A paraniod outlook for our defense

[black]

With all the one year contracts, and with some of our big names coming up this next season eligible for FA, what makes you think that Pendy's name won't be mentioned when some personell leaves town?

Put up or shut up Clancy.

 

[football karma]

are you suggesting that Pendergast is a factor in players not being signed to long term deals?

 

[DaisyCutter]

If the defense is good, it won't matter. If Graves is able to negotiate Dansby's extension in season, there will be money to retain the "big names" that you're talking about (which I assume is Green, Smith, and Berry). Robinson, I believe, signed a two-year deal, so it'll be nice not to have to start from scratch at DE, should it come to that.

The good thing is that Haggans and Stewart are just depth players, and it won't be a tragedy if they go on to better things.

On the other hand, if the defense is terrible again, Pendergast will have plenty of opportunities to find players that better fit with his scheme.

 

[1DS]

If the defense is good, it won't matter. If Graves is able to negotiate Dansby's extension in season, there will be money to retain the "big names" that you're talking about (which I assume is Green, Smith, and Berry). Robinson, I believe, signed a two-year deal, so it'll be nice not to have to start from scratch at DE, should it come to that.

The good thing is that Haggans and Stewart are just depth players, and it won't be a tragedy if they go on to better things.

On the other hand, if the defense is terrible again, Pendergast will have plenty of opportunities to find players that better fit with his scheme.

If the defense is terrible again I think Whiz will say bye-bye Pendy in favor of a traditional 3-4 coach.

 

[football karma]

you know what my paranoid outlook for the defense is:

watching them stone teams on first and second down, and knowing, no matter how long third down is, that a first down is likely.

watching them bottle up a team all game long, and then in the last two minutes of the game, just knowing that they will give up a score to lose, or to turn an easy win game into a nail-biter.

watching a huge third down stop, and knowing, just knowing that somewhere the backjudge is reaching into his back pocket.....

or watching them control a really good QB and offense one game, and then make some back-up scrub look like Johnny Unitas the next.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

you know what my paranoid outlook for the defense is:

watching them stone teams on first and second down, and knowing, no matter how long third down is, that a first down is likely.

watching them bottle up a team all game long, and then in the last two minutes of the game, just knowing that they will give up a score to lose, or to turn an easy win game into a nail-biter.

watching a huge third down stop, and knowing, just knowing that somewhere the backjudge is reaching into his back pocket.....

or watching them control a really good QB and offense one game, and then make some back-up scrub look like Johnny Unitas the next.

x4

 

[RON_IN_OC]

If the defense is good, it won't matter. If Graves is able to negotiate Dansby's extension in season, there will be money to retain the "big names" that you're talking about (which I assume is Green, Smith, and Berry). Robinson, I believe, signed a two-year deal, so it'll be nice not to have to start from scratch at DE, should it come to that.

The good thing is that Haggans and Stewart are just depth players, and it won't be a tragedy if they go on to better things.

On the other hand, if the defense is terrible again, Pendergast will have plenty of opportunities to find players that better fit with his scheme.

Graves cannot extend Dansby during the upcoming season. It has to be by July 15th, I believe, since he has signed his one year tender.

 

[DaisyCutter]

If the defense is terrible again I think Whiz will say bye-bye Pendy in favor of a traditional 3-4 coach.

My paranoid outlook on the defense is that it's not really up to Whiz, and it never has been. It's hard for me to believe that Whiz watched Chris Redman shred the defense for 315 yards and 2 TDs (I don't care how debilitated the unit was by injuries; it's Chris Redman) and said, "You know, this guy here on the sideline is someone that I want to keep around a little longer."

Chris Redman, 315 yds, 2 TDs.
Trent Dilfer, 256 yds, 2 TDs (64% completion)
Vinny Testaverde, 206 yds, 1 TD (60% completion)
Steve McNair/Kyle Boller, 281 yds, 1 TD (75.7% completion)

I'm trusting that the Cards know more about how good Pendergast is as a coordinator than I do. I don't want this to be an anti-Pendergast thread, because he's going to be around for at least this season and maybe more.

But those numbers speak for themselves.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

If the defense is terrible again I think Whiz will say bye-bye Pendy in favor of a traditional 3-4 coach.

Like Dick LaBeau ?

 

[football karma]

Trent Dilfer, 256 yds, 2 TDs (64% completion)

I think 156 of those yards were in the form of 26 6-yard dump offs to Frank Gore. At one point I was pulling my hair out-- maybe the D should cover him and make Dilfer throw the ball more than 10 yards down field.

 

[Buckybird]

2 words... PASS RUSH!!!! That's what this team needs. If this teams runs the 3-4 we needs OLB's because most of the pass rush starts there.

 

[Redsz]

We had 37 sacks though. It could be more consistent, but I don't watch games going "we have no pass rush".

I have grown very weary of Pendergast. The injuries in the secondary played a factor. But ever since his first year it's been nothing but down hill.

 

[DaisyCutter]

2 words... PASS RUSH!!!! That's what this team needs. If this teams runs the 3-4 we needs OLB's because most of the pass rush starts there.

I'm pretty sure that's why we signed 3 of them in free agency (LaBoy, Haggans, & Stewart). And why the Cards are doing backflips that Okeafor is coming back.

I believe that the personnel we have in place at OLB is solid. I worry about DE, even with the signing of Robinson, and hope we add a player in the first three rounds to that mix.

