We spend a lot of time being critical of our OL but so do most of the other teams in the NFL. Stone Forsyth has been better than I expected in pass pro and they ARE capable in the run game if the game script will allow it.
I was in the middle group on the first survey estimating a win total between 8 and 10. I think 8 wins is very optimistic now. But I still think by the end of the season the Seahawks will be a better team than they are now.
I said DK was the most frustrating because in performance vs potential he is in such a huge negative at this point and just may never get there. Geno “is what he is” and I maintain he is a very good backup QB and not “the guy” the Seahawks should ever think to build around. The Seahawks need to find out what they have in Howell prior to the end of the season.
Smith is the guy that the GM and HC pay to do good enough that they don't get fired while they rebuild around him.
Build & maintain the team while searching for that next surprise rookie QB (drafted in rounds 2-ish thru 5-ish), at which point a window opens. Remain prepared to crash through that window when, as, if lightning strikes
You think those lines look anything like Seattle's?
I just couldn't disagree anymore. Watching Purdy and Goff hand the ball off and use play action in a clean pocket looks like the exact opposite of what Geno Smith has to do who is constantly pressured and has little to no run game and no play action.
Grubb even said after the Giants game they didn't run the ball because he didn't think they would be able to get any push against their DL. IOL has been a massive problem for 8 years and JS has done nothing to address it. To his credit he really nailed the OTs, though.
You can pinpoint the exact moment when they stopped caring about the OL. The Unger/Graham trade. 9 years later they still haven't found a competent Center. Williams is the best guy they have brought in but I think he is washed and won't be here next year so the revolving door continues.
Per Next Gen Stats, Bosa had 14 pressures against the Seahawks, tied for the most by a pass rusher during the last four seasons. The performance matched his career high from a game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season.
Bosa’s relentless attack was too much for Seattle right tackle Stone Forsythe, who was responsible for giving up 11 QB pressures.
Bosa accumulated 11 of his 14 pressures against Seahawks RT Stone Forsythe across 27 matchups.
Forsythe allowed 7 pressures on 18 pass blocking snaps in the first half, the most pressures allowed in a first half by any offensive lineman in a game this season.#SFvsSEA | @49ers
Agree re Forsythe but that bar goes from "he's wet TP" in '23 to "3rd string speedbump" in '24. He now strings pass rushers 1 extra step when they blow by outside edge. Like '23, Hawks rarely try right side G-T & off-T power runs.
I'm over being frustrated by DK. He truly "is who he will always be"; a great athlete playing reciever, never will be a natural receivera la Lockett. Too late now, I'd tryout at DK at LB in a heartbeat - better suited to his mentality & physical skills. If it's between ridiculous DK $ and a high comp pick. I bet Hawks let him walk & take the pick.
I agree Geno "is who he is", but I think he's a good 1st string "system QB" i.e. got a gun, mobile, reads D ok, just not Mahomes et al. 1st interception was on Geno, also a big time right side O line failure. Geno didn’t step forward to follow thru on the throw, bc he knew he was 1 tenth of sec. from getting blasted by Bosa and another (thanks Stone, buddy! ;-)
Worth considering: Hawks pass 50x bc they and opponents know O line can't run (or pass) block.
50 attempts = more interceptions.
I was an 8 - 9 optimist, but that included W vs Giants & Jets (it's the Jets). My mileage already varies. You may get your wish re Howell, before playoff elimination
Oh Doug. I knew you’d get blasted by the Geno lovers on that one. The truth is that the OL is not performing great, but I think I’ve seen some improvement over time. Hopefully that continues. And Geno is just Geno. The lovers will always get offended if you point out his flaws. He’s ok IMO, but not the superstar the lovers think he is. Too many flaws that continue to appear, pressure or not. My biggest concern over the last couple of weeks has been his body language during games. Very poor. Not the leadership they need right now. In saying that, I believe that is a step backwards for him. His play is where it’s always been, but add the spooky attitude sends him backwards in my book. Hopefully he snaps out of it soon.
The groupies are few, but loud. I don’t know what Geno did to attract a fan base. Hawks have pretty much sat in the middle of the pack with their league win-loss numbers. Close to playoffs and either ending 1 and out or missing to get the wild card.
Agree 100% with this! Geno also needs to stay in the pocket and take those hits. That’s what star QB’s do with pressure in their face they still deliver. Geno gets rid of the ball too quickly, I would as well if Bosa was bearing down on me but that’s why Geno gets paid the big bucks.
Actually our observation from the stands has been Geno holding on to the ball. That and last game, sailing it big time. More FDs and maybe scores if he remembers who is he throwing too (7 foot giant DK or 5 foot Spud Webbs sons Tyler and JSN). See those guys open but Geno doesn’t throw or overthrows. With that he is still a middle pack NFL starting QB.
