We are not number two in the nation against the run just because of Rudd. Other people are doing their jobs. Maybe Seivers and Bradley are not making a lot of tackles but they are taking up blockers so that Rudd can get to the ball carrier. That is a big part in our defensive scheme. We do not try to get the ball carrier behind the line every play. We try to consume all blockers at the line and then limit what ever gain the running back can get by himself. That is why we do not give up many big runs. It is a team game and our defense is one of the best at playing as a team.
Don't give us to much credit yet. Have you looked at the teams we have played? Have you looked at the running backs we have played? Can you even name one of them? Every offense we have played and every team hasn't been a running team. That is why we are doing so well against the run. If we shut down peterson, sproles, brad smith, etc rushing then we have something.
We may not have shut down a big name back yet, but we have done a great job against the people that we have played. Hell two years ago, we turned everyone that we played against into a big name back (Johnson, Bell, Wallace). This year, we are shutting down the backs that everyone knows that we should. Do not down grade this defense because their opponents suck.
I wouldn't compare those backs to the one's we faced or the teams we have faced. Also, then we had craig bohl.
We also had better linebackers back then compared to what you call a weak group right now. My point is, our defense plays as a team and has done a great job, compared to when we had really good athletes two years ago and sucked it up.
i got nothing. i just wanted to sees how many quoted quotes i could get into one post.