were the turnovers lost. This has been one of, if not the best offense in the league in terms of ball security for the past 3 years, and they lost 4 in that game. It may have been a coincidence that their offensive coordinator lost his son that week, but it was evident that the offense wasn't "in synch".
Since 2010, the team never had a game with a margin bigger than -1 in turnover ratio, but in that game it ended up -3. To me, that is abnormal.
There's another indicator that it was an off game. In the last 2 years, they've played 37 games. They've lost 8. But this last game was the only instance where they've lost by more than 1 possession.
Week 3 2010. GB @ CHI = 17-20
Week 5 2010. GB @ WAS = 13-16 OT
Week 6 2010. GB vs MIA = 20-23 OT
Week 12 2010. GB @ ATL = 17-20
Week 14 2010. GB @ DET = 3-7
Week 15 2010. GB @ NE = 27-31
Week 15 2011. GB @ KC = 14-19
NFC Divisional game 2011. GB vs NYG = 20-37
By all that, it was an odd game, thus the Matthews' comment, and the current article. It's silly to discredit any influence the NYGiants had in the defeat, to the extent that it doesn't need to be mentioned, if not for political correctness.
But apparently the analysis of the game and search for the motives of said abnormal defeat, with absence of praise for the opposite team is interpreted as "making excuses", as well as used for bulletin board material.
I'm going to use such political correctness and blame it on the offseason.
"This has been one of, if not the best offense in the league in terms of ball security for the past 3 years."
The Packers have turned the ball over the second-fewest times in the league the last three years: http://pfref.com/tiny/x2oBG
Making it two years instead of three gives a rather different picture of the distribution at the top of the league, though, which is noteworthy even though the Packers still rank third: http://pfref.com/tiny/cFPtx
I understand that these are written for the NYT and republished here, which is cool, but as Karl Cuba mentioned, I'm worried about my insulin levels now, even if I agree with many of the base concepts that were written about. So I'm going to give another long post that people around here expect from me from time to time.
Rodgers is excellent, he would be good to excellent on pretty much any team in the NFL, but he doesn't carry the load himself. I do not expect a 2011 level out of him again, though better than 2009 and 2010 is still very probable (35ish TD, 4400ish yards, 8.4ish YPA, 9ish INT, which is still great but not 2011 great). The Packers have had 23.1%, 31.0%, 29.1%, 67.6% passing DVOA's with Rodgers, expecting something in the 30-40% range isn't unreasonable, and even if it drops back to 23.1% that's still likely to be around 8th in the league. It will be good, but I can't expect top 3 level again. Fortunately you don't need that to be playoff contenders.
I am glad that it was pointed out that he covers for an average o-line. I do think the individual player recap was good with this. It's not the worst line in the league, but it's not top 5 caliber either. They have less depth this year though and it's a real concern. I expect a line that if it were easier to rank would be in the 12 - 18 range.
As to the defense, I do think it will get better but I'm not sure Andy touched on what I think are more key issues. Tramon Williams isn't going to be playing with unhealed nerve damage like he was last year. It doesn't seem to be common knowledge that he essentially has the same issue they keep talking about with Peyton Manning. He had one arm at about 30% strength most of last season. Reports out of training camp seem to indicate that it's probably about 90% of what it was in 2010 right now on that arm. So he should play better, but I doubt the rebound will be his 2010 levels. But I don't think they'll be 20th in the league defending opposing #1 WRs (14.1% DVOA as opposed to -29.2 and -23.5 in 09 and 10) like they were last year.
I'm not sure Sam Shields is going to be more than the dime back now. House and Bush have both been outplaying him in camp and Heyward is coming up fast. This is a good sign for improvement too because this is only Shields 4th year as a corner (he was a WR for 3 years in college and never played defense in high school) so it's easy to believe that he is getting better. I don't think Capers can afford to cover for any CB by just allowing him to run down the field with a guy like he did in 2010 with Shields and we saw what happened to him in 2011 when he was given more to do, but it seems Shields is better than in 2011 and will likely lose his job anyway. So CB play should get better from Williams recovering from injury and some player being better than Shields was in 2011, even if Woodson declines some.
I think the pass rush will get better, but not drastically. Perry was the top SackSeer prospect this year but he's changing positions, and while they are keeping him limited and had Clay swap sides again, it's not an easy thing to do. Though Perry has dropped 10 pounds from his draft weight (which was up from him college playing weight as he was expecting to be a 4-3 DE not a 3-4 LB). I do think Raji will get better, but some of that is because they are planning to have him on the field less. But that only works if Worthy, Daniels, Neal, Wilson, or Wynn can step up enough.
They still have poor linebackers outside Matthews. Bishop was worse than Hawk in pass coverage if I'm reading the FO stats right, and was ranked in the low 80's in the league in coverage stats that FO tracks. Their DVOA of 12.8 and 23.2 vs Tight ends (22nd and 26th in the league) the last two years seems to bear this out too as the linebackers are usually covering the tight ends. I don't expect Perry to boost this either based on the position shift.
So while I do think they will get a bit more pressure, which will help all facets of their defense, they have issues. In 2010 the decent pass rush and the safeties were able to allow Shields to be one dimensional which was the key weakness of that defense. In 2011 the weaker pass rush meant that Shields was asked to be a more complete player and he wasn't up to the task, then you add in Williams injury and the loss of Collins and you had a fairly week secondary while also needing to try and do things to help the pass rush. With having a slightly better secondary and pass rush this year, Capers might be able to scheme up enough to help whichever turns out to be weaker. So I think you can have a situation where some small improvements in a couple of units produce a synergy that makes the overall improvement larger. So I think they can bounce back to being an average NFL D.
