[Coff]

It's hard to understand what it is about this defense that is so bad. Statistically it's a decent defense. But there are unmeasurable qualities that make it terrible. No matter what, this defense will always put the opposing team in a position to win the game. We blame coordinators, replace them, and it gets no better. We spend loads of first round draft picks trying to improve it, and it gets no better. We replace head coaches, sign free agents, and nothing gets better. Occasionally, it will play a good game. But we know what they say about stopped clocks. Usually, it will play two good quarters of football. But it typically allows other teams to take early leads, and it never stops opposing teams late in close games. When Antonio Pierce was in the middle and Gregg Williams the coordinator, it was a good defense. Since then it's been a perennial disappointment. I don't think it matters who we draft, sign, or have coaching. My theory is this: because defense much more than offense demands motivation and pride, the continual underperformance of the team's defense from year to year is a symptom of the team's dysfunction, unprofessionalism, and lack of accountability.