So if the defense is terrible again this season?

[Carolina_Packer]

Wist, I tend to agree with a lot of what you say, and sometimes I think you are a bit too negative about things. One area I don't agree with you though is this. Datone is a well rounded 3-4 DE. Look at his college game tape. He isn't just a penatrator. Perry also has all the skills necessary to be an effective OLB. His strength will never be coverage, but in our D, the OLB isn't supposed to be running across the field with a TE or a RB. He occupies a zone. I am pretty sure he can back peddle 4-7 yards and stand in an area. Many a lessor athlete has excelled doing it.

The drafting of Worthy and Daniels (who are primarily penetrators) was a direct response to losing Jenkins and the effect not having any pass rush from the DL. I am not sure what is going on with Perry, but I haven't totally thrown in the towel on him yet as he does flash at times.

Basically the thing that people get sick of is the all or nothing mentality. If you are Wist and Red then everything is hopeless and wrong. If we disagree with you we are totally opposite spectrum and guzzling Kool Aid. It would be nice if you would admit at some point that Capers has in the past, and is capable of fielding a top 10 or even 5 defense. He is not the coaching equivalent of Kurt Schottenheimer or Slocum. He has dealt with a lot of key injuries that mess up his plans.

For my part I am in full agreement with you that we continued to play WAY too much 2-4 long after the talent still standing didn't work very well with the alignment, and in situations that made me scratch my head like 2nd and goal from the 1. The truth (as often is the case) lies somewhere in the middle. Capers certainly could be better, but he is far from a bumbling moron who has no idea how to coach defense.

Well stated. I agree with what you say. I think most fans know there is something wrong, but do not necessarily agree upon the root cause. It would seem that MM knows that something is wrong as well, but has not yet made Capers pay with his job. If there is not significant improvement this year, MM knows he has to make a change. Does that mean that Capers will run less "Big Nickel"? Only they know. Do the personnel changes along the DL indicate that they will play the nickel differently?

I think we can all agree that stopping the run and winning the down and distance battle and dictating terms on third down is critical. Now they just need to find a way to do it.

As for Nickel sub, here is a cool article from 2010: http://blitzology.blogspot.com/2010/...o-package.html There's a video link of the Cowboy game where we dominated, which is cool. I believe it was KY who said they've got to get home when they send pressure. So true.