(12-09-2022, 05:26 PM)rfc17 Wrote:

(12-09-2022, 04:50 PM)MarleyJag Wrote: Yes by and large he was better. I'd take that 90s team or even the inconsistent Del Rio teams over anything we've experienced lately. Yeah, 17 was fun but a fluke.

I would do anything to go back to the Del Rio years.  Those were physical teams that could dominate the line of scrimmage.  And we had a 3-4 year stretch where we had a great defense.  Unfortunately we just didnt have a QB good enough to put us over the top first with Leftwich and then Garrard.  And then all those poor drafts just really started to pile up by then end of his tenure.  I'm sure Del Rio deserves some of the blame for that but hard to know how much influence he had.

I agree especially when you consider that Lefty had the *potential* to be a pro-bowler if he'd put the work in. He had the talent around him too. He just had a little to much arrogance, I remember once in his rookie year him saying he didn't have much to learn because he'd basically seen it all already at Marshall. Dude did have some talent though. Those *could* have been great teams. Garrard was kind of the opposite, he got a lot out of his talent but just wasn't naturally as gifted throwing the ball. I respect Garrard so much more because he seemed to really work for it.

Those defenses were indeed terrific.

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