Not enough turnovers

[skinsguy]

Originally Posted by hooskins

The point is, it is ok if your D gives up big chunks of yards, but if they get picks, and create fumbles, to put a weak Brunell in favorable field position chances are we will score more and stop scoring. Overall our special teams is pretty good, but if our D starts creating turnovers, we will be much better on both sides of the ball. Last year the Bengals ran a similar D, that gave up yards, but created alot of turnovers, which is very successful in the NFL.

The kind of reminds me of the season...not sure if it was 96 or 97. We had ol' Gus as QB and Davis as our RB..and let's not forget future HOF WR Michael Westbrook...lol! Our team went 8-1 and appeared to be a shoe in for the playoffs..if not home field advantage. BUT...our D all year had been the bend but don't break type of defense. Well..they finally broke and our team ended up 8-8. Now granted we didn't have a pro bowl QB at the helm, but we were scoring points and winning ball games.

I believe that in the NFC East..you HAVE TO HAVE a great defense. I believe Indy can get away with it in their division and can go but so far....but ultimately, I believe you must have a strong defense in order to win games and ultimately Super Bowls.....

[djnemo65]

Originally Posted by skinsguy

The kind of reminds me of the season...not sure if it was 96 or 97. We had ol' Gus as QB and Davis as our RB..and let's not forget future HOF WR Michael Westbrook...lol! Our team went 8-1 and appeared to be a shoe in for the playoffs..if not home field advantage. BUT...our D all year had been the bend but don't break type of defense. Well..they finally broke and our team ended up 8-8. Now granted we didn't have a pro bowl QB at the helm, but we were scoring points and winning ball games.

I believe that in the NFC East..you HAVE TO HAVE a great defense. I believe Indy can get away with it in their division and can go but so far....but ultimately, I believe you must have a strong defense in order to win games and ultimately Super Bowls.....

I think we were 7-1 and finished 9-7. The game I remember most vividly was against Arizona. We were up 14 in the fourth quarter and choked away the lead. We drove down to give Conway a shot at the game winner. He nailed it, but a penalty forced us to kick it again. No good, and we lost in OT.

Incidentally, this was where an inchoate version of my theory about kickers was first formed: kickers always miss field goals in which they are rekicking as a result of penalty, provided they made the first nullified attempt. This theory was again evinced this weekend in the Pitt Atl game.