Chuck 54
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But we now have a pretty good idea of where it is. It's way way below 11-5 or 10-6. We're a team that will fluctuate 1 game over .500 to 1 game below .500 to .500 all season.
The reasons are also clear...
1. Our defense is not very good...say what you want about only giving up 16 points today, but the fact of the matter is that we were pushed around by a powerful RB because our LBs are weak and below average. IN the defense we're running, DAT should be our 3rd or 4th best LB as an overachieving little guy. As long as he is our best LB, and he is definitely that, this defense will not be very good. Brady James, Shanlee, and Fowler are just guys...even in the new 3-4 situation, they aren't much more than Marcus Steele was. Fajita still has time to prove himself, but he's not there yet.
Ware killed us today with his repeated offsides penalties, and again, except for his sack, generated very little pressure, but that's a rookie for you...he has potential. Our other rookie LB hasn't proven he can even hack it on the field yet.
We also need a FS with speed and smarts, desperately....Beriault should not be counted on as the answer...not as a starting FS, imo.
2. The offensive line is hurting and underachieving...until today the pass protection was pretty good, but the run blocking has not been there at all this season. IN addition, with Thompson's and JJ's speed, how come we almost never run the toss outside?? IN addition, Larry Allen was Sapp's B____ch today...both against the run and in passing situations. I don't see anyone on this OL making the probowl this year unless there are some huge changes forthcoming.
3. I don't know it for a fact, and I can't prove it...but I know that last year Peyton was OC for the passing game and Cawthorne was OC for the running game. It seems we are missing Cawthorne more than expected because our running game is going nowhere through 4 games and seems very predictable and unimaginative and mostly slow developing plays.
We have a great red zone run by JJ, have 2nd and 2.5 for a first down from the 3 yard line...everyone's hoping for play-action and a TD to a TE, but instead we get that slow developing deep handoff and a DL slides off the block on our left side (yes, one of our best run blockers let him get away) and kills us at the freakin' 5 yard line!!! The block should have been made, but a play slow enough to let a DL get blocked, slide off, and still roll in for a 2 yard loss is a slow developing play down that deep.
Anyone else get the feeling the only reason we were running the ball again, despite the fact we'd been stuffed all game long, is because we were afraid to score with too much time on the clock considering our defense never met a 3rd down they liked very much???
Special NOte: anyone who wants to criticize Bledsoe today considering the pressure he was under due to lousy pass protection is crazy...another great game, nimble maneuvering in and out of the pocket, and some great passes under duress.
Sour NOTe: Why do we almost always hate the design of our 3rd and 4th down play calls? Because we always seem to design and call plays like the final one today....clearly designed and expected to go to Glenn, who wouldn't have had the first down even if he'd caught the ball.
Questionable NOTe: Has Campbell been virtually invisible this year? Do we miss his blocking? Has our offense slowly written him out in lieu of keeping the WR's and Witten on the field? And when he is in there, does he suddenly look like his butt is 2 sizes larger than before? He looks more like a Tackle now...we used to actually throw this guy some first down passes, didn't we?
This team is still much more talented at RB, DL, CB, and starting QB than last year....but we still have serious shortcomings at FS, and our LB's are not good enough to be successful in the 3-4.
Final thought: I love Key's tough contribution as much as anyone...especially in the red zone and on running plays, but wouldn't anyone else like to see the speed of Glenn and Price on the outside going deep to open up more space underneath for Witten and Crayton from time to time? Shouldn't it at least be a set to use on the 3rd and long situations?
Oh well...the sky isn't falling, but we can see it clearly as far as this team's likely record this year.
The reasons are also clear...
1. Our defense is not very good...say what you want about only giving up 16 points today, but the fact of the matter is that we were pushed around by a powerful RB because our LBs are weak and below average. IN the defense we're running, DAT should be our 3rd or 4th best LB as an overachieving little guy. As long as he is our best LB, and he is definitely that, this defense will not be very good. Brady James, Shanlee, and Fowler are just guys...even in the new 3-4 situation, they aren't much more than Marcus Steele was. Fajita still has time to prove himself, but he's not there yet.
Ware killed us today with his repeated offsides penalties, and again, except for his sack, generated very little pressure, but that's a rookie for you...he has potential. Our other rookie LB hasn't proven he can even hack it on the field yet.
We also need a FS with speed and smarts, desperately....Beriault should not be counted on as the answer...not as a starting FS, imo.
2. The offensive line is hurting and underachieving...until today the pass protection was pretty good, but the run blocking has not been there at all this season. IN addition, with Thompson's and JJ's speed, how come we almost never run the toss outside?? IN addition, Larry Allen was Sapp's B____ch today...both against the run and in passing situations. I don't see anyone on this OL making the probowl this year unless there are some huge changes forthcoming.
3. I don't know it for a fact, and I can't prove it...but I know that last year Peyton was OC for the passing game and Cawthorne was OC for the running game. It seems we are missing Cawthorne more than expected because our running game is going nowhere through 4 games and seems very predictable and unimaginative and mostly slow developing plays.
We have a great red zone run by JJ, have 2nd and 2.5 for a first down from the 3 yard line...everyone's hoping for play-action and a TD to a TE, but instead we get that slow developing deep handoff and a DL slides off the block on our left side (yes, one of our best run blockers let him get away) and kills us at the freakin' 5 yard line!!! The block should have been made, but a play slow enough to let a DL get blocked, slide off, and still roll in for a 2 yard loss is a slow developing play down that deep.
Anyone else get the feeling the only reason we were running the ball again, despite the fact we'd been stuffed all game long, is because we were afraid to score with too much time on the clock considering our defense never met a 3rd down they liked very much???
Special NOte: anyone who wants to criticize Bledsoe today considering the pressure he was under due to lousy pass protection is crazy...another great game, nimble maneuvering in and out of the pocket, and some great passes under duress.
Sour NOTe: Why do we almost always hate the design of our 3rd and 4th down play calls? Because we always seem to design and call plays like the final one today....clearly designed and expected to go to Glenn, who wouldn't have had the first down even if he'd caught the ball.
Questionable NOTe: Has Campbell been virtually invisible this year? Do we miss his blocking? Has our offense slowly written him out in lieu of keeping the WR's and Witten on the field? And when he is in there, does he suddenly look like his butt is 2 sizes larger than before? He looks more like a Tackle now...we used to actually throw this guy some first down passes, didn't we?
This team is still much more talented at RB, DL, CB, and starting QB than last year....but we still have serious shortcomings at FS, and our LB's are not good enough to be successful in the 3-4.
Final thought: I love Key's tough contribution as much as anyone...especially in the red zone and on running plays, but wouldn't anyone else like to see the speed of Glenn and Price on the outside going deep to open up more space underneath for Witten and Crayton from time to time? Shouldn't it at least be a set to use on the 3rd and long situations?
Oh well...the sky isn't falling, but we can see it clearly as far as this team's likely record this year.