I was actually going to write about the OL getting too much blame. And some people might think that means I'm going to talk about Geno. I'm over talking about Geno. If he was 25, I'd talk about Geno. I'm not going to worry about whatever Geno is doing, good or bad, I'm waaayyyyy more interested in the younger players.
I couldn't answer the last one. First off, I'm not terribly frustrated (as I noted in a recent comment, "Remain Calm"). Even more because I think we're seeing the lingering effects of poorly utilized drafts for several years. Too many positions (both offense and defense) have not been "cultivated" for far too long. I don't hold any of the team members or the coaching staff responsible for any of that. (At best, the draft is crapshoot, anyway.)
I'm not actually thinking about the Adams trade in the above, although that certainly didn't help. That draft was a low-probability crapshoot at the time because those next couple of years were likely to be based on far fewer college games than all other drafts. (Hindsight is not just 20/20, but most who used it considers theirs to be at least 20/10.) It was a gamble that paid very, very poorly.
P.S. - To paraphrase the wag, "Having good linebackers turns out not to be important. It is the LACK of good linebackers that is important.".
Biggest disappointment by far is the defense. These past three games could easily have been wins if not for the defense falling off a cliff. The offense is doing okay, they are one of just a few teams who have scored more than 20 points in every game.
Agreed. All three units are struggling in different ways, but the overriding theme (as I see it) is a lack of consistency. Inconsistency tends to hurt a defense the most.
The continuous failures in every phase of the game is getting more and more frustrating every week. To watch the same mistakes over and over again is demoralizing. Macdonald was specifically brought in to fix the defense and they've collectively gone backwards. Yes, injuries are a factor but every team has them and manage to overcome. The only game I think they can use injuries as the main excuse is the Lions game with 4 starters and a couple of key backups out and losing Love during the game. Geno is back to doing dumb shit occasionally. Metcalf and his penalties/drops are equally aggravating but behind the defense. The lousy special teams is an underrated failure of the team. That might be the 2nd most annoying part of the team. The OL isn't good but we didn't expect it to be. They are going to have a hard time winning games the rest of the season unless something changes and fast. They don't have many easy opponents left to face.
The special teams play definitely deserves consideration for most frustrating. I think their only saving grace is that they're not on the field as often to mess up.
McDonald I grade a C. The jury is still out on him. Remember they said all the great things about Jim Mora as the defensive genius as well. I believe JS needs a grade as well. That would be a D. Much like the mariners GM’s comment about winning 53% John and his comment about guards are over paid will haunt him. OK they are overpaid. What’s the plan then? Convert DL players again ?
As far as Geno he is average. Good games and bad games. A lot of almost picks and none headed plays too.
The DL is NC. Too may injuries. LB ‘s are just bad. The DBs are a disappointment. Sppon has yet to really make a difference this year and his peer on the outside until hurt was out playing him.
The OL is terrible. But that’s nothing new. What’s the plan John ? Sign more broken down , old cheap lineman ?
I agree that McDonald is around a C, but I like a lot of people bought into the “A” grade hype about the hire. If I get an A on the first test in a class and people are telling me I should have an A, then I am gonna be really disappointed when I have a “C” after the mid-term. That is why McDonald is a C AND disappointing to me. Where I cut him slack and keep him out of D-F range is many problems are carrying over from Pete, so my disappointment focuses more on JS. He has to have heat, if this is a coaching issue he now owns it. If this is a personnel/talent issue, then we are going to have a couple years of cap finagling that we haven’t been able to out execute other teams at in a long while.
Agreed on JS. That's an indictment of being out of touch with a league that pays for lineman. The team we just played protects their QB and everything they do works because they have some time to execute. Even when Seattle close the margin to 6 and had Purdy pinned in his own end zone they couldn't disturb a hair on his head. Last year Seattle made a mid-season deal to get one blue chip guy on D. Not a Bosa, because Seattle hasn't wanted to draft that way. And certainly not that way on the O-line.
Here's the deal: You have to pay for talent. And also, teams that do are creative about the cap. LA has manipulated the cap exceptionally well, and they're boom or bust. And maybe Seattle needs to fully bust for a few seasons to build draft capital and truly start over. McDonald can build the team he wants with the talent he wants. Because I truly don't blame him for this current mess. He didn't build this roster, for the most part, Pete did. And JS did.
Does Jodi Allen want to pay the way Les Snead does, though? Because that's also part of the equation. A salary cap exists in the NFL, but some owners still manage to spend more. Gee, how does that work? And that's also part of this reality. Seattle isn't Dallas. It's in a smaller market. And it sure isn't in LA, even if LA fans care less than they do about the Dodgers and the Lakers... But do I think the Allen family has lost money on this franchise since 2012? Heck no.
All of which is to say, there's lots of not love to go around...
