The defense did their job for the most part and counterpoints ;) (Merged)

[Sekhmet187]

The defense nearly every week does give up a big play or two, but normally holds the teams under 20 points and gives the offense plenty of oppurtunities to do what the offense of any football team is supposed to do, try to score, gain field position or give the defense rest. They may not get to the QB or get many turnovers, but they do what any defense in the league is asked to do, and hold the opponent under 20.

I am a little bit tired of hearing people in the media and fans of the skins attacking the defense and blaming any little problems on them. Yes, sometimes the defense gives up too many plays, but how many teams can claim they never give up big plays? Even the Jags gave up huge plays to the skins, and look how good their defense is. You CANNOT expect to be a good team if you have to rely on the defense consistently holding the opponent to 14 points because you can't score or move the ball in a consistent manner.

In the game against the Giants, the Redskins only allowed 19 points. 19 points. Normally when you hold any team to less than 20 points, thats a good defensive game. Any turnovers or sacks are just gravy. Yet with a few skins fans or media analysts/sports writers in the DC area, its like the defense is the reason the team loses in a game where the offenses shows execution equivalent to a division 1AA team.

Its really annoying that time and time again people give the offense all the breaks when they once again fail to score more than 20 points. There are maybe 5 or 6 teams in the league that would call only holding a good offensive team to 19 points and 1 touchdown, a bad game. What, do you want the team to hold them to less than 14 and set records? The defense has weaknesses, but they don't break and let a team score all over them.

you also CANNOT blame a defense when the offense struggles to get first downs. When the offense can barely get past the 50, there are offensive problems, no matter what the time of posession is. The defense had some hiccups and allows big plays every now and then(probably 1-2 a game) and has played poorly in a couple instances, but if the offense could actually score consistently the last couple of seasons, the defense wouldn't be blamed for much of anything.

Brunell needs to play much better and throw down the field, or the Redskins will lose games like this, when teams play defense looking and stopping the short yardage plays. Brunell doesn't turn the ball over much, but that is because some of his bad decisions have been dropped by defenders, He could easily have another 3-4 INT's this season that were dropped by defenders. If you're gonna go with a vet over a young guy, only do it because the vet knows the offense and can help you win games. I don't believe that Brunell will consistently be that guy for the Redskins.

As much as the defense had to be on the field because the offense couldn't string more than 1 good drive all game long, the Giants could have put up 30. The whole team played terrible, but until the Offense puts up more than 20 and loses, I don't think anyone should be blaming the defense for a loss.

[Chris 44]

I think your argument would hold more water if they had al least forced one punt today from the Giants. Yes the offense was bad, but the defense was not good either.

[DOOG]

I think your argument would hold more water if they had al least forced one punt today from the Giants. Yes the offense was bad, but the defense was not good either.

they forced two that I remember....

[ChampSkinsFanatic]

You must have lost your mind, they did their job if their job was to never get off the filed and keep the other team from punting.

[redskin81]

They pretty much moved the ball at will.

[NAILBOMB9]

Yeah, we won the in the punting aspect today!!! Yeeeehawww!!! Although I'm a little worried that Frost' leg might be sore. Hopefully he'll be back next week.

[jivelikenice]

Ridiculous....the defense could not get off of the field....Their redzone success was more a result of Giant miscues.

[bubba9497]

The defense stunk.

Gave up rushig yards, 3rd downs, big passes, no sacks or pressure, The Giants held the ball about 2/3rds of the game.......

they stunk

[SkinsNumberOne]

TOP is a two-way street guys. You can just as easily say our O couldn't give the D a rest either.

[jwpanic]

believe it or not, holding the giants offense to 19 points is pretty good. not great, but good enough to win for a lot of teams.

[Fred Jones]

Also, the Giants got conservative towards the end of the game and decided not to go after more points.

[skinsngibbs4life]

the defense played bad. yes. but it isnt like they gave up an amazing ammount of points. 16 isnt that much. at all.

At this level, for the ammount of money that they are getting paid, you have to be able to up at least 17 points in an NFL game

[Sekhmet187]

They held them to fieldgoals at the same time when many teams could have folded and allowed a bunch of TD's.

