So, 3rd down defense...?

Is it just facing two hot QB's in two weeks or is 3rd down becoming an issue? :?

They were pretty damn good overall yesterday until that last drive.
Shoot, the Broco's had 110 yards and 3 points in the first half.

Yeah, I kind of got the feeling they were pretty much perfect for 3 quarters, but Denver offensive play calling was pretty meh until they had no choice but sling it and the D started getting gassed I hope.

I just hope our CB get healthy and our pass rush improves soon.

12th_Bob":c56gzqn3 said:

Is it just facing two hot QB's in two weeks or is 3rd down becoming an issue? :?

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Denver was 6 for 16 in 3rd down conversions (37.5%).

San Diego was 10 for 17 (58.8%).

The San Diego 3rd down conversions were bad, but Denver's was reasonable especially considering who was on the other side of the field.

6 for 16 with THAT quarterback and all those weapons? Yeah, how horrible. Nope, I'll take that all day.

Definitely better than last week, but I'd like to see us stiffen up on the road before I'm convinced that this isn't going to be a problem all year.

IMO it's the interior D-line that's not as good as it was last year, and this shows on 3rd downs with not collapsing the pocket enough to not give the other QB a clean look downfield. Avril and Bennett are still edge rushing well, but we're not getting enough push up the middle, which is giving the other QB's just that second or two longer for their receivers to get open that needs to improve.

In my opinion, even though we haven't racked up a bunch of sacks we have been putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Manning was knocked around yesterday and made to feel uncomfortable at times as well.

I know the stats don't show our guys getting a bunch of sacks but I don't think the overall pressure on opposing quarterbacks has been bad.

Of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong!!

I wouldnt be too content with the 6/16 stat. The Donkos were playing our game early on..You know that conservative one trying to avoid mistakes. They were losing the TOP and not really playing their strength.
When do the Denver Mannings ever check down to a run on 3rd and 17? When they went to their strength late in the game our passing defense looked like it was again baking in the San Diego heat.

It won't be a concern next week since we have a bye. The next game has me worried though.
If college play translates to the NFL then Cousins might be as clutch as Wilson.

Did the OP watch the game? The Broncos were mediocre at best on 3rd downs.

That's why I'm not freaking out like so many others out there. They dominated that game, I don't care what the score says.

SoulfishHawk":2kmgxpkv said:

6 for 16 with THAT quarterback and all those weapons? Yeah, how horrible. Nope, I'll take that all day.

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Yea, I'd agree with that. Thing is, during the game, they showed a stat that said the Hawks defense was 55.8% on 3rd down completions, which was the worst in the NFL.

I"m guessing that game against Denver dropped that a bit.

I'm glad that our collective expectations are sky high, but a little perspective can make fandom less stressful. Every season is the same as far as when you want to be playing your best ball, and it's not until about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way through the season. You want to peak as you hit your playoff run. With 3 weeks down, there's a loooooooong way to go.

We have a bunch of new depth guys and our nickel corner has only been with the team for a few weeks. Last year we saw our defense get better and better later in the season; as everyone understood their assignments, the unit moved as one. That took time. Compensating for the loss of experience in Red, Clem, BB, Thurmond, and Lane will take time. We know the smarts, effort, desire, and ability are already there.

We're 2-1 against 3 playoff-level teams with 3 of the top QBs in the league. On 3rd down: 22/45 = 49%. Not great, certainly. But not reason to worry. I would be very surprised if we're still looking at a 1:2 conversion ratio by week 10.

Russ Willstrong":2l4d30mo said:

I wouldnt be too content with the 6/16 stat.

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I'm content with the win.

kearly":a1gvchvm said:

Did the OP watch the game? The Broncos were mediocre at best on 3rd downs.

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Fair enough, but I'd still like to see more pressure from the interior D-line. Manning had far too many clean pockets to throw from for my liking on obvious passing downs.