Another thing they do have is true stars on both sides of the ball. Matthews is the real deal, and even just a slight improvement from any other pass rushing facet will give him a big boost. The secondary is allowed to gamble some and they do get turn overs. So while I think they will end up being mostly an average D, the system that allows them to gamble a bit more should still help them produce a healthy amount of turn overs and the D will look above average. But they will still get burned by things that have burned them since 2009. A QB who is on his game will still be able to carve out big plays (see Big Ben and Kurt Warner in 2009, Favre and Brady in 2010, just about anyone in 2011). The run defense is still vulnerable to a team that has a couple of good blockers that are able to get the to second level just a couple of times because the backers are still poor at shedding blocks, or a running back who has good cut back skills.
A consistently good to excellent offense has always helped the D, as the games have at worst been close, so there has nearly always been some urgency on the other team, and as mentioned they allow the secondary to gamble and have some good ball hawking type players back there, so the GB offense tends to get a few extra opportunities.
The formula works, and it will continue to work. The front office is very good at managing the cap, so that when a star is found they can keep them for most, if not all, of their peak, and they let role players go and replace them with other role players to try and up the chances of landing another "playmaker". NE does this too. Keep guys for rookie and maybe one more contract if they are above average (say a 6 on a 1-10 scale) or worse, but good or better get paid so that there are a few positions that just don't need to be worried about for a few years so you can 'throw more at the wall and keep what sticks'.
So yes I expect them to stay good to great for many years but like all teams in the salary cap era there are holes. It won't always be easy to exploit those issues and they should remain a team that beats itself more than it gets beat, but the random factors that football has mean that dynasty level is still not likely. To be fair I think NE over the last 10-12 years was good enough to wear that title. 3-2 in Super Bowl's over a 11 year span and only one year with less than 10 wins. Yes you can call that a dynasty. Green Bay is on that path but they aren't there.
Due to Williams' injury and Shields' "suckitude", as well as the safeties' inability to understand each other, Capers could not play press coverage, which happens to be the speciality of this defense, and which also led to huge cushions all year. At least it seems as if the #1 CB will be able to put his hands on the opposite receiver, which is bound to help. It still remains to be seen if the opposite outside CB will not be a complete liability playing press, and if the safeties will understand the concept of not jumping every pump fake and double move, but it's far from a certain thing.
What is also far from certain is the improvement in the pass rush. Yes, they seem to have taken the necessary steps in the right direction, with the addition of a pass rusher drafted before the 7 round, and with explosive defensive lineman, that figure to at least allow Raji to not have to play 95% of the snaps. But what we know so far is that if you double team Matthews, the QB will have all day to throw.
They're terrific at forcing turnovers, ending in the top 3 every year since Dom Capers took over, and as you so eloquently said, that aspect, coupled with the outstanding offense, was good enough to win 15 games last season.
The article does sugarcoat all the problems in the team though, and only 1 season with postseason victory (though it went all the way) does not lend any credit towards the "dynasty" mantra.
However it's like you said, in this era, this is as close as it gets to perfection. Only 8 losses in 37 games, with only 1 of those by more than 1 possession is a very good indicator of level of performance. I don't believe even the most fervent Bears or Vikings fan will deny this team has as good a chance of winning it all, this year and the next few, as any other in the league.
That's the extent one can go right now, without any games played. There is good reasoning behind the dynasty talk, and as I homer fan I fully support it and expect it, but right now it's hyperbole.
Capers also needs to figure out how to stop delayed routes by TEs and RBs. So there's also that pretty big issue that didn't get corrected at any point last year, Eli Manning will attest to that. Something that doesn't involve benching Hawk, because that's not gonna happen.
It'll never happen, but I'd like to see the area of allowed contact on receivers expanded to 10 yards, so as to make offensive line play more important. The game is just too dependent on one position for my tastes; it's not as bad as the mediocre NHL team with the hot goalie in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but it is moving in that direction.
Yes, this Vikings fan had the same sentiment in 2009, when they were getting great qb play.
I think 10 would push it too far in the other direction. Maybe 7 or 8, but that would be extremely hard to officiate.
Overall, I agree that something has to be done. The way the league is going, within 20 years the scores will resemble arena football.
I think relaxing the illegal contact rules is one step, but an easier, more necessary one would be to start calling more offensive holding.
Sadly, with ratings going up and up, I doubt the league ever wants to let go of the offense-heavy trend it is now in.
You really can't enforce holding more without subjecting the qb to A LOT more hits, and that'll really never happen, for a pretty good reason. Making it easier to cover receivers at least provides the qb with the option of throwing the ball away, while also increasing the incentive to run the ball.
Like I said, though, it'll never happen, because easy passing yardage makes for higher ratings. You and I are at odds with the majority of football fans.
That's a good point about the increased hits.
I will say, is there really evidence that TV ratings are tied to scoring. It makes sense, but while the overall viewers have increased, the overall ratings I think are about the same as they were in the 80-90's, and if they are lower, it may have to do with just more options now. Each year, teh number of viewers just increase. This past NFC TItle Game was the 3rd most viewers for any NFC Title Game ever, and going in people knew it wasn't going to be high scoring. I would love to see some research on if increased offense actually helps ratings or revenues.
The other economic factor may be that it makes more marketing sense to promote 5 to 10 superstar qbs, while making offensive linemen even more anonymous and interchangeable.
