Question for the experts

Theoretically, if you had to chose one element of a team that was a weakness, what would it be? I'll be specific.

running game
passing game
pass blocking
run blocking
pass rushing
run stopping
linebackers general
defensive backs general
special teams

In our division, how would you rank the importance. Where I'm going with this is our defensive back issues (specifically at corners) as big an issue as we are led to believe? Will our overall improvement of size and speed in other areas overcome this deficit?

 

Either of these two. Because if you have a weakness in one of these areas, but yet still do a good job vs the run and pass, the other two areas on defense much be strong.

 

Defensive Backs...

...If they aren't that good, but have a strong pass rush from a strong D-Line they will appear better... with a stron pass rush the QB will make bad passes... and even bad Defensive Backs can play like that

 

Well that's good news.

We don't even know if our db's are bad, they're just unproven.

And our safeties are definitely good.

 

DB's at least on paper for now. Cousin has started in the past and when he was with the Falcons he was behind Buchanon. With the Dolphins behind Sertain and Madison. That's three Pro Bowlers. Good enough to start elsewhere and be effective? Highly likely. Right now, Howard has been mentioned as the other starter, I don't know how he'll work out. Wesley sounds like he may turn into something, but is probably not ready to set up and start for at least a year.

The rest of the defense is a question mark right now. We've went from a passive read and react D to one that will attack the ball now. How it pans out is any one's guess. Do we have the horses to fully implement it now? Questionable at this point. Peppers has to pan out and provide an immediate pass rush in order for the rest of the D line to be effective. Rucker is a player, but without a threat opposite him he's not going to put up monster numbers.
Gilbert, Buckner, and Jenkins provide some beef up the gut, but have often been doubled due to no rush from the other DE slot. Peppers should ease some of the doubles on the DT's.

LB's are improved with the moving of Morgan inside and the addition of Fields. This gives us better speed overall. Towns is consistant if not flashy. He'll be a great backup for Morgan and can fill in if Morgan has to be moved due to injury (old black cloud Navies). Jackson is familar with Del Rio's system and a capable backup. Witherspoon provides more speed. Overall the depth and quality have been improved.

 

Brain, I've never bought that. You still have to have good DBs, and if it were up to me, I'd take weaknesses at LB over weaknesses at DB any day. Chances are the weaknesses will be one-dimensional, and clear, and schemable. This is a lot safer than deciding all it takes is a pass rush, because unless it's an atypically great pass rush - dominant to the point of being historic - you'll still get exposed plenty. You can scheme against bad corners, and you'll see your share of that, but unless you use your front seven in a very dominant form - shutting down the run completely, shutting down the short pass completely and forcing a good deal of pressure on any long passes. Those three things are crucial to having a mediocre secondary, and a bad one includes prayer and adjusting an offensive philosophy to put more points on the board.
Linebackers can be more easily told where to go, how to react, where to set up, how to cover up their weaknesses. Corners can't be used as simply as crashing the B gap to cause disruption of the offensive scheme. Corners have to be on their stuff every down - if they slip, it's not an extra three yards in pursuit, it's an extra 25 and possibly six ponts.

I think a lot of people go with that theory because watching a pass rush is fun, and even the best corners get burned occasionally. In the end, you still have to have the absolute best of both possible to have a pass defense of a championship level.

Speed should help our situation somewhat. Range, mostly. The cover two is all about range, and our safeties and middle linebacker are very rangy. The outside spot, assuming Witherspoon is the nickel LB, should be rangy as well. That means, if nothing else, any gray area should overlap if necessary. We'll still probably get abused head on, intermediately, but in the short and long ranges we should see more help, and at the very least more people in position to make a good blow to the receiver.

 

Line backers don't stick ! They should hit harder.

 

Like Jack Lambert? Bone-shattering, teeth rattling?

Agreed.

It's real fun to see the DL hold-up the RB, and let the LB or DB coming hard, get a freebie.

By the way, NICE rack.

 

That rack is Tawnee Stone's

 

Yes