Chinander on His Defense

The problem with this reasoning is far too often people use it to justify poor defense even in the modern context.

We're not ranked 30th/90th/whatever because the game has changed.  We're ranked that because there's 30-90 better defenses.

The only thing stopping Nebraska from being elite on defense over the last 7 seasons has been Nebraska.


Define 'better'. The standard definitions don't work because they don't adjust for pace. Football statistics are awful in this regard. It's a drive based game in which drive based stats are incredibly hard to come by.

I like to use simple differential stats, because at the end of the day it doesn't matter what your offense or defense does, it matters what the difference is between what you generate minus what they generate. That's how it works in an alternate possession game. You can't really do much to change the number of possessions, so you just change how efficient your possessions are relative to the opposition.

Improving on what Diaco did will satisfy most fans in the short term.  Chinander has one of the easiest jobs in America.


All Diaco had to do was outperform Banker. He didn't make it through Arkansas St before his leash expired. Chinander faces steep initial criticism. He won't have much of a cushion, and he knows that. I like that about him. He knows the expectations are high and he understands what not meeting them means in this business.

 
Define 'better'. The standard definitions don't work because they don't adjust for pace. Football statistics are awful in this regard. It's a drive based game in which drive based stats are incredibly hard to come by.

I like to use simple differential stats, because at the end of the day it doesn't matter what your offense or defense does, it matters what the difference is between what you generate minus what they generate. That's how it works in an alternate possession game. You can't really do much to change the number of possessions, so you just change how efficient your possessions are relative to the opposition.

All Diaco had to do was outperform Banker. He didn't make it through Arkansas St before his leash expired. Chinander faces steep initial criticism. He won't have much of a cushion, and he knows that. I like that about him. He knows the expectations are high and he understands what not meeting them means in this business.
good grief, some are ready to cut him lose if he isn't an instant upgrade?  i can tell you now, this D is going to get pushed around, we don't have the horses or the scheme in place yet.

the best we can hope for is for the O to sustain some time consuming drives and let the D sit on the sideline.

 
good grief, some are ready to cut him lose if he isn't an instant upgrade?  i can tell you now, this D is going to get pushed around, we don't have the horses or the scheme in place yet.

the best we can hope for is for the O to sustain some time consuming drives and let the D sit on the sideline.
I'm sure there will be some growing pains but I do not think this defense is nearly as devoid of talent as you seem to keep making it out to be.

 
All Diaco had to do was outperform Banker
Diaco took over a defense that was ranked 30th.  Chinander is taking over a defense that was ranked 101st.

Chin's short-term task is much, much easier.  Plus he gets to ride the coattails of the best offensive coordinator in the nation.  Dude has it made.

 
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Diaco took over a defense that was ranked 30th.  Chinander is taking over a defense that was ranked 101st.

Chin's short-term task is much, much easier.  Plus he gets to ride the coattails of the best offensive coordinator in the nation.  Dude has it made.


Banker got fired in year 2. Rankings don't mean squat if you're negotiating your buyout rather than negotiating opposing QBs. 

 
the best we can hope for is for the O to sustain some time consuming drives and let the D sit on the sideline.


This is one of the biggest myths in sports. You know what you can't do in football? Hold the ball and score. The second you score, you give the ball back. Every minute you had the ball is time spent not scoring. 

You know what helps your defense? Scoring. Getting a lead. Forcing an offense to change their gameplan because they're behind. Not allowing the opposing offense to sit on leads killing the clock. There is certainly a time and place for clock killing, but it's not a strategy that helps protect defenses. Every other sport's commentary has figured that out, why can't this one? I'd wager it is because time of possession is one of the few stats in the box score.

Luckily, our new head coach understands this. He knew the option by Navy presented challenges last year, that's why he practiced as the Navy QB for the scout team. But, he also understands how offenses have to adapt. In his pregame of Navy last year, he didn't preach holding onto the ball to protect his defense, he preached getting a lead to protect his defense. That doesn't just apply to option teams that have to throw it more, it applies to all teams. Make that scoreline your friend, not your enemy.

 
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