[RobertWeathers]

Originally Posted by Haglund's_Spirit

This is 100% accurate.

NFL schedule makers did us zero favors by scheduling the game vsLAC 4 days after we had to play vsRavens, AND the refs did make some 'questionable' calls (and maybe a bigger no-call) down the stretch in that one, but that game caused a seismic shakeup in the defensive backfield, and since then, the younger guys (Lucas and Ward) have more energy and don't fade down the stretch the way the Parker and Scandrick did.

Parker wasn't resigned in the offseason for a reason, but there was no contingency plan for Berry. So when Berry couldn't go, and Atlanta or Houston or whoever had cut Parker, we needed him. And then we traded for Jordan Lucas. We needed Parker to play until Lucas got familiar with our scheme and calls. As soon as we benched Scandrick and Parker for the kids, the D also went to more 4 man fronts, they overload with Houston and Ford on the same side, etc.

It's been fun to watch the defense coalesce over the past month.

Y'all have had a great year. Teams don't reach the AFCCG without being able to play some defense.