dolfan19
Starter
This game was definitely a low point for us this year. We should have beaten Buffalo. Don't get me wrong - I've thought they were - talent-wise, at least - much better than they have played all year. Coaching has been their Achilles Heel, so after the change it didn't surprise me that they have played much better and with much more passion.
But I'm not as down as I have been in many years past. And the reason for it, I believe, is that I never really believed that this team was built to make a push for the playoffs, or at least not DEEP into the Playoffs. This offseason, we focused on the OL, getting new corners, and a couple of receivers. Check, Check and Check. But we never really made any MAJOR upgrades that I felt would put us over the top. We obviously never romanced any major Free Agents, and never seemed that we were close enough that they would make a difference, even if we had.
Our schedule didn't help. Not that it should be an excuse, because everyone in our division plays pretty much the same schedule, but our division games alone are pretty brutal. There were no gimmes this year. We played all the division champs, and they all look pretty good again this year.
All of this together really tempered my expectations for this year. I've always felt this was a three or four-year plan anyway. We have great building blocks in place for the future. Davis and Smith seem like they will be gems. Our O-Line, when healthy is a dominant unit, especially against the run. Our RB's are solid, despite Ronnie's injury, as Lex looks like he could also be a diamond in the rough. And nobody is doubting Ricky anymore. WR's still need upgrading, at least He-who-must-not-be-named. He's nothing more than a decoy at this point, and I think most teams know that anyway.
And so the re-building process continues. Defense seems to need the majority of the work - especially NT and LB. Ferguson is all but done, I believe, and although I'm not AS down on Crowder as alot of you, he certainly doesn't seem to make as many plays as he does soundbytes. Ok, he doesn't really seem to make any plays, and our entire LB corps seems to want to arm-tackle just about everyone. We need serious upgrading here. CB is solid, especially now that Nate Jones seems to be coming into his own as a third guy - he's a guy I thought to be pure junk at the start of the season. Davis has come along the most, I feel, even though Smith started the year as the eye-opener.
All in all, I've felt from the start that this season was about getting those young guys experience. Once Pennington went down, that's mostly what this season became. Henne will get his 1st season under his belt, along with the other young guys. They'll learn how to play, and how to win. NEXT year is when this team will take their 1st step toward being a dominant force. Next year we will be a team like the Colts, Pats, or Steelers. We will have our time. But have some patience. We still have a very young team, and have a HC still learning HOW to be a HC. Let them make their mistakes now, get it outta the way.
Next year we make a difference.
But I'm not as down as I have been in many years past. And the reason for it, I believe, is that I never really believed that this team was built to make a push for the playoffs, or at least not DEEP into the Playoffs. This offseason, we focused on the OL, getting new corners, and a couple of receivers. Check, Check and Check. But we never really made any MAJOR upgrades that I felt would put us over the top. We obviously never romanced any major Free Agents, and never seemed that we were close enough that they would make a difference, even if we had.
Our schedule didn't help. Not that it should be an excuse, because everyone in our division plays pretty much the same schedule, but our division games alone are pretty brutal. There were no gimmes this year. We played all the division champs, and they all look pretty good again this year.
All of this together really tempered my expectations for this year. I've always felt this was a three or four-year plan anyway. We have great building blocks in place for the future. Davis and Smith seem like they will be gems. Our O-Line, when healthy is a dominant unit, especially against the run. Our RB's are solid, despite Ronnie's injury, as Lex looks like he could also be a diamond in the rough. And nobody is doubting Ricky anymore. WR's still need upgrading, at least He-who-must-not-be-named. He's nothing more than a decoy at this point, and I think most teams know that anyway.
And so the re-building process continues. Defense seems to need the majority of the work - especially NT and LB. Ferguson is all but done, I believe, and although I'm not AS down on Crowder as alot of you, he certainly doesn't seem to make as many plays as he does soundbytes. Ok, he doesn't really seem to make any plays, and our entire LB corps seems to want to arm-tackle just about everyone. We need serious upgrading here. CB is solid, especially now that Nate Jones seems to be coming into his own as a third guy - he's a guy I thought to be pure junk at the start of the season. Davis has come along the most, I feel, even though Smith started the year as the eye-opener.
All in all, I've felt from the start that this season was about getting those young guys experience. Once Pennington went down, that's mostly what this season became. Henne will get his 1st season under his belt, along with the other young guys. They'll learn how to play, and how to win. NEXT year is when this team will take their 1st step toward being a dominant force. Next year we will be a team like the Colts, Pats, or Steelers. We will have our time. But have some patience. We still have a very young team, and have a HC still learning HOW to be a HC. Let them make their mistakes now, get it outta the way.
Next year we make a difference.
