Quote:There were multiple reasons why the defense struggled last year, but the biggest factor was the fact that in most games, they were on the field far too long for their own good. The offense left them in lousy situations more often than not. As a result, the defense simply wore out late in games.


There were certainly areas of concern, but keep in mind that the linebacking corps was missing the starting MLB for a portion of the season, suffered injuries in the secondary, and trotted out a lot of young guys playing on the corners, and at safety. All things considered, we got a glimpse of some decent play from that defense despite the lack of experience and depth, and both of those areas can be resolved this off season.


Injuries impact every team. We lost starters at LB, Safety, and Corner this year at various times, and still managed to keep our inept offense in games until late.


To say Gus' defense didn't work ignores the hand they were dealt and only focuses on the stats. With an improved offense, that should help the defense. With additions to the defense, it should also help to get the unit to the next level.