Arizona’s coaching staff got a massive shake-up, but Defensive Coordinator Nick Rallis is the one main coach who actually survived the overhaul. With a brand-new head coach Mike LaFleur, a fresh offensive coordinator, and a new special teams boss all joining up, Rallis stands alone. LaFleur clearly sees something special in his defensive style and scheme, because normally a new head man brings in all his own guys, right? But these two never even crossed paths before, which tells you just how much LaFleur respects Rallis’s three seasons with the club and his vision.
The Defense HAS To Be Better, Period.
We all know the score. Last year was rough, and that’s putting it mildly. Our defense, man, it was ranked at a brutal #27 overall. That’s just not gonna cut it, not if we want to even think about taking that next step. Digging into those numbers, the pass defense was #24, giving up 31 passing touchdowns and an average of 230.8 passing yards every single game. And the run defense? Not much better at #25, allowing 126.9 rushing yards a game and 19 rushing scores. Those stats are a punch to the gut for any fan who bleeds for this team, and Rallis knows it. Training camp has officially kicked off, and he’s finally getting a real feel for the new guys and seeing where everyone’s at. There are definitely positions up for grabs, but it’s good to hear that most starters are expected to carry over from last year. Now it’s about making those existing pieces better.
Rallis Demands What We Can Control, And BJ Ojulari Is On Fire
Rallis held his first presser of camp, and you gotta love his focus. He’s been pleased with the start, admitting you always expect things to need correcting, but what he’s really digging is the intangibles. “I love the things that we can control, which is our attitude, our energy, our effort, and our focus levels,” he said. He’s right, those have been “on point,” but the big test is consistency. It’s easy to bring that fire for the first few days, but can they maintain that intensity day in and day out? That’s the real challenge.
He also had some powerful words about BJ Ojulari. We all know the journey some players go through with injuries. Rallis was honest about it, saying, “People in this game, when you suffer an injury, you have to be resilient. And it’s hard. You just name it what it is. Like it’s really hard. Sometimes it can be depressing even during that time when you’re not able to be out on the field because you work so hard for those moments.” That’s real talk. But the exciting news? Rallis sees Ojulari looking “really good right now.” He’s put in serious work to get back to the player he is, and it’s awesome to hear he’s “back out there full go and letting it loose.” That kind of resilience and return to form is exactly the type of energy this defense needs.
We’re still early in training camp at State Farm Stadium, but the message from Rallis is clear: control what you can control, get consistent, and bring that dog mentality. With guys like BJ Ojulari fighting their way back, there’s a real chance for this defense to make some noise.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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