It may be hindsight clouding my memory, but I don't recall seeing anything even remotely close to the defense played the first three weeks of the season, not in 2003, or any other point from 1999 to now (I wasn't here prior to that...). Maybe a random game here and there, but never week to week.

If you listened to the players throughout the pre-season they talked about how there is more "freedom" in Romeo's defense. Players are not isolated to a specific role which I take to mean they have been in the past. There is no specific "run stopper" or "cover guy". The play gets called and the players go out and execute it.

Even today the announcers kept saying how Romeo has simplified the defense. And I think that is a good thing given 2 out of the last 3 DC's we had seemed to want to over-think things and play a game of chess with the defense. Gunther I still contend might have done better had he not been forced into a Cover 2 base that Herm insisted on playing.

I think that allows players like DJ to perform better. He isn't out there thinking about, what is my role, what do I do if they run left or right, etc. He goes out there and executes the play that was called. If they run at you then you are the run stopper. If they send a guy out in coverage at you then you are the cover guy. There is not trying to match up. Just execute the job of that position for that play and let your talent do the work.

2003 we played good defense then Maslowski got hurt and it went totally ass backwards.

I have never sen a team get that bad that fast on defense.

Mike Maslowski.

NFL's all time MVP.

We were pretty good in 2003. then in that 8th game Maz went down and we were NEVER the same.

I think we're legit vs the run, but I think the next few weeks we're going to be exposed in the passing game. I'm not sold on our pass rush, and I think we're going to take a beating in nickel and dime packages against the better QBs in the league. Remember, when the rain stopped, Rivers started carving our secondary up.

Our secondary has been truly outstanding so far. Flowers & Carr have shut down SD, CLE & SF's WRs. They are one of the best duos in the NFL. We have 2 rookie safeties, of course they'll make some mistakes like they already have. TE's & RB's out of the backfield have really been the only thing that's hurt us.

But your right, it depends on the pass rush. Dont matter if you have 4 hall of famers back there, if you give a QB all day, especially an elite QB like Manning, Schaub, etc..they will pick us apart.

Lol. No but it was strange how we haven't had a good MLB since him. He seemed mediocre at the time but the defense went to shit when he got hurt.

I believe our defense is real. The reason I am saying this is because of how we have played our first 3 games this season,.

Chargers: 109 yds. rushing/ 280 passing, gave up 14 points, 2 turnovers, 2 sacks "this was a ran soaked game so weather helped us out
Browns: 140 rds rushing/ 172 yds passing, gave up 14 points, 2 turnovers, 1 sack, "this was an ugly win against a backup quarterback.
49ers: 45 yds rushing/208 yds passing, gave up 10 points, 1 turnover, 5 sacks. "gave up touchdown as time expired.
Team Statistics
Chargers as of today: 4th in the league with an average of 303 yds/game passing/9th in rushing with a average of 130 yds/ game
Browns as of today: 21st in the league with an average of 197.7 yds/game passing, 13 in the league with an average of 113.7 yds/game rushing
49 ers as of today: 12th in the league with an average of 232.3 yds/game passing, 27th in the league with an average of 78.0 yds/game rushing

CHIEFS DEFENSE NUMBERS
22nd in the passing wih an average of 238.0 yds/game
6th in rushing with an average of 75 yds/ gme

The Browns had 73 yards rushing.

PhilFree:arrow:

1 game is a fluke. 3 games is a trend.

They need to sign Ty Law to a one game contract.


Even though he is 89 years old and slower then a velvetta dump he would still get his token pick against Peyton.

Legit. I understand that pre-season, to some degree, is just pre-season. But the D has played at a high level in pretty much every game under Romeo.

Total/scoring D rankings will go down, however, after the next 2 games.

Thank you for the correction. I read the wrong column.

Crennel has done a miracle with them.. Will be interesting to see how teams attack them as we go further in the season.. Thankfully we got some pressure and sacks today, keep that up and it will not matter what the offense game plans..