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fansince62
Guest
it's the first game of the season. new coach. new system. so the inclination is to think "no. it's not."
I'm not so sure. The first game, as we learned last season, can be a harbinger of what is to come. Some considerations.
- I don't care what anyone says....Texas is going to be an 8-8 kinda team at best this season. You need to win against these sorts of teams to start the process of separating from the middle of the pack.
- The better teams led by the better QBs will...IMO...routinely beat the Texans. The games may be close...but the Bradys, Mannings, Lucks, etc., lead their offenses to victory. RGIII, at this point, is an unknown. These QBs do so because they see the field, they understand the defense, they understand the offense and they make very fast decisions. My biggest uncertainty with Robert is how fast he sees, decides and gets the ball out of his hands.
- The o-line, especially the right side...hasn't been upgraded one iota from last season. I fully expect to see changes by mid-season in that part of the starting 5. Just a hunch.
- The defensive pass rush should be better...but stopping the run game is going to be the starting point. From what I saw in preseason I think we can be a very good run defense team. Texas is going to be a very good first test.
- The secondary is a huge unknown. It looked better in preseason than last year, but not good enough in my mind. Receivers were getting open - a lot. Cleveland game for example (their bad QB play undid a lot of this). Safety remains a huge question mark. We'll see if Hazlett compensates by reducing the time opposing QBs have to read and react. This game is all about speed and timing. Like any resource management problem..allocating resources along one vector (say....blitzes) means fewer resources elsewhere (e.g., pass defense in the flats). It all adds up in the end. This will season long cat and mouse game until the secondary solidifies.
- The passing game. This is what we are all most excited about. We didn't see it in preseason. under wraps as it were. I'll be frank here: Turnstyler, Chester and Leitxxxx better have their feces together. They looked over-powered and out-quicked to me. Somewhere...the planck seconds have to be found to provide Robert the margin he needs to grow into a pocket passer. Every opposing d-coordinator knows this. Not rocket science here...this is where the game is won or lost IMO.
- The running game. Until the passing game comes together...this is the heart of the team's offensive strength. I don't know what to think. It looked good during preseason...against vanilla defenses who were not scheming to stop it. We're in a world of **** if texas bottles this up early. It'll be a replay of last season if they do: second/third and long.....with bad things happening.
This game is really going to turn on coaching. There are too many uncertainties at this point - the team has some notable weaknesses, some promising potential and does not have an established identity...a "go to" philosophy where it trots on the field and matter-of-factly imposes its will. on the flip side...there is ample talent, better depth..and key weaknesses from last season appear to be mended...most especially special teams. I'm gonna be most interested in the intelligence Gruden and Hazlett bring to the table in minimizing the exposed areas and maximizing the strengths. Am also interested in how they...especially Gruden...respond/adjust to the inevitable game-time challenges that arise. This and whether Robert can execute the offense will telegraph how much of the rest of the season is going to play out.
Right now...it's an unknown. Right now....we can expect and hope for the forces of good to prevail!
HTTR and HTTJ!!!!!!
I'm not so sure. The first game, as we learned last season, can be a harbinger of what is to come. Some considerations.
- I don't care what anyone says....Texas is going to be an 8-8 kinda team at best this season. You need to win against these sorts of teams to start the process of separating from the middle of the pack.
- The better teams led by the better QBs will...IMO...routinely beat the Texans. The games may be close...but the Bradys, Mannings, Lucks, etc., lead their offenses to victory. RGIII, at this point, is an unknown. These QBs do so because they see the field, they understand the defense, they understand the offense and they make very fast decisions. My biggest uncertainty with Robert is how fast he sees, decides and gets the ball out of his hands.
- The o-line, especially the right side...hasn't been upgraded one iota from last season. I fully expect to see changes by mid-season in that part of the starting 5. Just a hunch.
- The defensive pass rush should be better...but stopping the run game is going to be the starting point. From what I saw in preseason I think we can be a very good run defense team. Texas is going to be a very good first test.
- The secondary is a huge unknown. It looked better in preseason than last year, but not good enough in my mind. Receivers were getting open - a lot. Cleveland game for example (their bad QB play undid a lot of this). Safety remains a huge question mark. We'll see if Hazlett compensates by reducing the time opposing QBs have to read and react. This game is all about speed and timing. Like any resource management problem..allocating resources along one vector (say....blitzes) means fewer resources elsewhere (e.g., pass defense in the flats). It all adds up in the end. This will season long cat and mouse game until the secondary solidifies.
- The passing game. This is what we are all most excited about. We didn't see it in preseason. under wraps as it were. I'll be frank here: Turnstyler, Chester and Leitxxxx better have their feces together. They looked over-powered and out-quicked to me. Somewhere...the planck seconds have to be found to provide Robert the margin he needs to grow into a pocket passer. Every opposing d-coordinator knows this. Not rocket science here...this is where the game is won or lost IMO.
- The running game. Until the passing game comes together...this is the heart of the team's offensive strength. I don't know what to think. It looked good during preseason...against vanilla defenses who were not scheming to stop it. We're in a world of **** if texas bottles this up early. It'll be a replay of last season if they do: second/third and long.....with bad things happening.
This game is really going to turn on coaching. There are too many uncertainties at this point - the team has some notable weaknesses, some promising potential and does not have an established identity...a "go to" philosophy where it trots on the field and matter-of-factly imposes its will. on the flip side...there is ample talent, better depth..and key weaknesses from last season appear to be mended...most especially special teams. I'm gonna be most interested in the intelligence Gruden and Hazlett bring to the table in minimizing the exposed areas and maximizing the strengths. Am also interested in how they...especially Gruden...respond/adjust to the inevitable game-time challenges that arise. This and whether Robert can execute the offense will telegraph how much of the rest of the season is going to play out.
Right now...it's an unknown. Right now....we can expect and hope for the forces of good to prevail!
HTTR and HTTJ!!!!!!
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