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Confidence Trending?

Knightingale

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While we're in a lull period punctuated only by the training camp stuff, I thought I'd put a thread in to see (and maybe track) what everyone's confidence level is like in the team.

Now, post last season I have to admit my confidence level for the 2023/24 season was pretty low. Maybe running at about a 4/10.

The draft didn't do much to bolster my confidence. I kind of liked some of what we did, but wasn't sure. Especially concerning the O-line. I was absolutely on-board with putting our eggs in the Howell basket for this coming season, but while I was impressed with his last game against Dallas, it still didn't move my needle much if I'm honest. With the strength of Dallas and Philly, and with the Giants being the Giants, I was still feeling a little down on our prospects.

However, the buzz coming out of Training camp regarding Howell's progress and how our rookies are doing,

I think I'm optimistically pushing my confidence level up to a 6/10 now.

I think or D could be elite. I think Howell could have a good year (for a psuedo-rookie) and I like the impact that EB seems to be having. That plus Snyder being shown the 6-Billion Dollar Door also helps.

So... 6/10 - Potential Playoff Run.

How are you guys thinking?
 
I feel mostly good about these guys. I give it a 7.5 overall. That equals playoff appearance for me.
Here's what I like:
Top 5 RB room in the NFL.
Top 3 WR group.
Eric Bienemy energy.
Sam Howell's arm and instincts.
The DL.
ST's with 1 exception.

Here's what I don't like:
Ron Rivera's game management
The OL (TBD)
TE
Quite challenging schedule
No weak links in NFC East
Sam Howell learning curve.
DBs are huge question mark.
Our Kicker.

If Howell is half the QB everyone thought he was during his junior season at UNC, our QB play could be ridiculously improved. We've been so bereft of production at that position for so long, Howell will be an immediate positive. He's going to make mistakes - if folks want to call them 'rookie mistakes', that's fine but Dak Prescott makes mistakes - it's just about minimizing them over time. The talent around Howell is top tier and if Bienemy is as good as many believe, we could be one of the most improved offenses in the league in 2023. I was not happy they waited till Rd 3 and 4 to bolsert the OL, but hopefully they did enough to at least give the man under center a chance. Defense will be above average to top 5 depending on some new pieces and how they mesh and whether Chase Young shows he's been worth all of the waiting. We have got to find a new kicker, or our current one needs to have a career season. Missing XPs and makeable FGs isn't going to be good enough given our competition this season.

I think this is the 2nd best team in the NFC East behind Philly. If some things go right for us, especially in regards to Eric Bienemy and Sam Howell, we might surprise some people.
 
I am always a glass half-full guy when it comes to this team. And yes I have been disappointed way more than I have been happy come season's end; part of being a sports fan. Going into the draft, I knew we needed some help on the OL and I like what we did there, especiallly the kid from Arkansas. Howell is making good strides in camp as you say, and hopefully he gets decent protection to show off his skills.

EB will turn out to be on of the better moves we have made in a long time imo; love how he goes about his business and his philosophy on how the game needs to be played aligns with how I think regarding that also. Eager to see what he continues to do.

Defensively, I think we can be pretty stout if it all comes together. Loved the Forbes pick and the kid from Illinois also; we needed some help in the secondary and they will provide that.

Big one also of course lol is Schneider being gone. Yee-Ha!

As of right now, I will have my confidence being a 7/10 and a decent chance at sniffing the playoffs.
 
5/10

Wylie, Gates, and 3rd and 4th rounders to bolster what was a dumpster fire performance along the OL last year is not enough for me personally. Especially when you consider Howell and his inexperience. Sure, Bienemy might have some tricks up his sleeve to make up for any shortcomings, but this has just a good a chance of going sideways on us.

We won two games in the division a year ago and I am personally not sure we have closed the gap enough to win let's say at least four games in the NFC East. I will say this though - four of the team's first six games are vs. the Cards, Broncos, Bears, and Falcons. Rivera absolutely cannot afford his traditional slow starts. Anything less than a 4-2 start to me spells disaster the rest of the way. Can we count on a suspect OL and essentially a rookie QB to come out of the gates swinging?
 
I hear you CH. But you also have to consider what Howell's strengths are (in regards to what he will need from the OL). Guy is pretty decisive, and will either get rid of it or use his feet. He's not a 'hang out in the pocket for 6+ seconds deciding what to do' QB. I think we've gotten so used to QBs holding on and holding on and taking sacks or forcing plays that aren't there that we forget it doesn't have to be that way. There is a reason why 'strongest OL' doesn't seem to be a requirement for winning if you have someone under center who can relieve the pressure on them.

I think 5/10 is entirely reasonable and I also agree that I'm not sure we made many inroads when it comes to talent acquisition within the division. But QB play can change a lot. This team has some talent gaps (all teams do) but overall we are pretty well loaded, and that's why I think that if Howell can be the spark I feel he might be, this could be a surprisingly good team.

