While I don't pretend to know anything about Raji's play this season, I like how the author completely ignores the fact that teams tear up our pass defense and have barely run against us (in comparison to the number of rushes vs other teams). so while he has played a ton of snaps, how many of them were runs up the gut? or even runs at all?

He makes a point though.
Raji has really suffered from the loss of Jenkins.
At least I hope that's what it is so that he can return to form if we get another comparable defensive linemen like Jenkins.
Hopefully he's not gotten complacent.
If we are going to win the Super Bowl this season, Raji HAS to step it up several notches.

I am sure part of the fall off is due to lack of a solid defensive line.
That aside isn't the job of the DL in a 3-4 to free the linebackers to make the plays?
That is an oversimplification I am sure.

Even though he missed 3 games Bishop finished with 115 tackles.
He may well have been around 140 if he had played those games.
That would put him about 8th in total tackles.
Hawk is not as proficient but he ended up with 84 and would have had about 96 if he didn't miss 2 game.
That is 44th overall.

There are a lot of responsibilities for the NT but it looks like he did at least one of them by keeping the linemen off the LBers.
After a quick glance at tackles and sacks most interior DLmen are listed as DT.
The highest number of sacks for a NT is Cam Thomas of SD.
4 sacks and 20 tackles.
BJ has 3 and 22.
I am sure there are not too many other teams that line up just 1 or 2 downlinemen like GB does.
Does this critic for Raji really expect him to make the tackle or get the sack when there are only 1 or 2 men going against 5 or 6 blockers?

wpr;201870That aside isn't the job of the DL in a 3-4 to free the linebackers to make the plays?
That is an oversimplification I am sure.

It's not an oversimplification.
If I understand the 3-4 correctly, that's Raji's job - plug up the middle so the LBs can do their things.
It's a thankless and unappreciated job as it won't get you stats.

Raji got himself into a lot of 1 on 1's when we blitzed due to Jenkins rush. Pickett is good too but we played ALOT of snaps with just 2 down lineman in Raji and Jenkins and still got a ton of pressure but we usually brought blitzes in those cases.

The thing I don't get is that we played a lot of games without Jenkins and still got a ton of pressure. If I remember correctly some of Rajis best games were actually without Jenkins down the stretch. CJ Wilson was getting pressure, with Bish. Clay kind of slowed down at the end of the year but then picked it back up in the playoffs.

Either way or pressure was pretty consistent last year weather it be from Clay or anyone. It's just not here this year and that's going to kill this D. Because most of these 3-4's are designed to bring bigtime pressure with blitzes in different looks with a lot of zone blitzes. Some man to man as well to make things tricky. It's a great scheme but without pressure, it's all out disaster for the secondary.

Rios39;201875Raji got himself into a lot of 1 on 1's when we blitzed due to Jenkins rush. Pickett is good too but we played ALOT of snaps with just 2 down lineman in Raji and Jenkins and still got a ton of pressure but we usually brought blitzes in those cases.

The thing I don't get is that we played a lot of games without Jenkins and still got a ton of pressure. If I remember correctly some of Rajis best games were actually without Jenkins down the stretch. CJ Wilson was getting pressure, with Bish. Clay kind of slowed down at the end of the year but then picked it back up in the playoffs.

Either way or pressure was pretty consistent last year weather it be from Clay or anyone. It's just not here this year and that's going to kill this D. Because most of these 3-4's are designed to bring bigtime pressure with blitzes in different looks with a lot of zone blitzes. Some man to man as well to make things tricky. It's a great scheme but without pressure, it's all out disaster for the secondary.

Just so you know it is not technically considered a blitz unless you bring 5 or more.
If there are 2 down linemen and you bring 2 linebackers or a LB and a safety it is still a 4 man rush.
Personally I think it is dumb but this past summer I read/posted an article in the Press Gazette or Sentinel Journal that defined what construes a blitz. Some of the sages (I think one was Zombie) on this board confirmed it.
The benefit to having 2 or 3 down linemen is that the OL doesn't know where the pressure will come from.
It is also easier to overload one side of the ball.
I wouldn't mind it if they considered anyone other than one of the big chubby guys to be a blitzer.

Raji is listed officially as an NT on the roster, but didn't he spend a good chunk of the year playing DT?
If I am not mistaken, the Packers had a three-man rotation of Raji, Pickett, and Green at NT this year.

Ultimately, I think the most damning part of the analysis is that Raji was basically leaning against the Lions' offensive linemen and accomplishing essentially nothing. I noticed the same thing about Mike Neal: He was blindly shoving his arms out in front of him and hoping that was enough to get the job done. He hardly seemed to be engaging his power from below his waist at all.

Nonstopdrivel;201883Raji is listed officially as an NT on the roster, but didn't he spend a good chunk of the year playing DT?
If I am not mistaken, the Packers had a three-man rotation of Raji, Pickett, and Green at NT this year.

Ultimately, I think the most damning part of the analysis is that Raji was basically leaning against the Lions' offensive linemen and accomplishing essentially nothing. I noticed the same thing about Mike Neal: He was blindly shoving his arms out in front of him and hoping that was enough to get the job done. He hardly seemed to be engaging his power from below his waist at all.

DT is the two middle lineman in a 4 - 3 where a NT is the middle lineman in a 3 - 4, correct? I believe Raji spent a good deal of time at DE while Howard Green was NT.

I'm pointing this out because I think I might be misunderstanding something.

I think you're right and he was playing DE, not DT.
I am very much still in the learning process and continue to find those terms confusing.[palm]

Nonstopdrivel;201893I think you're right and he was playing DE, not DT.
I am very much still in the learning process and continue to find those terms confusing.[palm]

No worries my friend. I'm still baffled on how a SACK can be remotely considered a pressure. A pressure I thought was something HAPPENING and a SACK is a result of something. Fucking English language sucks.