The defense is the weakness.

The offense was crap under Raye. Look at the 3rd down conversion rates:

vs Seattle: 1 of 15
vs New Orleans: 5 of 9
vs Kansas City: 4 of 17

Offense under Johnson so far:

vs Atlanta 6 of 12

Of course these numbers are under admittedly limited observation, but an overall 16 of 53 or 30.2% 3rd down conversion rate after 4 weeks is downright pitiful. Don't overlook the special teams scoring half the points this past week. The offense didn't do much after their first drive.

Yes, but we had to do OL first...and second...and D suffered accordingly. We are set at O...okay, Qb is a problem, but D was sacrificed to fix OL and i agree with move.

Now, there's an old adage that goes way back: "If you can't cover, blitz" which pretty well describes us, as does the other one, "PREVENT D just prevents you from winning."

Keep those two in mind and we might play a bit better. But overall, this D has bigmikes
(BMs) fingerprints all over it, and sooner he goes, sooner we get better. I think manusk by himself without BM looking over his shoulder or in his ear is a lot better than BM by himself, or worse, telling his coaches what to do.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by zeppfan1:

Originally posted by niner4life21:
I disagree. Although the D didn't come up big in the NO and ATL games, they played good if not great the entire game, constantly putting the offense in position to succeed. However when you play great teams like the Saints and Falcons, they're bound to do well if you don't put em away with your offense. In the NO game, it was the turnovers and unfortunate tipped INT at the end, and in the ATL game it was Smith's bonehead mistakes. Sure, the Defense didn't play great when it really mattered most, but the offense definetly didn't help them out, even the D helped them out time after time ( atleast in those two games )

this^

Some people think if our defense doesn't stop two of the top offenses in the NFL every single drive then its the weakness. Who cares if our offense is averaging hree turnovers a game.

And 29th in scoring.

Holding the Defense accountable on the WZ is considered an Alexcuse and is not allowed.

But really we give up huge #'s of points, yards and key last minute drives for the win. Why can our defense never get off the field on the final drive to win the game? The close out defensive stand. We are 2 - 2 this year if they can close out you know. Very terrible CB and Safety coverage. Inconsistent pass rush. They deserve a very fair amount of the blame IMO.

Lost in all of the frenzied Alex hate (and there is lots of it) is the fact that plenty of other parts of our team aren't perfect. Like inability to make a defensive stand when we need it and inability to do simple things like catch a punt.

Insert DefensEXCUSES here:

This is why this defense is just good and not great. We held a very good Atlanta team to merely 16 points (while our offense scored an abysmal 7 with all the 'playmakers' we have). This defense is pretty damn good too.

Problem is, they can never seem to hold up. I cannot recall once where the defense got the opposing offense off the field on a final 2 minute offense. Atlanta and New Orleans so far this year. I hope they can make a stop sometime this season.

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Holding the Defense accountable on the WZ is considered an Alexcuse and is not allowed.

But really we give up huge #'s of points, yards and key last minute drives for the win. Why can our defense never get off the field on the final drive to win the game? The close out defensive stand. We are 2 - 2 this year if they can close out you know. Very terrible CB and Safety coverage. Inconsistent pass rush. They deserve a very fair amount of the blame IMO.

Lost in all of the frenzied Alex hate (and there is lots of it) is the fact that plenty of other parts of our team aren't perfect. Like inability to make a defensive stand when we need it and inability to do simple things like catch a punt.

Insert DefensEXCUSES here:

Well it must be much of the offense if faithful supporters of Smith have lost support in him, or are they seeing things too???

I won't deny the defense takes a lot of blame in a couple of our games, but its job isn't to score points. Lets take a look here:

0 TD's in Seattle

3 TD's vs. Saints

1 meaningless TD in KC

1 TD in Atlanta

How could we NOT blame the offense for the most part of this season??? I could see if our offense was ranked #21 overall in points and the defense was ranked #29 overall. Than I think you might have something to grumble about with all the fans taking out their frustration out on the offense.

No

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Holding the Defense accountable on the WZ is considered an Alexcuse and is not allowed.

But really we give up huge #'s of points, yards and key last minute drives for the win. Why can our defense never get off the field on the final drive to win the game? The close out defensive stand. We are 2 - 2 this year if they can close out you know. Very terrible CB and Safety coverage. Inconsistent pass rush. They deserve a very fair amount of the blame IMO.

Lost in all of the frenzied Alex hate (and there is lots of it) is the fact that plenty of other parts of our team aren't perfect. Like inability to make a defensive stand when we need it and inability to do simple things like catch a punt.

Insert DefensEXCUSES here:

San Diego dropping knowledge.

Props on a great post.

its above average, but not great

although we were 4th in pts allowed last year, we were only 15th in yds allowed

pretty much a borderline top 10 defense basically

Originally posted by znk916:
its above average, but not great

although we were 4th in pts allowed last year, we were only 15th in yds allowed

pretty much a borderline top 10 defense basically

This year we're borderline terrible.

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Holding the Defense accountable on the WZ is considered an Alexcuse and is not allowed.

But really we give up huge #'s of points, yards and key last minute drives for the win. Why can our defense never get off the field on the final drive to win the game? The close out defensive stand. We are 2 - 2 this year if they can close out you know. Very terrible CB and Safety coverage. Inconsistent pass rush. They deserve a very fair amount of the blame IMO.

Lost in all of the frenzied Alex hate (and there is lots of it) is the fact that plenty of other parts of our team aren't perfect. Like inability to make a defensive stand when we need it and inability to do simple things like catch a punt.

