To me the question is how well the team will address the defensive shortcomings that did us in last year. Statistically, others have done a credible job of showing that on the whole our D was not a hot mess like it was in 2011 when we gave up an unprecedented amount of passing yards and big plays.
To me, the questions are:
1. How do we adjust to limit big plays? Those big plays often came as a result of miscommunication in the secondary. We rushed the passer well last season, but still saw teams get off big gains and long scores on us. Beyond getting a thumper opposite Burnett, what I'd rather see is light years of improvement in assignment execution back there, accurately diagnosing coverages pre-snap and playing within the scheme to minimize gains. When we won the SB, it wasn't like people didn't complete passes, but you went down when you caught the ball. YAC yards were so hard to come by against us. That's not the case the past couple years.
2. Do we tackle better? This is a fundamental skill, but missed tackles are big reasons schemes break down and big plays happen. I think teams are still adjusting to the limited number of padded practices, but our staff has to find a way to get guys to do this most basic of all defensive techniques consistently and proficiently. If you can bring an opponent down when you hit him, then the play is over, and you're better able to dictate down and distance decisions by the opposing offense...
3. How do we execute what we're supposed to do? There was a game last season where we made adjustments to limit Adrian Peterson- the DL in particular played disciplined football managing lanes and sealing the edges. He still rushed for 100+, but his impact in the game was far different. He didn't break off any huge runs, and he had to carry a ton of times to get the yards he did earn. If there's one major failing (aside from the ones I just listed) of our defense over the past two years, it's this aspect. We have a plan and fail to execute it effectively because players step outside of what they're supposed to be doing from one play to the next.
Like MM, I share his faith in Dom's football knowledge. I think he has the chops to coach these guys up, but I think the accountability needs to ramp up big time. I think you have to play the guys who execute, who demonstrate consistency. There aren't too many spots, aside from CM3's, that I wouldn't make open competitions all season long. There aren't that many contracts we can't afford to ditch, and there aren't many players we can't get similar performance from players behind in the depth chart. I think guys need to feel the pressure to play their best week in and out. There are too many vets to be making rookie errors, and it's time to expect execution.
If we can answer these three questions, I think our D can be top 10, maybe even top 5. Capers bucked his historical trend of seeing things go to pot in his third season last year, so I'm hoping to see him realize the fruits of coaching up young talent that will see the field now that we have openings with DJ Smith, Walden, Zombo and some cuts along the DL to come...