ITS PRESEASON, PEOPLE! Calm down

[Qwickdraw]

Wow.
I can't believe how negative everyone is over THE FIRST freaking Preseason game.

Remember?
New England lost 3 of their 4 Preseason games last year.
One of them was 31 to 0 against Jacksonville.
Another was 31 to 3 against Cincinatti.
And yet they won the freaking Super Bowl.

Chill out.

 

[Alexander]

Wow.
I can't believe how negative everyone is over THE FIRST freaking Preseason game.

Remember?
New England lost 3 of their 4 Preseason games last year.
One of them was 31 to 0 against Jacksonville.
Another was 31 to 3 against Cincinatti.
And yet they won the freaking Super Bowl.

Chill out.

I am not upset we lost.

Rarely do you play a preseason game with intentions other than evaluation. There is no gameplanning etc.

But when you look poor on some of the things you spent time and money on in the offseason, it is perfectly fine to be disappointed.

We "look" better in the secondary, but last night was proof that when you don't pressure the QB, you get beaten. That was the most upsetting part about the defense. We did not generate pressure. Warner had all day to throw.

And do not get me started on Bledsoe. That was such a typical performance from him that it sickened me.

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

Agreed. We learned some things about we need to work on from this game. We also learned something about the fickleness of fans. One thing we didn't learn, however, is how this season is going to shape up. So relax folks.

 

[Vman]

But when you look poor on some of the things you spent time and money on in the offseason, it is perfectly fine to be disappointed.

Yeah, I think this has alot to do with it. I also think the press reports that we've been reading for the last two weeks didn't help.

DC.com basically had the reader believe that Ware was unstoppable.

Bledsoe was sharp (and mobile).

JJ was the next Walter Payton.

Canty was Too Tall Jones - reborn.

Rogers had shored up the OL.

We should've known it was too good to believe for just two weeks.

I suppose coming off a 6-10 record we should just expect to see improvement from week-to-week.

 

[Alexander]

Yeah, I think this has alot to do with it. I also think the press reports that we've been reading for the last two weeks didn't help.

DC.com basically had the reader believe that Ware was unstoppable.

Bledsoe was sharp (and mobile).

JJ was the next Walter Payton.

Canty was Too Tall Jones - reborn.

Rogers had shored up the OL.

We should've known it was too good to believe for just two weeks.

I suppose coming off a 6-10 record we should just expect to see improvement from week-to-week.

Of course.

But it depends on how much you believed the hype.

Bledsoe - I never believed any of it. I expected a slight improvement over Testeverde and thus far, that looks like what we have. But the frightening thing is that Vinny looked better in preseason last year.

Ware - Well he is a rookie playing a new position. He definitely has a learning issue to overcome. And I would hope we fans appreciate that and understand he is not going to be Lawrence Taylor overnight.

JJ - He will be fine. He should be the last of our worries. Nobody needs him to become Payton. Just play as well as he did last year and we are in great shape.

Canty - Coming off a layoff due to injury. He will work himself into shape.

Rogers - You might as well pencil his name on the IR list. If this knee does not put him there, he will injure himself some other way. Some players are cursed and I think he is one of them.

 

[Vman]

Rogers - You might as well pencil his name on the IR list. If this knee does not put him there, he will injure himself some other way.

I don't know if you meant it to be funny but it is.

 

[zack]

I thought the same thing last year when our defense couldn't stop anyone. Funny thing is that it translated to the regular season and our defense was horrible.

Now I am worried about the offense. Especially the offensive line. It looks like we might have some real issues.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

I thought the same thing last year when our defense couldn't stop anyone. Funny thing is that it translated to the regular season and our defense was horrible.

Now I am worried about the offense. Especially the offensive line. It looks like we might have some real issues.