Insert DefensEXCUSES here:

This is stupid on so many accounts. First of all, even if we stop the Saints it's not a guaranteed victory so where the hell do you get 2-2? There's OT, the coin toss, and Alex Smith's suckage-INT factor to consider.

Secondly, the offense has done absolutely NOTHING in 3 of the 4 games. If you want to blame the D for giving up points to Drew Brees then stand in the f**king line dude. He's arguably the best QB in the NFL. Don't forget that the offense also turned the ball over 3 times inside the 30 in that game.

Do you even want me to start with the Seattle or KC games? In Seattle, the D put the offense in position to seal the game away early...and we get...6 pts? That's not going to cut it in the NFL especially on the road in a home opener. The offense let the Seattle crowd get in it early.

Finally, the fact that anyone can put blame on the Falcons loss on the defense is so preposterously dumb that I can't even fathom how some people can think that. They gave up 16 pts on the road to a playoff team! What the hell else do you want them to do?! Get a pick 6? Maybe that's why Nate was so intent on returning that ball.

Alex Smith ALONE lost us the game in Atlanta. He made two bonehead INTs...there's no other way to cut it. Those INTs are 100% on him and what made it worse is that they came at the most inopportune times. Maybe if he doesn't throw that INT we get 3 or 7 and it's not even a game anymore. Why don't you use that as your "game-losing" set of plays instead of the drive in the D? Just b/c that's how the game ended doesn't mean that was the reason we lost.

Originally posted by Leathaface:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Holding the Defense accountable on the WZ is considered an Alexcuse and is not allowed.

But really we give up huge #'s of points, yards and key last minute drives for the win. Why can our defense never get off the field on the final drive to win the game? The close out defensive stand. We are 2 - 2 this year if they can close out you know. Very terrible CB and Safety coverage. Inconsistent pass rush. They deserve a very fair amount of the blame IMO.

Lost in all of the frenzied Alex hate (and there is lots of it) is the fact that plenty of other parts of our team aren't perfect. Like inability to make a defensive stand when we need it and inability to do simple things like catch a punt.

Insert DefensEXCUSES here:

This is stupid on so many accounts. First of all, even if we stop the Saints it's not a guaranteed victory so where the hell do you get 2-2? There's OT, the coin toss, and Alex Smith's suckage-INT factor to consider.

Secondly, the offense has done absolutely NOTHING in 3 of the 4 games. If you want to blame the D for giving up points to Drew Brees then stand in the f**king line dude. He's arguably the best QB in the NFL. Don't forget that the offense also turned the ball over 3 times inside the 30 in that game.

Do you even want me to start with the Seattle or KC games? In Seattle, the D put the offense in position to seal the game away early...and we get...6 pts? That's not going to cut it in the NFL especially on the road in a home opener. The offense let the Seattle crowd get in it early.

Finally, the fact that anyone can put blame on the Falcons loss on the defense is so preposterously dumb that I can't even fathom how some people can think that. They gave up 16 pts on the road to a playoff team! What the hell else do you want them to do?! Get a pick 6? Maybe that's why Nate was so intent on returning that ball.

Alex Smith ALONE lost us the game in Atlanta. He made two bonehead INTs...there's no other way to cut it. Those INTs are 100% on him and what made it worse is that they came at the most inopportune times. Maybe if he doesn't throw that INT we get 3 or 7 and it's not even a game anymore. Why don't you use that as your "game-losing" set of plays instead of the drive in the D? Just b/c that's how the game ended doesn't mean that was the reason we lost.

Excellent DefensEXCUSES. Thanks for not holding them accountable at all. It's what most WZers do.

Originally posted by Method:

Originally posted by znk916:
its above average, but not great

although we were 4th in pts allowed last year, we were only 15th in yds allowed

pretty much a borderline top 10 defense basically

This year we're borderline terrible.

I think things snowballed in the two blowout road losses when the offense kept stalling

2 minute defense seems like a problem but think about the kinds of QB who have burned us in the past couple years, '09 Favre, Peyton, Matty Ice (he did the same to the Jets #1 D last year)...for the most part, we've only got owned by great QBs

Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:

Originally posted by RMuTT1981:
We knew coming into the season that our offense would be mid-tier at best, it was dependent on our defense to be improved and get those stops.

2-2 we would be if the defense comes up with those critical stops. And maybe Raye is still here, dare i say gifthorse?

A weakness, well with a team that has a completely crippled offense, our defense ain't the weakness more like just a disappointment.

Nailed it.

Originally posted by Adman:
When it comes down to it...forget about all of the mistakes that were made early in the NO and ATL games. We had every right to win those games. When all you need is a defensive stop to get to OT or win the game, your defense BETTER make that stop.

Why is it everytime we need a simple defense stop...we cant do it? The opposing offense just marches right down and scores. WTF!!!!! The ATL game we had them at 3rd and 15. And we give up a 20 yard pass to a TE. What type of defense does that?!??!

2011 draft we need a CB or some type of DB in the first round! No drafting QB's. Go get a proven starter! (We missed McNabb)

I agree. Lets get a proven QB. Who do you say, Manning or Brady? I'm thinking, both. Manning to start the season, and Brady to come in during the playoffs. Realistically there may be one guy at most available, and probably not even a great player (Kolb or Vick). Chances are they won't have nearly the success outside of Philli. It sounds nice to get a proven QB, but there simply won't be any available. Although we could see how Alex does for a second year under Mike Johnson.... (please don't take that comment seriously).