Mathis and Freeney are playing like elite T2 DEs. They’re doing exactly what you want, no matter the down, from DEs playing on a T2 team. The fact that we had to start Brock, and rotate as many players over Mathis has more to do with the inefficiency of our DTs than it does with Mathis getting worn out. He’s getting worn out because he’s facing constant double teams and trying his best to get around them. You add a UT and/or UT (preferably and) that demands a double team, now you leave the ends on one on one situations and I promise, Mathis won’t be nearly as worn out trying to move two guys, and our run defense will be awesome. Run defense in a T2 isn’t the same run defense as most schemes. Our run defense is completely dependent upon our D line getting into the backfield and either making a tackle behind the LoS, or causing their RB to change directions and allow the LBs to have that split second to react. Our LBs are completely reactionary. Without DTs that can penetrate and avoid being slapped out of the way like a 265 DT does going up against a 300-350 lb guard, your LBs are going to be much less efficient. And they were.

You may not even see big numbers from the DTs. Maybe 3-5 sacks, 30-40 tackles, nothing big. But what they’re doing, is those DTs are keeping pace with how far behind the line the DEs are. What teams were exploiting on our run defense, wasn’t really running up the middle. What was happening is our DEs would do exactly what they were supposed to (behind about 5 yards behind the line closing on the QB while fighting double teams constantly) and our DTs would be stuffed by pretty much a center and a guard. So you have our DTs waaaay up there at the line, and our DEs are back there closing on either the QB or the RB. Then all that would happen is their back would make one cut and boom. No chance for our LBs to react and you haven’t even slowed down his momentum, so he’s actually going faster than he would be going through the line. You know what happens to tackling if you’re backpedaling and trying to stop someone going full stride as opposed to having to make his cut later or breaking a tackle? Yeah, it goes to crap, which is exactly what happened. Our LBs are “normally” supposed to initially drop back in coverage and create a zone. Unless it’s a run blitz, which we rarely did, or it’s clearly going to be a running play, our LBs were normally not supposed to be going forward. So you have a LB, whose weight is going backwards, attempting to move forward and stop a guy that hasn’t been slowed down. I think you get the picture.

And that’s why Mathis, in our defensive scheme is a better DE, no matter what down it is, than Brock. Brock isn’t as fast as Mathis. What would happen is the more athletic RTs would be able to at least slow him, which would create the opportunity to run a stretch play towards the strong side of their line. Brock was always supposed to be a UT, and he actually might still be able to be a decent one with a viable option at DT next to him. A viable option with a great bull rush, because that’s the best move of a NT in a T2. And who has a great bull rush? Peria Jerry. Gilbert actually has a really good one too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwJrEOtk41M

1:30 and 1:45 specifically.