Has the Defense gotten better?

[barrett]

Originally Posted by NBT

Well, yes and no. If Harrison had just looked back for the ball, or for matter Reeves, we could have made the int. The fact that both were floundering, undable to look back speaks volumes to me.

Harrison can look back all day and he won't get any faster. He simply doesn't have the range to play a deep ball and be in run support. It is one or the other with him. If we guess it wrong before the snap, then he is out of the play. That is why you have seen us play alot of cover 1 with wilson (which you don't see much).

As for Reeves, you nailed it. His ball skills are poor. He does a good job of being in the play but a poor job of making it once he gets there. That's what makes him an average/mediocre #2 NFL corner.

My point was not about that play in particular though. It is about the original post that said we are giving up too many deep balls lately. I just wanted to point out that giving up a few more deep balls is an automatic trade-off when you blitz more (which obviously has helped our defense on the whole).