I don’t subscribe to get digital access, so I have no idea what the article has to say regarding Georgia’s return to mediocrity, but of all the clickbait takes I’ve seen this offseason, this might be the biggest reach.
I don’t think you stockpile five stars and blue chips in defense to just play below standard. While I get there are still question marks abounding, this feels as though Chip Towers called in and asked why the paper hasn’t been enraging Georgia fans this year.
Anyway, Coach Schumann seems to be aware and in the mother.
I saw that headline today and, against my better judgment, clicked on it. I hit the pay wall, told the AJC to go f*** themselves, and went about my day.
It’s good to know some things are inevitable. Death, taxes, and the AJC hatin’ on the Dawgs.
Remember before you click, not only is it a pay wall but the AJC makes money on every click.
I don’t know that anyone will see a defense as good as 2021 again, if that’s “the standard.”
I’d be shocked though if we ever have a season where the offense substantially outplays the defense, or special teams for that matter.
If the offense can approximate any season’s defensive “standard” we will be playing meaningful games during the holidays.
Just keep making sure that 30 points is enough against 99% of the opponents and averaging 40-ish points a game on offense, and we’ll be fine.
What we can’t do is leave the field
having scored under 20. You’re gonna lose a whole lot of those.
2017 wasn’t too shabby either.
I read it so you don’t have to. Basically he’s relying on Bill Connally’s returning productivity stats, using the historically great 2021 D as a baseline. Thing is, if 2024 was a down year, and we don’t return much productivity from that year, and he admits that Kirby is still recruiting at the highest level in the nation, is that a bad thing?
So he’s using arguably our greatest defense ever as the measuring stick for all future teams? That’s asinine. Why don’t other teams get that same treatment? Every time the media proclaims Texa$ or the Bucknuts to be great, it’s never in the context to past championship teams.
The AJC always moves the goalposts to find a way to say something negative about this team.
So the author thinks winning g the SEC and making the playoffs is a down year?
Only question I have is whether this paradigm is going to continue when AI writes all the ajc articles? Then again, AI can mail in lousy articles just as easy as Towers did, and now Cunningham. I have a tough time believing AI would take the job at lower pay than current ajc scribblers.
I have a feeling Cunningham is likely to make us miss Towers. Wasn’t he the Fech beat writer at one time?
Old school newspaper sportswriters are now minor league……looking to cause a stir to get noticed for a job that pays a living wage and has a future.
One thing that outsiders seem to forget is that the 21’ defense was in part the product of players sticking around longer than they normally would because of the pandemic. Some of those players would have been gone to the NFL in a normal cycle, much like what we’ve seen since then. We’ve still been damn good, and when we get stacked up just right, we’ll be the best again, despite not being otherworldly like we were in ‘21 and ‘22.
Hating on UGA, an AJC tradition since Furman Bisher (that’s as far back as I go).
The one concern I have is that we didn’t have many blowouts last year where we could give the 2s and 3s some live reps like we have in the past. We still have more talent than most teams and I bet the D plays with a chip on their shoulder, but it has to develop in season now instead of having gained experience in blowouts last year.
As Ranger Russ would say, FTMF’s.
The AJC is about as revelant as The National Inquirer.
The Sun. The Morning Star. The Galaxy. Etc Etc Etc
I miss ol’ RR
The defense could be several notches below 21 and 22 and still be elite. Those teams were on another historic level of talent and desire.
As for last year, it did not look like they played with any real fire most of the time which is surprising for a Kirby lead team. They played down to the level of competition in every game that was not a ranked team. Fundamentals were atrocious. The inability to set the edge, missed tackles, out of position DBs and LBs along with no seeming real sense of urgency was mind boggling. I think Kirby has done some soul searching in the off season. Either they will play like their ass is on fire or they will be replaced. Given his reputation as a defensive guru, I suspect he was embarrassed with the product that was on the field. I don’t expect to see that again. There is way too much talent waiting in the wings to underperform and expect keep your job (I suspect that includes Schumann as well)
Better headline: Kirby fails to return Philadelphia Eagles starting defense.