There is absolutely ZERO evidence for this, you're right. It's sad that the NFL (and the networks) think like this, though. The NFL's popularity is nothing to do with rules tweaks and such. Instead, it has to do with cultural and social dynamics that are based more on marketing and lifestyle shifts than anything that some competition committee came up with.
There is absolutely ZERO evidence for this, you're right. It's sad that the NFL (and the networks) think like this, though. The NFL's popularity is nothing to do with rules tweaks and such. Instead, it has to do with cultural and social dynamics that are based more on marketing and lifestyle shifts than anything that some competition committee came up with.


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Revised by Joey Williamson, HGIC Horticulture Extension Agent, Clemson University, 09/15. Originally prepared by Karen Russ, HGIC Horticulture Specialist, and Bob Polomski, Extension Consumer Horticulturist, Clemson University. New 3/99. Images added 04/07.
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Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is one of the most beautiful vines of the South. It covers fences and trees in open woodlands and along roadsides throughout the Southeast with its slender vines and bright yellow flowers. It is the state flower of South Carolina.
Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is South Carolina's state flower.
Karen Russ, ©2007 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Carolina jessamine grows to 20 feet or more when grown as a vine. It can also be grown as a ground cover, maintained with a yearly cutting in late spring after flowering to 3 feet or less.
This vine's growth rate is moderate, growing rapidly once established or with rich soil and adequate water.
Sweetly scented, golden yellow flowers cover the cascading, fine textured foliage from February to April. The trumpet-shaped blooms have 5 lobes, are 1 to 1½ inches long, and are attractive to both butterflies and bumblebees. The shiny evergreen leaves are 1 to 3 inches long on 10-to-20-foot tall vines.
Carolina jessamine is easy to grow. It is attractive on an arbor where the slender branches hung with yellow flowers can be seen from below. This plant will stay in scale and can be used on decks and porches and near patios and entryways. It is good in containers and as a ground cover along steep banks to help control erosion.
Carolina jessamine tolerates either full sun or partial shade. Flowering is more prolific and foliage growth is denser in full sun.
This vine is very adaptable and will grow in a variety of conditions. For best results, plant it in rich, well-drained soil. Moist soil is ideal, but the vine is able to withstand periods of drought once established. Carolina jessamine grows well in USDA Zones 6 to 9.
Plant from containers during cool fall weather; space plants 3 feet apart as a ground cover, and 4 to 8 feet apart for fence or trellis climbers.
Fertilize while the plant is actively growing with moderate amounts of a slow-release, balanced fertilizer, such as a 12-6-6. Do not overfeed, since excessive fertilizer can reduce flowering.
Older vines that become top heavy or sparse can be pruned back to a few feet above ground level after flowering. Remove dead or broken branches and shape the plant each year after bloom. Mow groundcovers every few years to maintain density.
'Pride of Augusta' is a double-flowered selection of Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens).
Karen Russ, ©2007 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Swamp jessamine (Gelsemium rankanii), also known as Rankin's jessamine, is a native southeastern species. Unlike Carolina jessamine, it flowers heavily both in fall as well as in spring. Flowers may even appear sporadically during warmer days of winter. This species has yellow flowers that are identical to the Carolina jessamine, but the flowers are not fragrant. Swamp jessamine will tolerate periods of water-logged soils, but once established is also a very drought tolerant plant. It grows best in USDA Zones 7 to 9.
All parts of this plant are very poisonous. The sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Children can be poisoned by sucking the nectar from the flowers. Insects or diseases are rarely a problem on Carolina jessamine. Deer and rabbits will not eat it.
Page maintained by: Home & Garden Information Center
This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. All recommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status of registration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Follow all directions, precautions and restrictions that are listed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gravity filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron regrets making Great Expectations adaptation
Gravity helmer Alfonso Cuaron says it was a mistake that he made an adaptation of Charles Dickens' the Great Expectations.hollywood Updated: Nov 21, 2013 19:39 IST
Gravity helmer Alfonso Cuaron says it was a mistake that he made an adaptation of Charles Dickens' the Great Expectations.
The 51-year-old filmmaker took on the task of modernising the classic story in 1998, but was extremely hesitant about taking on the project, especially after his success with critically acclaimed film The Little Princess, in 1995, said the Hollywood Reporter.
"I got a bit engaged in the machinery. I forgot that I used to do my own stuff, and I became this reader of screenplays that they were sending to me. And I started forgetting that I had a voice. It started to become more about the industry," Cuaron said.
"And then I did a film that was a horrible experience, Great Expectations. That is a film that I should have not done. I passed many times, and then I ended up saying yes for the wrong reasons," he added.


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Can we talk about how much we love denim? Classic, comfortable, and oh-so-cool, denim is a timeless wardrobe staple. But one thing we really love about denim is that it's endlessly adaptable to new looks. You can easily jazz up sexy skinnies for a night out, or make classic-cut jeans look smart for those dress down days at work – and they're perfect for just about everything in between too.
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Grey jeans are a must this season, and we've picked the boldest and sexiest pair we could find. These V by Very High Waisted Biker Jeans are effortlessly cool and the distressed thighs will definitely make you stand out in a crowd – for all the right reasons! To round out the biker-chic look, pair them with a leather jacket and some black, heeled boots and you'll feel like the ultimate rock and roll diva.
One of 2016's big fashion stories has been the ruffle – seen everywhere this year on bohemian blouses and dramatic dresses. Now it's denim's time to rock that trend. These High Rise Frill Hem Jeans from V by Very balance a high waist with a flared ruffle hem to get the perfect proportions. Keep this season's boho story going by pairing these with your favourite pair of stilettos and a cropped blouse and you're absolutely on trend.
