what would our record be if fua hadn't started the first 11 games?

[frash.exe]

Fua was playing better than Mcclain before he got injured....but yep all Fua's fault we could be 9-5 and in the playoff hunt. It wasn't most of the players on the defense being unfamiliar with it and taking a significant amount of time to gel and do their jobs properly. It wasn't the poor secondary who has given up the most passing touchdowns in the league, nope no sir buddy, FUA GTFO!!!

very shortly before he went down it's arguable

however the guy was way too raw this year to take any role more important than spot duty.

of course i should've expected the obligatory knight in shining armor of sarcasm "hurf OMG LETS JUST-A BLAME EVERYTHINGZ ON HIM GAIZZ LIEK WE SHOUlD ALSO SAY HE SANK THE TITANIC HE WUZ SO BAD flurrhurrrdurdur" post that somehow always rears its ugly head when someone is posting due criticism about player x.

[pantherclaw]

Can't say we'd be any better.

So many want to blame the rookies.

I see no blame for all the missed assignments and tackles by the linebackers.

Good thread.

[frash.exe]

Can't say we'd be any better.

So many want to blame the rookies.

I see no blame for all the missed assignments and tackles by the linebackers.

Good thread.

okay well anybody who's smart could deduce that i'm not putting the accountability on Fua for not playing the 1-tech like a rock star out of the gate but you're an idiot so the path to the conclusion you made was simple enough for you to navigate through it.

[davos]

The thing with rookies is you like to see them develop. They take more time than most positions to mature but Fua showed absolutely nothing this year. No push, poor footwork, and again absolutely no f*cking push. If we had Nebbles, Kearse, & McClain there...the games would be different no doubt.

So F*ck it; I'll answer the question: the Vikings game would be the other way

6-8

If Beason was in...we could seriously be 8-6 right now

[Jangler]

TBH if we were mostly healthy for the season we could easily have the best record in the NFL. :D

[twylyght]

A better question would be what would our defense be like if Edwards, Beason, and Davis remained healthy for the duration.

Fua's 3-technique has gotten better as the season wore on. McClain's was still erratic. Fua hit a bit of a wall like Rivera said, but got better with his last couple of games with his gap integrity. McClain seemed to be going the other way. Maybe he was battling an injury, but there were some plays against TN and Detroit where he looked like he was on roller skates.

[KARASMATIC444]

I honestly believe our Defense getting better, has to more with a combination of this.

who we played.

The lead we had forcing people to throw and not run.

Senn having the speed to get to the outside run plays before they turned the corner.

and playing some larger DT as well(If you are going to be inexperienced, at DT it helps to weigh as much as a dump truck).

I think we have also started figuring out what we can and cant do, and the coaches are calling plays that suite the guys we have.

[Zod]

but McClain hasnt played any better

Credibility = lost

McClain was playing solid all year.

[csx]

Credibility = lost

McClain was playing solid all year.

funny

[thennek]

If any blame should occur, it should be with the coaching staff for continuing to make Fua the starter when he was not ready. There clearly was better options but yet he continued to be the starting DT.

[CRA]

Credibility = lost

McClain was playing solid all year.

pshaw

He was playing better than Fua and had moments of solid play......but what McClain did on the season was far from solid play.

[bleys]

I think it's a valid topic to bring up. Our DT play is leaps and bounds better since the starters got injured.

and this is going to be true for any rookie DT starters.. for those saying we MUST draft a DT early..

[bleys]

regardless of how you all want to classify them, Fua and McClain both gave me plenty of promise for their future...

[MaineManPanther]

I think the question wouldve been better had it provided the absence of both Fua and McClain. Both played awful up until the last two.