Defensively Speaking 2026

[DVontel]

I hope that the Nick Rallis defense performs so well this season that Bidwill has to extend his contract. Outside of Nolen and possibly Johnson is there any elite talent on that side of the ball?

Wilson isn’t elite, but he’s arguably the most important player on defense.

 

[Chopper0080]

can we please quit saying fire rallis this week or nah

It's a show me season for him. Week 1 wasn't perfect but the end result was fine. It's early but I won't be saying it for now.

 

[slanidrac16]

New fan favorite?
DEWEY!

 

[Chopper0080]

Wilson isn’t elite, but he’s arguably the most important player on defense.

It's a debate between Wilson and Nolen IMO, but kinda crazy how much he seems to make a difference. Only question is if his body can hold up due to his physical play style and career history.

 

[DVontel]

It's a debate between Wilson and Nolen IMO, but kinda crazy how much he seems to make a difference. Only question is if his body can hold up due to his physical play style and career history.

If this makes sense(it probably doesn’t), Nolen is the best player, but Wilson is the most important player. Defense fell off a cliff last season once Wilson went out.

 

[Adrian]

Theo Mackie
@theo_mackie
·
52m
Both Dante Stills (4 on 23 pass rush snaps) and Jordan Burch (3 on 13) set career highs in pressures yesterday

 

[Chopper0080]

If this makes sense(it probably doesn’t), Nolen is the best player, but Wilson is the most important player. Defense fell off a cliff last season once Wilson went out.

It does make sense and could possibly be true. Hopefully they both stay healthy all year so we don't have to see which is true.

 

[Stout]

While I think one game gloating is poor form, I do think that the off-season treatment was telling.

1) The Cardinals interviewed five DC candidates to include holdover Nick Rallis.
2) They decided to retain Rallis.
3) They brought in Austin as basically a consultant.
4) LaFleur was complimentary of Rallis, saying that his defense was difficult to prepare for (essentially) and that his best days were in front of him.

Everything has context; last year his defense was hit by a historically high number of injuries. I think this concept has been glossed over. This team and particularly the defense lost a ton of depth and starting caliber players.

Now back it up to 2024 when the team was healthier but still talent deficient. Nick Rallis was viewed as a future head coach.

Maybe, just maybe, people inside the building know all this too? Maybe it's not just Bidwill being cheap?

You wholly missed the point. He is trying to call out...exactly nobody. His response was about our ILBer getting injured and us just all blaming Rallis for the meltdown. When, in reality, most blamed Monti before last season for not signing a backup ILBer. I can't recall anyone saying the loss of Mack last season had zero impact. Can you? Or that we ignored injuries and just carte blanche blamed Rallis? The charge against Rallis wasn't that the D sucked, but that he wasn't even trying to make adjustments.

Bottom line, the post I quoted by @PACardsFan had no basis in fact and was extreme hyperbole mixed with cognitive dissonance. Your post in response was, shall we say again, missing the point lol

 

[Adrian]

nkemjika (Kemi)
@kemindolo
·
1h
Andrew Wingard -

Forced fumble
INT
1 pass break up
4 tackles
2 tackles for loss
Crazy eyes

Might be an upgrade at the position.

 

[Adrian]

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Krangodnzr]

You wholly missed the point. He is trying to call out...exactly nobody. His response was about our ILBer getting injured and us just all blaming Rallis for the meltdown. When, in reality, most blamed Monti before last season for not signing a backup ILBer. I can't recall anyone saying the loss of Mack last season had zero impact. Can you? Or that we ignored injuries and just carte blanche blamed Rallis? The charge against Rallis wasn't that the D sucked, but that he wasn't even trying to make adjustments.

He did make adjustments. I've literally posted the numbers. LOL

Bottom line, the post I quoted by @PACardsFan had no basis in fact and was extreme hyperbole mixed with cognitive dissonance. Your post in response was, shall we say again, missing the point lol

I got the point. And I said as much, but the overall concept that, maybe, just maybe, a historically injured squad isn't going to perform well. Losing Mack Wilson was just a small part of it.

