Was anybody really expecting to win this game ?
Well I thought it would be close, but I thought we had a good chance of winning.
I thought the lines on the score were way off, people were sleeping a bit on how good the Panthers had been lately and their rankings are skewed by a bad start to the season.
And to be honest that was a winnable game. They scored pretty much bang on their average while our Offense had a really bad night. I watched it again this morning and I don't think that the Panthers really left points on the table that they should have had. Watching the Eagles last week I felt like they could have scored at least 10 more points, the Panthers this week... that seemed to be their number. Our D held when it needed to, I just wish they'd do that further down the field a few more times. But then that's been the knock on our D all year. They give up bucketfuls of yards, but not as many points.
We've seen our O play much more cohesively than that. This wasn't so much their Defense killing us as much as it was bad throws and dropped balls. I'll give them the fumble at the start of the second half, they pushed Vernon right back into Kirk, nothing Kirk could do about that. The Interception was a bad throw though.
But to have no Receiving Touchdowns.... that's a first this year I think isn't it?
As for what we need this off season...
Well I'm one of the peeps who doesn't want wholesale change. I really don't want to be back to square one again. I'm with Kirk when he says he wants a 'Mature' team. Whens the last time we had anything close to that?
Barry needs to go. I haven't seen anything in 2 years that says he's the man for this defense, regardless of it's talent level.
McVay I'd be ok with staying and hoping he grows more with this team and with Kirk. I know we're a passing team, but he needs to stop leaning on it. It makes us way too predictable. But there are times when this offense fires on all cylinders and we're really hard to stop. It's possible that we are so talent stacked that there could be a better OC out there. I wouldn't object to having a new OC.
Gruden I personally like. For all it's faults this team is still trending upwards in my view. I think we'd be silly to put the brakes on now. There is such a talent deficit in so many areas I want to see Scotty and Gru finish what they started. Honestly if we were in a spot like the Rams where we just weren't getting any better and every year was a disaster then I'd clear house, but I don't feel like that. Even off the back of such a bad loss, I'm still confident that this team is turned. We've righted the ship, we've turned it around and now we're starting to steam towards respectability. We're not their yet, but then I didn't expect to be right away. I'm in for the long haul. I got time
Our O is pretty set to me. We need a stud Centre. Sully and Long are suitable backups, but I'd love a stud there. I'd like to see what Fat Rob and ChrisT can do behind that O-Line with continuity, a stud centre and a little more commitment to the run game. I'd like to see us resign Garcon, and make a reasonable play at Djax. I also want to see what Doctson has next year. Reed and Davis are a nice combo. Reed is a stud and Davis is reliable when we use him right. If we took a shot at another TE in the draft I'd be ok with that.
Our D needs a complete rework. They can't all go, some have to stay so... I'd keep Norman and Kerrigan. I'd keep Smith and Bree and hope they have a better year next year. Cravens is a keeper. Baker to give us at least some continuity on the line. I'd like to see Fuller and Spaight stay. Maybe Everett too. Other than that you can clear house. And I want them under a new DC. We don't need to be spectacular on D, but we have some key pieces and we just need a DC that can get them playing to their potential, unlock what they're capable of. I look at our current D and even though I know we're not very talented, it just doesn't look like we make the most of what we have. That's the worst sin.
If our Offense can get some tweaks and keep humming and if our Defense can rise up to even below average next year we'd be in good shape.