My view is that this team is 2-3 years away from being competitive for the super bowl. With that in mind, I would let JS and MM know that we are going to rebuild with the focus on that, they don't have pressure to win now, but to focus on developing the team to be a legit challenger for the SB in 2026-27. Give them that time, assess whether they are worth keeping then. Thus I would start preparing for this, getting what draft value I could from players who aren't going to fit into the plans in a few years (e.g., those older and will be too expensive in the next couple of years). Three examples below. Other older players, time to cut loose unless on inexpensive contracts. Give the youngsters a chance to play and develop. Get as much draft capital as possible and bring in talent. In a couple of years, should have a lot of salary cap room to start adding the missing pieces not from draft.
Geno - if he is playing so well, he has an inexpensive contract for this and reasonable for next year. If he is good, then some team who has the pieces other than the QB should be willing to trade for him with a decent draft pick. He isn't going to be the QB that the team needs in 2-3 years and will be very expensive over that time with a new contract.
DK - get what you can for him. Not sure what is even possible the more he plays. Maybe a team will think they can fix his slippery hands, penalty attraction, and lack of competing for a ball thrown to him.
Fant - can we get something for him? If not, cut loose after the year.
Do you think DK could've competed for or disrupted the INT Geno threw over the middle? It seemed like DK just didn't know the play there, which is why Geno threw to a spot and DK didn't know that was the route... Honest question here, just because I'm unsure...
I am not sure on that interception who caused it. To me they always appear that the QB threw a really bad pass to the other team, but I don't know what the play was and where DK was supposed to be.
What I saw was a lot of early passes, and then some later, being forced to DK when he was covered. I didn't see him make one catch. Yes he was covered, but he is a big, physical receiver and it looks to me like he lets the ball come to him and if it hits him in the hands, great, if not, oh well. I would like to see him going after the ball and competing for it. Just seems a luck of understanding or competitiveness. I like to watch him play when he makes a great play, but there are so many offsetting things that I can't see how the team would pay him what he will want and likely get elsewhere, particularly when I don't see the team being good enough to make it far in the playoffs for a few years. Paying him big bucks and Geno big bucks will hamper getting other positions needed for a push in 2-3 years, while not helping enough to get anywhere next year.
If I remember rightly it looked to me like a bad pass. 1- Metcalf was open and behind the defensive player, so the pass was short. 2- Metcalf had to almost stop to get in position to catch the ball, so the pass, if it wasn’t meant to go over the top, wasn’t put out in open space for DK to run to. Either way, it looked like a bad pass to me. I’m not an expert, or know what play they were trying to make, so I could be wrong.
💯 the instant the ball left the QB’s hand I screamed NOOO at the TV. It sure looked like a bad decision to me. No Hawk was there and DK was having to compete for the catch. Mookie A at Field Gulls did a great write-up. Pretty sure there’s an analysis for everyone to read what they want about the game.
It looks to me that ‘maybe’ the route run (given this kids description of what he thinks was supposed to happen -after his original play idea was a bust) by DK was off. But if that’s the case, why the hell did Geno throw it anyway. That’s on Geno. Given the advantage of the aerial view, it seems to me that Geno should have recognised the field was open behind DK (if he really wanted to throw it) and he would have been better turning DK around with the throw, making him double back into an open field and likely TD. Unlikely to process all that at the time though, I realise. The better option at the point Geno threw it would have been JSN in the middle of the field for a shorter gain. Once again, that’s bad decision-making on Geno. He just had to go to DK as happened regularly throughout the game. He’s not great at improvising. Never has been.
Smith's arm whips forward late in 2:16 of the video clip. At that instant, he's committed to the throw. At that same instant, Metcalf (just crossing the 30 yard line about halfway between the outside hash and the numbers) is still in front of the defender (between the 31 and 32, a bit further out than Metcalf). An argument could be made that Metcalf's left foot has widened his stride to narrow his angle across the field. It looks to me like there might have been a sightline from Smith to Metcalf at that point, but that leg (Metcalf's left) is on the side away from Smith, making for the poorest depth perception.
At 2:17, the ball is in the air. At that same time, DK has clearly started his move further down field (no longer really crossing), and the defender has begun his move in front of Metcalf, partly because of Metcalf's move down field (he had to avoid Metcalf, who was suddenly angled more downfield).
In the middle of the 2:17, the ball can be seen in front of the 23. The defender is already in front of Metcalf. (The angle of the camera means that my "yardline calls" on ball location are a bit off. I could work out the geometry...but is it OK if I don't & we just say that I did?)
Late in the 2:17, the ball is just "crossing" the 25 yard line, and the defender is clearly on the right line to intercept. The interception is early in the 2:18.
In the span of less than two seconds, Smith whipped his arm to throw, Metcalf changed his angle, and the defender mostly just kept going where he was already headed.
"Throwing with anticipation" means the receiver has to do AFTER the ball is thrown what the passer expected him to do BEFORE the ball was thrown. If Metcalf had simply maintained his (slightly curved) trajectory, he would at least have prevented the interception (just by being in the way).
I think it would have been a tough reception, though. If Metcalf HAD maintained his trajectory, I think the ball would have been slightly behind him. I think the defender would have been forced downfield a bit in order to avoid DPI, so might not have been as well positioned.
