Texans Defense Looks Very Good; Looks Very Aggressive

[carl_nfl_rocks]

The games are getting really exciting!! I watch the games online during my free time.. =)

[Superman]

Manning's 3-4 troubles are fiction. He has had outstanding games against that scheme.

Not against Wade Phillips 3-4.

2007 against the Chargers, he threw 6 interceptions. 2007 playoff game, he was much better and we should have won except we had zero pass rush; but the offense did have a little trouble, especially on 3rd down, and we couldn't run the ball. This is the defense Wade built, before Ted Cottrell ruined it.

2010 against the Cowboys, threw 4 interceptions. Again, Wade's defense, even though he had just left.

I'm not trying to say that Wade Phillips has Manning's number or anything. I just don't think it's accurate to say that Manning has outstanding games against his defenses. The whole "Manning struggles against the 3-4" meme is played, if not totally inaccurate. But some of Manning's worst games have come against Wade's defenses. And at the very least, it's accurate to say that Manning doesn't destroy those defenses.

By contrast, he's never struggled against Rex Ryan's defenses (except for a game here and a game there), and except for the 2005 playoff game, he doesn't struggle against Dick LeBeau, and that was more an issue with the offensive line than with Manning. He's been putting up big numbers against the Patriots since 2005, and they've been more of a hybrid defense the past couple seasons. Who else runs a really good 3-4 over the years?