DT is still a bigger issue in my opinion, they have been getting pushed around all season.
And we had our starters at DT for most of the season. They just weren't that good, at least against the run.
But it's a pattern with the DTs and the LBs. It's philosophy. We built a defense for pass defense, neglecting the run defense, and particularly neglecting *balanced* run/pass defenders. Their run defense is Mazi and Hankins, two guys who give next to nothing on pass rush. Osa is a pass rush DT. Those are our starters. That was the plan.
That's why the loss of LVE hurt. He was a run/pass balanced LB.
That's also why they keep Parsons at DE all game. They just don't value the run defense, and in particular balanced run/pass defenders. Parsons has the potential to be a force at MLB. He can blitz, he can cover, he can pursue, he can tackle. He can be the LB version of Woody. But they don't value that role flex. They instead stick him at DE, where on run downs we just have better options, and on pass downs we're not getting all we should out of Parsons because we ground him down using him at DE on run downs.
Parsons once would have been a great 3-4 OLB. LB on base downs, DE on pass downs. Today he is the *perfect* LB/Edge rusher for today's nickel base defense. MLB on potential run downs, DE on pass downs. But we don't use as such, because we just don't value what he would bring at MLB, always prioritizing what he brings to the pass rush at DE.
Beyond what Parsons *could* be, it's all specialists, and mainly pass defense specialists. Which is fine when you can force the other team into pass only mode, but a disaster when you can't.
We run up the score on bad teams we can force into pass only mode.
But when we play a quality team, there's always the potential, and even the likelihood, of getting curb stomped by a team who gets a lead and are free to run a balanced offense. We just don't have the personnel to match up against a balanced offense. LBs too small, DTs who are either run defense specialists or pass rush specialists, but can't defend both. And we keep our one LB who could be a force against a balanced offense at DE.
It's not just the personnel. It's philosophy.