Whats up with the D-Line?

I was looking at the stats on nfl.com and our D-line is doing attrocious.

There are zero sacks, ints, and passes defensed between the entire group.

Jenkins and Bowen each only have 3 tackles, while Cofield has a whopping 0.

Our backups have added only 2 more tackles between the group, adding up to 8 total tackles from our D-line, while having no other statistics the entire season.

I get that scheme can limit statistical production, but considering HOW bad the production is, I'm beginning to worry that its just not up to snuff.

I'm well aware that our secondary is junk, I can see that in the games. I didn't notice the D-line doing that poor though. Is anyone else seeing what I'm not? Or is the secondary so bad that the d-line just can't make a play before the ball comes out? I'm REALLY hoping its the scheme/bad play of the secondary as we don't have the cap room or the draft picks to rebuild another part of our team.

those numbers don't tell the whole story, just like this one doesn't, either:

redskins a top 10 rushing defense w 89 rushing yards allowed per game.

Bowens has had very good year. We lost a decent player in AC early. Coefield as been decent. Jenkins, Worthing, Gholston rotation has been mehhh...but they are backups.

I dont think you measure DLine in just stats, its more about leverage. Being able to move the pocket, collaspe it, or just basically not allow the Oline "to get push."

Look at how we are stuffing the run...they've been great.

To me it seems like we haven't been getting much pressure in general, but teams have been unloading the ball quickly. Why not. If our weakness is the secondary, don't let the front 7 have a chance to get to the QB. Throw it short and hope the WR can beat the DB.

The original starting defensive linemen are not starting. Carriker is gone for the season. Jarvis Jenkins is probably still trying to get his feet under him. Never can count out Bowen. As far as Barry Cofield, he's been manning that nose tackle position like he's supposed to. In the 3-4 defense, the linemen aren't suppose to make the tackles or the sacks. They are there to tie up the offensive linemen so that Fletcher, Riley, Rob Jackson, and Ryan Kerrigan can get to the quarterback or make the needed tackle.

But the defensive line is going its job. In the opener last season against the New York Midgets, the right side of the offensive line collapsed and Chris Neild was able to sack Eli Manning twice in that game. Both Bowen and Carriker each had a sack in that game too for the same reason.

3-4 lineman aren't going to put up pretty stats. Just look at the results against the run and that's all you need to tell you they're doing their job.

I think our d-line is doing a good job, especially on the run D. The only thing I'd like to see them improve is to be able to be more disruptive in the passing game and collapse the pocket.

3-4 lineman aren't going to put up pretty stats. Just look at the results against the run and that's all you need to tell you they're doing their job.

I know that D-linemen don't put up the stats (especially the nose). I'm not concerned that their numbers don't jump out. I'm concerned that their numbers seem so dramatically under the expected, compared to last year and other d-lines around the league. 2 tackles per game, with no other stats for an entire d-line just seems off.

I understand what you guys are saying in that it is not their job to put up numbers, but to clog holes and collapse the pocket. I just feel like if they were doing their jobs properly more plays would have come to them, and the dramatically low numbers are indicative of that not being the case.

I think our d-line is doing a good job, especially on the run D. The only thing I'd like to see them improve is to be able to be more disruptive in the passing game and collapse the pocket.

Agreed. Cofield especially needs to be better at getting a push up the gut.

Our DL numbers will always look bad because they are not a stat driven unit. Our LB should rack up high tackle numbers. Our DL are there to occupy blockers. Teams have done a good job of getting the ball out quickly against us because of our poor secondary so even the overflow numbers our DL could be getting they are not.