I recorded the game, and might could produce a finer resolution assessment, if you like. I'm guessing it won't change my conclusion.
Another possible breakdown of what happened and what could have happened. In the end, I stand by my conclusion that a shorter pass to JSN was the better and always safer option. The throw was always gonna be risky to DK moving across the middle of the field with the defender tracking him. So many scenarios.
Maybe. As JSN crossed the outer hash at the 25 (clip-time 1:45), there was no window (defender well-positioned in front of him). After that, line of sight is quickly blocked by the pair tangled up between the 11 and 13. I think Smith might have had an opportunity to step up to get a good bead on JSN, and it looks like his head might have been turned in that direction. But there's a defender well-positioned behind JSN and closing fast; any over-throw would have been pretty risky, too. The range is a bit short for a "lofted" touch throw.
I didn't pay any attention to the commentator's assertions about how the play was originally designed. I was only interested in the trajectories and lines of sight.
When he stepped up, I thought (at the time) that he was going to rush the gap & take what yardage he could get. He probably would not have made the 25, but it was pretty wide open. He was pretty clearly trying for longer yardage.
I agree Smith's strong suit is not improvisation. Improvising, he might have come forward to the 11 & juked hard to his right. If it worked, JSN would have been an easy target. But if the block at the 11/12 failed, we'd be carping at him for blowing that.
The 49er defense actually played a good down, there.
The D was good. As I said, why the hell did he throw it (ie. attempt a pass) if he didn’t think anything was on. Just throw it away. Any way you look at it, Geno didn’t do the right thing in that moment.
I really wish John Schneider was an option for the frustration question. His lack of judgement on IOL draft picks (he nailed the OTs, not really his fault Fant and Abe are on IR). Plus giving terrible contracts to guys that are still on the books (Diggs/Adams) plus prioritising Noah Fant over ILB and IOL and then signing the cheapest guys he can find in the dregs of FA.
Agreed, my wish when they made the head coaching change that it would be a clean sweep and dumped JS. Not a good GM IMO and I think without Pete covering his a$$, he is going to really be exposed now.
We know how bad Schneider’s drafts were for about 8 years after the KJ Sherman Russ Bobby draft hits. But at least we could say his full personnel performance kept the team in a position of strength, making the playoffs consistently by filling in around a quality core. Now, it’s hard to even have confidence in the “promising” young players he’s drafted the last 3 years. Nobody is proven. And the rest of the veteran picture - we filled in with a bunch of cheap vets who were cheap for a reason- failed at their last stop, too expensive, getting older, injuries, whatever. A crapshoot all the way around. A broken clock is still right twice a day, so maybe we’ll look back at season’s end and say, “Hankins turned out to be a good pickup”. But right now, it looks like the 9-8 team we had last year, with no major infusion of talent anywhere. Taking the over on the 6.5 O/U for season record might have been a sucker’s bet.
Basically, the bet this year was that a brand new coaching staff would get more out of the great unrealized talent we supposedly have on this roster. I cut the coaching staff some slack - I believe they are worth the investment of a year+ to learn, grow into their roles, and build a team that fits. But let’s be real - not a single impact player was added to this team from last year, except for Murphy. The O-line talent level dropped and the ILB talent level even dropped (hard to believe).
The chickens have come home to roost for Schneider. And it’s on our young coaching staff to figure out how to work with this mess. I am looking for them to show some progress throughout the year, no greater expectations than that.
I maybe oversimplifying but I think the number 1 problem is turnover ratio. I truly believe that if DK (I chose offensive line as most frustrating, but DK was really close) did not fumble in the Lions or Giants game we win 1 and maybe both. And yesterday. I mean minus 3!! If the Chiefs play the Panthers and are minus 3 they might lose. If you go back and look at all the games where a bad team beats a good team that is usually the reason. I mean those games where you think wow I can't believe that team beat that team. I have no stats to back that up, but I have been watching football since the 1970 season and that has been my experience. So, it's simple really either do not turn the ball over or get turnovers preferably both. Now if I knew how to make that happen, I could be a coach. Coincidently the Superbowl in 1970, Superbowl 5 between the Cowboys and Baltimore Colts I believe still holds the record for turnovers in a Superbowl.
My main frustration is the defense because that's where I've seen the greatest departure from my preseason expectations so far. I expected the interior o-line to struggle, and they have. I expected to celebrate and curse DK in roughly equal parts, and I have. I expected Geno to be goodish/fine, and he's been that. I didn't know what to expect from Grubb, and I still don't. However, I expected the defense to be better than average, and they've been as bad as I've ever seen these last three weeks. Perhaps my expectations were unfair, and perhaps they improve drastically as they gain experience and get healthy, but that's how I feel right now. So there!
