I don't buy it. It IS true that every really good D gets a larger portion of their good stats vs. weaker teams. Even the 15-1 85' bears can attest to that, having their worst defensive performance against the best offense they faced that year (Miami). It sounds as if you are saying that all things are equal this year, except the schedule is different which is a very simplistic way of looking at it. Our defense in general is unable to generate pressure with just the front 4, and this has been the case for a while now. This causes an issue in stopping teams on third down. This does not mean though that there will ever be (nor should be) an asterisk placed by their name for their 2004 stats. They were well earned and We were at or near the top in so many categories (Sacks, Turnovers, Yards, Points) that it cannot be ignored (IMO). The defense in 2004 was what it was. This is a new season and some things have changed while some have remained the same. Nobody EARLY last season thought we could even win vs. the Rams and Seahawks let alone beat the crap out of them.