Reality.
1. The team is not that good - You can't draft at the bottom of the draft, waste picks on projects without any input from scouting (Trey Lance) and then consistently build teams that field good special teams, defense and offense. We are in Year 2 of a rebuild and that should be apparent to anyone watching these games. Almost every game we won...we could have easily lost and sometimes vice versa. A hallmark of a middling team.
2. The team played flat - The emotional roller coaster the team has been on - backs against the wall, Marshawn's passing, 57,000,000 views of a regular season game, coming back against division rival - at some point the ride comes down. You can't stay up there for that long and manufacture urgency. Especially when Detroit does have their backs against the wall and hasn't been in that mode for nearly a month.
3. 3 games in 14 days...or whatever the number or days was. Booker, Revel...are young guys who just came out of college. Revel and Overshown haven't played football in a year or so...and now 3 games in 14 days. Combine that with point #2 and you would need Jimmy Johnson maniacal coaching to keep this group motivated.
In short, this team was NEVER MEANT to compete this year. That's why Jerry didn't rush in the offseason...and why he traded Micah. We had our window with 3 straight 12-5 seasons and now we're in Year 2 of a rebuild...period. Last year was the bloodletting and this year we start to add talent. The notion that we get to leapfrog teams who have a headstart on us is just fantasy.
Final Note: Having a $60mm QB on a rebuilding squad is like having a Lambo living in a studio.
What happened?
1. Pickens jogged on half his routes. Looked disinterested throughout the game.
2. Defense couldn't stop a damn thing. Got pressure on Goff the first couple of possessions but after that he had all day. If you give Goff time he will carve you up. No pass rush at all outside the first couple of drives.
3. Bland and revel couldn't cover anyone.
4. Ferguson and pickens continue their fumbling woes. How hard is it to hold on to the damn ball?
5. Special teams was awful again. Just kick the damn ball through the end zone and let them start at the 35.
6. Offense once again struggled to score touchdowns when in the red zone.
7. Penalties killed us again. This team somehow is top 5 in penalties every single year.
8. Offensive line got their *** kicked from the opening snap.
9. Turpin sucked again. Thats twice now in the last couple weeks where he signaled for fair catch and then tried to run with it. How the f does that even happen? Dude needs to be benched for his boneheaded plays. It's not like hes making big returns anyway.
Im sure I missed some but this is what immediately stood out to me.
Wouldn't be surprised if this team wins out now that the pressure is off. The offense will probably get rolling like they do when it doesn't matter.
My offseason plans:
- Trade pickens. You can't pay him what he wants
- Cut Kenny Clark. Not worth what he will count against the cap.
- Cut diggs. Not worth the drama.
- Draft a RB. Williams has slowed down as the season has progressed. He's now looking more like a JAG than a difference maker.
- Fix the linebacker and db groups. Theyre bottom 5 in the league.
- Get a pass rusher.
