I don’t like defensive rankings because it goes by yards usually.
What’s important?
- Yards
- Points
- Turnovers
- 3 & outs vs drives changing field position
- Stops after your team turns it over
- Stops after your team scores
- End of game stops
You just cannot go by yards or even points.
Turnovers cannot be counted on from year to year, but all those turnovers this year changed yards given up and points scored.
I love the improvement our defense made this year, but I think our defense is still pretty bad.
We are not stout up the middle.
We do not set the edge well to stop the edge run or to keep mobile QBs in the pocket.
We don’t push the OL back in the QB’s lap.
We give up too many chunk plays in the run game and through the air.
We give up too many scoring drives to start games and right after our offense scores.
We commit too many penalties, especially 3rd down penalties that bail out the offense.
We need bulk and nastiness inside.
We need LBs badly.
We need to keep improving the secondary and rotational pass rush.