Quote:
Originally Posted by Mecca
Run D isn't really that important now...really on NE lined up big and tried to run, no one does that anymore.
The biggest thing will just be the front 4 doing their jobs, our run D was bad because we had guys who had no desire to play it properly.
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Yep.
Houston lost interest in setting the edge and Ford just didn't have the core strength. And while Ford could be an asset in pursuit, Houston lost the speed to do that. Bailey was just so easy to handle because he was a 'hulk smash' sort of player and Jones was just an indifferent run defender. Williams was a huge disappointment inside as well.
Nnadi and Hamilton were the only ones who actually did their !@#$ing jobs against the run.
If Daly and Spags can re-emphasize accountability there and Veach acquired players with enough 'buy in' that will be a bigger difference than any pure talent infusion. That team just absolutely did not operate as a unit against the run and it was so apparent when you started looking for it.
That's where there's room for hope with Hitchens and maybe even Ragland. The 'team defense' concept was just gone last year. Those guys were just operating with no concept (or concern) over how what they did impacted what everyone else was able to do.