Excluding week one when they made Geno look like Drew Brees, I’m starting to think this Vrabel defense has the potential to be great. They’re shown the ability to create turnoverrs and look vastly improved in the secondary with Gonzo back.
It won’t be until the Tampa game when they have to face another great quarterback, but if they continue to play like they did against Buffalo, this is a playoff team.
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I think they’re getting there.
No, next.
We need more depth then I’d say yes
What does Gonzales have to do with run defense?
Gonzo back is huge, but also almost as important is Spillane bouncing back from a terrible start and looking like the guy we signed.
It cannot be understated how bad all the missed tackles were early in the season, but he’s returned to form and now the LB group looks solid. I know Tavai’s not a favorite here, but him returning helps the depth a lot as well too.
Think the safeties are the biggest problem on defense as of now and the main thing holding us back from elite, we’re getting killed by tight ends.
Dunno, looked too easy for Kincaid on Sunday. He was catching the ball with nobody near him in the middle of the field.
Run stuffing has been good and we’re getting some decent pressure from the big boys though. Definitely improving
No. Our edge rush is poop. Our linebackers have been playing a lot better, but Spillane isn’t quite the all-around guy you really want in the middle of an elite unit. And our depth outside of DT is poor.
Buffalo moved the ball at will in the second half. Aside from the red zone pick, they scored on every meaningful possession.
It’s kind of funny that they had to put ‘running back’ in there as a quantifier, Allen rushed for 53 yards on Sunday.
Buffalo sure seemed afraid to thrown at him the other night
No but they’re a decent unit now with Spillane now playing as advertised, still coverage LB play needs to improve, however that DLine inside is filthy
This is front 7 and mostly barmore, Milton, and Spillane.
I don’t think so. It’s definitely being weighed down by a really crappy first couple weeks, but even since then they’ve just been average per DVOA (and I think many other stats).
That said, they’re not horribly far off. If they can manage to figure out how to defend TEs and get some edge pressure, they could be good, but probably not elite without a talent infusion.
Decent but far from elite
No. I think they’re an average defense.
Advanced statistics, traditional statistics, pro analysis, and the eye test — all suggest this is an average defense.
It’s so hard to crack that top 4.
It’s good but I don’t think we have enough of a pass rush, as crazy as that sound. Allen sat in the pocket comfortably quite often.
Barmore and Williams are nasty in the middle, but we need more production from the edges, Landry can’t do it all by himself.
The core is there to be great
Nah. I’d put us about 10-15 overall.
Our biggest strengths are cornerback and interior D Line. The Gonzo/Davis/Jones and Barmore/Williams combos are very legit.
Linebacker corps is ok, no high end talent, but sturdy and has some depth with Tavai back in rotation.
Edge rushers, and pass rush in general, are still a question mark. Looked great early against weak competition, was nowhere to be found against the Bills. Harold Landry is a good – not great – edge rusher. Would be a number 2 edge for an elite D.
Ultimately, coaching and cohesion are just as important as talent level, so there is still room for this defense to grow and potentially become elite.
No but it helps, secondary still has holes that need filled.
I think the run defense can be elite, but we’re still a great EDGE away from being an overall elite defense imo.
Spillane stepping into our LB1 role has been crucial. Our run D was a sieve the last few years.
Ain’t no way he’s fully healthy. Those things linger like hell. He’s gonna be feeling that up to and including weeks after the Super Bowl. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him miss another 2-4 games through the season due to reagrevating the injury
Ain’t no way he’s fully healthy. Those things linger like hell. He’s gonna be feeling that up to and including weeks after the Super Bowl. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him miss another 2-4 games through the season due to reagrevating the injury
It all starts with the Milton Williams/Christian Barramore duo in the middle.
As long as they keep wreaking havoc up front the defense will be nasty.
But C Gonzo coming back brings them to a different level.
No
We had absolutely ugly af, sloppy, you cant do that, penalties committed by our Defense near the end of the game there that almost let the bills have a shot back into the game. I absolutely want to see those cleaned up because they were atrocious. The late hit on Cook especially was egregiously bad.
The defense is getting there, looking solid; but we desperately still need good edge pass rushers. Allen had all day in the pocket to make a decision most of the game. And kincaid was always open for big gains across the middle, which shows our Linebackers are getting roasted in coverage.
Let’s slow our role. Nothing about this team is elite IMO. Too much inconsistency. The team as a whole needs to limit dumb penalties and mistakes. We have a relatively easy schedule ahead and they need to really stack some decisive wins.
Their one better pass rusher away. I really wanted Landry to be that guy or Chaison after his good preseason. But so far their just good enough not difference makers in that role. With gonzo in place their forcing the QBs to hold the ball and the interior are making pockets messy but they lack that guy who can get off his block fast enough to punish 4-6 second drop backs.
Im not advocating for trades because of how much they need to draft well consecutivly but if the Bengals dont stabilize and the pats are still looking good, Tre Hendrickson? For a rental would elevate them to elite.
Very good but not elite
In the current NFL, I don’t think it’s far away from being elite tbh.
Has there been a truly dominant defense since Denver won it over Carolina? It’s just so hard to play good defense now. If you remember the defenses from the 2000s, it’s hard not to think they were so much better but then the rules were so much different