By Jennifer Sacks

Ask anyone what immediately comes to mind when the term “football” is brought up. It’s a safe bet that three-fourths of them would say Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or some other young, attractive quarterback. Now think SportsCenter, one of the most popular shows on ESPN. Viewers tune in only to hear about how productive or how horrible both NFL and college teams played; predominantly on the offensive end.

When was the last time you heard about a team’s defense in the top headline? Beats me. Writers, commentators and fans have minds that automatically shift to a team’s ability to score points and win games. Therefore, they think of Marvin Harrison’s touchdown receptions, the rushing yards of L.T., or even Bryan Savage’s impressive percentage of completed passes. All of these are strictly offensive categories; it is extremely rare to hear about a great tackle in the after game report, or how a defense held the opposing team to under one hundred yards rushing. The defense deserves a chance to be recognized as well. If Tom Brady’s image can come to mind, why can’t cornerback Asante Samuel get any attention?

COLLEGE DEFENSE

Fans need to realize that no matter how great the offense plays, the defense really wins games in college football. Last week in Rhode Island, the Pride football team was shocked in the first half by the winless Rams. However, after four interceptions on the offensive end, Hofstra’s defense should certainly be recognized for holding Rhode Island scoreless in the second half of play. Without the “D,” the Pride would not be 3-0 overall for the first time since 1999, when they would go on to win their first six games of the season. The Pride defense ranks first in the CAA in total yards allowed (269.0 ypg), scoring defense (15.0 ppg) and turnover margin (2.0 /gm). All of these stats show how hard the defense works to win games. But why is the defense rarely recognized for its success?

FANTASY DEFENSE

The same goes for the fantasy aspect of the game. Categories go as follows: QB, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, a kicker, then just one “defense.” What’s up with that? I understand that a quarterback and running back can both load up on points, but why isn’t there a category for tackles, or even deflections? The strategy and intensity of fantasy football would be much more extreme if the defense was broken down. This would create more players for teams to manage, and even though some “fantasy footballers” are old and lazy, it would make the game so much more fun to play! Imagine the fear brought about in the opposing team if you had Baltimore’s defense. Sure, it would be great to have Baltimore’s D on your fantasy team, but there are only a few superior defenses out there.

Now, more fantasy football leagues than ever are changing over to an “IDP strategy,” denoting the use of individual defensive players. According to the latest ESPN fantasy drafts, IDP allows points for stats that are more intense than the usual defense/special teams modifiers (sacks, points and turnovers). Both solo and assisted tackles are included, along with deflections. This method gives you the opportunity to choose players from different teams and mix things up a bit. For example, you could merge the Eagles’ Sheldon Brown with a few Bears and Panthers players if that was what you wanted. This strategy could easily turn around a squad with a weak offense. Consequently, offense wouldn’t mean everything to a fantasy team’s success.

So, if you’re up for the challenge, try this IDP style of the fantasy game. If more and more leagues instituted this strategy, I’m pretty sure the defense would live up to greater expectations.

Next time, think of the game as a whole. Give the D a chance and I’m sure you’ll be impressed.