Originally posted by sacniner:
This maybe viewed as an excuse, but that ridiculous penalty against Clements was HUGE. We were dominating the Hawks before that. That shifted the momentum. With our O playing like trash, Hasselback in a groove, and the crowd, or D folded. The Seahawks had the momentum and emotional advantage from the second quarter on...
I think it was mental for us. We are too fragile to win in that kind of environment. Veteran teams that are used to winning play good in those types of environments. I honestly believe if we scored those TDs in the first quarter our D would have done a good job. They will be fine.
See i dont think we will be fine. Just like with the offense we have to stop wearing the Rose colored glasses for the D. Special Teams/Offense/Defense, is each their own entity. The D needs work as well. How many years are we gonna keep this same D, and talk our D up as if it's great, when they arent. they should rephrase and say we are great against the run, just not the pass. If we score TD's or not that doesnt mean that the D should falter either way.
Like i said before, you look at PROVEN top D's. I never hear them point out an aspect and say try to beat us this way. They just generalize it and say, try to score on us. Just like the Jets and the Ravens. With us, P.Willy says all the time, u cant run on us. Well let me hear him say u wont pass on us. He cant because every time at some point we will break.
And like i said in that loss. WE had the entire first half of the game. the D almost never saw the field. But they looked tired. Even last year, at crunch time, the D always gave up a big play. We keep hearing that the D is the staple of our entire team. Well if thats the staple, then s**t, we need a bigger stapler. A staple on any team in my eyes can impose it's will. And really only in run stopping can we impose our will. With rushing the passer, and pass protection, it's more like a bandaid, not a healing.
