Our D: Let's Be Honest

[Snake]

There is more than one way to configure the line to stop the run and get pressure. With Kemo in there we usually ran a NT/UT scheme with some guys like Kemo and brayton in a 2 gap scheme with Lewis and Peppers in a one gap scheme. Now we will likely run a one gap scheme across the board. Both can be effective as we showed in 2005 when Jenkins went out and we had Peppers, Buckner, Carstens, and Rucker. While I think that line is better than our current one hands down, the scheme was similar and very effectiive against the run and the pass.

This is exactly what we are gonna do to a T.

[CRA]

Meeks didn't have great talent on the D line. He took guys other teams thought were too small to play DE or DT for example and make them great players by tailoring the defense to their skill set. Trgo had a scheme that he tried to fit everyone into. When the talent wasn't there we suffered. Not so with meeks.

Marshall and Godfrey are talented players that need the discipline and experience in order to shine. Meeks is a defensive secondary guru. If anyone can teach them, he can. Harris is built for this defense. See discussion on cover 1 robber.

Last year we started strong and got worse. This year will be the opposite. We will start off slow and improve. But hopefully we will be playing our best ball when it counts the most in December and January.

Freeney and Mathis were not just products of Meeks' system.....they are very good defensive linemen and great pass rushers. Just b/c Meeks may coach someone who is the same physical size by no means suggests the outcome will be the same. Talent is more important than someone who "fits Meeks' system" (which is a phrase thrown around too much imo).

and not to beat a deadhorse, the system in Carolina that you refer to that Trgo tried to fit everyone into is true. That however can be seen on both sides of the ball and again brings me back to Fox and not just Trgo. Davis, Foster, Williams - 3 different RBs all used in the exact same manner to fit what Fox wants the OC to do. It doesn't always work - see Foster.

Again, this notion Trgo was a retard and Meeks is a guru is too much for me. They both are Fox DCs....and there will be more similarities in what Trgo and Meeks do/did in Carolina under Fox than differences. imo.

IMO we got worse last year b/c Fox doesn't allow for much change on either side of the ball except for very minor ones. Every team knew what we were doing on both sides of the ball....Fox doesn't like to mix stuff up based on opponents and thinks execution of his style of football is all that matters to win. That imo is why we got worse. Weaknesses were exposed and we continued with the same bread and butter on defense. There have been plenty of reports from opponents commenting on the league wide knowledge of what our team (several different seasons) does in games and knowing plays prior to them being called.......some teams can't stop what they know is about to be thrown at them and some can. imo.

[CosmoGirl]

With Kemo on IR, what does that do to the cap space?

[Delhommey]

With Kemo on IR, what does that do to the cap space?

Nothing. No cap relief.

[CosmoGirl]

Nothing. No cap relief.

That REALLY sucks!!!

[pantherj]

Ha..ha..ha.....oh, wait...were you actually serious about that post.

No one would argue that Lewis is not a stud DT. But to say he should be benched for any of the other DT's on our roster is not even laughable....it sad.

Lewis would be better served as a backup if we had a DT like Jenkins. The 'at his best warming the pine' part was sort of a throw away comment, so you were right to laugh. I never intended for anyone to think that I wanted to replace Lewis with one of our other DTs. That being said, it's not out of the question that Irvin could push Lewis for starting time, or even replace him. At this point, of course, it's impossible to say, and I didn't say as much in the first post.