In the first 3 games, I thought I saw the defense start to exhibit some swagger that reminded me of the Super Bowl years. They were on their toes. These last 3 seem like a unit on their heels and honestly a bit confused. Even Devon Witherspoon seems to be caught out of position too many times. I don't envy Mike McDonald, but that's what you get paid for. We all hoped for a magic transformation, but that was just unrealistic. I guess the roster churn will continue.
Some roster churn and some patience with the learning process. I think some of these guys will get better and more consistent with time, but some will need to be replaced.
The pass game is definitely improved. You could attribute it to Grubb, but as i did all pre-season, some love must go towards Passing game coordinator Jake Peetz. This improvement is contributing to an improvement in pass play OLine. We all know the run game is a different skill set. I hoped we'd see a step up there, but i guess it's going to take Grubb a little time to really get to grips with that aspect at the NFL level. I'd love Grubb to stop worrying about winning games this season, and focus on developing his scheme and the younger OLine players we have. Commit to a more balanced game plan and be a good coach, make our players better. Or realise we don't have good enough players, and convince JS to spend on the Oline.
The D is trickier. The front7 is better and has been playing better. Our DB play i'd say has been good. But specifically when it comes to the Run, we just can't. I reckon I could make positive yardage against our Run D! But when i watch the games, to me it screams of scheme issues rather than player issues. It was an issue for MM in Baltimore, so do we think he can fix it? I believe so, especially if he and Durden and the rest of the D Coaches keep making out players better, and i'd say every defensive player is improved this year, and even against SF looked to being playing better than they did against the Broncos.
Basically i keep my expectations measured, we're not in a place to contend. But that doesn't mean things are awful. There's more to come from this squad and these coaches, and i'd rather see the set-up given time to bed in and work. Call this year what it is, a genuine rebuild and not one to challenge, and put that emphasis on growth and positioning for 2025 and beyond.
In some ways this is where I am. They're going to be mediocre and sometimes better than that. A better QB than Geno would've seen the lurking DB around DK and not thrown into danger. Geno's very good IS very good. But he's not elite and we knew that. The offense IS more creative... but not great at anything.
The D can, sometimes, look good. And look like garbage on fire, too. And they're very injured.
The schemes are... interesting... and evolving. And a TON to learn for peeps who don't know the system. Look at Purdy execute like crazy with decades of time! Just imagine that guy without it? Just imagine Seattle harassing that dude like Geno was being Bosa'd into a hole and see how Brock reacts? And that last dream is why I think this isn't just scheme. Bosa is a world-busting talent, and you could put him in a bad scheme and he'd shatter you anyway. So what I see, for instance with run fits is scheme but also talent, and a lack of it. And it's why the D and the O can both look just plain "off" from play to play. You need skill and scheme. Right now we've only got scheme some of the time, and that's only when guys get it.
Yes, unfortunately Bosa and Aaron Donald have been in our division for a while. 2 of the most single-handedly destructive beasts on the line outside of Chris Jones in the league.
So far I do not see a lot of difference from the Pete Seahawks and the Mike McDonald Seahawks. Both preach the same mantra. Run the ball stop the run. During the second half of Pete's tenure the Seahawks failed at both. Through six games this version is likewise failing. Over the last five years they won slightly more than they lost because on most occasions they did not beat themselves. What gives me hope is that some of the things the defense and offense are trying to do are a breath of fresh air and maybe what we are seeing is the learning curve. What worries me is that they may not be able to learn or just are not good enough to do what is being asked. In the first six games they have tried to give the game away in every game. In the NFL most games are lost rather than won. If this doesn't change then the Seahawks will have a to 10 pick next year.
Sherman gave a great interview awhile back. He was crystal clear about what made the SB team so terrific. It was all about the camaraderie among the players. Pete didn’t create it but he knew to nurture it. That friendship resonated with the 12s. The players today don’t seem to have the friendships that is instinctively able to create the ability to “finish each other’s sentences” or have each other’s backs. They aren’t all rookies so they know what once was there is gone.
Way too many mistakes. I had complete faith in Mike picking the very best of coaches to have on his staff, now I’m not sure he did that. We even had a 5 yard penalty for illegal formation on a kickoff. Are you serious? Pop Warner kids don’t even do that. K9’s penalty for being in motion on DK’s TD is elementary. I thought Mike was a detailed, precision perfect coach. I might have been wrong on that thought. Very disappointing.
Meh. I don't blame the coaches for this TBH. This isn't McDonald's team yet. Does nobody remember how bad Pete's teams were before RW came along??? They STANK. They were interesting, but they were not good. You got Beastquake with a 7-9 roster. So I think they're going to be boneheads for a while. What you hope is that the system is strong, because we know he went and got two guys from the Dolphins (just as one example) who the Fins didn't want to counter for. What does that tell you? That McD had some great insight into the quality there? Or that he needed some bodies to try out for the plan? I think there'll be a very heavy duty rebuild that they won't call that but that's what will happen. Detroit didn't get to where they are (and they're not "there" yet) for several seasons...