Are you serious? What do you mean we couldn't stop anyone? The AZ starters scored one fluke TD.. We didn't blitz.. Ware dropped into coverage alot (I'm assuming BP wanted to see this part of his game as well) what game did you watch? Or did you watch the game @ all? My biggest issue with these fickle fans is they'll be the same ones to praise Ware and others next week Mon. night @ Seattle.. sometimes growth and positives do not always jump right at you in the pre-season.

 

[Sarge]

That's it - I'm giving up.

We're going 0-16.

Make it 0-17 - we're that bad.

Oh yea, the sky is falling too.

:

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

We're going 0-16.

Make it 0-17 - we're that bad.

Couldn't agree more.

Won't score a single point all season long.

Bledsoe's gonna eat 64 sacks...in week one.

Defense is gonna give up an average of 30 points...per quarter.

Folks, we're probably looking at the worst team ever assembled, in any sport.

And if you think that sounds bad, just wait for my evaluation following the second pre-season game. I'm really going to go off on these guys.

 

[zack]

Are you serious? What do you mean we couldn't stop anyone? The AZ starters scored one fluke TD.. We didn't blitz.. Ware dropped into coverage alot (I'm assuming BP wanted to see this part of his game as well) what game did you watch? Or did you watch the game @ all? My biggest issue with these fickle fans is they'll be the same ones to praise Ware and others next week Mon. night @ Seattle.. sometimes growth and positives do not always jump right at you in the pre-season.

I guess I didn't make myself clear. I said last year we couldn't stop anyone on defense. I didn't say this year. I think our defense played well last night. I said I am concerned with our offensive line. Last year people said our defense would be fine and it was the preseason. Well we know how our d played last season. I am not a fickle fan. I didn't fly from Detroit to Dallas to see the Mon night game against Philly for nothing.

I am just saying we have some concerns with the o line. Do you disagree?

 

[Teague31]

Its not the loss, its the way the first team performed. arizona had 2 starters out on the O-Line yet we never laid a hand on warner. And our o-line was dominated by the freakin' cardinals. it sucks no matter when it happens.

 

[jimmy40]

Wow.
I can't believe how negative everyone is over THE FIRST freaking Preseason game.

Remember?
New England lost 3 of their 4 Preseason games last year.
One of them was 31 to 0 against Jacksonville.
Another was 31 to 3 against Cincinatti.
And yet they won the freaking Super Bowl.

Chill out.

Are you kidding? This is homer central, where we're going to the Super Bowl after every win and and getting the first pick in the draft after every loss. I know you've been around here long enough to know this. Why are you acting like you're surprised?

btw: Some of us just don't beleive in Drew Bledsoe so the way he/team played last night didn't make us negative.

btw again: Comparing a team that has sucked for years/us to a team that has won three at of the last four Super Bowls/New England, is 99% of the problem you speak of.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

I guess I didn't make myself clear. I said last year we couldn't stop anyone on defense. I didn't say this year. I think our defense played well last night. I said I am concerned with our offensive line. Last year people said our defense would be fine and it was the preseason. Well we know how our d played last season. I am not a fickle fan. I didn't fly from Detroit to Dallas to see the Mon night game against Philly for nothing.

I am just saying we have some concerns with the o line. Do you disagree?

I'm sorry to attack... but it just sickens me to wake up and see 6-7 threads absolutely destryoying our performance last night. I do agree with you. I was all over the O-line during the game. What amuses me is that after week two last year I saw threads like this: "Vinny Testaverde to the Pro-Bowl?"

 

[Chuck 54]

Wow.
I can't believe how negative everyone is over THE FIRST freaking Preseason game.

Remember?
New England lost 3 of their 4 Preseason games last year.
One of them was 31 to 0 against Jacksonville.
Another was 31 to 3 against Cincinatti.
And yet they won the freaking Super Bowl.

Chill out.

Preseason is not about winning or losing, but it IS about progress and jelling as a team and producing good results.

I understand your point, and I don't totally disagree with it. IT's way too early to panic, and this 1 game doesn't set our season for us, but you know what? There's nothing wrong with having a team with an OL that is only concerned at RT, the best RB's in years, supposedly good receivers and an improved QB crew, along with a defense that is supposed to have drafted world beaters and solidified the backfield come out and at least play well against the ARizona Cardinals.

