Kaiser
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If you have an Achilles Heel in the NFL opponents will exploit it and you will lose. Period. There is too much talent and coaching throughout the league to cover for a fatal flaw, and Dallas entered this game with two of them - pass protection by our OL and run defense by the DL. Starting a 7th rounder certain to be a deer in the headlights and holding the ball too long, this game was a virtual lock for Dallas to give up double digit sacks and lose by 4 scores.
The story of this game was that both lines moved from the fatal flaw category to being below average (OL) and (for this game) average (DL). Some of that is the fact Zack Martin will be in the Hall of Fame one day and came back for this game, some of that was scheme and some of that was the players finally developing a small bit of cohesion with some time playing together.
I really like Nooch for what he is, a late round pick who will be a good backup for cheap, who then return a compensation pick four years from now. He was lost just as you would expect but not a complete trainwreck. When you think about it, this wasn’t even like his first preseason game because he had very limited reps in the offseason and no preseason. He had zero rapport with the WRs in this game but if he taken the practice reps of the #2 QB all year he probably would have had ten more completions instead of the passes he missed by three yards. Even then he settled in somewhat and was completing second reads to Schultz in the 4th Quarter. Most rookie QBs (except Dak) look lost, remember Jared Goff’s rookie year? He looked below average then but looks good now. Carson Wentz looked below average then and now looks… well, still below average but the Goff analogy stands.
I would start him next week, you aren’t going to win anyway and Nooch could be a decent #2 by the start of next season.
Kellen Moore was smart to go to the Harlem Globetrotters offense early on, if he goes full Scott Linehan the Eagles would blitz Nooch into oblivion and the game might have been over by the second quarter. Picture that strip sack TD happening twice in the first ten minutes. Instead Moore went razzle dazzle so they couldn’t zero in on Nooch – triple reverses, Wildcat runs, basically everything but Meadowlark Lemon with the ball a string. And if Zack Martin hadn’t come back for this game, Fletcher Cox would have looked like Godzilla stomping on Tokyo.
I’ve said all year Diggs will be a #1 CB next year and you see the pieces coming together for him. He said he is figuring out the game and the two INT’s were just spectacular athleticism, but in the second quarter he also would have had a pick jumping a route if he was in a half step better position. With more experience and film study next year, he will make that play.
The DL was way better without Poe and some of that was a scheme adjustment, but I can’t wait to hear the complete story.
Randy Gregory has fresh legs and Aldon Smith is gassed, but Gregory looked great for a guy with that long of a layoff. He seems more comfortable in his role and looks like he has added weight. Splitting the reps between Gregory and Smith will be better for both guys. Being out of the game for five years, its no surprise that Aldon Smith doesn’t have the game conditioning to hold up more than half a season. A lot of rookies coming out of college hit a wall also. Putting Smith into a part time role will probably help him play better and increase our chances of resigning him.
Donovan Wilson made a great play sacking Wentz but he still has a long ways to go. By the end of the season he will be what Jeff Heath was – an above average backup or below average starter. But the difference is Wilson might still improve over the offseason. I think we have two new starting safeties next years but don’t rule out Wilson continuing to improve and earning one of those spots.
The story of this game was that both lines moved from the fatal flaw category to being below average (OL) and (for this game) average (DL). Some of that is the fact Zack Martin will be in the Hall of Fame one day and came back for this game, some of that was scheme and some of that was the players finally developing a small bit of cohesion with some time playing together.
I really like Nooch for what he is, a late round pick who will be a good backup for cheap, who then return a compensation pick four years from now. He was lost just as you would expect but not a complete trainwreck. When you think about it, this wasn’t even like his first preseason game because he had very limited reps in the offseason and no preseason. He had zero rapport with the WRs in this game but if he taken the practice reps of the #2 QB all year he probably would have had ten more completions instead of the passes he missed by three yards. Even then he settled in somewhat and was completing second reads to Schultz in the 4th Quarter. Most rookie QBs (except Dak) look lost, remember Jared Goff’s rookie year? He looked below average then but looks good now. Carson Wentz looked below average then and now looks… well, still below average but the Goff analogy stands.
I would start him next week, you aren’t going to win anyway and Nooch could be a decent #2 by the start of next season.
Kellen Moore was smart to go to the Harlem Globetrotters offense early on, if he goes full Scott Linehan the Eagles would blitz Nooch into oblivion and the game might have been over by the second quarter. Picture that strip sack TD happening twice in the first ten minutes. Instead Moore went razzle dazzle so they couldn’t zero in on Nooch – triple reverses, Wildcat runs, basically everything but Meadowlark Lemon with the ball a string. And if Zack Martin hadn’t come back for this game, Fletcher Cox would have looked like Godzilla stomping on Tokyo.
I’ve said all year Diggs will be a #1 CB next year and you see the pieces coming together for him. He said he is figuring out the game and the two INT’s were just spectacular athleticism, but in the second quarter he also would have had a pick jumping a route if he was in a half step better position. With more experience and film study next year, he will make that play.
The DL was way better without Poe and some of that was a scheme adjustment, but I can’t wait to hear the complete story.
Randy Gregory has fresh legs and Aldon Smith is gassed, but Gregory looked great for a guy with that long of a layoff. He seems more comfortable in his role and looks like he has added weight. Splitting the reps between Gregory and Smith will be better for both guys. Being out of the game for five years, its no surprise that Aldon Smith doesn’t have the game conditioning to hold up more than half a season. A lot of rookies coming out of college hit a wall also. Putting Smith into a part time role will probably help him play better and increase our chances of resigning him.
Donovan Wilson made a great play sacking Wentz but he still has a long ways to go. By the end of the season he will be what Jeff Heath was – an above average backup or below average starter. But the difference is Wilson might still improve over the offseason. I think we have two new starting safeties next years but don’t rule out Wilson continuing to improve and earning one of those spots.