Since when is it good the offense can't score 1-2 touchdowns? Thats not good at all, no matter how you slice it, and the reason you will lose any football game, barring some incredibly good defense. scoring only 3 points is the offensive equivalent of a defense allowing 35+ points.

The defense played decent, not good at all. But the offense played terrible and is the reason the team didn't stand a chance.

[Slacky McSlackAss]

ummm...when you let a team drive on you for 8 minutes i dont think your doing your job. when they pick up 4 3rd down conversions on one drive, thats definitely not doing your job. but you cannot just blame this on the defense as the offense was just as inept. This was a team loss and we cannot single out any player since the whole team played like crap.

[bubba9497]

TOP is a two-way street guys. You can just as easily say our O couldn't give the D a rest either.

:doh: the Giants DROVE THE BALL 8 minutes to start the 2nd half, and every possesion multiple play drives

The defense stunk

[Aghar]

Your arguement would have move credibility if you didn't spin it into yet another unwarranted "Bashing Brunell" thread. The offense looked bad, the defense just as bad. Period.

[dg28daman]

First off, our D gave up 22 points, it was by pure dumb luck that Jay Feeley missed that field goal. Secondly, only giving up 19 points is great, but not when the offense gets about 50 minutes to get those 19 points. Finally, how many 7 yard gains on first and ten and 15 yard gains on first and twenty are we gonna alow?

[bubba9497]

the defense played bad. yes. but it isnt like they gave up an amazing ammount of points. 16 isnt that much. at all.

At this level, for the ammount of money that they are getting paid, you have to be able to up at least 17 points in an NFL game

doesn't matter what they score, when the other team keeps the ball away from you.

no one said the O was any better, but don't try to spin people with.... the defense did their job.... they stunk up the joint

[Sekhmet187]

You can blame the whole team all you want, but if the offense only puts up 3-14 points a game for a couple games, its not the defense that is going to be the problem.

Watch other football games and tell me if holding a good offensive team, no matter how long they drive on you, to just 19 points is bad. the cowboys/eagles game is already at 21-17, and both teams have good defenses.

You have to score a couple touchdowns to win if you don't have a championship defense.

and this is not a brunell bashing thread. I'm not bashing anyone, but if you think pointing out the guy might have 5-6 INT's on the season already as bashing, then think what you will. I just think the QB is what makes or breaks an offense and Brunell could have made a couple extra plays.

[Monte51Coleman]

TOP is a two-way street guys. You can just as easily say our O couldn't give the D a rest either.

The defense needs to get off the field, period. The final score is not indicative off the way the game played out. The Giants did what they wanted, when they wanted.

[Ghost of]

EDIT: Nevermind.

[SkinsNumberOne]

:doh: the Giants DROVE THE BALL 8 minutes to start the 2nd half, and every possesion multiple play drives

The defense stunk

I'm not saying the defense did well (and yes that was a painful drive), *however* to say that the offense doesn't have any part in a discrepancy in TOP is just plain crazy.

[TheUSkins]

when the offense does nothing and the D has no rest, what do you expect? They announcers were even commenting during the game that the offense needed to put something together to give the D a break out there and they didn't do that

[skinsngibbs4life]

doesn't matter what they score, when the other team keeps the ball away from you.

no one said the O was any better, but don't try to spin people with.... the defense did their job.... they stunk up the joint

im not trying to spin anything, im not trying to say they played well. Im saying that playing against the #2 rated offense in the league, 19 points isnt that much.

and maybe the defense would have been so tired and beat up if the offense could actually drive more than 3 plays. it seemed like everytime the defense came off for a break, that had to throw there helmets back on and go at it again. you cant expect the DLine to play that well when your on the field for nearly 3/4 of the game

[Sekhmet187]

Besides, if an offense drives the ball for 8 minutes on a team, isn't it the offenses job to turn around and drive the ball themselves for a similar amount of time instead of waiting for the defense to bail them out with turnovers?

I will easily say the entire team played bad, but the defense did its job at least in an exceptable manner. I'll take a 19 point game allowing the team a couple long drives than I would some 35 point game where the team keeps the drives short by allowing touchdowns.