Coach Mac has an eye for players he knows will fit his designs, as we see with the passable jobs his chosen LBs are doing. Why Spoon is lacking in performance is a mystery. I suspect his rookie sophomore status, the newness of this system and the passion he runs at, have much to do with what we are seeing. But let's recognize everybody is new to Coach. He hired on here knowing the challenges, with a 6 year contract that spells confidence that given time, he will fill the ranks effectively. He was confident this crew would grasp what he is teaching sooner, but obviously that is taking longer than hoped and injuries allow. As it stands, our bench players are more experienced now rather than later. I will count that as a Good Thing as the season progresses.
No one else has mentioned it but while watching the games my biggest frustration reaction has been with missed tackles. So many times we’ve had players dead to rights and they’ve just bounced off or run through our tackles. Clean these up and we’d be at least an extra score better team (if not two).
I'm still have a probably naive hope that defensive injuries are the primary reason for the last three weeks
Defensive injuries are my biggest frustration.
We spend a lot of time being critical of our OL but so do most of the other teams in the NFL. Stone Forsyth has been better than I expected in pass pro and they ARE capable in the run game if the game script will allow it.
I was in the middle group on the first survey estimating a win total between 8 and 10. I think 8 wins is very optimistic now. But I still think by the end of the season the Seahawks will be a better team than they are now.
I said DK was the most frustrating because in performance vs potential he is in such a huge negative at this point and just may never get there. Geno “is what he is” and I maintain he is a very good backup QB and not “the guy” the Seahawks should ever think to build around. The Seahawks need to find out what they have in Howell prior to the end of the season.
Smith is the guy that the GM and HC pay to do good enough that they don't get fired while they rebuild around him.
Build & maintain the team while searching for that next surprise rookie QB (drafted in rounds 2-ish thru 5-ish), at which point a window opens. Remain prepared to crash through that window when, as, if lightning strikes
Did you watch the Lions and the Niners game?
You think those lines look anything like Seattle's?
I just couldn't disagree anymore. Watching Purdy and Goff hand the ball off and use play action in a clean pocket looks like the exact opposite of what Geno Smith has to do who is constantly pressured and has little to no run game and no play action.
Grubb even said after the Giants game they didn't run the ball because he didn't think they would be able to get any push against their DL. IOL has been a massive problem for 8 years and JS has done nothing to address it. To his credit he really nailed the OTs, though.
100%
Who has been the constant for the last 8 years… JS
You can pinpoint the exact moment when they stopped caring about the OL. The Unger/Graham trade. 9 years later they still haven't found a competent Center. Williams is the best guy they have brought in but I think he is washed and won't be here next year so the revolving door continues.
You are RIGHT ON!!!
Per Next Gen Stats, Bosa had 14 pressures against the Seahawks, tied for the most by a pass rusher during the last four seasons. The performance matched his career high from a game against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season.
Bosa’s relentless attack was too much for Seattle right tackle Stone Forsythe, who was responsible for giving up 11 QB pressures.
Bosa accumulated 11 of his 14 pressures against Seahawks RT Stone Forsythe across 27 matchups.
Forsythe allowed 7 pressures on 18 pass blocking snaps in the first half, the most pressures allowed in a first half by any offensive lineman in a game this season.#SFvsSEA | @49ers
Thought provoking, Doug!
Agree re Forsythe but that bar goes from "he's wet TP" in '23 to "3rd string speedbump" in '24. He now strings pass rushers 1 extra step when they blow by outside edge. Like '23, Hawks rarely try right side G-T & off-T power runs.
I'm over being frustrated by DK. He truly "is who he will always be"; a great athlete playing reciever, never will be a natural receivera la Lockett. Too late now, I'd tryout at DK at LB in a heartbeat - better suited to his mentality & physical skills. If it's between ridiculous DK $ and a high comp pick. I bet Hawks let him walk & take the pick.
I agree Geno "is who he is", but I think he's a good 1st string "system QB" i.e. got a gun, mobile, reads D ok, just not Mahomes et al. 1st interception was on Geno, also a big time right side O line failure. Geno didn’t step forward to follow thru on the throw, bc he knew he was 1 tenth of sec. from getting blasted by Bosa and another (thanks Stone, buddy! ;-)
Worth considering: Hawks pass 50x bc they and opponents know O line can't run (or pass) block.
50 attempts = more interceptions.
I was an 8 - 9 optimist, but that included W vs Giants & Jets (it's the Jets). My mileage already varies. You may get your wish re Howell, before playoff elimination
Complete, incomplete, int., Geno's getting pounded.
Oh Doug. I knew you’d get blasted by the Geno lovers on that one. The truth is that the OL is not performing great, but I think I’ve seen some improvement over time. Hopefully that continues. And Geno is just Geno. The lovers will always get offended if you point out his flaws. He’s ok IMO, but not the superstar the lovers think he is. Too many flaws that continue to appear, pressure or not. My biggest concern over the last couple of weeks has been his body language during games. Very poor. Not the leadership they need right now. In saying that, I believe that is a step backwards for him. His play is where it’s always been, but add the spooky attitude sends him backwards in my book. Hopefully he snaps out of it soon.
