Football is all about controlling the line of scrimmage. On their own, Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley haven't turned into dominating players who frequently penetrate offensive lines and make plays in the backfield. Together though, they have become one of the best defensive tackle tandems in football, refusing to relent at the point of attack, eating up blockers and allowing their teammates to come up with big stops.
They were arguably the two most valuable players in an Eagles uniform last year. When things turned around for the defense midway through last season, much of it was due to the improved performance of the run defense, led by two guys who refused to let blockers push them so much as an inch. According to Football Outsiders, the Birds had the best run stopping unit in the league from Week 9 on, only allowing one 100 yard rusher in that time frame. That all begins up front, in the middle.
Whoever ultimately steps in for Stewart Bradley has big shoes to fill, but their job is going to be a lot easier as long as Patt and Bunk are holding down the fort. Size is an a major hurdle for Joe Mays, while the coaches don't think Gaither is aggressive enough for their system, but whoever it is will have the benefit of getting some clean looks while blockers struggle to break through to the second level, providing the MIKE with ample opportunity to finish the play.
Breakout Season: Chris Gocong
With Bradley out of the picture, the "star" of the linebacking corps is now Gocong who enters his third season as the starting strongside backer. Gocong's progression seemed to be moving along slowly until midway through last season when things seemed to click and he became a solid piece of the defensive puzzle. The question is whether last season's finish was an anomaly, or if Gocong really has taken the next step.
One of the big clues was tackling. Gocong improved tremendously, not only at wrapping up ball carriers in the open field, but generally just being in the right position to make the stop. Those are pretty good indicators that he's learned the scheme and is getting used to playing in space rather than along the line of scrimmage.
It will be interesting to see how his workload changes in the absence of Bradley. Mays is an effective downhill player, but may cause Gocong's coverage duties to expand as a result, while Gaither may force the Eagles to use Gocong as a more aggressive attacker. His role this season, whatever it is, has just become immeasurably more important.
Original Story:
http://www.the700level.com/2009/08/wh...
