All That Fuss About our D Tackles

[T-RO]

A month ago there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth about how our lack of defensive tackles was going to sabotage the team. Marinelli was crucified for not valuing the big nasties in the middle. Our front office was vilified for not getting a 340 pound thumper in the middle.

Six games into the season the defense is #2 in points allowed. We’ve given up 3.5 yard per rush attempt. I guess the guys inside knew a bit more than the guys on the outside.

 

[Tangle_Foot]

We still know best, or at least we think we do of that I am certain

 

[Toruk_Makto]

The team is 15th in Defensive DVOA. 24th verses the pass and 5th verses the run.

The overall number 2 ranking is counting stats aided by the glacial pace this team plays at.

 

[OmerV]

A month ago there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth about how our lack of defensive tackles was going to sabotage the team. Marinelli was crucified for not valuing the big nasties in the middle. Our front office was vilified for not getting a 340 pound thumper in the middle.

Six games into the season the defense is #2 in points allowed. We’ve given up 3.5 yard per rush attempt. I guess the guys inside knew a bit more than the guys on the outside.

This is why I understand having concern, but don't understand not at least giving it a chance to play out before making a definitive judgement. Players sometimes step up, and/or gel when the fit it right.

 

[Future]

Who "crucified" him?

 

[Vinnie2u]

I crucify Garrett, The Jones and the LB’s. I was wrong about the LB’s.

 

[tm1119]

Who is to say that the D isn’t playing well in spite of the DT’s? Do DT’s not also play a role in the passing game in Op’s Opinion?

6 weeks of good play from an overall D isn’t proof that the DT position isn’t important. Why not a thread rubbing in how everyone was wrong about S’s as well?

 

[Nova]

The team is 15th in Defensive DVOA. 24th verses the pass and 5th verses the run.

The overall number 2 ranking is counting stats aided by the glacial pace this team plays at.

ahhhh beat me to it.

And to follow up a bit, here are the offensive DVOA rankings of our opponents:

12th, 16th, 19th, 21st, 23rd, 22nd (in game order).

Lot of potential with this defense but still pretty early.

 

[gimmesix]

A month ago there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth about how our lack of defensive tackles was going to sabotage the team. Marinelli was crucified for not valuing the big nasties in the middle. Our front office was vilified for not getting a 340 pound thumper in the middle.

Six games into the season the defense is #2 in points allowed. We’ve given up 3.5 yard per rush attempt. I guess the guys inside knew a bit more than the guys on the outside.

I think most of us knew we would be OK at 3-tech, even with Irving suspended, if we moved Crawford back to his best position and Collins could stay healthy. (Ross and Reid have had to play there more than I'd like because of Collins' health issues.)

Going into camp, though, we had Brian Price, Richard Ash, Daniel Ross and Antwaun Woods as our best options at 1-tech. Two of those four players were cut and Ross is more of a 3-tech, so we're very fortunate to have found Woods, who we had no idea that we would get at the time of the draft. Woods is 6-1, 310-plus pounds, so he fits the mode of what you like to have at the position, a squatty, thick body.

My hope going into the preseason was that Price would prove to be good enough that we wouldn't have to force Collins to play 1-tech. Price wasn't, but Woods has been a fortunate find. If Tennessee had not waived him injured, then we'd likely still be complaining about the position.

 

[reddyuta]

A month ago there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth about how our lack of defensive tackles was going to sabotage the team. Marinelli was crucified for not valuing the big nasties in the middle. Our front office was vilified for not getting a 340 pound thumper in the middle.

Six games into the season the defense is #2 in points allowed. We’ve given up 3.5 yard per rush attempt. I guess the guys inside knew a bit more than the guys on the outside.

very misleading stats,wait till we play some good offenses and see how D holds up.

 

[T-RO]

The team is 15th in Defensive DVOA. 24th verses the pass and 5th verses the run.

The overall number 2 ranking is counting stats aided by the glacial pace this team plays at.

Of the six games we've played, we've held each team at or below their seasonal scoring average. We haven't played the Rams or Chiefs and surely they'd get some points off us, but I bet we'd also hold them below their seasonal average.

You can say we run a lot of clock, but in most games this year we've had so few third down conversions that we haven't done much clock consumption. (Sunday obviously a big exception)

 

[Sydla]

The team is 15th in Defensive DVOA. 24th verses the pass and 5th verses the run.

The overall number 2 ranking is counting stats aided by the glacial pace this team plays at.

Yep.

Although I believe we’ve improved greatly over the weeks in DVOA and I think the 15th ranking was before the Jax game. Last time I checked, they hadn’t updated through Week 6.

 

[conner01]

The DT spot is a pleasant surprise
If Collins stays healthy and Irving can stay on the field they will help Dlaw out a bunch

 

[ABQcowboyJR]

The human log is the savior here. You need a stout productive 1 Tech to be solid against the run. He has been a pleasant surprise and a key part of our defense IMO.

 

[CowboyRoy]

A month ago there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth about how our lack of defensive tackles was going to sabotage the team. Marinelli was crucified for not valuing the big nasties in the middle. Our front office was vilified for not getting a 340 pound thumper in the middle.

Six games into the season the defense is #2 in points allowed. We’ve given up 3.5 yard per rush attempt. I guess the guys inside knew a bit more than the guys on the outside.

Lets not forget that the DT position was severely aided by the last minute move of moving Crawford from DE to DT. Without that move the DT might have been a disaster the first 5 weeks of the season. Now with Irvin and Collins back and healthy we seem to be looking great. Personally, I would move Crawford back to DE on first down and put Soft Taco on the bench.

We can also look at the emergence of LVE and Smith at linebacker that has really helped in the run game.

 

[85Cowboy85]

I tend to agree with the front office on this one. You can stop the run without having a 340 tub of goo in the middle. Much better to have pass rushers.

 

[Ranching]

A month ago there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth about how our lack of defensive tackles was going to sabotage the team. Marinelli was crucified for not valuing the big nasties in the middle. Our front office was vilified for not getting a 340 pound thumper in the middle.

Six games into the season the defense is #2 in points allowed. We’ve given up 3.5 yard per rush attempt. I guess the guys inside knew a bit more than the guys on the outside.

So we should all just shut up and keep our opinions to ourselves? What fun would that be, it wouldn't give the holier than thous any reason to gripe. It's a parasitic relationship.

 

[AsthmaField]

DT has not been an issue at all. I didn’t expect it to be ... but they’ve been better than I even thought they’d be.

Woods is a really nice find. With Collins healthy and Irving available, the DTs should be very solid to very good.

 

[BHendri5]

I crucify Garrett, The Jones and the LB’s. I was wrong about the LB’s.

you are wrong about all of it

 

[Silver Surfer]

Parasitic ..... symbiotic.... as long as it ends in "ic" its "ok" with me.