After watching the Arizona game, the defense looks stout and has been able to limit the damage. There is one glaring item I think they need to work on. There was to many times with a WR running up the middle of the field on a LBer. Something didn't look right with them plays. Was the safety help to deep or out of position?

Seal up that area of the defense and we will be sitting good.

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The large grain of salt was the lack of availability for a bunch of players, especially the secondary. I didn't like seeing the hash marks become open prairie for the secondary. The 1st team only giving up 10 against the prolific Cardinals O, I'm damn excited.

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Overall, this defense was exciting to watch. They exhibited a level of aggression we just haven't seen in recent years. And the hitting . . . oh, my, the hitting! As hard as they were hitting, I'm afraid we're going to see a lot of injuries in our defensive unit (ala Bigby). The seemingly endless blitzes were another refreshing development, though the frequent problems with overpursuit by our blitzers were something of a concern. Our defense also seemingly had the inside run fairly well stuffed. The only glaring holes in the defense, as others have mentioned, were their inability to control the deep in route -- we seem to have conceded the flat yesterday -- as well as their difficulty with sealing off the outside runs. Given all the personnel we had out, however, I'm willing to withhold judgment until our defense is healthier.

As an added boous, seeing Aaron Kampman run a fumble recovery in for a touchdown was a thrill.

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Someone needs to post the video of Kevin Greene on the sideline. I love seeing the coaching staff get excited with the team. It's contagious, not only to the team, but us watching at home.

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It is a little concerning. A lb trying to cover a wr up the middle. But I think the Smith interception is how the coverage is suppose to work. Could be wrong because I only got tro see it once and without the number of cameras for a regular season game.

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I only had a chance to watch the 1st 1/2 so far but this is what I noticed of the D.

- We need better run stoppage. Often we focused so much on a blitz or WR pickup that they would run some kind of run and easily get past our guys.

- I miss our press m2m coverage. #11 caught too many passes even with harris near him.

- and ya some of our LBers are not made to cover these guys.

- note - I didnt hear raji's name much in the first 1/2 (sounded like he was pretty well contained?)

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I like what our D has done but I want them to improve on their play.

Woodson was king that game

Even with Harris "covering" #11, you dont contain him you just limit the bloodshed. Fitzjerald is a beast that is rarely "contained".
About Raji, you are not going to hear his name or Jenkins or Picket or Jolly's name called. It is the nature of the 34. There job is to swallow up the Oline and allow the linbacker to run freely and make plays.

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Even though the starting D gave up only 10 points, there were times when the D did not look very good. There were several large gains by the AZ starting 11. (none like GB's gains.) It could have been worse. Keep in mind that 2 of AZ's 1000 yard wideouts did not play.

Having LB's chase a fleet WR is just sad. I know that the idea is to pressure the QB so he doesn't have time to find the WR and the S is suppose to cover deep but it is still a concern.

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I don't see the problem with the defense. The cards scored 10 points on the starting D, I'll give them 3-4 20 yard gains for 3-4 turnovers.

If we cover the middle with a corner or a safety we lose woodson rushing the passer (2 sacks 2 of which were fumbles) and the deep zone from the safety. The only way to improve that area would be to have the Lbers improve in coverage and we never really have had any really good cover linebackers. (Chillar probably our best)

Lets just try to remember this defense is an aggressive, pressure and turn-over causing defense not a prevent and contain defense. With this sort of aggressiveness you have to accept that big plays will happen especially when your versing last years NFC champs.

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...Pretty much what WPR is saying.

This is just a pure opinion filled with a ton of speculation, coupled with a continued awareness that this is pre-season and possibly "vanilla-ized" in many respects.

I don't like the "fit" of the GBP and zone coverage. I predict this to be my personal arena of greatest concern and projected bitching. Our very vanilla 4-3 with man-press coverage at least allowed me to say (under my breath to myself, mostly) well, at least the WR 'made a play', or...'he was well-covered' , or some-such.

I fear that this year I will be screaming at my TV about failed coverages, etc.

This on a team that brought zero heat last year. YA YA YA I know, total different animal heat-wise with the 3-4....but when that heat is not there...OUCH, it's gonna hurt. That is my fear, and I readily admit a large chunk of it is semi-unfounded due to what has come before. 6-10 football teams with a complete shit D in the previous year will have paranoid fans such as myself.

I am loving the 3-4 when it works as planned, btw. What a thrill.