The difference in #10 Defense and the one we have now?

[DC9]

Last I saw Landry he was getting smoked in the NE game.

I think NE just scored again.

[RandyHolt]

Not much really, just very different coaches. Blache didn't believe in pressure. Haslet does, but it's either all or nothing. When Haslet sat back and made Blache proud, we sucked and racked up a bunch of losses. Getting back to blitzing, we have had two of our easier wins all year.

Running a 3-4 now so things are different, but we don't have a huge NT, which I thought was very important to anchor the whole damn thing.

But FS play always seems to dominate the discussions about defense.

And our free safety spot still has a guy better suited to play strong (Madieu), just like when we had the incredible hulk Landry there. And just like then, its easy to hammer away on him instead of realizing they are far from being used in their optimal position. But that position for some reason almost is expected to make or break a defense, or handcuff a coordinator.

[Botched]

We are also missing Orakpo and Carriker (13-14 sacks plus their threat would probably add 5-6 more and create a few more errant passes). Meriweather played in one game and Jackson in none.

If you consider who we are missing, no matter what you think of Haslett, the defense would be 15-20% better if they had not been injured (or in Jackson's case, suspended) which would make this a top-10 defense. Also remember, a lot of the more exotic things Haslett is trying are directly related to missing horses like Orakpo, Carriker and probably Jackson and Meriweather.

Yepppp. Orakpo and Carriker accounted for 13 sacks last year. Jackson and Jenkins are on pace for 3. Our pass rush stinks on ice right now.

[DCsportsfan53]

Firstly, give me a ****ing break and quit crying over guys who weren't that good and didn't want to be here.

Secondly, were I making this thread to me the answer is easy and easy to miss.....it's the offense. For sometime now we've been a defense that kept games close but could never stand up and make the plays that really counted. Same is true now, largely. The difference is teams can no longer count on it requiring an act of God for our offense to put up 20 points and they, therefore, play far less conservatively against us than they used to. Or offense now puts pressure on them to keep up and they respond accordingly.