These are just a few selections – we've got loads more in all shapes, styles and sizes. Take a look at the Littlewoods New Season Denim Guide styling tips, sizing advice, and of course for more delicious denim to add to your wardrobe this Autumn!


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|Bejoy Ks <bejoy.had...@gmail.com>
|Re: Processing compressed files in Hadoop
|Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:33:12 GMT
Hi Leo You can index the LZO files as //Run theLZO indexer on files in hdfs LzoIndexer indexer = new LzoIndexer(fs.getConf()); indexer.index(filePath); Regards Bejoy.K.S On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 11:26 PM, Tim Broberg <email@example.com> wrote: > Leo, splittable bzip is available > ...in versions > 0.21 - https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HADOOP-4012 > ...or as a patch for 1.0.0, to be included in 1.1.0 - > https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HADOOP-7823 > > There is a 48-bit signature in the bzip header, and they search for this > at all bit alignments. > > It's not fast, but it's there. > > - Tim. > > ________________________________________ > From: email@example.com [firstname.lastname@example.com] On Behalf Of > Leonardo Urbina [email@example.com] > Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2012 9:39 AM > To: firstname.lastname@example.com > Subject: Processing compressed files in Hadoop > > Hello everyone, > > I run a daily job that takes files in a variety of different formats and > process them using several custom InputFormats which are specified using > MultipleInputs. The results get aggregated into a single SequenceFile. > Furthermore this SequenceFile is used as part of the input for the next > day's job. I run all of this in Amazon's EMR. Now, I would like to be able > to use compression in order to save on storage, however after looking > around online I have hit some dead ends: > > 1) I would like to compress my input files, and Hadoop gives me three > choices: gzip, bzip2 and LZO. I want to steer away from gzip and bzip2 as > they cannot be made splittable. LZO on the other hand can be indexed, > however as far as I could tell, I would be forced to use LzoTextInputFormat > in order to get Hadoop to properly decompress and read the files. Most of > my input cannot use TextInputFormat (my inputs include multi-line records, > XML files, among other things). My question is, is it possible to use LZO > with custom InputFormats? > > 2) I am also interested in compressing the output SequenceFile. I know this > can be done by setting > > FileOutputFormat.setCompressOutput(conf, true) > > If I were using TextOutputFormat, the output would be a gzipped text file. > However, being a SequenceFile it seems to be internally compressed and the > compression scheme is not immediately apparent to me. Is it possible to > specify LZO as the compression? Also, since I will be using the output as > part of the next input, do I need to index the output as a separate task? > And finally, when I specify the input format for the next day (and this > goes back to my first question), what InputFormat should I specify? I > haven't been able to find something like LzoSequenceInputFormat or anything > of the like. > > Am I missing something? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Best, > -Leo > > -- > Leo Urbina > Massachusetts Institute of Technology > Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science > Department of Mathematics > firstname.lastname@example.com > > The information and any attached documents contained in this message > may be confidential and/or legally privileged. The message is > intended solely for the addressee(s). If you are not the intended > recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, or > reproduction is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are > not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately by > return e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. >
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text: I've seen this reported elsewhere; if the xemacs maintainer has vanished, perhaps someone could grab the debian sources and rebuild a non-maintainer release using the 3.3 libs? Or at least look into the problem? (Xemacs has more dependencies on X than emacs does -- the current emacs works fine with the 3.3 libs even though it was built against 3.2...) -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to firstname.lastname@example.com . Trouble? e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com .


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The SMB Manager's Guide to Backup's in a Virtual World
Virtualization has changed the way people interact with technology throughout today's enterprise. Most every company is at least aware of virtualization, while many have widely adopted the technology across all facets of their business. But different IT departments have varying requirements, and a solution that benefits one company may not be worthwhile to the next.
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Qualcomm demonstrates 24-core ARM server SoC
by Jeff Kampman — 9:55 AM on October 9, 2015 Qualcomm is making a move on the server market. Yesterday, the company took the wraps off its Server Development Platform (or SDP), a system based on a 24-core ARMv8-A SoC. The SDP is aimed at "hyperscale data center customers" and infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service, big data, and machine-learning workloads. Qualcomm says it's sampling SDPs to "tier-one data centers" now. The 24-core prototype chip inside the SDP doesn't have a catchy name, but Qualcomm says it's built on a FinFET process and includes server-class PCIe and storage interconnects. The company demonstrated the SDP with a software stack including a KVM Linux hypervisor, OpenStack DevStack, and guest Linux distributions running Apache and WordPress. Qualcomm says commercial versions of the SDP SoC will use a…
Link to Full Article: Qualcomm demonstrates 24-core ARM server SoC
Qualcomm demonstrates 24-core ARM server SoC


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I would like to know how to select text in a text area by pressing Tab key on the keyboard instead of just getting the Tab char inserted in my text.
I'm using NetBeans IDE and made a simple interface for my program.
I've got a menu bar and a text area. I've assigned a keyboard shortcut for the button on a menu bar. When it's set to "Ctrl" + [something] everything works fine, but when I set it to "TAB" it just inserts a tab in my text.
By pressing a button on the menu bar, the action gets performed.
How to solve this?


