"Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. knows why Luvu's influence has waned. And it didn't make for encouraging listening, particularly among fans. Luvu was a sensation last season after he arrived for decent money in free agency from the Carolina Panthers. The former Washington State standout earned second-team All-Pro honors, forming an incredible second-level partnership with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner en route to becoming the beating heart of everything good on defense."
"People are treating him more like a big, so he's getting more protections turned to him getting more blocks by the tackles and the linemen other than the back where last year he got more of the back and that's what he has to, when you produce and you show what you did, have the type of season that he had last year you're going to be treated as such."
"This comes with the territory, and it's something all the elite defenders have to deal with. Luvu is a dynamic player who can change the tide of any game if afforded enough room to work. Teams are keying in on limiting his productivity. Whitt knows what the issue is, so he needs to find the correct answers to consistently free up one of his premier performers to do damage."
Frankie Luvu has shown a slower start to the season compared with his breakout All-Pro campaign. Opposing offenses are allocating more protections to Luvu, with tackles and linemen blocking him more often instead of backs. Last season Luvu earned second-team All-Pro honors and formed a dominant second-level partnership with Bobby Wagner. The increased attention has limited Luvu's ability to create disruption and changed how offenses game-plan. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. recognizes the issue and must identify schematic adjustments to free Luvu. Whitt's experience and motivation suggest adjustments are possible, but specific solutions remain unclear.
Read at Riggo's Rag
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