after this years draft..i got total faith in Mangini and our defense will not only be better next year, but unstoppable
A link for that? You're kidding, right? But tackles are overrated. The NT's job is to take up two blockers and hold position, so the linebackers can make plays. Otherwise, the NT is not doing his job, and the smaller linebackers will get engulfed by the linemen. Tackles in the backfield by an NT are never a bad thing, but that's not his main job. He can make 2 tackles a game in the backfield or at the LOS, but if he's getting single-teamed out of the play, and letting the guards get out to the linebackers, he's not doing his job.
Yeah but then you would agree anything beyond that (tackles, sacks,tackles for losses) are a bonus. Show me a defensive end or a nt/dt that are putting up number besides taking up a lot of space and those guys are having themselves a successful season.
Robertson must be having a pretty decent season. Otherwise HackettSux would be on here daily lamenting over what suckers we were for drafting him, and berating him relentlessly. :lol:
Well, who do people look at as the most successful NTs? Guys like Washington and Adams, right? They get no stats. I mean, Robertson has picked it up and is having a much better season than it looked like he was having earlier in the year and is having a nice year now. But stats never tell the whole story.
Since when does one playe make a line.The point is that his stats are good, if he has another stud playing next to him, it will probably be better for the whold Dline.
Too bad NT's aren't supposed to tackle or sack the QB. They're supposed to eat up blockers. So those stats indicate nothing. However, DRob has stepped up big time recently, and has held his poisition along the line well. No complaints at this moment, but we still gotta stop the run better which indicates tackling as the problem.
But thats the point. Stats do not indicate the type of season one is having if your not getting the stats. You could still be having a decent season and not recording sacks/losses etc. The point is that if you are getting the stats too..and you have linebackers leading the team in tackles and guys like Hobson putting up numbers like he did last week...the guys that are producing the numbers and eating up blockers are having a plus year..not just a cog year. Hey, I wanted Robertson shipped out of town on a boat with a single sail. Bottom line is that a new regime has put him into position to use his strengths..speed and power..and he has exceeded expectations. Hard to argue with. How many draft picks or where he was picked is over now.
I think stats are important, but in the case of the NT position they are a bit misleading. Casey Hapton for example played in 54 games and had only 4 sacks for his career, yet is regarded as one of, if not the best at that position.
Totally understand your point. But if you happen to be putting up stats too..you are doing a helluva job. Its just not a position where you can pad stats.
here is a stat for the Defense we are 26th in the league in rush defense...136.3 ypg 2nd/3rd/4th/6th/7th are Baltimore/Patriots/Dallas/SD/Pitt all under 100 per game... Dewayne and the rest of the line/team need to continue to improve...and i think we can
I'd agree, if I see a clear weakness in run defense - and well, I do. It is true that DRob is playing on a whole new level, but that does not warrant, say, a break-out season or fantastic season. You see, stats in NFL can be very deceiving - seriously, I do not see much point in individual defensive stat, to say the very least. What you need to recognize is that, to determine the quality of the defense, you have to look at the whole defense as a unit. This means how well the unit thwarts the opposing offense from getting new 1st down (or sustain a drive, in other words), and how well it stops the opposing offense from scoring. Same logic applies to offense as well - it matters not how far a QB has thrown, etc etc. Hell, David Carr threw over 300 yards against the Jets - but does that mean he carved up Jets secondary? Hell no. He picked them up in garbage time. What's worse in case of defense is that, if the defense cannot get the opposing offense off the field, the stat will skyrocket - tackles, sacks, etc etc. Of course! They have to defend more offensive play, so it is only natural, after all. Individual defensive stat does not need garbage time to pick up. Frankly, last week's game could have gone either way, had the offense not been clicking the way it clicked. Green Bay essentially gave up on running, because they had 31 points to catch up. All in all, I see a clear improvement from the defense overall - as they are giving up less points, to say bluntly. I am willing to admit that DRob has improved as well. But I don't quite think his improved performance is visible from his defensive stats.
I've also noticed him picking up screen plays well- he's chasing down RBs to the sideline. The guy is playing real well.
I have only been watching professional football for 40 years...so maybe I am wrong,,,,,but if you have two interior linemen coming off the line of scrimmage blocking the nose tackle,,,,,and he is accumulating tackles of running backs coming up the middle,,,,and then you say that tackles do not mean anything,,,,,then I am not going to pay attention to any stats anymore....
Well - I don't know it has already reached to a point where Kimo "has to" go. Rather, I'd like to see him on the bench for a year or two, helping out the young newcomers adapt to the NFL. Basically he'd be relegated to a backup role, but then you ARE a backup at the age of what, 35? I agree that NT is a need come next draft.
I been saying this since the 2nd week of the season while everyone kept harping on our need for a NT. RDE (Von Old@$$ Hoffen's spot) is our weakest position on defense by far followed by the ROLB position. I'll be very surprised if Adam Carriker of Nebraska is not picked up us with one of our 1st day picks next year.
