Our defense (1) discourages and (2) encourages me.
(1). The tackling has been bad from the first game opening drive. Defensive backs are recruited for their ability to cover, and the skill is in decline. Wayne Lyons was a good tackler, as one example, as were Alex Carter, Jordan Richards, and Dallas Lloyd, and as are Murphy and Adebo. But Lord, the rest of the DBs look like they've played only in 7 on 7 leagues. Get wide, shorten your steps, accelerate through the ball carrier's chest. C'mon guys.
(2) The young DLs are developing. Williams improved dramatically and Booker looks promising. Swann has some burst and a surplus of attitude. Andres Fox has prompted lots of praise. Still have hope for Wade-Perry.
(2) Fox, Reid and Toohill are a nice OLB trio to take into next year along with a step-faster, we hope, Sean Barton. And Barton and Toohill will bring strong veteran leadership to that front seven. ILB 2 is a question.
(2) Akina had said that the kid DBs--Bonner, Williamson, and Logan--are keepers. (Head appears not to be.)
They have to work on tackling before next fall. We are so fundamentalll flawed: bad run blockers, poor tacklers. That part of football is declining generally, but we seem to moving backward in double time.
(1). The tackling has been bad from the first game opening drive. Defensive backs are recruited for their ability to cover, and the skill is in decline. Wayne Lyons was a good tackler, as one example, as were Alex Carter, Jordan Richards, and Dallas Lloyd, and as are Murphy and Adebo. But Lord, the rest of the DBs look like they've played only in 7 on 7 leagues. Get wide, shorten your steps, accelerate through the ball carrier's chest. C'mon guys.
(2) The young DLs are developing. Williams improved dramatically and Booker looks promising. Swann has some burst and a surplus of attitude. Andres Fox has prompted lots of praise. Still have hope for Wade-Perry.
(2) Fox, Reid and Toohill are a nice OLB trio to take into next year along with a step-faster, we hope, Sean Barton. And Barton and Toohill will bring strong veteran leadership to that front seven. ILB 2 is a question.
(2) Akina had said that the kid DBs--Bonner, Williamson, and Logan--are keepers. (Head appears not to be.)
They have to work on tackling before next fall. We are so fundamentalll flawed: bad run blockers, poor tacklers. That part of football is declining generally, but we seem to moving backward in double time.