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Sang D'Amour
Silver droplets of moonlight shone and clung to a cascading waterfall of waist length, raven hair, hung limply around a crumpled figure. The deep midnight sky was clear and constellations twinkled like diamonds in a vast velvet cloak. The air was warm and an easternly wind lightly shook the trees, leaving the leaves dancing and the grasses singing but there was tension in the atmosphere. Dark beauty and mystery were presences so deeply felt, you could inhale them with every breath you took. The crumpled figure, clad in black, stirred slightly in a pool of crimson blood. A thin, slightly built girl lay on the cold, damp ground in an empty alleyway, her delicate features badly bruised while the shiny deep red liquid continued to pour from her open wounds. Her black lace corset had been slashed and her skirt lay in shreds. Long deep, clean cuts covered her arms and upper body. Claw marks, red and raised, crisscrossed over her exposed breasts. Some beast had violated this girl and left her for dead in a foreboding side street. What devilry was here? What monster was this?
Dust swirled around the half dead body with the sudden change and strong gust of wind. The young woman whimpered, having not the strength to do much more. Her eyelids fluttered but she was so weak from loss of blood she could do little else. The street lamps flickered as a dark male appeared and began to approach the bundle of flesh and blood.
He was tall and thin, with golden hair so fair it was almost white. His skin was pale but looked even more so against the contrast of his black attire. A sleeveless black shirt was pulled tight over a well formed body. He moved with the grace of a dancer, floating rather then walking. The spring in his step demonstrated athletic agility. He had the look of one that should not be trifled with. Piercing silver eyes took in the scene that lay before him.
A beautiful girl, about his age, sixteen or so, lay alone on the cold, hard ground. Jet black hair, the most wondrous he's ever seen blew in the breeze and lay in tangles over her tattered clothing. Her tanned skin was covered in blood and open wounds. She lay still and lifeless, as if dead. He knew this girl.
"Oh mon Dieu!" he breathed. His voice so soft and silky it was almost music like. It could charm and entrance any who heard it. Thus was but one of his hypnotic charms. He threw himself to his kneels beside the girl. "Lucia! Lucia can you hear me? Please answer."
The girl's eyes flickered open so faintly it was like watching a candle in the wind, to reveal violet eyes, as bright and beautiful as the rarest amethysts.
"Asher . . ." she whispered. Her strength gave out and her eyes closed once more.
"Non!" he gasped. "Don't leave me."
Without thinking he fumbled with the pendent about his neck, breaking the chain that held it in his haste. The pendent was a vile of a dark liquid of sorts. The vile was glass, inset in pewter with dragons and pentacles interwoven around the flask. A ruby had been carefully carved by a master craftsman into a cork to contain the contents. Yanking the ruby from the vile, he poured the liquid down Lucia's throat, carelessly dripping the remaining drops onto her blood red lips.
"Sourdre de sang restore Lucia with le sang d'amour. With the blood of my body bring her back to me." he commanded.
Collecting her fragile body into his arms he waited. In the silvery light of the moon, her coffee coloured skin seemed to glow, perhaps it was nothing but the light in his eyes that shone for her only but even in mortal standards, she was a beauty. To him, she was a goddess, even bathed in blood she remained so. Resting an elegant hand on her cheek, he covered one of the more severe gnashes. Beneath his touch, the wound closed and the blood disappeared. This was the healing power of a vampire at work. The bond between a vampire and their human servant allowed this magic to exist. The girl's eyes opened slowly. You could see the life returning to her body reflected in those sparkling purple eyes. The male vampire, Asher, breathed in relief and smiled.
"Asher." she murmured, struggling to sit up.
"Shhh, shhh, be still. You are still recovering from the healing spell."
Bewilderment crept onto her face and she frowned. A start of recollection sprung tears to her eyes.
"What were you doing wandering alone? I told you I wouldn't be more then a few hours." he said.
"I . . ." she began but stopped when she caught sight of the empty vile still clutched in the vampire's hand. She gasped. The colour draining from her face. " Asher, please tell me you did not use your lifeblood on me." Seeing in the answer in his eyes, she groaned and layed back once more. A vampire wore a vile of his own blood on him at all times. This was his sang de vie; his lifeblood. To let another drink of this blood, even if it was for healing, would give their life unto them; it was to become one. This vile could only be drunk once, one person could receive one vampire's lifeblood. Normally it was used in matrimonial ceremonies and this she knew. Fixing her gaze on his face she tried to speak, but her throat tightened and no words come out.
"Hush Lucia," he said, pulling her tighter to him, "no more of this. We need to get you out of here."
Too tired and weak to argue, she leaned back against his chest as he rose and carried her away to safety into the dark night.
Bright rays of sunlight warmed and awoken Lucia from her deep slumber. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she looked around at her surroundings to find herself in her own room. The comfort and familiarness of her chamber relieved her. Perhaps the events of last night, still hazy in her mind's eye, had been nothing more then a dream. She rose to find herself in a torn and filthy dress. Crusted, dry blood flaked off the garment as she peeled the thing off. Then the memories flooded in. Asher. She threw on another dress and ran down the stairs into the darkened lower level.
Asher lay asleep on the couch. His fair hair tousled and his clothes stained with blood; her blood. He stirred as he heard the stairs creak from her bare feet padding along the wooden stairs. Opening his eyes, he fixed his lazy stare on his girlfriend coming towards him. He half sat up and, seeing her distress, welcomed her into his arms. She cuddled up close to him, resting her head upon his chest. To the mortal world, they were an unusually beautiful couple who had been together forever and kept to themselves. Most humans regarded them with pity, for as far as they were concerned, she had been living alone in her house since her parents had died less then a year ago. He had moved in with her to escape abusive parents and both were living on student welfare. This tale suited the both of them fine and insured that they were left alone.
"Are you well?" Asher asked, nesting his chin into Lucia's thick mane, feeling as if he had rested his head on a satin cushion.
