(10-23-2022 08:51 AM)Babes boy Wrote: I questioned why our defense disappears late in games in another thread. It does not make sense. Play lights out then can’t do squat.
The good news is, we still control our own fate. This team has the ability to win out, but do they have the coaching to get them there.
I'd guess it is at least in part due to the front 7 being really battered by injury. Last year, they were able to rotate a lot of bodies and keep everyone fresh. This year, guys are playing every snap.
At DT, they moved Rogers to center, and now have lost Butler, and I don't think Alexander played at all against Buffalo either. Poynter played some snaps early in the season, but didn't see action against UB. That leaves basically Johnson and Cullpepper to play the whole game.
At DE, they lost Taylor for the year, Givhan has been out, Woliver has been dinged up and been in and out, Holt got hurt against Kent so he was out this week. That has left basically Hines and Raigin (who I thought I had heard they might have wanted to move back to LB this year before the injuries started.) Apparently either the younger guys are hurt too, or the staff doesn't think they can play yet.
At LB, lost Bolden for the season. Freeburg had been getting some snaps, but didn't play at all against UB even though I thought he was dressed. They have basically played Gant, Johnson and Barrow entire games, occasionally moving Ford up from safety to add some relief to the mix. Again, either the young LBs are also hurt or not ready to play yet even for a snap or two in the eyes of the staff.
Not sure the front 7 will be able to last the rest of the season in the state it is in.