 

[joeshmo]

We had 37 sacks though. It could be more consistent, but I don't watch games going "we have no pass rush".

I have grown very weary of Pendergast. The injuries in the secondary played a factor. But ever since his first year it's been nothing but down hill.

I think the best way to put sacks into perspective is to compare them to how many times a team passed on your defense. A team can have 50 sacks but if a team passed on you 1000 times it doesnt sound that great anymore. Or if a team has only 25 sacks but a team only passed on them 250 times it sounds very good. Pass attempts have to be considered. Example we are ranked 13th in total sacks but when you compare it to pass attempts we are actually ranked 17th. We get a sack every 15.83 pass attempts.

Here is the rankings and numbers of pass attempts per sack for the whole league(from worst to best).

32 Cincinnati Bengals 24.55
31 Carolina Panthers 23.35
30 Buffalo Bills 21.81
29 Atlanta Falcons 21.44
28 Cleveland Browns 20.64
27 Washington Redskins 18.24
26 Indianapolis Colts 17.79
25 Houston Texans 17.61
24 San Francisco 49ers 17.52
23 Minnesota Vikings 17.00
22 St. Louis Rams 16.87
21 New Orleans Saints 16.38
20 Detroit Lions 16.27
19 Oakland Raiders 16.26
18 New York Jets 16.21
17 Arizona Cardinals 15.83
16 Baltimore Ravens 15.31
15 Pittsburgh Steelers 14.89
14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14.85
13 Green Bay Packers 14.83
12 Jacksonville Jaguars 14.68
11 Philadelphia Eagles 14.57
10 Tennessee Titans 14.23
9 Denver Broncos 13.88
8 Miami Dolphins 13.63
7 San Diego Chargers 13.21
6 Chicago Bears 13.20
5 Dallas Cowboys 12.63
4 Seattle Seahawks 12.62
3 Kansas City Chiefs 12.49
2 New England Patriots 11.19
1 New York Giants 9.87

Although we are considered average I think we have to consider consistency as well. There was a period of time after Berry went down that Smith had like 1 sack in 8 games straight and Dockett didnt have a single sack in 8 games straight. It seemed(havent looked into it yet so thats why I say i seemed), that we had a consistent pass rush for maybe half the season.

 

[jmr667]

I seem to remember a quote from Whiz towards the end of last season about the performance of the pass defense. It was something about the DBs not being aware of when the front seven was going to blitz. They were backing off too deep when the linebackers were blitzing and allowing short passing routes to go uncontested.
Paranoid outlook is that its a problem with Pendy's scheme. Optimistic outlook is that it was a communication problem with all the new coaches that got sorted out by the last game and that allowed them to handle the Rams so easily.

 

[bg7brd]

I watch the games saying we have no pass rush. Sacks aren't the only way to judge a pass rush. Just get into the back field and disrupt the quaterbacks timing, get in his face so he can't see, flush him out of the pocket and make him throw on the run. All of these things help with turnovers. I think Antonio Smith is a decent end but we need someone in there on 3rd down that can get to the QB.

 

[SuperSpck]

Here is the rankings and numbers of pass attempts per sack for the whole league(from worst to best).

32 Cincinnati Bengals 24.55
31 Carolina Panthers 23.35
30 Buffalo Bills 21.81
29 Atlanta Falcons 21.44
28 Cleveland Browns 20.64
27 Washington Redskins 18.24
26 Indianapolis Colts 17.79
25 Houston Texans 17.61
24 San Francisco 49ers 17.52
23 Minnesota Vikings 17.00
22 St. Louis Rams 16.87
21 New Orleans Saints 16.38
20 Detroit Lions 16.27
19 Oakland Raiders 16.26
18 New York Jets 16.21
17 Arizona Cardinals 15.83
16 Baltimore Ravens 15.31
15 Pittsburgh Steelers 14.89
14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14.85
13 Green Bay Packers 14.83
12 Jacksonville Jaguars 14.68
11 Philadelphia Eagles 14.57
10 Tennessee Titans 14.23
9 Denver Broncos 13.88
8 Miami Dolphins 13.63
7 San Diego Chargers 13.21
6 Chicago Bears 13.20
5 Dallas Cowboys 12.63
4 Seattle Seahawks 12.62
3 Kansas City Chiefs 12.49
2 New England Patriots 11.19
1 New York Giants 9.87

That is a really cool statistical breakdown, did you do that yourself? If so, bravo.

I think if I was a player on the Dolphins D, I'd be REALLY upset with the offense.
Their number seems especially impressive when they faced that pass-happy Pats twice last year (but it also shows pass rush does not make a defense alone).

 

[Buckybird]

What do ALL very good teams have in common, a PASS RUSH. Sometimes it's not about the sacks but the hits and the pressure you get on the QB. How did the Giants win the Super Bowl last season? They hit Brady in the mouth, the legs, chest and so on. On defense just like offense it starts up front. Just look at past champions:

NYG-last season
Dallas- 70's and 90's
Pit-70's-present
Min-70's
Chi=80's
GB-60's and 90's
Ravens-2000's
NYG-80's
SF-80's
Mia-70's
Oak-70's and 80's

ALL of the teams were dominant on the defensive line with at least one great pass rusher. Who scares you on the Cards line getting to the QB? Look at how good Dockett played for half the season until teams realized he was our best threat to get to the QB. It's just my opinion but our secondary while not great is solid and would be even better with a guy that hits the QB in the mouth at least every other play. Pass rushers are hard to come by.