"Shaken," she half smiled, "but I'll be ok. That alleyway is usually neutral territory though so I thought I'd be fine." She shuttered, remembering the beast's cold hands roaming her body and his cruel lips feeding off her skin. She trembled slightly even now in the safety of Asher's arms. "I never knew that goblins would be roaming so close to our circle."
"He should have never taken one of ours." he said fiercely.
"Goblin rapes are not uncommon in these parts." she whispered sadly, as the tears fell once more. Normally tears embarrassed her and she would show no one but she shed them freely now, so great was her terror. Her fear out weighted her anger and the overwhelming sense of helplessness was too much for her to bear.
"Hush," Asher murmured soothingly, planting a kiss on her soft forehead. All the wounds on her body he had since healed. "No more."
"Why did you give me your sang de vie?" she asked.
"Do you not remember?" he said surprised. "You died. I could not leave you. It was the only way to save you."
"But we are now bound as one."
"We were bound before." he reminded her.
"Not like this." Lucia lifted her gaze to meet his.
"No," he said softly, "you are right, not like this. But we were one long before you drank of me. We were one since the very start. It was always more then vampire and human slave."
"I am not human. And you are half demon yourself." she smiled.
"I know Dark One." he smiled back. "Your elven blood makes what we have stronger. Dark elves are intoxicating. From the minute your blood touched my lips, I knew I had found my other half. The goblin will pay for the crime he committed mon sang d'amour. I will avenge your shame."
"He has had me, Asher. My heart and blood may be yours, but my body is his according to our law. Any of The Circle elders will tell you so. I am a slave to two masters." she whispered through her tears. She could still feel hot breath down her neck and see his sadistic smile. Her wrist still ached from where he had grasped her and though they were healed, she could feel the ghost pain of bruises on her hips. The feeling of helplessness would not leave her anytime soon. She shivered. His moans would haunt her dreams for a while yet. She had felt like a whore, even worse, an object to be used and thrown away. Asher would never do such a thing to her, but still she shied away from his caress. She had always been afraid of the opposite sex, terrified in fact, until she had met Asher. And now that phobia surfaced again with greater reason then ever before. Would her Asher do that to her? Could he?
"You are no slave of mine. You are of my blood." he promised, seeing the look in her eyes and feeling the tremble in her touch.
"Even so, until the curse is lifted, I cannot be yours."
"So be it." Asher swore, determination hard set into his voice. "He shall die upon my knife for he has taken my blood love from me. You will be mine."
Her lips met his and his mouth filled with the taste of blood.
Lucia and Asher rarely showed up for class at the local secondary school. As long as they passed all their courses and kept out of trouble with the law and school, they remained eligible for student welfare. The two knew how to keep a low profile and took care to maintain one. They cut classes during the day but were to attend the formal dance that evening; a social event where they would mingle with their own kind. Human kind unknowingly socialized with other creatures in human form. Most of Lucia and Asher's kind either kept with their kind or kept to themselves. On the rare occasion that they did interact; it was a big even indeed. Each individual was dressed to impress and strutted a choreographed routine, to catch the eyes of all.
The humans were a mass of soap smelling bodies, clothed in an array of materials and powered in a rainbow of paints to bring out the female's eye colour or the curve of her lip. The fearie folk floated amongst the dancers, their auras glowing, moving with waterlike grace, clothed in pastels and smelling of new fallen rain. The shadow people blended in with the night sky; they glided with a dark and secretive course, weaving in and out of shadow and light. Silk and velvet clad, they took on the forms of the dance floor seductress, the community in the back corner of the shadows or the mystifying couple alone near the edge of the band's stage. The air rippled with excitement, music filled ears and beat against your ribs. Multicoloured lights danced in each eye. It was party atmosphere in every respect. These were the youths on the brink of adulthood spreading their winds to fly amongst the critical eye of real world society.
The skirts of Lucia's midnight purple, renaissance style dress swept the floor with each gliding step. She danced in and out of the crowd, politely smiling and acknowledging the people she knew as she headed toward the back corner. Asher was less sociable. His fair hair had been neatly brushed back, handsomely complimenting his black, silk dress shirt. He watched the light from the disco ball flicker in Lucia's hair worn lose, long and flowing down her back, like a hunter watches his prey. He clung to her fingers, allowing her to guide him off the dance floor.
He smiled, content. As a rule he didn't like people, but seeing Lucia glow as this type of atmosphere did, made him relax and let down his guard a little. His rare social appearances were always remembered by all in attendance for his party boy reputation. He knew how to have a good time. He had been a wild creature of the night until she had tamed his wild soul and doused the raging fire that fuelled his searching heart.
A dark couple stood in the shadows by the wall. Her golden hair fell about her Elizabethan dress in lustrous waves. Her pale skin glowed with a moonlike aura. She was tall and thin but did not possess the grace most shadow people displayed. Her mate was taller then she, with a ruffled 1800th century silk shirt. His hair was cut short, leaving his face exposed to shadows and emerald eyes were fixated on the girl. Their heads were bent in deep conversation and the girl was waving her arms about in animated frustration. Her partner was trying, unsuccessfully, to calm her down. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt once Asher and Lucia came into view, dancing their way through the throng to greet them.
"Mon amis!" Asher called gaily, hurrying towards them, his girlfriend hanging onto his arm. "Jeremy! Ela! I thought you would be here."
"It's been far too long elf." the faerie girl laughed, embracing Lucia.
"Who's have thought the faerie and the dark elf lordling would have lasted so long Ela." her friend teased.
"Well it won't for long if Jer doesn't get his act together." the faerie complained not bothering to mask her annoyance. "There's a new guy at our school he's one of us, I can tell. Jer and him have gotten all buddy buddy but there's something not right about him."
