We’re going to do a ‘best NFL defense’ tournament to determine who are the top NFL defenses (not top defenses/DSTs for FF)...and it’s a way for me to go back through the personnel and coaching, etc., to see who we might be missing, good or bad, hiding in the weeds.
We’ll do a division per day, then the Final Four/Conference finals ending with the Super Bowl/finals. An 11-day series that carries us though the end of the month.
We have 7 categories for a ‘Best of 7’ style process...with a lean towards the importance of the two key positions on a defense: The CB group and the DT group.
The seven categories are...
Cornerbacks: The most critical spot, in our estimations.
Def. Tackle: The 2nd most critical spot.
Def. Coordinator: Management is key here.
Interior LBs: The non-pass rush LBs.
Pass Rush: Judging the pass rush as a whole, the front 7.
Def. Backs: Judging the CBs and SAFs.
Backups/Depth: The overall depth, judging the 2nd and 3rd team defenses for the team.
AFC North
Browns v. Ravens
Cornerbacks: (CLE 1-0) Ward-Emerson-Newsome are wonderful, if they ever could stay healthy. Ravens aren’t far off with Jaire-Wiggins-Humphrey. Really close.
Def. Tackle: (1-1 tie)...easy win for the Ravens. The Browns have crap at DT.
Def. Coordinator: (BAL 2-1)...Jim Schwartz is better than Zach Orr, but the help Orr gets from Dean Peas and Jim Harbaugh, thus the Ravens are better coached.
Interior LBs: (BAL 3-1)...Roquan is overrated but is still a big difference here.
Pass Rush: (BAL 3-2)...I guess Myles Garrett tips it to CLE, but Isaiah McGuire on the other side...not exciting.
Def. Backs: (BAL wins 4-2)...I’m going with the Ravens here when you look at the SAFs and the backup/depth. Ravens are surprisingly deep here. Glad I’m doing this to force myself to consider all these things.
Backups/Depth: (BAL 5-2)...the Ravens are deep.
Baltimore moves on to the AFC North finals.
Bengals v. Steelers
Cornerbacks: (PIT 1-0)...easy win for a loaded Steelers group. This feels like this could be a Pitt 7-0 sweep.
Def. Tackle: (PIT 2-0)...a little closer, but edge to Pitt.
Def. Coordinator: (PIT 3-0)...edge to Tomlin/Austin.
Interior LBs: (PIT wins 4-0)...close call, but lean PIT.
Pass Rush: (PIT 5-0)...Watt-Highsmith is strong.
Def. Backs: (PIT 6-0)...not even close.
Backups/Depth: (PIT 7-0)...the Steelers 2nd-team is probably a top 20 defense.
The Steelers march unblemished to the AFC North finals to face the Ravens.
Steelers v. Ravens
Cornerbacks: (PIT 1-0)...Steelers are gonna be tough to beat in this first matchup every time. Porter-Slay-Ramsey-Bishop. Wow.
Def. Tackle: (Tie 1-1)...Madubuike + Travis Jones is strong.
Def. Coordinator: (BAL 2-1)...I have to give this to Baltimore’s management, based on the past couple years of what the coaches have gotten from this defense. Pitt was a bit of a disappointment the past two years.
Interior LBs: (BAL 3-1)...I gotta lean Ravens because the Steelers have had such issues at ILB the past few years.
Pass Rush: (BAL 3-2)...Watt-Highsmith is pretty sweet!
Def. Backs: (Tie 3-3)...The Steelers secondary is gonna be tough to beat. Down to a Game/matchup 7!!!
Backups/Depth: (PIT wins 4-3)...a 3-1 deficit comeback win for Pitt! I just love the depth of talent the Steelers have on defense. Herbig-Holcomb-Trice-Bishop/Thornhill and rookies Sawyer-Bruener-Castro.
The Steelers move onto the AFC Final Four, along with New England and Denver, who have already advanced.
