12:38 | I don't know about "ferocious." I think if they were going to get to that point we would have seen it already. But I think they can turn things around. We certainly saw signs of that against San Diego. They played much better until the final drive. Getting healthy will help. I've said this before and I'll keep saying it:: Their struggles weren't a mystery. They were playing without five key players (DT Chris Canty, DT Jay Alford, LB Michael Boley, CB Aaron Ross, S Kenny Phillips). Take five key players (and 3-4 starters) away from any defense in the NFL and they would struggle. So getting back to close to full strength is important. That will help in the second half. But they won't play ferociously until they're more comfortable. I'm concerned about all the communication issues I see (ones that Sheridan has said he doesn't see, by the way). There's too much uncertainty, too much thinking, too much discussion about calls in the seconds before the ball is snap. If they're that unsure, there's no way they can just pin their ears back and play. That's when players play "ferocious" - when they're completely comfortable and are confident they know exactly what they're supposed to do. This defense isn't there yet. And after nine games, that concerns me. |
