The Emperor
Marcus Aurelius Maximus
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First off, I would like to thank hairic for his videos. This isn't to ignore Kilyin's contributions, but the fact is I use hairic's more. He's got each quarter posted per video and it makes these write-ups easier because I can skip around better. Kilyin does a good job instantly posting the interviews or segments from the Sunday morning chat shows and also NFL Network specials. I encourage him to continuing doing that and to leave the game tapes to hairic.
On to my impressions.
Even though I was wrong about the Buccaneers winning 29-26, take a look at what I wrote:
Would you say this team is firing on all cylinders?
In Their Defense -- Since 2006, I've seen the defense as the inept and typically taken the offense's side in arguments. That was especially true in 2011. Not this year, sister. We'll have to see what the injuries do to us, but we're on the right track. Sean Lee is always around the football, and Bruce Carter displays that sideline-to-sideline ability so well. His ability to clean up swing passes and screens has been sorely missed for years. Spencer also is showing improvement. Crawford and Hatcher did a good job getting pressure from the inside. We're going to have so much pass rushing versatility once Ratliff gets healthy. I just hope our safety situation isn't so porous that we're back to the 2011 conundrum.
Witten Protection Program -- I've been going back and forth on this, and I think this is my official statement on Witten. I don't think he's hurt. Look at his effort to get that first down in the first quarter against Mark Barron as proof. Rather, I think his lack of practicing has really hampered him. Remember: he couldn't even be on the sidelines during games at one point. Some injured players get to work off to the side or do walkthroughs. It wasn't that way for Witten. He really had to sit out. So, I say keep playing him. Right when the defense stops respecting him is when I hope he regains his powers.
Bernad'oh -- People have been dogging Mackenzy Bernadeau this week. I don't think he played a bad game. I think he's getting criticism because he was in on that play where Romo almost got concussed. His pass protection was above average. Including the blast on Romo, Bernadeau only allowed 3 instances where his man was pressuring Romo. The one area that Bernadeau looks bad is his run blocking. I only saw him get to the second level twice the whole game. Bernadeau is an okay pass protector whose running blocking skills haven't manifested.
Tony's Turnovers -- They're starting to concern me. There is a "chicken and the egg" element to them. Are they caused by the offensive line or not? He gets a pass this week for his pick to Talib, because that was simply a great play on Talib's part. That tells me he studied our film this week. The first fumble could have been avoided. It was, again, another instance of Romo trying to make a bigger play in the red zone than just being satisfied with three points. The second one is debatable. In any event, he has committed 5 turnovers in the last 3 games. He didn't even do that to end 2011! The last time he approached those levels was in 2008 when he committed 4 turnovers in the first 3 games. Our offense is so anemic right now that he needs to protect the football foremost. I have more confidence in our defense right now. We'll have more chances to win protecting the football than looking for the big play.
Secondary Concern -- Seeing Mike Jenkins contributing to this defense was a nice thing to behold. I'm glad that we've got a creative enough defensive coordinator to start involving all three of our top-rated corners. Seeing Carr play safety was unexpected, but the important thing is to get Carr, Claiborne, and Jenkins on the field. We did a nice job against Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson. I'm not too worried facing some of the other wide receiving corps on our schedule. I just hope Jerry is too busy shopping Jerry Wipes to start shopping Jenkins. I can see that happening. Right when we need Jenkins, trade him to the Lions for a 7th rounder in the 2014 draft.
Seattle Still Stings -- People are using the Seahawks' win over the Packers and their 2-1 placement as a reason to not feel bad about our Week 2 implosion. No, I'm sorry. That game still sucks, and it's because we went out there and -- actually, I'm not sure if we were ever out there. The Crackers played the kind of game we should have played against the Seahawks. Yeah, they sacked Rodgers and knocked him around, but their special teams and offense didn't just spot the Seahawks 10 points. If we would have lost a grind-it-out, laborious battle against the Seahawks like the Crackers did last night, it wouldn't have been as easy to complain. This team, notably the offense and special teams, still has a problem of going about the process "the right way." And even though it was a win, the Tampa Bay game didn't do anything to provide countering evidence. The Bears aren't so consternating to me, but I still dread having to go to Baltimore in a couple weeks.
