Quote:I'm sorry but if your 2nd paragraph is the case, the NFL is not for Gus. You cannot hold your team development because you're friends with a guy. This is a business. I get having relationships with your coaches and being good friends but when it comes down to business you have to be able to make that decision and make it decisively.


Can Gus change that? I have my doubts because I get the impression that is part of who he is as a person.


You cannot have a "leader" that struggles mightily to make tough decisions.

 

Despite their rankings in 2014, the defense appeared to be headed in the right direction when that season ended.   There was no way Babich was going to be fired after getting what he did from the defense despite a lack of legitimate pass rushers.

 

The step back this year on defense is what cost Babich his job.  Gus had little reason to fire his DC based on how the 2014 season ended.  The expectation was that the team would find pass rush help in the draft, and that things would continue to improve this year.  Nobody expected to lose our best defensive lineman and the rookie who was supposed to be your pass rush guy.  The issue this year was that no matter how they tried to scheme it, guys like Andre Branch didn't rise to the challenge similarly to what we saw in 2014.  Clemons was a non-factor.  Losing Marks was a pain point, but at least Roy Miller stepped up and did his job well. 

 

The defense took a step back as a unit in 2015.  Young players didn't really show the kind of improvement that should have been expected.  Too often we saw guys completely out of position, taking themselves out of plays, taking bad angles, not tackling effectively.  The end result was the coordinator getting the boot, and rightly so this year. 

 

Gus has clearly shown he can set personal opinions aside and make the necessary business decisions to help the team.  He fired Fisch last year and upgraded that spot.  The hope is we see similar improvement with the coaching change this year.  Remember, almost no one here cheered for the Olson hire last year.  That worked out pretty well for the team.  If Gus gets it right this time, the defense should show similar improvement.  If that happens, this team will very quickly rise up and become relevant again.

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