Is it Possible that Burton and Thomas may be just what we need

[natty]

Oh, I know what Hollis is. He was a bigger part of the sucess the Saints had in 2006 than most fans realize but he's not capable of that type of play anymore. He could actually get penetration then and consistently stuffed the run. I guess he can fullfill he duty as just a big body but that won't get you very far.

As long as he doesn't get blown off the line he's an upgrade.

God that's horrible....

[Mr. Scot]

As long as he doesn't get blown off the line he's an upgrade.

God that's horrible....

It's not wrong, though

[CRA]

imo the DT spot is less of a concern than the S spot. Last year and this season Godfrey has been a bigger concern than having one dimensional DTs last season and poor/small DTs this season.

[scpanther22]

imo the DT spot is less of a concern than the S spot. Last year and this season Godfrey has been a bigger concern than having one dimensional DTs last season and poor/small DTs this season.

I think DT is way more of a concern.seeing as DT can make the S better

[CRA]

I think DT is way more of a concern.seeing as DT can make the S better

so Godfrey was better and less of a liability last year? He was just as bad with a Kemo in....and the secodary was the weakness last year and this year.

A top tier DT who can rush the passer and generate pressure might make the secondary better.....but we didn't have that with Kemo and aren't looking for it now.

[rayzor]

i think the people who are still calling this a "bend, but don't break" defense are morons.

it is officially now a "bend, but please don't break" defense. get with it.

[CRA]

i think the people who are still calling this a "bend, but don't break" defense are morons.

it is officially now a "bend, but please don't break" defense. get with it.

why would anyone WANT a bend and don't break defense to begin with. That is something you say in defense of a bad defense....well, they get abused but have been lucky to tighten up some in the redzone. Who goes out there with the mindset we are gonna let teams move the ball.....but when they get in scoring position...THEN we are gonna try to stop them.

[Fireball77]

No it's bend...but do not break (every dish in the china shop).

I am not the hugest fan of BBDB, but if they were causing turnovers and making big plays more often it wouldn't be as big of a deal. Of course they DID get one vs Atl then the O did nothing with it. GAH!

[scpanther22]

so Godfrey was better and less of a liability last year? He was just as bad with a Kemo in....and the secodary was the weakness last year and this year.

A top tier DT who can rush the passer and generate pressure might make the secondary better.....but we didn't have that with Kemo and aren't looking for it now.

The entire Defense played well for the first half of last year..but the second half everyone started to suck..a top tier DT and chris Harris will help Godfreys games.But Godfrey is only in his 2nd season..

[CRA]

The entire Defense played well for the first half of last year..but the second half everyone started to suck..a top tier DT and chris Harris will help Godfreys games.But Godfrey is only in his 2nd season..

I think teams just had to figure out where the weakness was......b/c it was assumed going into that year the secondary was the strength and the defense was built backwards from a typical Fox team. When they figured out Carolina could not stop anyone when they attacked the secondary....it was all down hill.

Godfrey just sucks. I'm not talking about sucking in the way Peppers or Jake do. B/c they have some talent and can make plays. They are just not consistant. Godfrey doesn't belong playing S in the NFL, period. There is nothing to support that he should be playing it.

[pantherholic]

I think teams just had to figure out where the weakness was......b/c it was assumed going into that year the secondary was the strength and the defense was built backwards from a typical Fox team. When they figured out Carolina could not stop anyone when they attacked the secondary....it was all down hill.

Godfrey just sucks. I'm not talking about sucking in the way Peppers or Jake do. B/c they have some talent and can make plays. They are just not consistant. Godfrey doesn't belong playing S in the NFL, period. There is nothing to support that he should be playing it.

So, you don't think that Drew Brees & Co tried attacking the secondary in week 7 of last year?

[Khyber53]

CRA makes a really good point, we started suffering when people pierced the veil on how bad our secondary was.

Lucas took a lot of the hits for the secondary's weakness, but I wonder how many times it was that he wasn't getting effective help back there.

I really hope that Hollis and Burton can do the trick on the DL, we really do need to get that squared away, and quickly. If not, we should take a page from the Giants last year and throw a line of DEs into play in hopes that they can get in the backfield fast to disrupt running plays.

Once the D-line gels and stiffens up a bit, though, our linebackers should be able to have more impact on the passing defense. Especially if they realize how well Thomas Davis was working as a blitzer.

[Mesmer]

We have no pass rush. The secondary has never been full of stalwarts. If we can't get to the QB with 4, Fox's D is completely full of epic fail.

Our blitzing schemes are pretty crappy, but even when they do work, Fox pulls off the dogs in the 2nd half because he doesn't want to get burned.

I'm sorry but this defense is bad, and I'm not sure it's going to get a whole lot better this season... as the coaching is going to remain the same.

[CatMan72]

A "bend don't break" defense allows modest gains between the 20's and then locks down in the red zone. Tampa-2 is essentially a "bend don't break" defense. We have not been running a "bend don't break" defense, we've been running a "bend then break" defense.

Among other things Tampa-2 requires good safety play and we haven't been getting that. It's one thing to ask a college CB to play FS, it's another thing to ask a converted 2nd year FS to play FS in a Tampa-2 defense where everyone else on the defense is still adjusting to their new role. In a Tampa-2, the FS must have strong zone coverage skills, Godfrey does not. Being good in zone coverage is as much about instinct and experience as it is about smarts. For this reason, I think we should strongly consider picking up a veteran FS or CB who can play FS to help out and tutor Godfrey.

The SS plays a key role in a Tampa-2 so it stands to reason our defense will improve when Harris returns. At it's essence the Tampa-2 relies on speed, smarts and flawless tackling... so far we've got speed down.