On to my impressions.
Even though I was wrong about the Buccaneers winning 29-26, take a look at what I wrote:
Would you say this team is firing on all cylinders?
In Their Defense -- Since 2006, I've seen the defense as the inept and typically taken the offense's side in arguments. That was especially true in 2011. Not this year, sister. We'll have to see what the injuries do to us, but we're on the right track. Sean Lee is always around the football, and Bruce Carter displays that sideline-to-sideline ability so well. His ability to clean up swing passes and screens has been sorely missed for years. Spencer also is showing improvement. Crawford and Hatcher did a good job getting pressure from the inside. We're going to have so much pass rushing versatility once Ratliff gets healthy. I just hope our safety situation isn't so porous that we're back to the 2011 conundrum.
Witten Protection Program -- I've been going back and forth on this, and I think this is my official statement on Witten. I don't think he's hurt. Look at his effort to get that first down in the first quarter against Mark Barron as proof. Rather, I think his lack of practicing has really hampered him. Remember: he couldn't even be on the sidelines during games at one point. Some injured players get to work off to the side or do walkthroughs. It wasn't that way for Witten. He really had to sit out. So, I say keep playing him. Right when the defense stops respecting him is when I hope he regains his powers.
Bernad'oh -- People have been dogging Mackenzy Bernadeau this week. I don't think he played a bad game. I think he's getting criticism because he was in on that play where Romo almost got concussed. His pass protection was above average. Including the blast on Romo, Bernadeau only allowed 3 instances where his man was pressuring Romo. The one area that Bernadeau looks bad is his run blocking. I only saw him get to the second level twice the whole game. Bernadeau is an okay pass protector whose running blocking skills haven't manifested.
Tony's Turnovers -- They're starting to concern me. There is a "chicken and the egg" element to them. Are they caused by the offensive line or not? He gets a pass this week for his pick to Talib, because that was simply a great play on Talib's part. That tells me he studied our film this week. The first fumble could have been avoided. It was, again, another instance of Romo trying to make a bigger play in the red zone than just being satisfied with three points. The second one is debatable. In any event, he has committed 5 turnovers in the last 3 games. He didn't even do that to end 2011! The last time he approached those levels was in 2008 when he committed 4 turnovers in the first 3 games. Our offense is so anemic right now that he needs to protect the football foremost. I have more confidence in our defense right now. We'll have more chances to win protecting the football than looking for the big play.
Secondary Concern -- Seeing Mike Jenkins contributing to this defense was a nice thing to behold. I'm glad that we've got a creative enough defensive coordinator to start involving all three of our top-rated corners. Seeing Carr play safety was unexpected, but the important thing is to get Carr, Claiborne, and Jenkins on the field. We did a nice job against Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson. I'm not too worried facing some of the other wide receiving corps on our schedule. I just hope Jerry is too busy shopping Jerry Wipes to start shopping Jenkins. I can see that happening. Right when we need Jenkins, trade him to the Lions for a 7th rounder in the 2014 draft.
Seattle Still Stings -- People are using the Seahawks' win over the Packers and their 2-1 placement as a reason to not feel bad about our Week 2 implosion. No, I'm sorry. That game still sucks, and it's because we went out there and -- actually, I'm not sure if we were ever out there. The Crackers played the kind of game we should have played against the Seahawks. Yeah, they sacked Rodgers and knocked him around, but their special teams and offense didn't just spot the Seahawks 10 points. If we would have lost a grind-it-out, laborious battle against the Seahawks like the Crackers did last night, it wouldn't have been as easy to complain. This team, notably the offense and special teams, still has a problem of going about the process "the right way." And even though it was a win, the Tampa Bay game didn't do anything to provide countering evidence. The Bears aren't so consternating to me, but I still dread having to go to Baltimore in a couple weeks.
