Predaphin
Predator in the Water
Coming in to the season I had high expectations (my season record prediction was 12-4). But after last night's loss, I have lots of mixed emotions, one of them being anger. No doubt our Phins let us down. There’s nothing worse then losing on national television and having all your friends, family and co-workers call you the next morning just to rub it in your face (I had to turn off my cell phone, I can’t wait till their teams lose on Sunday).
I know it’s only the first game, but it was against the defending champs who happened to have a backup quarterback play at the last minute (given it was a hostile crowd). If there was going to be some games where we had to make a statement, you can say this was one of them. If we can’t beat a quartbackless team, then are we really cut out to make the playoffs this year?
So, after our first game of the season, here are some of my thoughts from the game:
We started off doing pretty good. Our defense was playing solid and Pitt went 3 and out.
Ronnie Brown looked better than ever. Despite his poor numbers, he ran hard and always seem to push for that second effort. He’s going to be a monster for years to come, no doubt this kid has talent.
When Booker went down, I was worried because it seemed serious and the first thought to cross my mind was that we’re going to sign Charles Rogers for sure now (This was before Welker’s performance).
We kept shooting ourselves in the foot both on offense and defense, especially with those defensive penalties. We kept that Pitt drive alive by committing penalties. (You gotta like Saban for tearing Michael Lehan a new one.)
Daunte Culpepper looked like he’s lost a ton of weight, not to mention he looked scared in the pocket at times. And is it me, or did he seem to hold on to the ball too long after he threw the first INT?
Wes Welker was my player of the game. He’s proven he can play in this league and he has talent, not to mention SPEED, lots of SPEED.
On Defense, Will Allen showed up to play. I am convinced he is the best Cornerback on our roster.
Our team broke down in the 4th quarter.
All in all, it’s unfair to say our team sucks at this point. We have a long way to go, but at the same time I hate it when people say “well look at the Patriots when they won their superbowl, they lost their first game, or look at the Broncos last year after losing to the Phins look how far they made it.” Please, please don’t compare the Phins in that way, despite the fact that I HATE those other 2 teams, how can anyone compare us to any superbowl team, or any team who made it to an AFC championship. I’d rather just admit we had a poor performance and the best we can do is learn from our mistakes. After seeing the look on Saban’s face at his post-game conference, the only thing that came to mind was his face expression. It’s almost as if he was ready to burst out in an angry outcry. And unless he corrects our mistakes, he better be prepared to face those difficult questions that come with a loss all season long.
It’s difficult to stay upbeat after our performance, so the only thing I can hope for is that this week goes by quick and next Sunday is here already. We clearly didn't play our best football. I truly think we are better than that.
Questions that need to be answered:
1. Is coach Saban NFL material?
2. Are we headed in the right direction?
3. When can we officially say the Jury is out on Saban?
4. Where was our 1st rd pick Jason Allen?
5. How will our team respond to this loss?
I know it’s only the first game, but it was against the defending champs who happened to have a backup quarterback play at the last minute (given it was a hostile crowd). If there was going to be some games where we had to make a statement, you can say this was one of them. If we can’t beat a quartbackless team, then are we really cut out to make the playoffs this year?
So, after our first game of the season, here are some of my thoughts from the game:
We started off doing pretty good. Our defense was playing solid and Pitt went 3 and out.
Ronnie Brown looked better than ever. Despite his poor numbers, he ran hard and always seem to push for that second effort. He’s going to be a monster for years to come, no doubt this kid has talent.
When Booker went down, I was worried because it seemed serious and the first thought to cross my mind was that we’re going to sign Charles Rogers for sure now (This was before Welker’s performance).
We kept shooting ourselves in the foot both on offense and defense, especially with those defensive penalties. We kept that Pitt drive alive by committing penalties. (You gotta like Saban for tearing Michael Lehan a new one.)
Daunte Culpepper looked like he’s lost a ton of weight, not to mention he looked scared in the pocket at times. And is it me, or did he seem to hold on to the ball too long after he threw the first INT?
Wes Welker was my player of the game. He’s proven he can play in this league and he has talent, not to mention SPEED, lots of SPEED.
On Defense, Will Allen showed up to play. I am convinced he is the best Cornerback on our roster.
Our team broke down in the 4th quarter.
All in all, it’s unfair to say our team sucks at this point. We have a long way to go, but at the same time I hate it when people say “well look at the Patriots when they won their superbowl, they lost their first game, or look at the Broncos last year after losing to the Phins look how far they made it.” Please, please don’t compare the Phins in that way, despite the fact that I HATE those other 2 teams, how can anyone compare us to any superbowl team, or any team who made it to an AFC championship. I’d rather just admit we had a poor performance and the best we can do is learn from our mistakes. After seeing the look on Saban’s face at his post-game conference, the only thing that came to mind was his face expression. It’s almost as if he was ready to burst out in an angry outcry. And unless he corrects our mistakes, he better be prepared to face those difficult questions that come with a loss all season long.
It’s difficult to stay upbeat after our performance, so the only thing I can hope for is that this week goes by quick and next Sunday is here already. We clearly didn't play our best football. I truly think we are better than that.
Questions that need to be answered:
1. Is coach Saban NFL material?
2. Are we headed in the right direction?
3. When can we officially say the Jury is out on Saban?
4. Where was our 1st rd pick Jason Allen?
5. How will our team respond to this loss?
