Our Defence wont be top half this year - convince me otherwise

[sml1950]

The big problem for the D this year may be Norv Turner.  Shula was basically a drive 80 yards in small chunks and let the D rest while taking time off the clock.  The new O may be designed for bigger plays and quicker scores, leading to more time and possessions. 

[Carolina-Chuck18]

Bc when you subtract Charles Johnson, Worley and Coleman you immediately get better no matter what

[Cyberjag]

I get your logic, but you're making the assumption that Turner is going to run a quick-strike offense or something.  There's no reason why we won't still wait until there's 5 or less seconds on the play clock to snap the ball, although I imagine he may choose to mix it up a little more.  There are, on the other hand, a lot of reasons to be optimistic about us being able to move the ball better.  Last year we averaged 5.99 plays per drive, which was good for 10th in the league.  Our Time of Possession per drive, however was third.  You know who was first?  

Atlanta averaged six seconds more per drive than we did, and were first in the league.  With that said, they were only 14th in overall Time of Possession, because they didn't run the clock down every play like we did.  But they managed to run more plays than we did, and get more yards.  They were just better on offense than we were, and it showed in how long they chose to keep the ball.

With Olsen and Samuel back, Moore on the roster, and Turner on the sidelines you have every right to expect us to get at least a half a play more per drive improvement on 2017, right?  That's another 12 seconds per drive right there, which would have been better than Atlanta last year.  

Also, our Secondary is far, far better and the other changes of note are Poe instead of Star (upgrade) and Hall instead of CJ (who knows?).

Convince me we're NOT going to be in the top half.

[MHS831]

22 minutes ago, sml1950 said:

The big problem for the D this year may be Norv Turner.  Shula was basically a drive 80 yards in small chunks and let the D rest while taking time off the clock.  The new O may be designed for bigger plays and quicker scores, leading to more time and possessions. 

Excellent point.  I would like to add this: 

• We should have 3/4 safeties who are good enough to play. 
• I think we have 4-5 CBs who can play at a high level (not sure about Corn, but he is good; Bradberry will be better when not asked to cover the #1 or the speed WR). 
• We normally play 2 LBs--we have 3 (Luke is the QB--he stays on the field)
• But the front 4 is where the fatigue sets in.  At DE, Peppers will be Situational.  Horton and Addison will play a lot, but we can rotate in speed rusher Haynes and second-year Hall. 
• At DT, Short and Butler can play UT, Love, Poe can rotate in the NT position.

SO much depends on how well we rotate.  But this D has depth.

 

 

[gorillamilitia13]

Considering we were dead last in defense last 7 weeks of last season... I have a hard time disagreeing with OP. Secondary is sketch. DE’s are sketch.

[Woodie]

6 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Excellent point.  I would like to add this: 

• We should have 3/4 safeties who are good enough to play. 
• I think we have 4-5 CBs who can play at a high level (not sure about Corn, but he is good; Bradberry will be better when not asked to cover the #1 or the speed WR). 
• We normally play 2 LBs--we have 3 (Luke is the QB--he stays on the field)
• But the front 4 is where the fatigue sets in.  At DE, Peppers will be Situational.  Horton and Addison will play a lot, but we can rotate in speed rusher Haynes and second-year Hall. 
• At DT, Short and Butler can play UT, Love, Poe can rotate in the NT position.

SO much depends on how well we rotate.  But this D has depth.

 

 

Those speed receivers killed us last year.  The addition of Jackson in itself will make us a better defense...even with rookie mistakes.

[RumHam]

I think we will be top 10, as we will have a lot of sacks and can stop the run. We will give up a lot of home run balls. If teams are able to hold our line enough and there's no pressure generated, jesus watch out esp since we're supposedly going man to man. I think we have like the 26th ranked pass defense in the league this year. we will be fuged if we aren't up by more than 14 points with five minutes left.

[RumHam]

9 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Excellent point.  I would like to add this: 

• We should have 3/4 safeties who are good enough to play. 
• I think we have 4-5 CBs who can play at a high level (not sure about Corn, but he is good; Bradberry will be better when not asked to cover the #1 or the speed WR). 
• We normally play 2 LBs--we have 3 (Luke is the QB--he stays on the field)
• But the front 4 is where the fatigue sets in.  At DE, Peppers will be Situational.  Horton and Addison will play a lot, but we can rotate in speed rusher Haynes and second-year Hall. 
• At DT, Short and Butler can play UT, Love, Poe can rotate in the NT position.

SO much depends on how well we rotate.  But this D has depth.

 

 

Just because one person thinks this on the huddle, doesn't make it right. Poe and Short basically need to be in the backfield on every single third down.

[RumHam]

Just now, RumHam said:

Just because one person thinks this on the huddle, doesn't make it right. Poe and Short basically need to be in the backfield on every single third down.

At the same time i hope i'm wrong, i really do.

[MHS831]

Most Huddlers are down on Bradberry--he either had a bad year or he sucks. We say 2017 Coleman sucked or he is over the hill (at 29).  I have been trying to tell you that he (bradberry) neither had a bad year or sucks.  We blitzed more than all teams not named the Browns. 

Why did the Saints give Coleman a big contract?  They know that his drop off in productivity was based on the blitz-happy game planning. If anyone understood the strengths and weakness of our defense, it is New Orleans.

Coleman didn't suddenly start sucking.  Bradberry didn't either. Blitzing puts a lot of stress on the secondary.  In our division, we have 2 very smart QBs in Atlanta and New Orleans; we played one twice, the other three times--our record was not good (1-4).  We also played Rodgers, Brady,  Stafford, Wentz, and Keenum in 2017.  While we won most of them, they were close and we gave up too many yards.

Now consider that Bradberry will be asked to cover WRs that are more suited to his skill set.  He will not be taking on Julio Jones every play.   He has to get better, based on these factors alone.

[MHS831]

28 minutes ago, RumHam said:

Just because one person thinks this on the huddle, doesn't make it right. Poe and Short basically need to be in the backfield on every single third down.

Or wrong.  That is why the play the games, I suppose.  However statistically speaking, people get tired and defenses are part of people.  More specifically, DTs are part of defenses.  They need to be in the backfield every single third down, and third downs are part of the fourth quarter.  That is why we need a rotation--I agree with you, but we need to rotate so that we are fresh when the game is on the line.  Yelling "charge!" is not enough.

[Harbingers]

1 hour ago, Manther said:

Shula gave us a great defense... really?

Did you not read the post?

[Moo Daeng]

It should easily be in the top 10.  

[d-dave]

It certainly has the potential, but Washington is going to be the real key to it.  He's going to have to scheme and call the plays to let our guys be successful.  If we can play faster (simpler), then we can be really good.  I hope we're really good this year.