Blitz like crazy? Well they performed at a near league worst when they blitzed, worse than when they didn't, so blitzing is kinda of the table. And even then, he still blitzed 15th in the league, slightly above average rate.

Don't blitz? Then the team can't generate pressure. It was a screwed up situation with really only one man to blame, Monti (L)Ossenfort.

 

[Adrian]

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[Adrian]

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[MadCardDisease]

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I heard that the Chargers had a plan to rotate their LG midway through the game which they did. Very strange!

“We felt that was the best thing for us,” Harbaugh said. “Just how good those two players are, and yeah, had the rotation. That was our decision.”

Obviously they are not very good if you are rotating them.

 

[PACardsFan]

Only nitpick I have on this is Ladd was getting wide open before he got knocked out of the game. They seemed to handle the rest of the pass catchers a bit better.

First 4 passes went to Ladd for almost 80 yards. Even before Ladd was knocked out, we were already slowing him down.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

im not doing the too cheap not too cheap anymore - we kept rallis because he knows this team and was the best man who applied for the job

Still quite skeptical here.

But yesterday’s data point goes a little beyond saying “we’re (the defense) not going to be as bad as you haters said we were going to be”.

That data point was more along the lines of “hey haters go **** yourselves”.

 

[kerouac9]

First 4 passes went to Ladd for almost 80 yards. Even before Ladd was knocked out, we were already slowing him down.

Because he got tired from all the catches?

 

[Card'em]

His quickness and speed looked next level. Is he that good or is our secondary that bad?? I think he's that good.

 

[Stout]

He did make adjustments. I've literally posted the numbers. LOL

I got the point. And I said as much, but the overall concept that, maybe, just maybe, a historically injured squad isn't going to perform well. Losing Mack Wilson was just a small part of it.

Blitz like crazy? Well they performed at a near league worst when they blitzed, worse than when they didn't, so blitzing is kinda of the table. And even then, he still blitzed 15th in the league, slightly above average rate.

Don't blitz? Then the team can't generate pressure. It was a screwed up situation with really only one man to blame, Monti (L)Ossenfort.

Well, I was just going to let the point lie, but you leapt (purposefully, it seems) to wildly incorrect assumptions about a post of mine merely to beat a dead horse. No thanks. I'm not engaging you and rewarding that behavior. Troll elsewhere, sir.

 

[Adrian]

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[Chopper0080]

First 4 passes went to Ladd for almost 80 yards. Even before Ladd was knocked out, we were already slowing him down.

Do you really believe this constitutes slowing him down or are you being sarcastic/funny?

 

[Krangodnzr]

Well, I was just going to let the point lie, but you leapt (purposefully, it seems) to wildly incorrect assumptions about a post of mine merely to beat a dead horse. No thanks. I'm not engaging you and rewarding that behavior. Troll elsewhere, sir.

Attack me, not the argument. Well played.

 

[PACardsFan]

Do you really believe this constitutes slowing him down or are you being sarcastic/funny?

All I’m saying is that he caught 3 passes for 60 yards on the Chargers first drive of the game. After that first drive, he only had 2 catches for like 22 yards. He was injured with like 20 seconds left in the 3rd quarter. So yes, considering he gashed us on the first drive, he only caught 2 more passes after that . I would definitely say we had slowed him down considering that after that first drive, he was well on his way to a huge day.

 

[oaken1]

i felt before the season we'd have like top 15 defense, I think it has a higher ceiling than that, but as always it's early to say anything. A top 10 offense with a top 15 defense might get you the playoffs The only caveat to that is we play in an insanely tough division but with only 6 division games, it's not as bad as it could be.

top 10 offense with a top 15 defense aint just "Might" make the playoffs.... thats NFCC Game and competing to be a super bowl team...
probably losing.... but still, competing

 

[oaken1]

If this makes sense(it probably doesn’t), Nolen is the best player, but Wilson is the most important player. Defense fell off a cliff last season once Wilson went out.

it did...
but wilson doesnt command a triple team, lol...Walter damn near still a rookie and they are loading up on him right out the gate this season.