Article about the defense

[SunsetBengal]

(06-03-2020, 09:54 PM)SladeX Wrote: But it was snappy, though.   
I was just going for a quick chuckle. My days of bitterness are mostly behind me. More excited to see what we have this season, on both sides of the ball.

Still, had to be demoralizing to get stomped like that. It was down to much more than overconfidence and lack of good reps generated by practicing against an inferior O line. How much was bad coaching?  How much was talent? How much was  good players needing a change of teams? 

The fact that they never gave up is a testament to
A) the players professionalism 
B) the coaches ability to keep the players going
This was good to see. Marvin's teams didn't quit on him either, until,  perhaps,  the very end of his tenure. 

I agree that talent isn't everything.  Hopefully it was most of the problem.  Because if it wasn't,  then we have essentially the same DC and staff, bringing similar results this year.

Talent is a relative term, when it comes to professional athletes.  They're all genetically predisposed to be much better than you or I at certain physical traits.  However, not all elite athletes (and to reach the NFL is elite level by nature), they are not created equal.  Some are great at some things, and not as great when asked to do things that vary from what they are good at.  The key is in talent selection, finding the exact personnel, with the prerequisite skill sets that fit what YOUR team is trying to accomplish.

But, talent selection is only half the battle.  You also have to have a master plan that is capable of not only getting the most of the players that you have selected, but also continually devising and revising your scheme to counter and conquer what your opponent is about to bring to the game.  Bygone are the days of "we're a team that's going to run the ball, and rely on our defense", just the same as the days of "we'll just outscore every opponent that we come against".  The master plan has to be fluid, flexible, and able to adapt to whichever route the day brings.