[HUbison]

There were a lot of differences between the 2003 D and 2004 D. The most notable being the number of turnovers. Everyone points to that one, and for good reason, it really sticks out there. But another key factor that doesn't get mentioned is the direction each defense was heading. At the end of 2003, the D was heading downhill and valleyed out in the playoffs against Carolina. The 2004 D ended pretty strong. I believe this is the case for several reasons, one of which being the long-awaited arrival of Kennedy. The run D w/o Kennedy gave up 5.1 ypc...with Kennedy that number fell to 3.5 ypc. That is an unheard of difference. The difference between 5.1 and 3.5 is dead last in the league to 2nd in the league (only Washington's 3.1 is better). If Kennedy's presence can create that kind of results for an entire season, the defense will be completely different. Extrapolate that out and the run defense will allow 42 yards per game LESS this season. That is from 136 yards per game (28th in the league) to 94 yards per game (4th in the league). Guys and girls, that is all the difference we need.