I noticed Smith's body language. Quite worrisome.
Doug will find the right tunes, and make himself feel better.
The groupies are few, but loud. I don’t know what Geno did to attract a fan base. Hawks have pretty much sat in the middle of the pack with their league win-loss numbers. Close to playoffs and either ending 1 and out or missing to get the wild card.
Agree 100% with this! Geno also needs to stay in the pocket and take those hits. That’s what star QB’s do with pressure in their face they still deliver. Geno gets rid of the ball too quickly, I would as well if Bosa was bearing down on me but that’s why Geno gets paid the big bucks.
Actually our observation from the stands has been Geno holding on to the ball. That and last game, sailing it big time. More FDs and maybe scores if he remembers who is he throwing too (7 foot giant DK or 5 foot Spud Webbs sons Tyler and JSN). See those guys open but Geno doesn’t throw or overthrows. With that he is still a middle pack NFL starting QB.
I read he was yelling at the guys yesterday. That's differnt. Without Pete around to ride herd on him, it may spell a change is coming.
I was actually going to write about the OL getting too much blame. And some people might think that means I'm going to talk about Geno. I'm over talking about Geno. If he was 25, I'd talk about Geno. I'm not going to worry about whatever Geno is doing, good or bad, I'm waaayyyyy more interested in the younger players.
I couldn't answer the last one. First off, I'm not terribly frustrated (as I noted in a recent comment, "Remain Calm"). Even more because I think we're seeing the lingering effects of poorly utilized drafts for several years. Too many positions (both offense and defense) have not been "cultivated" for far too long. I don't hold any of the team members or the coaching staff responsible for any of that. (At best, the draft is crapshoot, anyway.)
I'm not actually thinking about the Adams trade in the above, although that certainly didn't help. That draft was a low-probability crapshoot at the time because those next couple of years were likely to be based on far fewer college games than all other drafts. (Hindsight is not just 20/20, but most who used it considers theirs to be at least 20/10.) It was a gamble that paid very, very poorly.
P.S. - To paraphrase the wag, "Having good linebackers turns out not to be important. It is the LACK of good linebackers that is important.".
Biggest disappointment by far is the defense. These past three games could easily have been wins if not for the defense falling off a cliff. The offense is doing okay, they are one of just a few teams who have scored more than 20 points in every game.
Agreed. All three units are struggling in different ways, but the overriding theme (as I see it) is a lack of consistency. Inconsistency tends to hurt a defense the most.
The continuous failures in every phase of the game is getting more and more frustrating every week. To watch the same mistakes over and over again is demoralizing. Macdonald was specifically brought in to fix the defense and they've collectively gone backwards. Yes, injuries are a factor but every team has them and manage to overcome. The only game I think they can use injuries as the main excuse is the Lions game with 4 starters and a couple of key backups out and losing Love during the game. Geno is back to doing dumb shit occasionally. Metcalf and his penalties/drops are equally aggravating but behind the defense. The lousy special teams is an underrated failure of the team. That might be the 2nd most annoying part of the team. The OL isn't good but we didn't expect it to be. They are going to have a hard time winning games the rest of the season unless something changes and fast. They don't have many easy opponents left to face.
The special teams play definitely deserves consideration for most frustrating. I think their only saving grace is that they're not on the field as often to mess up.
That's true
McDonald I grade a C. The jury is still out on him. Remember they said all the great things about Jim Mora as the defensive genius as well. I believe JS needs a grade as well. That would be a D. Much like the mariners GM’s comment about winning 53% John and his comment about guards are over paid will haunt him. OK they are overpaid. What’s the plan then? Convert DL players again ?
As far as Geno he is average. Good games and bad games. A lot of almost picks and none headed plays too.
The DL is NC. Too may injuries. LB ‘s are just bad. The DBs are a disappointment. Sppon has yet to really make a difference this year and his peer on the outside until hurt was out playing him.
The OL is terrible. But that’s nothing new. What’s the plan John ? Sign more broken down , old cheap lineman ?
Record same as I picked earlier. 7 wins.
I agree that McDonald is around a C, but I like a lot of people bought into the “A” grade hype about the hire. If I get an A on the first test in a class and people are telling me I should have an A, then I am gonna be really disappointed when I have a “C” after the mid-term. That is why McDonald is a C AND disappointing to me. Where I cut him slack and keep him out of D-F range is many problems are carrying over from Pete, so my disappointment focuses more on JS. He has to have heat, if this is a coaching issue he now owns it. If this is a personnel/talent issue, then we are going to have a couple years of cap finagling that we haven’t been able to out execute other teams at in a long while.
