06-27-2024, 01:54 PM
(06-27-2024, 01:17 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: If you have to insult me fine, that is your way.I never insulted you.
Bates and Bell both leaving was huge in our poor communication last season. Nick Scott was just plain terrible, both Dax and Battle were
in their first years of playing significant snaps and Dax Hill specifically couldn't play FS and replace Bates. Nick Scott sure as hell couldn't
replace Bell. The entire Defense has to be able to communicate well and be able to play instinctually.
Poor tackling was all across the board, Pratt specifically liked to hold up ball carriers to strip at the ball instead of tackling them. This was
just a poor strategy as ball carriers knew that this is what we were going to do and just made sure to hold the ball high and inside.
Bringing Vonn Bell back helps a ton and I am sure he will be used more on running downs, Geno Stone should help with the explosive
plays in the passing game, Battle was fantastic as a rookie, DJ Turner and CTB should just get better as they are young players.
Rankins was a very good run stopper when he was asked to do so with the Jets. They were the #1 run stopping D in the league. BJ
Hill is more than solid against the run, both rookies in Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson were great at stopping the run in college.
A healthy Sam Hubbard should really help and Myles Murphy should grow as a player in his second season. Trey is just bad at stopping
the run and is purely a pass rusher.
Like I said, if your bet is we are worse at stopping the run and we give up more explosive plays this season we better be looking for a
new DC instead of Lou Anarumo. I bet this Defense is much better this season.
Pratt is still our starting ILB if you haven't noticed. If poor tackling was across the board, why will the front 7 magically get better at it?
This conversation isn't about stopping explosive passing plays. It's specifically about the run defense. So I'm not sure what you comment about Geno Stone has to do with anything.
Sheldon Rankins isn't better than DJ Reader.
"both Dax and Battle were in their first years of playing significant snaps" yet three paragraphs later you talk about the impact two rookie DL will have. So if you're explaining away poor play because they were a rookie, why would you then use two other rookies to act like they are going to be good in year 1?
Stop talking about health when we are bound to be more beat up this year. It's part of the game and you could literally use it every single year to explain away stuff. If you can't overcome two players missing a combined 2 games, you have serious issues. That's a joke. The Steelers were without their Cam Hayward, their top 3 ILBs and top 3 Safeties for several games this year and were still several spots better than us in run defense.
Now you're making up a strawman argument. I never said we would give up more explosive plays. I do think there is a very good chance we are worse against the run this year than we were last year.
