Adam Hogue

Well, I am going to push back a little bit because I don't think they win that game last week without what the defensive line was actually able to do in the fourth quarter.

And now I didn't see it coming.

I was shocked by it.

But I think Austin Booker has been slowly getting better and improving.

Is he still quite where you want one of your starting defensive ends to be?

Probably not, but...

you know, he's causing quite a bit of disruption.

And the way Montez Sweat played in the fourth quarter, both against the run and the pass, that was the Montez Sweat that we saw here a couple of years ago when they first traded for him.

So I don't know if it was just, you know, getting spooked that the season was actually over and having to kick it into another gear.

But they sure showed up in that fourth quarter.

across the board.

And now, can they put it together for four quarters?

I don't know.

That seems like a stretch, you know, based on what we've seen, the overall evidence of the season.

But it was at least a little bit of encouraging...

Because honestly, at halftime, I was like, you know what?

This defense, it's been a great year, but they kind of seem cooked.

I think probably most people watching that game felt that way.

So they deserve credit for what they did in the second half.

And if they could still put that together, maybe carry over some of that confidence, I'm not going to write them off just yet.