An early telltale...

[multistage]

We’re not going to win a bunch this year. This is generally accepted as fact. Guys say, Oh, well, you never know....maybe they’ll smoke everybody.

Yeah. We do know. It’ll be rough.

And that’s OK if they start getting it right. I don’t expect much if anything out of the O. RBs kinda need a line as much as QBs.

So how can we tell if this might work?

No more idiocy. Stupid little mistakes. I don’t care if we get creamed for awhile (and we will!) IF they are playing error free football. False starts, offsides, holds, standing on the other teams sideline (yes I know Kiko is gone but really, HOW DO YOU **** THAT UP???).

I don’t think the reason we have been regarded so poorly is because we haven’t done much. It’s HOW we screw ourselves, look like a comedy of errors, the 53 Stooges.

Penalties happen. But not to the magnitude that we pull them off. Or worse, the timing.

We clean that up, then I’ll start buying into Flores, win or lose.

 

[phintim]

Thats definitely part of what to look for but the aquiring of talent must be part of the picture. Currently we are just a used tire store full of retreads.

 

[FINMAN1]

Well, if we play error free football, it's hard to lose.

 

[fansinceGWilson]

We’re not going to win a bunch this year. This is generally accepted as fact. Guys say, Oh, well, you never know....maybe they’ll smoke everybody.

Yeah. We do know. It’ll be rough.

And that’s OK if they start getting it right. I don’t expect much if anything out of the O. RBs kinda need a line as much as QBs.

So how can we tell if this might work?

No more idiocy. Stupid little mistakes. I don’t care if we get creamed for awhile (and we will!) IF they are playing error free football. False starts, offsides, holds, standing on the other teams sideline (yes I know Kiko is gone but really, HOW DO YOU **** THAT UP???).

I don’t think the reason we have been regarded so poorly is because we haven’t done much. It’s HOW we screw ourselves, look like a comedy of errors, the 53 Stooges.

Penalties happen. But not to the magnitude that we pull them off. Or worse, the timing.

We clean that up, then I’ll start buying into Flores, win or lose.

I agree, but I'll add more. The FIRST thing I'll be watching Sunday is evidence of a gameplan and, later, evidence of adjustments. Don't know if I'll recognize them (It's be so long since I've seen them), but I'll be watching.
As for the players, yeah, limited stupid mistakes and I DON'T want to see D players running around pre-snap trying to remember their assignments.

 

[Serik]

Nice post! Agree 100% clean up the BS and if we still lose a loss wont hurt as much.

 

[claytonduper]

Yes, but with all the new faces and not having played together how can we understand what is scripted? What is player deficiencies? or guys simply not knowing what to do naturally? 1-2 seconds to remember the formation/play call is everything. I think it will be hard do evaluate much of anything. Hopefully, the team stays cohesive and don't give up being torn to shreds.

 

[Kamelion4291]

Keep in mind that lineman who are really good generally aren't penalized because they don't have to overly exert themselves to win the matchup. Guys who aren't very good get a lot of false starts because they're trying so hard to get off the snap as fast as possible to give them a chance or hold a lot because they can't block for real every snap.

That isn't really a discipline problem so much as a lack of talent problem.

 

[Danny]

This will be an easy season to watch. In the past when we thought a couple of new players were going to get us there we'd be down each time we lost. If anybody got hurt we'd think our season was over like when Sitton went down......"our LG got hurt so there goes our season".....lol

This year is about watching the younger players get better and see who can be a part of a winning team in the near future. If anyone gets hurt is not the end of the world cause we're not winning much anyway. It's all about adding to the mix in 2020 and 2021

 

[DolfinJohnNY]

Currently we are just a used tire store full of retreads

Completely nitpicking here Tim, but what retreads do we have? FITZPATRICK & who? I have lost track of our roster lately.

 

[phintim]

Completely nitpicking here Tim, but what retreads do we have? FITZPATRICK & who? I have lost track of our roster lately.

We have 15 returning drafted players that are not rookies. We have all 6 of those on the roster. That leaves us with 32 retreads most of them aquired this year.

 

[bane]

i will be happy if we don't see false starts and turnovers. We were solid with those last year actually. The penalties that usually get us are technique. Holding, hands to the face, etc. I don't know how much of that you can help. Especially when they know we are going to suck they will be calling those penalties on us. It is human nature. Don't expect breaks from the refs. They know we suck and they will look out for our errors.

 

[multistage]

Well, if we play error free football, it's hard to lose.

Not so much. We’ll be outplayed by better players. I’m not talking about the usual things that happen in football. They’re always gonna happen.

I’m talking about 3rd and 3 with a false start. 3rd and four for the other guys and we jump. A nice gain negated by, you guessed it, a hold.

It’s not just the penalties we get. It’s when we get them. That’s the killer. We’ve had lots of teams on the ropes, pinned back, third and whatever, and we foolishly gift wrap them a first down through a penalty. Or the opposite on O.

We can play excellent football (with what we have) and still get thumped by teams that play less than excellent football but have tremendous talent. This will happen.

 

[FSU Truth]

Keep in mind that lineman who are really good generally aren't penalized because they don't have to overly exert themselves to win the matchup. Guys who aren't very good get a lot of false starts because they're trying so hard to get off the snap as fast as possible to give them a chance or hold a lot because they can't block for real every snap.

That isn't really a discipline problem so much as a lack of talent problem.

Tunsil was the exception.

 

[cuban_refugee]

Thats definitely part of what to look for but the aquiring of talent must be part of the picture. Currently we are just a used tire store full of retreads.

We are actually a brand new tire store with new models that haven’t been sold or used. Only one retread in the store , in fact (Fitzgerald).

 

[Dynastybuilder]

I'd like the team to be competitive this year, not in the standings but on the field. I really see us as somewhere between 2-14 or 4-12 but it could be worse.
I think what they can do though is keep many games tight, although with a roster like this there a bound to be a few blowouts. I want to see the team play from the opening whistle to the final whistle, no breaks no questions asked.


That, the growth of some young players and the upcoming draft will be enough to keep me happy.