How much better can the Defense be?

[MrLocke]

I saw Marv on sports network called "The Score" here in Canada today and he said he thinks the D can be much better.

 

I attribute the demise last year almost entirely to the departure of Pat Williams. He and Sam Adams were easily able to keep our linebackers clean due to their size and strength.

 

I think will still have one of the best backs 7s in the league assuming Spikes comes back fine off of the injury, but worry that this will be irrelevant if we do not get good play from our interior d-line. I say this because I even think last year we had a great back 7, but a horrible D.

 

Anyway I am looking for reasons to be optimistic. Please give them to me because I just don't see them.

[Hardy Pyle]

I was at the gym and saw that, but couldn't hear because there was no volume. What else was said? Seemed like a good interview.

[MrLocke]

I was at the gym and saw that, but couldn't hear because there was no volume. What else was said? Seemed like a good interview.

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He likened the switch from being a coach to a GM to being a teacher and ebcoming a principal.When you are the coach you are right in there with the players just like the teacher is with the students.

 

He said when Mularkey resigned (I hope I got that right) that that gave hima challenge right of the bat.

 

He said he thinks the D can be much better and the o-line is the biggest cause for concern.

[Simon]

I attribute the demise last year almost entirely to the departure of Pat Williams.

It was definitley a huge factor as I think he'd been the most important player on our defense for about the last 5 years. But there's some other factors that you can't dismiss:

The loss of Spikes

Injuries to Milloy and Vincent which greatly lessened their effectiveness

Opponents catching up to Jerry Gray's kindergarten schemes which seemed to have remained almost totally static since Dick Lebeau went home.

The loss of Ron Edwards

The inability of an offense being lead by a rookie QB behind an injured and ineffective OLine to help its defensive counterparts.

 

From training camp onwards the whole year just seemed like a brutal confluence of unfortunate events that assured the team simply had no chance.

Watching PhatPat continuing to kick the hell out of people in Minnesota didn't make things any easier. Although I did apppreciate the fact that the guy finally got some recognition for playing the kind of ball he'd been playing here for half a decade.

Cya