Random Commanders Thoughts

[Om]

Yep. I think SSJr’s WFT stint might have ended with the alligator arms late last night. That he was even ON the field at that point was telling. The please-don’t-hit-me vibe was likely the closing argument.

 

[Chris]

We seem very thin at LB, only 9 currently on the roster.

I just worked up my way too soon 53 and couldn’t get past 5, which seems too low.

Bostic, Davis, Holcomb, Hudson and Mayo.

 

[Boone]

As an aside... Mayo had some great moments last night and Holcomb is really playing at another level.

 

[Win4us]

How did Davis do at mlb?

 

[Boone]

Honestly, nothing jumped out at me - but Rivera was asked this today. Basically he said he was better this week, not as much hesitation as the week prior but it is a work in progress. I think they know he is a physical beast and has all the tools. It's the mental aspect of it that he has not been as quick to excel at. Hopefully that will come.

 

[Chris]

As an aside... Mayo had some great moments last night and Holcomb is really playing at another level.

I also thought that Davis was better than a week ago. He is still a little slow in recognition but not as slow. Hopefully at some point he is not the one sitting out when certain packages only include 2 LBs.

 

[Boone]

Just watched Rivera's presser from earlier today and that's exactly what he said. I think it's just going to take reps and time. The kid is a physical beast, just has to catch up on the mental side so it is 2nd nature and he can just start reacting vs. overthinking it.

 

[Chris]

I rewatched the 1st quarter focusing only on Cosmi and Davis.

Cosmi was very good in the run game, not so good in the pass game. He was the main culprit on the floater Fitz threw to the right flat when his arm was hit and on the sack he got pushed back into Fitz.

 

[Chris]

Just watched Rivera's presser from earlier today and that's exactly what he said. I think it's just going to take reps and time. The kid is a physical beast, just has to catch up on the mental side so it is 2nd nature and he can just start reacting vs. overthinking it.

No doubt. They have put a lot on his plate but he is going to be just fine in time.

 

[Boone]

I rewatched the 1st quarter focusing only on Cosmi and Davis.

Cosmi was very good in the run game, not so good in the pass game. He was the main culprit on the floater Fitz threw to the right flat when his arm was hit and on the sack he got pushed back into Fitz.

I kind of love they are starting him at RT and getting him in a starting role right away, let him take his lumps as a rookie and develop. Whether he's the future at LT - dunno. I also liked the aggressiveness I saw from Saahdiq Charles last night. He got into after several plays I noticed and I really didn't mind it. Love the intensity.

 

[Chris]

I’ve got them keeping 10 offensive lineman-

Leno, Flowers, Roullier, Scherff, Cosmi, Lucas, Schweitzer, Martin, Charles, Larsen.

 

[Chris]

There are only 2 positions whose depth concerns me:

LB & TE

If anything happens to Logan Thomas…

 

[Chris]

I am trying to finalize my mock 53 and feel pretty good about it but I do have a couple of questions-

1. Milne or Humphries?

Crazy, right? Humphries has failed to show any of the timing proclivities with Fitz that are often spoken about and he is on a 1 year rent-a-vet contract. My gut tells me to assign Milne to the PS but there is a young, highly thought of QB in New York that might pound the table for his favorite college target.

2. Reyes, Seals-Jones, Hemingway?

Virgin TE who has not yet shown the ability to catch the ball cleanly but who has a ton of upside or a safer, less promising option?

 

[Win4us]

I take it there’s no starters playing the ravens tonight?

 

[MikefromOH]

This preseason has me feeling nervous that we are too excited and our O isn't going to be any better.

 

[Boone]

I think pretty much everyone feels that way. On the one hand, we can say (and know) that preseason performance has never been a good predictor of either in-season success or failure. But seeing the offense sputter and look hapless doesn't give any of us confidence. I know I am steeling myself for a lot of struggles this year. It's hard to know what to expect.

I think the other thing that adds to the 'nervousness' is that Rivera is NOT and never has been a great in game coach. He tends to stick with the plan even when it is not working, is slow to make dramatic changes, and is prone to do make some goofy coaching decisions at times. So in matchups where a call or two here or there makes the difference, I'm not sure he's ideally suited to come out on top.

And then there is the inexperience of Scott Turner and uncertainty over what he is really envisioning the offense to be (or as some would call it, what is the offensive 'philosophy'?).

I think our defense will find it's footing a be good down the stretch. How good or bad our offense is, for me, depends a lot of who is under center, how well they play, and how effectively Turner can take advantage of that guys limited skills.

I said it on one of the pods. This team could win 6 games, or 14. I have no idea which end of the spectrum it will be.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

I think pretty much everyone feels that way. On the one hand, we can say (and know) that preseason performance has never been a good predictor of either in-season success or failure. But seeing the offense sputter and look hapless doesn't give any of us confidence. I know I am steeling myself for a lot of struggles this year. It's hard to know what to expect.

I think the other thing that adds to the 'nervousness' is that Rivera is NOT and never has been a great in game coach. He tends to stick with the plan even when it is not working, is slow to make dramatic changes, and is prone to do make some goofy coaching decisions at times. So in matchups where a call or two here or there makes the difference, I'm not sure he's ideally suited to come out on top.

And then there is the inexperience of Scott Turner and uncertainty over what he is really envisioning the offense to be (or as some would call it, what is the offensive 'philosophy'?).

I think our defense will find it's footing a be good down the stretch. How good or bad our offense is, for me, depends a lot of who is under center, how well they play, and how effectively Turner can take advantage of that guys limited skills.

I said it on one of the pods. This team could win 6 games, or 14. I have no idea which end of the spectrum it will be.

I see 9-8 or 7-10 for this team if Fitzpatrick is at the helm all season. Dude is a Rex Grossman with flair and a bit more arm. But the INTs will come.

 

[Chris]

9/8 or 8/9 for me. QBs have to be better than last year, will the play calling?

The current field of LBs is my major concern. Shockingly weak to me unless Rivera and Del Rio are gonna suit up.

 

[Boone]

I see 9-8 or 7-10 for this team if Fitzpatrick is at the helm all season. Dude is a Rex Grossman with flair and a bit more arm. But the INTs will come.

That sounds right - but in fact it's not my friend. Grossman for his career had a woeful 55% completion percentage and 3.6/3.8 TD to INT ratio. Fitzpatrick's completion % is 5 points higher (that's a huge difference) and his TD to INT ratio is 4.4/3.3 (ie... he throws more TDs than INTs in stark contrast to Grossman).

Grossman never had better than a 57% completion rate and many years it was far below that. Fitzpatrick has had 7 seasons where he completed more than 60% of his passes, and his last 3 seasons he's completed 66.7%, 62%, and 68.5% of his passes.

I hate to beat on you, but it's the kind of thing folks post on Twitter without ever actually looking at the data. It's not accurate - at all.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I think the offense will be better than last year, it has to be. But I don't think they will be out smashing records and scoring 40 points a game. This team will win with their defense, so the offense doesn't have to put up a ton of points. The one thing I am curious about is what kind of offense the team really wants. With Fitzpatrick it will be more downfield throws and taking more chances. Heinke or even Allen will be the more conservative short throws we saw last year. The way this team is built, they can win with either style as long as they are competent.