"You're just jealous that he's more fun than you." Jeremy scowled. Ela smacked him lightly on the arm. They made an odd couple, always at each other's throats. They had been in denial for the longest time about their feelings for one another and even now, those emotions sometimes went unexpressed. They fought over the most insignificant details but strangely enough were perfectly happy together. A friendship had developed into something more and now was recognized as an unholy alliance; no one double crossed these two. They were allowed to insult the other, but heaven help the outsider who stepped in. They were two fighters from hell itself with razor sharp tongues; their words were their weapons.
There was a tension between the faerie and the lordling, had it been between the vampire and his mate, things would be easily resolved. An exchange of blood or something physical relieved most tensions. Such were the ways of vampire lust. The faerie folk (elves and faeries) were known to have less physical relationships; their words were the keys to the other's heart. Creative and poetic expressions of love were common. Vampires fed off physical contact. The sharing of blood was seen as highly symbolic and romantic. If it could be helped, a vampire was rarely not connected with their lover, either in embrace of or in the joining of hands. Love, lust, hate, it was all the same to the shadow peoples.
"Come ma cherie," Asher said, standing behind Lucia and putting his arms around her, "mes amis will you join in our dance?"
Casting one reluctant glare at Jer, Ela allowed her mate to lead her to the dance floor. Weaving through crowds of people, they formed their own circle under the disco ball. Laughter broke the tension as each body moved to the rhythm of the blaring music. The girls twirled in a whirlwind of billowing silken skirts while their partners competed for the better dance moves.
"That's him," Ela whispered in Lucia's ear, "that's the new guy."
Lucia's eyes followed where her faerie friend had pointed. Lighting up the dance floor, surrounded by a cheering group of humans, a well built, average height male, strutted his attractive dance moves in front of all the girls. His tousled flame red hair was plastered to his brow by beads of sweat. He moved not with the shadow people's fluid motions but with human grace. Despite his human like characteristics, it was evident by the gleam in his sapphire eyes that he was not. Each move he made was captivating, his rhythmic presence was hypnotizing. Almost every eye was drawn to this boy. He flashed a smile of perfect pearls, he knew of the power he held and was enjoying every minute of it. A mischievous sparkle in his spring sky blue eyes burned with the fires of passion, each move, each step fuelled by his lust. She knew this stranger, she had encountered this shadow previously.
"Lucia!" Ela exclaimed as the elf maiden's legs no longer supported her delicate body. The two boys rushed to catch her limp figure.
"Ma petite," Asher said as Lucia slowly regained composure, "what's wrong?"
"Who is the new guy?" she asked shakily.
"Who? Stephen?" Jer answered. "What's wrong? Do you know him?"
Lucia couldn't find her voice, she merely nodded. Asher pulled her to him and Ela patted her comfortingly on the back. They didn't have a clue what was going on or what had startled Lucia so, they thought nothing of it.
"Lucia . . ?" But she didn't hear the worried tone in Asher's voice. She didn't hear his voice at all. Normally his soft words hypnotized her, enveloping her and securing her focus on him alone. Normally, it would be only him. Presently, everything and everyone seemed to fade away into a hazy background. The room hummed and swayed. She stood alone in a fog of colour.
"Come to me . . ." a voice murmured seductively inside her head. "Come to me . . ."
In a daze, she surveyed the room for the owner of the voice. Her enchanted body followed the melodic voice. The room melted away leaving only the stranger with the richly coloured hair in the centre of her world. He was her master. He was calling to her.
"Come to me . . . You are mine. Come to me . . ."
"Lucia!" Ela called, running after her friend. Jer held her back, casting a confused look at his vampire companion.
"That's him." Asher said, rooted to the ground.
"Who?" Jer asked softly.
"The goblin." he whispered to no one in particular. "Her master. The son of a bitch who raped her last night and left her to die in the street."
"Come to me." The red haired figure standing shrouded in the foggy mists of mystery. "You are mine. Come to me."
Lucia walked through a dream to follow the voice. There was a clear path to her mater; nothing and no one stood in her way. He was beckoning to her. She waded through a sea of colour, a rainbow thicket to reach him. He was a stranger, yet it was as if she had known him her whole life. Something grabbed her, trying to pull her back, but onward she walked, yielding to the captivating powers of the stranger. He was every breath she took, he was all she saw, he was all around her. She found her arms outstretched, reaching for him, welcoming him like a child.
He pulled the girl to him planting a lingering kiss on her parted lips. Asher screamed in anger but was not heard by his mate. The girl trembled under her captors touch. He ran a finger with practised skill along her smooth bodice, desire raging in his eyes. How soft her skin was to his touch. Oh, how she rendered to the call of her master's body.
"You are mine." he growled. "You're body is mine."
"Master . . ." she breathed.
"No!" Asher cried out as the goblin escorted Lucia out of the school gymnasium.
The evening air was crisp and cool. Overcast, no moon nor stars could shine their light. It was cool enough to make Lucia shiver and cover her arms in prickly goose bumps. She walked so calmly, so naturally, so serenely, that anyone would have thought her to be a lovesick youth, walking in a dream with her significant other. His presence, she found was enticing, she could not keep her eyes off him. She was under his spell. He smiled lazily don at her an threaded a trail of kisses through her hair. His breath on her skin warmed her entire being.
"Not much further babe." he whispered along with other endearments as he steered her into a dimly lit park. Lucia could make out figures loitering by the street lamp's light. They had gathered in a circle, from within the circle, a voice called out to them and Stephen led her towards them.
