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Just a few thoughts on review of the season. Glad to hear your thoughts.
* Early predictions were all over the board. Mine was that we would be close to .500 - ranging from 7-9 to 9-7. I usually tend to be pessimistic - in the hopes that in the end I'll be proven wrong and things will be much better than I thought!
But, this is one of the best predictions I've had. In fact, I noted we would start slow and get stronger as the season progressed. Just lucky. In some areas the team was weaker than I expected, stronger in other areas. I don't think anyone can really be disappointed in the season.
* Jason Taylor's role. Much was made of this in the media and on the boards. Even Taylor and his agent seemed a bit worried about it. Given that there was probably a lot of adjustments for Jason - I thought Saban used him quite well. He started slowly but really came on fine and had one of his better seasons: most tackles ever - 74; most solo - 52; Pro Bowl; 12 sacks; 4 forced fumbles; 1 TD. Very solid #'s. I think he'll be as good or better next year. One thing about this system - and this is true from New England - is that players don't put up spectacular stats (Bruschi, McGinist, and others never have outlandish stats), b/c it's such a "team-oriented" defense. But, they are put in position often to make really big plays. And, I like that. Worries about JT were premature.
* The O-line. No doubt, there was a lot of talk about this. Would the coaching and system make them better? Or, did they need massive changes? They started out slow and probably cost us a couple of games early on. But, they did improve with good coaching. They did some fine run-blocking - of course, great RB's seem to make the line look a lot better. Still, they need some upgrades here, but probably not the overhaul many thought.
* QB - I thought Frerotte would not be great, but better than he was. He played well in Minnesota, but really never had a game where he just hit on almost every pass. He would have flashes of brilliance in a game, then inexplicably over throw a wide open guy by 3-5 yards - even on short passes. He did improve, but I just don't think his accuracy is sufficient to carry a team to the playoffs. He did seem to show some good poise, however. I think we all wanted to see some more of Sage - who may get a good shot to compete somewhere else. It will be interesting to follow his career the next 3 years and see if he really becomes the player many think he can be. I think most of us suspected going into the season that this would still be a position needing a significant upgrade at the end - and that is the case. The decision here may be the difference between Super Bowl contender and just a playoff wannabe.
* The D - a bit inconsistent early on. Not real dominating. But, they got the job done. We were hurting with the injuries in the secondary. The veterans really lived up to their press clippings, imo. And, while some of the rookies started slowly, the play of Crowder, Daniels, Roth and Wright was good for rookies. Especially Crowder and Daniels, of course. Roth still has a ways to go; so too, WRight. But, they can become solid players. Wright has lights out potential. We still need an upgrade at DB and it will be interesting to see how many vets will sign on for another season.
* Overall, I think we saw Saban's leadership come through. He wasn't perfect, by any means. But, in the midst of difficult times, his skills showed through. Much better leader than Dave W. ever dreamed of being. I think we are in good hands the next few years. The key will be whether we can strike a good gold vein at the QB spot and hit on some winners at other positions (OL, DB, etc.) to shore up some areas. We need some luck like New England got with Brady. Really, where would the Pats be if someone had picked him in round 5 and he wasn't there in round 6? Amazing to think about how much "luck" plays a role in winning teams. How big a genius would Belichick be if Brady had turned out to be an AJ Feeley or Jay Fiedler? Not to take anything away from B.B., b/c he is a great coach.
* Of course, the assistant coaching situation is a bit up in the air. I'm hoping we can retain Linehan. Even though his playcalling was suspect at times, he is an excellent coordinator and with the right talent, we'd have had an awesome offense. With a little luck at finding a QB, some good draft picks, staying healthy, this team can really be good. Or, they could be another 8-8, 9-7 team next year if things don't fall right.
* Early predictions were all over the board. Mine was that we would be close to .500 - ranging from 7-9 to 9-7. I usually tend to be pessimistic - in the hopes that in the end I'll be proven wrong and things will be much better than I thought!
But, this is one of the best predictions I've had. In fact, I noted we would start slow and get stronger as the season progressed. Just lucky. In some areas the team was weaker than I expected, stronger in other areas. I don't think anyone can really be disappointed in the season. * Jason Taylor's role. Much was made of this in the media and on the boards. Even Taylor and his agent seemed a bit worried about it. Given that there was probably a lot of adjustments for Jason - I thought Saban used him quite well. He started slowly but really came on fine and had one of his better seasons: most tackles ever - 74; most solo - 52; Pro Bowl; 12 sacks; 4 forced fumbles; 1 TD. Very solid #'s. I think he'll be as good or better next year. One thing about this system - and this is true from New England - is that players don't put up spectacular stats (Bruschi, McGinist, and others never have outlandish stats), b/c it's such a "team-oriented" defense. But, they are put in position often to make really big plays. And, I like that. Worries about JT were premature.
* The O-line. No doubt, there was a lot of talk about this. Would the coaching and system make them better? Or, did they need massive changes? They started out slow and probably cost us a couple of games early on. But, they did improve with good coaching. They did some fine run-blocking - of course, great RB's seem to make the line look a lot better. Still, they need some upgrades here, but probably not the overhaul many thought.
* QB - I thought Frerotte would not be great, but better than he was. He played well in Minnesota, but really never had a game where he just hit on almost every pass. He would have flashes of brilliance in a game, then inexplicably over throw a wide open guy by 3-5 yards - even on short passes. He did improve, but I just don't think his accuracy is sufficient to carry a team to the playoffs. He did seem to show some good poise, however. I think we all wanted to see some more of Sage - who may get a good shot to compete somewhere else. It will be interesting to follow his career the next 3 years and see if he really becomes the player many think he can be. I think most of us suspected going into the season that this would still be a position needing a significant upgrade at the end - and that is the case. The decision here may be the difference between Super Bowl contender and just a playoff wannabe.
* The D - a bit inconsistent early on. Not real dominating. But, they got the job done. We were hurting with the injuries in the secondary. The veterans really lived up to their press clippings, imo. And, while some of the rookies started slowly, the play of Crowder, Daniels, Roth and Wright was good for rookies. Especially Crowder and Daniels, of course. Roth still has a ways to go; so too, WRight. But, they can become solid players. Wright has lights out potential. We still need an upgrade at DB and it will be interesting to see how many vets will sign on for another season.
* Overall, I think we saw Saban's leadership come through. He wasn't perfect, by any means. But, in the midst of difficult times, his skills showed through. Much better leader than Dave W. ever dreamed of being. I think we are in good hands the next few years. The key will be whether we can strike a good gold vein at the QB spot and hit on some winners at other positions (OL, DB, etc.) to shore up some areas. We need some luck like New England got with Brady. Really, where would the Pats be if someone had picked him in round 5 and he wasn't there in round 6? Amazing to think about how much "luck" plays a role in winning teams. How big a genius would Belichick be if Brady had turned out to be an AJ Feeley or Jay Fiedler? Not to take anything away from B.B., b/c he is a great coach.
* Of course, the assistant coaching situation is a bit up in the air. I'm hoping we can retain Linehan. Even though his playcalling was suspect at times, he is an excellent coordinator and with the right talent, we'd have had an awesome offense. With a little luck at finding a QB, some good draft picks, staying healthy, this team can really be good. Or, they could be another 8-8, 9-7 team next year if things don't fall right.
