"Defensive Line Wins Football Games"

[Santana Clause]

I just heard Carson Palmer on the radio make this quote. He's one of the more inciteful and engaging players in the league and he said that one v one Dwight Freeney is absolutely unblockable. He went on a rant about how the best teams in history always have great defensive lines. Granted with all the debate about who we should take in the draft, we all pretty much agree should be a defensive lineman. But if you heard the way he said it, it really resonated with me. I haven't really seen too many interesting threads in the past few weeks, so I thought this might be okay during downtime, although I realize it isn't extremely relevant.

[Morneblade]

Basically, whoever wins the war for the line of scrimmage should win the most games. Historically, teams with great offences dont win SB's without a excellent defense. However, Top defenses can win Superbowls with marginal, even bottom 1/3 offences. So, I tend to agree.

[Troy Fakeman]

Calvin Johnson wins games...

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Commence Operation Argument...............NOW!

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

Calvin Johnson wins games...

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Commence Operation Argument...............NOW!

haha, i approve!

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

I just heard Carson Palmer on the radio make this quote. He's one of the more inciteful and engaging players in the league and he said that one v one Dwight Freeney is absolutely unblockable. He went on a rant about how the best teams in history always have great defensive lines. Granted with all the debate about who we should take in the draft, we all pretty much agree should be a defensive lineman. But if you heard the way he said it, it really resonated with me. I haven't really seen too many interesting threads in the past few weeks, so I thought this might be okay during downtime, although I realize it isn't extremely relevant.

wait, so let me get this straight. carson palmer, an extremely good quarterback with some of the best WRs (if not the best WR in football) just said defensive lines win football games? riggoraiders and oldfan need to explain cause im just not understanding..............

[JetSkins]

battles in the trenches is important but its not everything

[the krabber]

Commence Operation Argument...............NOW!

over the next few weeks, ill be interested to see (but too lazy to count) how many CJ arguments people get into on the thread.

[Troy Fakeman]

over the next few weeks, ill be interested to see (but too lazy to count) how many CJ arguments people get into on the thread.

ROFL...

Things like..."You have no idea what you are talking about"...

And...

"Charles Rogers had the same hype and was a bust"...

And...


"Defense wins championships"

[riggoraider]

wait, so let me get this straight. carson palmer, an extremely good quarterback with some of the best WRs (if not the best WR in football) just said defensive lines win football games? riggoraiders and oldfan need to explain cause im just not understanding..............

I'd love to see a good defensive line out there playing by themselves. Every part of a team has to come together to win football games....period.

Did you hear Carson's comments?

[Bang]

The best summation for it I ever heard was from John Madden, who said if you have to start with a set of players to help you win, you go with offensive line and cornerbacks.
Basically, protect the passer on offense, and stop the pass on defense.

Granted, the corners were not as hampered when he said it as they are now, so personally I tend to agree ith a mix of both,, obviously you have to protect the quarterback. If you have great pass blocking, almost any NFL QB can pick apart a defense. If you can stop the pass you tend to not give up yards in chunks, BUT, with the way the CBs are hamstrung now, I do agree that the best way to stop the pass is to get to the quarterback.

By the by, the book I read Madden's quote in is called "Hey Wait a Minute, I Wrote a Book" and it came out right after he retired from football. (Before he became a blithering TV talker.) If you enjoy a good football book, its a great read. It reads like he speaks, and it recounts all kinds of great stories from the old Raiders. I hate the Raiders, but you can't say they weren't a colorful bunch. Really fun book.

~Bang

[Santana Clause]

The Redskins, for the past 10 years have never neglected trying to supplement the secondary with superior talent through the draft and free agency. From Mark Carrier to Deion to Champ Bailey to Carlos Rogers to Shawn Springs to Sean Taylor to Adam Archuleta and where has it gotten the team? They have had some nice defenses, yes, but truly great defenses have menacing front sevens, namely front fours. Year after year the defensive line goes unaddressed with old, washed-up never was players like Reagan Upshaw, Renaldo Wynn, Phillip Daniels...It is time for a serious force on that defensive line.

[Morneblade]

The Redskins, for the past 10 years have never neglected trying to supplement the secondary with superior talent through the draft and free agency. From Mark Carrier to Deion to Champ Bailey to Carlos Rogers to Shawn Springs to Sean Taylor to Adam Archuleta and where has it gotten the team? They have had some nice defenses, yes, but truly great defenses have menacing front sevens, namely front fours. Year after year the defensive line goes unaddressed with old, washed-up never was players like Reagan Upshaw, Renaldo Wynn, Phillip Daniels...It is time for a serious force on that defensive line.

I agree with this. And here is a scarey though. The Colts have Freeney and Mathis at DE and MacFarline at DT, if Simon can come in and be in shape enough to play, that is a pretty damn good front 4.

[Drex]

The Redskins, for the past 10 years have never neglected trying to supplement the secondary with superior talent through the draft and free agency. From Mark Carrier to Deion to Champ Bailey to Carlos Rogers to Shawn Springs to Sean Taylor to Adam Archuleta and where has it gotten the team? They have had some nice defenses, yes, but truly great defenses have menacing front sevens, namely front fours. Year after year the defensive line goes unaddressed with old, washed-up never was players like Reagan Upshaw, Renaldo Wynn, Phillip Daniels...It is time for a serious force on that defensive line.

I agree. We can even point to our own team's history as a testament to what you are saying. During the glory years, having a front line that consisted of the likes of Charles Mann, Dexter Manley, Daryl Grant and Dave Butz played a key role in those teams' success.

[Hal2856]

We should get terdell Sands in FA as well as Corey Redding from the lions. Big, and effective D-Linemen. Also won't cost a ton.

[Oldfan]

In college football, you have Rich Rodriguez and W. Va. disproving the conventional wisdom that you can't run from the shotgun and Carl Peterson at Boise State and Urban Meyer at Florida beating up on the traditional programs who believe that you have to run to set up the pass.

Red Hickey's Shotgun offense was killed years ago in the pros. The smart guys said it wouldn't work in the pros. Well, it's back, Baby, and hard to stop.

"You win in the trenches"...right. That was true in warfare at one time too. Then, armies started going around or over the trenches, which is what's happening now in football with the spread offenses.

"Dee-fence wins championships"...barf. The only logical argument for this is that four out of five coaches aren't smart enough to make an offense work, so the odds are that one of the dummies with superior talent on his roster will win.

"Control the football to win"...another myth that will soon bite the dust.

Simplistic theories about the game are a dime a dozen. Football isn't rocket science, but it can't be reduced to cliches and sound bites.