How good can the defense be?
 

Yes pressure is important but you are leaving out another very important issue, stopping the run. A major factor in the Tampa Bay win was, we finaly held our own in the ground war. Limiting the Bucs anemic ground game to 56 yards was huge. That trend will have to continue if we are to have success in the second half of the season. We are giving up almost 130 yds a game on the ground, damn near worst in the league. Our ability or inability to change that will have as much to say about what happens to this team as anything for the rest of the season.



[Edited on 11/14/2003 by saint5221]

How good can the defense be?
 

Great point 5221.

How good can the defense be?
 

I\'m really interested to see how the D-line handles the run, now that Grady isn\'t playing. I always thought Grady wore down in the second half and that was a big reason that teams were so successful running the ball late in the game.

I always thought that the teams that were successful at stopping the run always seemed to have a defensive tackle that was able to penetrate into the backfield and made the running back change his running route. If Wille Whitehead can be a disruptive force in the middle of the defense, it should make this defense much better against the run and pass.

Whitehead has played outstanding at the DE position, but it remains to be seen how he will do at the DT position. Willie just seems like one of those players that is going to be successful no matter where you put him.