comes at the 1:20 mark of this highlight video.

As I watched this live, I remembered the criticisms that Lynch needs to "flail" a bit more to bring the hold to the refs' attention.

If this hold doesn't get a ref's attention, I don't know that any amount of flailing would.

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Niklas has been playing nearly exclusively with his hand on the ground rather than as an outside linebacker.

I don't know if the staff doesn't think he's mobile enough or just sees him as another viable body to help replace KLM, but I found it interesting that he's been playing so much on the line.

If he is a linemen going forward, that makes us incredibly deep at defensive end (KLM, Tuitt, Lynch, Hounshell, Niklas, Ishaq) and pretty thin at outside linebacker (Shembo, Spond, Councell). I suppose Ishaq will move back to OLB, but he's another guy that has been playing nearly exclusively as DE this year.

I updated the defensive snaps spreadsheet (only through the Navy game), for those that are interesting in seeing how many snaps everyone is playing. I know he's playing plenty of special teams, but only 3 snaps at corner for Josh Atkinson is a bit disappointing.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0Ahk5UIX_88iLdHpz...

When he's not going to get there, and put on a show. He instead keeps running the motor, and because he's not really in the play, the ref isn't seeing it.

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Sometimes I rhyme slow sometimes I rhyme quick.

Have no explanation for why it isn't called on him, though. Maybe he needs to do a better job with theatrics to bring attention to it.

But, based on my viewing, it's happening to Lynch far more than any player on our team or the teams we're playing. It's easy to notice because he gets some amount of pressure on nearly every snap.

It's no conspiracy, just frustrating because holding calls are usually drive killers.

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Or will these start getting called at some point? I have a hard time believing there's a nationwide conspiracy to thwart the effectiveness of Aaron Lynch

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He filled Tuitt's usual role as the standup nose tackle in obvious passing situations, and he pressured the QB at least a couple of times. Yet another reason to be very excited about the future of our DL/front seven.

Oh, and Lynch got held at least a half-dozen times without a single one called.

Also noticed that Lo Wood got a significant number of snaps during crunch time in the second half. Nice to see that defensive depth continues to be developed, with an eye toward 2012.