Brownfan80
In the Starting Line-Up
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
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Great post. I attribute the defensive improvement to three things:
Tedy Bruschi (he leads the run defense and aligns the pass defense)
Richard Seymour returning
and Ellis Hobbs/Hawkins over Starks/string of 5 random SSs.
Hobbs and Hawkins don't get as much credit from the average poster as Bru and Sey, but to me they have had as much to do with this turnaround as anybody, Hobbs in particular. Be it his INTs or pass breakups, Ellis has given us a CB that actually makes plays on the BALL to stop drives instead of a CB who makes tackles after the catch as both Starks and Asante did/have done.
The play against Tampa this past week where Ellis bucked up on that comeback route the reciever ran and forced the ball out... how many times did we see that same route on Starks, and how many times have we STILL seen those comeback routes against Asante? What happens? Completion, if we're lucky a tackle, and the chains move.
Ellis is the only guy making plays consistently and not giving up those easy yards from the CB spot. Unfortunately Asante still is. He needs to step up before he starts gettin the Starks treatment (every pass his way since the QB knows he can't stop it).
Tedy Bruschi (he leads the run defense and aligns the pass defense)
Richard Seymour returning
and Ellis Hobbs/Hawkins over Starks/string of 5 random SSs.
Hobbs and Hawkins don't get as much credit from the average poster as Bru and Sey, but to me they have had as much to do with this turnaround as anybody, Hobbs in particular. Be it his INTs or pass breakups, Ellis has given us a CB that actually makes plays on the BALL to stop drives instead of a CB who makes tackles after the catch as both Starks and Asante did/have done.
The play against Tampa this past week where Ellis bucked up on that comeback route the reciever ran and forced the ball out... how many times did we see that same route on Starks, and how many times have we STILL seen those comeback routes against Asante? What happens? Completion, if we're lucky a tackle, and the chains move.
Ellis is the only guy making plays consistently and not giving up those easy yards from the CB spot. Unfortunately Asante still is. He needs to step up before he starts gettin the Starks treatment (every pass his way since the QB knows he can't stop it).