They were all darkly dressed like some kind of street gang. Tough and unapproachable with their arms folded across their chests. A couple scandalously dressed girls hung off some of the more built members arms like decorations. A couple others were playing with cigarette lighters or carelessly handling shiny, silver bladed knives. They hung around, completely nonchalantly and laid back. This was their territory. They were at the top of the food chain here. There were not threats to their lifestyles. They owned the place and weren't afraid to show it. They were goblins; power hungry and sadistic. They were known to be perverts, bisexuals and the likes; anything to satisfy their thirsty lust. Of all the shadow people, they were the least friendly. They had their own hell reserved for their deadly sin of lust.
"The Lord Stephen has returned!"
One of the more muscular goblins sauntered forward to greet his comrade Stephen. He studied his friend's companion with little interest. He held her face in his hand studying it's precious features.
"She's good enough." he nodded his approval. "Show us what she can do."
"Come here baby" Stephen grinned to Lucia, leading her into the centre of the circle. He forced her down onto the damp ground, throwing himself down on top of her. She moaned in discomfort as he pushed his hips into a grind. The goblins around laughed and encouraged the sport. This was their pleasure, their entertainment.
The wind suddenly blew hard and cold. The night silenced save for the furious beating of wings. Asher's sleek black wing lowered him to the ground, kicking the goblin off Lucia as he did so. The goblins froze in shock, unaccustomed to being challenged. Asher's fury allowed him a couple good kicks before the red haired goblin retaliated to defend himself.
The battle began.
In a whirl of black wings, Asher circled the goblin. Then in a hurricane of motion, Stephen grabbed Asher's throat, Asher punched him in the nose. The goblin kicked him and sent him reeling backwards. Kicks and punches were thrown. The thud of bone blocking bone rang through the air. Blood ran like a river. They tore at each other's skin and clawed at their faces. They pinned each other to the ground and rolled in a desperate struggle of strength. They lunged and lashed. They fought tooth and nail. Just when it seemed one was about to lose, the tables turned in the other's favour. The other goblins held Lucia captive and she struggled to free herself and get their hands off her. Sweating and gasping for breath the two fought on. Covered in blood and dirt, their clothes were torn further as the battle raged on. The wind whipped around them surrounding them in a cage of dead leaves. Dodging in and out of the street light on nimble feet turned the battlefield into a stage.
"This girl is mine. Her body belongs to me." the goblin sneered.
"She is of my blood. You cannot have her." the other vowed.
Throwing himself onto the goblin, Asher tackled him to the ground. The two struggled but Stephen was weakened; he wouldn't last much longer. The vampire dug his fangs into the vein on the side of his neck sucking the life out of him. A small stream of blood trickled down the goblin's neck.
"Return the girl to me." the vampire snarled.
"She is yours," he choked, "if you live."
Goblins never play fair. They cheat when it becomes evident that they will lose. Stephen was one such creature. With a final exertion of strength, he took a silver blade from his boot and plunged it into Asher's ribs.
"Take that vamp." he laughed. "You'll have your girl; in the fires of hell. I can see your skin burning now. May death have pity on you."
And so he died. The goblins backed off the dying Asher, tending to their own loss.
"Asher!" Lucia cried kneeling beside him, taking his head in her arms. Carefully she freed the knife from it's temporary flesh sheath. "Stay with me Asher, please."
"Ma petite." he smiled, struggling to sit up. "You are mine. My sang d'amour."
"Asher, don't leave me."
"Jer's not going to be happy I slew his friend." he joked mildly. "Aw ma cherie, do not cry, silver kills vampires but I'm not all vampire." As he spoke, the incision the knife had created closed and the wound healed. He collapsed backwards, taxed of all remaining strength. He needed blood, fast.
"Here." Lucia offered, lying down on his chest. Offering her neck to his mouth she will his fangs to grip her flesh. She whimpered in pain as his teeth pierced her skin but she did not flinch. At first, he was too weak to suck from the punctured skin, merely allowing her blood to pour into his mouth and down his throat. As the blood revitalized him and brought the life back to his body, he began to drink deeply of the power she so freely gave. The warm fluid tasted bitter sweet as it flowed from her body to his lips. He sat up, sucking the last of the blood from the cut and licking it clean. She exhaled deeply as he ran his lips up her neck, over her face and meeting her lips. She turned to him yielding to his touch.
"Of my blood, I am yours." he murmured.
"Of my blood, I am thine." she answered.
They were one.
Asher pulled Lucia closer to him. She closed her eyes as he whispered sweet endearments her heart longed to hear. Longing washed over her so overpowering it scared her. She shuttered and pushed him away.
"Asher, no."
"What is it ma petite? What frightens you so?"
"I cannot be yours. I cannot be consumed in this way." she cried.
"The fires that consume you, consume me as well. We are one. The devil himself forged our souls together. The blood coursing through your veins flows through mine. It is your blood, my blood, our blood. You saved my life. I am your servant to do your will until the end of time. Do not turn from me now, not after all that we've been through. I will care for you as I care for my own self. Hush now. Do not fear me sang d'amour. What we share, nothing can break I am yours."
Fearfully, she looked up into his silver eyes, so sincere. He was her mate. The dark elf's body had forged into the vampire-demon's; they were one.
"Bring me home." she murmured, pulling her partner to her. His heart race in time with hers. "Worship the Goddess with me. What is forged in the darkness never dies. Come with me Asher."
She smiled as his lips pressed hard up against hers. She bit his lip, her mouth filling with the savoury taste of his blood. A tiny stream of her crimson soul trickled out of the side of his mouth.
"Sang d'amour. . ."