This is a point, I had intended to make, so, thank you! I don't believe in taking the foot off the gas. Why would anyone want to give the other team any momentum? Okay, we lead by 14 points and that feels like a safe lead. I don't think any two-score lead means we get conservative with the football. Yes, I get the idea of draining the clock; but, that's similar to playing prevent-defense. It really begs the question, why would you?
Running the ball for 100 yards in the second half is not really taking your foot off the gas. running the ball and not making first downs is going conservative. The thing is, you have to be successful when you run the ball. Running the ball when you can do it inevitably breaks the other team.
Whatever you gotta do to keep moving the chains Keep the ball out of their hands and keep scoring points - on the ground or through the air, whatever is working.
Didn’t we lose a lot on defense between 2008 and 2009? That 2008 defense was awful good from what I remember.