It's a conglomeration of all those 3rd down plays where we can't get off the field. It's the play series that go 1st down run...stopped 2 yd. gain.......2nd down run/short pass 3 yd. gain.....3rd down 7 yd. pass 1st down.....add those up all the way down the field....it takes time off the clock, it keeps the O on the sidelines, and it gets the opposition points....add those up throughout a game and there is the glaring issue....losing time of possession every week and it's not good over a long season, much less games at a time...It catches up in a bad way.
That play at least the DB was on the WR, could have been in a better spot to contest the catch, put his hand in there or something, but IMO it's those 3rd down plays that kill this D.....IMO there are not that many deep passes doing damage overall.
Until yesterday the only thing our D could hang their hat on was pretty good run D.....IMO that game was an aboration to that...missed gap/missed angles etc...easy clean up.....That 50 yard run on a 3rd and long.....that underlined the issues of 3rd down defense, in all phases....That 99 yard drive underlined the issues of 3rd down problems..That started at game 1 and has not stopped, or improved IMO.