I've suppressed my homerism the past few years, but this year, I'm going to be bullish on our chances.
 
It does kind of feel a bit like an ‘addition by subtraction’ kind of team. Wentz and Heineke put a limit on the offense. I think Heineke balled out and I’ll love him forever, but I think the potential ceiling is higher with Howell. Wentz was just bad bad bad.
I also think Scott Turner was limited in his play calling. Maybe he was too young to really have that role just yet, maybe he’ll blossom somewhere else with more experience.
I’m also hoping the subtraction of Snyder might bring the fans back and give the team something to play for on home games. Maybe a lift. It certainly can’t hurt that the dark cloud will be gone.

maybe I was a little pessimistic at a 6/10, but I’ve not heard great reports about the oline. I’d like to see what Sweat and Chase bring. And I’m keen to see the joint scrimmage with Baltimore. I think that may be quite revealing.

I’m also keen to see how the dynamic between Rivera and EB is on game days.
Lots of questions!
 
Wentz was bad. But Heinicke wasn't much better brother. We all loved Heinicke's personality but I've gotta be honest - I think that clouded our assessments - he wasn't a good QB last season. I don't think Sweat or Chase are key to our success. Sweat has been up and down, great at times, invisible at others. We have plenty of pass rushing talent beyond him. And Young? He's been mostly a non-factor so far, so....

The addition of Bienemy is the biggest factor in where this team goes in 2023.
 
Agree on all counts, Boone.
Heineke was limited by his athleticism. Wentz by his brain. In hindsight I do think we could have achieved a little more last year, but the team had a ceiling. From what I’m seeing and hearing, Howell potentially raises that ceiling.
The Young and Sweat thing, it’s really that I want to see if these guys respond to being in contract years. If they step up and if our rookies deliver like they’ve been doing in camp thus far…this défense could (emphasis on the could) be something really special.
If our D can jump to be truly elite, and if our O can make a leap into above average territory then this is without doubt a playoff team.
And yeah, I think you’re right, EB could be the wild card here. I’m really excited to see what he does game day. To contrast what he does with how Scott ran the offense.
 
I don’t have a confidence number based on the off-season moves or OTAs. I remain ‘Missouri’ at this point.

In a normal season I see little value in OTAs outside of incorporating newcomers. No player has ever won or lost a job there outside of those that were never going to make the team in training camp anyway. This time the addition of Bieniemy and the continued developing of Howell raises the significance level to, well, significant.

At the end of last season the OL was the worst group on the field. At the start of this season it still is. Maybe that was primarily due to S.Turner and Logan Thomas. We will see. Maybe Wylie is better than I view him. Maybe he is an upgrade over Cosmi at RT, who wasn’t very good. Hopefully Cosmi is better than T. Turner at RG. Are Charles or Paul at LG a upgrade over Norwell? Time will tell. Leno was a turnstile at times and I have my doubts about him bucking up against division talent. Maybe the scheme will make a definable difference.

I’m with Boone on the interest in the team’s performance in a joint practice. The last couple of times (Patriots & Ravens?) the team was an utter embarrassment.

I will reserve my confidence score until there are pads and hitting involved.
 
4/10 - It'd be higher but until I see our offense put up over 21 points per game we'll have to ride the defense like a cheap whore to survive the schedule which can only last so long.
 
I'd say 4/10 right now. Rivera is a lame duck coach with a first-year starter at QB. A parting gift from Dan Snyder, who never met an open QB position he didn't want to personally fill. I think the team under new management could start doing things right and improving, and experience upswings that pretty much every other team gets to experience once in awhile, but I'm not sure that's going to happen this year. When the new owner puts his stamp on the team we'll know more. For now, that stamp is still Snyder's.

Maybe we'll get lucky.
 
i think if riveria starts off slow,then bienemy replaces him.i have no confidence in riveria,he lost me in that debacle against the browns last year.
 
Not a huge Rivera guy either. But keep in mind, Bienemy hasn’t even shown he can be a full-fledged OC running an entire NFL offense on his own. So him jumping immediately to the HC spot seems unlikely to me unless the offense is at the top of the NFL this year.
 
riveria better hope harris likes him is all i have to say.
 
Harris fired Doc Rivers after his teams reached the eastern conference semis in 3 consecutive years.

Ron better believe that 8-9 or 9-8 ain’t gonna get it done. I believe that, I really, really do.
 
i hope you are right.riveria,s coaching last year made me give up on him.
 
Ron knows the deal. This is what happened in Carolina. The team was sold in the off-season of 2018. Rivera coached that whole year to a 7-9 finish, but he was also living off a Super Bowl appearance just a few years before. The next year, he was fired before the season ended. New ownership wanted a change. He knows the same thing is on the horizon here. He doesn’t have that big successful season to fall back on though, so that means this is his do or die year.
 

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