Did you see the way Peyton Manning got rid of the ball like a hot potato when Jason Babin and Mike Patterson were closing in on him? A good pass rush gets his attention very quickly.
Did you also notice how the Cincinatti Bengals shut down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots? A pass rush is the best way to stop a quarterback, any quarterback.
Brady looked very nervous and jittery in the pocket after he was hit and slammed to the turf a couple of times by the Bengals.
After that play he missed a number of throws to open receivers. I said all that to emphasize the importance of a good pass rush.
I think having quality pass rushers is more important than ever because pass offenses are becoming more and more lethal. You can't stop them with just coverage, you need to have a pass rush that can put pressure on the quarterback.
That's why the emergence of Babin could be the best thing that happened to the Eagles all year long. If he's not a flash in the pan, he could greatly improve the Birds pass rush.
It's proven that great defense wins championships and the key to a great defense is a great pass rush.
You see how he caused a turnover last night against a great quarterback like Manning.
Babin was noticeably the quickest defensive player coming off the ball against the Colts.
The Birds are going to get Trent Cole back out there and we know what Cole can do. If Babin can continue to be a force, it would give the Eagles two dynamic pass rushers coming off the corner.
This would make things much easier for new defensive coordinator Sean McDermott. He wouldn't have to take too many chances relying on the blitz in order to get pressure on the passer.
As much as I like what I"ve seen of him, it's still very early.