I'm tired of using the excuse "it's only preseason when we suck"...and from everything I've read, we did suck.

I'm not espousing putting in starters in the 4th quarter just to win a preseason game...I'm not even saying I give a crap about going 4-0 versus 0-4 (though it really is sort of disingenuous to say it doesn't matter and we don't care), but ...............

What the HELL is wrong with performing well in the first preseason game once in a while !!!!

 

[LaTunaNostra]

What the HELL is wrong with performing well in the first preseason game once in a while !!!!

Nothing,

That was a sorry first team performance.

It's hard to evaluate Bledsoe based on last night ..with Okeafor and Berry camping in the backfield...but the fact remains he showed no veteran aplomb whatsover. All the well known faults were in evidence:

Awkward, stilted pocket presence - not there was much of a pocket, but Testaverde's smooth ability to move up and around in one has always been superior to Drew's, even after VT's Achilles injury. Last year we got used to seeing an old QB with severe limitations, but he never had the choppy pocket presence Bledsoe demonstrates, even when things broke down.

Holding the damn ball - again, the line played putridly, but there was always a sense of waiting an interminable time for a receiver to get open...when Hos, BZ, and Ad check in, we can aske them if from their live game seats, they could see if receivers actually were open.

Hearing footsteps - he was right to, but get your arse in gear and try to make a forward yard or two if you do.

Three and outs - I am sorry, but I want to see at least one veteran savvy play when things break down..I suppose last night, that consisted of not throwing any picks.

As unfair as I know I am being because we all know solid line play is the absolute minimum to ensure Bledsoe look decent, couldn't help but 'isolate' Drew when watching last night and still feel he abysmally failed the test.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Nothing,

That was a sorry first team performance.

It's hard to evaluate Bledsoe based on last night ..with Okeafor and Berry camping in the backfield...but the fact remains he showed no veteran aplomb whatsover. All the well known faults were in evidence:

Awkward, stilted pocket presence - not there was much of a pocket, but Testaverde's smooth ability to move up and around in one has always been superior to Drew's, even after VT's Achilles injury. Last year we got used to seeing an old QB with severe limitations, but he never had the choppy pocket presence Bledsoe demonstrates, even when things broke down.

Holding the damn ball - again, the line played putridly, but there was always a sense of waiting an interminable time for a receiver to get open...when Hos, BZ, and Ad check in, we can aske them if from their live game seats, they could see if receivers actually were open.

Hearing footsteps - he was right to, but get your arse in gear and try to make a forward yard or two if you do.

Three and outs - I am sorry, but I want to see at least one veteran savvy play when things break down..I suppose last night, that consisted of not throwing any picks.

As unfair as I know I am being because we all know solid line play is the absolute minimum to ensure Bledsoe look decent, couldn't help but 'isolate' Drew when watching last night and still feel he abysmally failed the test.

B. we have real problems with our starting QB. Granted the O-line was piss poor. But that horror show last night was the same thing that's been playing the last 2 1/2 years.

 

[fairviewfarmer]

Our O-line is once again (for the fifth or sixth year in a row) terrible in pass protection. I don't care who you have at QB, If they're playing behind that line they're not going to look real successful.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Holding the damn ball - again, the line played putridly, but there was always a sense of waiting an interminable time for a receiver to get open...when Hos, BZ, and Ad check in, we can aske them if from their live game seats, they could see if receivers actually were open.

The bastid refuses to check down... just refuses to.

If he can't throw at least a 15 yard pass he isn't letting go of the f'ing ball.

 

[Cbz40]

B. we have real problems with our starting QB. Granted the O-line was piss poor. But that horror show last night was the same thing that's been playing the last 2 1/2 years.

Michael.......at this point in time I give you permission to step on your soapbox and say "I told you so".

Mr Bledsoe lived up to your billing.