3rd down defense killing us

[downfield]

This is our weakest spot and this is what is killing us on D.


I will put the data in respect to the top 10 team defenses in the league (yards/game is the stat). I used the top 10 defenses since fans often make inferences about being in the "top 10" among particular statistical categories (i.e., C. Chambers is one of the top 10 best receivers).

We are ranked # 5 in total yards allowed per game @ 263 yards/game, which is great! The #1 ranked team is allowing 205 yards/game (San Diego), while the #10 ranked team is allowing 295 yards/game (Oakland).

While the yards/game stat looks great, a deeper look indicates that we have a horrid 3rd down defense. We are allowing conversions 42.5% of the time on third down. In comparison, Chicago is allowing conversions at a 21% clip (the best rate), while Oakland is allowing a putrid 43.3% (the worst rate in the top ten). I don't think anyone would consider Oakland a good defense, and they might be allowing a low number of yards because they often cough the ball up on their own side of the field. We have the second worst 3rd down conversion rate in the top 10, and our ranking actually places us in the bottom 10 of the entire league in 3rd down conversion. This means we suck in that category.

Are Defensive talent is not bottom 10 in the league, and if Saban is a D guru, then what the hell is going on here? We had a horrible 3rd down defense last year too. I think Saban needs to alter his scheme, perhaps simplify it, and change his blitz timing to improve our defense. I am not an expert, but something doesn't add up.

 

[armyfinfan]

I dont feel like the defensive talent is that good on our D. JT is the only playmaker on the defense. Nobody in the secondary ever makes any plays except for maybe a tackle. Our Linebackers never make any plays aside from Zach's consistent tackling. Other guys on the line get sacks but it just doesnt seem like they are dominant when we really need it.

 

[DevilElias26]

does anyone else feel like weve been blitzing WAYYYY too much on 3rd downs? i mean, everyone knows zach isnt an effective blitzer, yet capers keeps calling blitzes on third down. its getting me upset

 

[phinphanforever]

Our defense is fine, especially the way they played last Sunday.
It's the O-line that is killin g us.

 

[Tpaddle]

o-line is definitely our weakest spot...

 

[Cannonboy]

You are so right regarding the 3rd down defense. I have no faith that when 3rd down comes up that the defense can stop them from getting the first. It seems like the defenders don't play close to the receiver and the receiver just runs enough yards to get the first down, turns around and catches the ball for the first. I would love to see the db's right on top of the receivers on the line and try to stop them.

 

[OdIe]

does anyone else feel like weve been blitzing WAYYYY too much on 3rd downs? i mean, everyone knows zach isnt an effective blitzer, yet capers keeps calling blitzes on third down. its getting me upset

Exactly my thoughts the front four have almost all of our sacks. Why not drop everyone else into coverage?? We blitz so much on third down everyone is expecting it so we are just opening our own holes in the defense.

 

[McMichael]

i just don't see defense being the problem for this team...... we're ranked really high in the league, we just held the pats to their worst performance all year!

i think the problem is we haven;'t even scored 20 points yet all season =(

 

[downfield]

Guys, I am not denying our O-line is hurting us. I am just saying that our D is hurting us too!

 

[McMichael]

Guys, I am not denying our O-line is hurting us. I am just saying that our D is hurting us too!

there are 25 other teams in the NFL who's defenses are playing WORSE than ours...



we haven't put up more than 17 points all season ..

 

[DolfanISS]

Our defense does rank rather favorably in the yard based categories but not so good in 3rd and 4th down efficiency. However, the Patriots converted 5 of 15 3rd downs or 33% which would have had us in the top 10 for that game. In that particular game we did a good job despite popular belief. I think the 3rd down thing is being magnified becuase our offense is so bad and can't score any points no matter how many chances we give them we need to make every 3rd down stop to give the inept offense another shot. When we don't make a stop on 1, or in this case 5 out of 15 tries, we remember it. The way our defense played in this game we should have been up 27-13 going into the 4th.