I'm not gonna go count the times they were in X formation and it doesn't really matter tbh. Bottom line is this defense is bad dude. We don't need to have some throwdown where we figure out exactly what the calls are in order to move forward in some bizarre conversation order.
Is some of it the players? Sure. But when your fundamental issue is getting off the field, and your new DC took over a unit that returned most of the pieces to include two superstars (Donald / Ramsey) and a few big time risers from last year (Williams / Floyd / Fuller) that is 5 of your 11 and a really good core. And we have some role players that have shown well even in stretches this year among the remaining guys. Rapp and Long seem to be the biggest problems but it doesn't end there. It's anticipation by the entire defense in zone. It's tackling by the entire unit. It's run fit discipline in the front seven who have been hit and miss over four games. It's basic contain. These aren't new problems.
I think there's a good chance Morris is learning on the job. And I have mentioned this over and over. Question is whether he's good enough to call this defense in real time vs top opponents. To date what his defense has done is allow every opponent to drive up and down the field. Looks disturbingly like Atlanta of 2020 too. What was different this weekend vs the first three games was that the Cards finished drives. So going forward will he be able to stand toe to toe with the top OCs he's gonna face in the playoffs? I'm concerned to say the least.
And for the record I want this guy to succeed, I'm pulling for him. But the fit of the hire from day one just didn't feel right to me for reasons I have gone on about. And here we are four games in with a porous defense that is sitting in the 20s in third down completion percentage who couldn't get off the field vs a Cards offense that was also quite bad at third down completion percentage, well, until they faced us.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2021 09:11PM by merlin.
