ESPN Mid Season Report card

[Mister Hoarse]

Yea...I can't see how anybody can give this defense an overall C+. From the losses to Houston and Tenn I'd give the secondary a base score of F. Factor in the rest of the games and I'll give the overall defense a D-

I would have to say the biggest overall positive for the team is TOP.

TOP works both ways. The D has to get off the field, too.

[Guy Lombardo]

Defense is going to have to make a few more key stops before I forget the Titans and Texans games, but they are getting better. I hope it would just growing pains and news faces as the reason they were so terrible. Those first five games were 2003 Chargers bad.

[Beerman]

Defense is going to have to make a few more key stops before I forget the Titans and Texans games, but they are getting better. I hope it would just growing pains and news faces as the reason they were so terrible. Those first five games were 2003 Chargers bad.

To be fair, they did make the stop in the Houston game. Got screwed by the bullshit foul on the FG. They also kinda did the same thing vs. the Titans. The big issues is that on that last possession our offense went 3 and out both times giving the opposing offense a chance to win.

[Zot]

I suppose it depends on how you grade. Relative to our expectations of what a good defense is, your grade is fair. I think relative to expectations for a defense that has undergone a youth movement and is thin, I think a C is more appropriate.

Yea. The way I rate it is if we we're to reduce our offense to a standard, run of the mill, average offense, how would the defense hold up. I would venture to guess not very well.

However, your point is taken. There is a huge youth movement going on (bye-bye Phillips ). With a normal learning curve, I do see that they are, in fact, improving. With the NFL mantra being, "injuries are no excuse" I am reluctant to include that variable in my analysis, but am willing to modify my grade upwards toward a C- considering we seem to have had an unusually high amount of injuries.

Just for the record. I love the direction my team is going. With a little luck I can see us making the play-offs THIS year.