Barring a Sutton-esque collapse Spagnuolo will be back next year. The fact that we do not have the #32 ranked defense in spite of the youth and draft position on this team is pretty impressive. It can always improve though, but it’s not as doom and gloom as some want to make it seem.
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Three. 2018 was the year of the Grandpa Bob defense.
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Overall, I don't think it's too bad, but the Bengals game was about as gloomy as it gets.
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Very true. This defense has bad games, but considering how young it is and how poorly the veterans outside of Jones and Sneed have played this defense should be worse than it is.
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They played a bad game just like the offense did in Indy.

They held the Bills to 24 points and Colts to 20. Guess who lost those games?
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The defense hasn't played up to their potential yet this season.

They've had games where they played well, like the TB or the 49ers game, or managed to keep KC in the game in the second half, like the most recent LAC game when they held them to a single TD in the second half. The DEN game they did exactly what they needed to, getting 6 sacks, two picks (neither by a S though), a 30% 3rd-down conversion rate, a 31% scoring efficiency rate, etc. and so on, but somehow allowed 4 TDs. If they'd just forced DEN to score at their usual rate (1 TD, 2-3 FGs/gm), maybe we're not having this conversation.

But they also have had some pretty bad games, like the CIN game, when they needed help from CIN's mistakes to keep it under 30.

The DL has not been able to even get pressure consistently without some kind of help for most of the season. And the secondary has not taken advantage when the front-7 has gotten pressure and forced the offense to make poor decisions with the football. Mostly that's probably on the safeties, but regardless, they aren't making other teams pay for mistakes.

The result has been the inability to generate turnovers and/or get 3rd-4th down stops. And this defense is supposed to be designed around that principle. If the DL can't get pressure consistently without help and the secondary (especially the Ss) can't capitalize when they do, this defense is going to struggle, and having rookies all over the place is probably going to magnify those issues.

The DL has to start generating pressure without help and the secondary, the safeties in particular, have to start making some plays, not just covering well. I know, CJ is having a great year, and I'm not saying he's part of the problem. But someone else or a couple other DLs need to start making more plays in the pass rush.
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Are you really comparing the defense to the best offense in the NFL? I'd gladly give them a pass for Cincinnati if they'd been the best defense in the NFL all year.

All units were to blame for the Colts game. Mostly special teams. If Butker were available and Moore doesn't muff the punt, they win that game comfortably. Let's not forget, though, that despite all the bullshit that occurred, they still had a lead with a few minutes left. And what happened? The D allows one of the worst offenses in the league to drive the length of the field and score an easy TD.

We can't expect an offense to be perfect and drop 35 every week and never turn the ball over. The defense needs to be better, especially in the red zone.
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1) Well, we can't get consistent pressure without blitzing; the problem with blitzing is that you end up short in coverage. So I guess you'd prefer to just let the Joe Burrows of the league sit there all day, but with the rules the way they are, someone will get open eventually. So Spags rolls the dice. It is what it is.

2)Green dog schmean dog. I don't see the opposition leaving a lot of extra blockers in, unless we're blitzing. We do, for example, blitz a LB quite a bit. So you know, numbers in coverage issues again.
Unless you're privy to the actual playcall, I doubt you have any idea what Gay or Bolton's responsibilities are on any given play.

3)Mcduffie is playing well, but he's still a rookie. I see a lot simpler back end scheme than in previous years, and I'm sure that's due to the three rookies. I'm sure leaving guys on their specific side is part of that.


I'm not sure why it is that so many of you don't get that we have Jones doubled and NOBODY ELSE CAN GET HOME. We don't win the one on ones enough up front, and we'll look bad against quality QB's when that's true.

You can fire Spags; and whomever takes over will have the same issues unless we get more pass rush from the front four.
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Lest we forget the defense stopped them until Jones got a penalty for mean words, but I get your point.
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I don't know how you could watch a JAG like Gabe Davis absolutely destroy Mike Hughes last year and think that the secondary is irrelevant.

You need both, and it's better to have a good cheap secondary so you can use the money and valuable resources going forward on the DL.
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I think Spags needs to be gone. Not because he's terrible, but because we can do better, and we have to do everything possible to maximize our potential while we have Mahomes.

But let's be honest; with as loyal as Andy is, he isn't going anywhere.
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Yup. Hell without McDuffie or Gay the Bills Barry got TD’s past Williams. They were just perfectly placed passes despite good coverage.

Last year those guys were wide open with nobody within 10 yards of them
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Unless a new DC comes with a proper NT and a pair of plus pass rushing EDGE rushers, it wouldn't make any difference.
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If there's a clear upgrade available, it should be done. I like Spags the person, and he's okay as a coach, but this is a business. Wasting Mahomes' prime years due to loyalty to a friend would be ludicrous. They already wasted one of the best offensive seasons in NFL history by being too loyal to Grandpa Bob.
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Exactly! Because the line can’t get consistent pressure they have to blitz and hope the QB makes a mistake. Leaving QBs like Burrow all day to throw the ball with those receivers is foolish. Look at the 2007 Patriots. They were unstoppable until the SB when the Giants Dline consistently pressured and harassed Brady and that elite offense was neutralized and they lost the SB.
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