Agreed on JS. That's an indictment of being out of touch with a league that pays for lineman. The team we just played protects their QB and everything they do works because they have some time to execute. Even when Seattle close the margin to 6 and had Purdy pinned in his own end zone they couldn't disturb a hair on his head. Last year Seattle made a mid-season deal to get one blue chip guy on D. Not a Bosa, because Seattle hasn't wanted to draft that way. And certainly not that way on the O-line.
Here's the deal: You have to pay for talent. And also, teams that do are creative about the cap. LA has manipulated the cap exceptionally well, and they're boom or bust. And maybe Seattle needs to fully bust for a few seasons to build draft capital and truly start over. McDonald can build the team he wants with the talent he wants. Because I truly don't blame him for this current mess. He didn't build this roster, for the most part, Pete did. And JS did.
Does Jodi Allen want to pay the way Les Snead does, though? Because that's also part of the equation. A salary cap exists in the NFL, but some owners still manage to spend more. Gee, how does that work? And that's also part of this reality. Seattle isn't Dallas. It's in a smaller market. And it sure isn't in LA, even if LA fans care less than they do about the Dodgers and the Lakers... But do I think the Allen family has lost money on this franchise since 2012? Heck no.
All of which is to say, there's lots of not love to go around...
My view is that this team is 2-3 years away from being competitive for the super bowl. With that in mind, I would let JS and MM know that we are going to rebuild with the focus on that, they don't have pressure to win now, but to focus on developing the team to be a legit challenger for the SB in 2026-27. Give them that time, assess whether they are worth keeping then. Thus I would start preparing for this, getting what draft value I could from players who aren't going to fit into the plans in a few years (e.g., those older and will be too expensive in the next couple of years). Three examples below. Other older players, time to cut loose unless on inexpensive contracts. Give the youngsters a chance to play and develop. Get as much draft capital as possible and bring in talent. In a couple of years, should have a lot of salary cap room to start adding the missing pieces not from draft.
Geno - if he is playing so well, he has an inexpensive contract for this and reasonable for next year. If he is good, then some team who has the pieces other than the QB should be willing to trade for him with a decent draft pick. He isn't going to be the QB that the team needs in 2-3 years and will be very expensive over that time with a new contract.
DK - get what you can for him. Not sure what is even possible the more he plays. Maybe a team will think they can fix his slippery hands, penalty attraction, and lack of competing for a ball thrown to him.
Fant - can we get something for him? If not, cut loose after the year.
That's the dream.
Do you think DK could've competed for or disrupted the INT Geno threw over the middle? It seemed like DK just didn't know the play there, which is why Geno threw to a spot and DK didn't know that was the route... Honest question here, just because I'm unsure...
I am not sure on that interception who caused it. To me they always appear that the QB threw a really bad pass to the other team, but I don't know what the play was and where DK was supposed to be.
What I saw was a lot of early passes, and then some later, being forced to DK when he was covered. I didn't see him make one catch. Yes he was covered, but he is a big, physical receiver and it looks to me like he lets the ball come to him and if it hits him in the hands, great, if not, oh well. I would like to see him going after the ball and competing for it. Just seems a luck of understanding or competitiveness. I like to watch him play when he makes a great play, but there are so many offsetting things that I can't see how the team would pay him what he will want and likely get elsewhere, particularly when I don't see the team being good enough to make it far in the playoffs for a few years. Paying him big bucks and Geno big bucks will hamper getting other positions needed for a push in 2-3 years, while not helping enough to get anywhere next year.
If I remember rightly it looked to me like a bad pass. 1- Metcalf was open and behind the defensive player, so the pass was short. 2- Metcalf had to almost stop to get in position to catch the ball, so the pass, if it wasn’t meant to go over the top, wasn’t put out in open space for DK to run to. Either way, it looked like a bad pass to me. I’m not an expert, or know what play they were trying to make, so I could be wrong.
💯 the instant the ball left the QB’s hand I screamed NOOO at the TV. It sure looked like a bad decision to me. No Hawk was there and DK was having to compete for the catch. Mookie A at Field Gulls did a great write-up. Pretty sure there’s an analysis for everyone to read what they want about the game.
Here is a pretty in-depth analysis of the play. No question it was on DK.
https://x.com/BenjaminSolak/status/1844785736102318132
It looks to me that ‘maybe’ the route run (given this kids description of what he thinks was supposed to happen -after his original play idea was a bust) by DK was off. But if that’s the case, why the hell did Geno throw it anyway. That’s on Geno. Given the advantage of the aerial view, it seems to me that Geno should have recognised the field was open behind DK (if he really wanted to throw it) and he would have been better turning DK around with the throw, making him double back into an open field and likely TD. Unlikely to process all that at the time though, I realise. The better option at the point Geno threw it would have been JSN in the middle of the field for a shorter gain. Once again, that’s bad decision-making on Geno. He just had to go to DK as happened regularly throughout the game. He’s not great at improvising. Never has been.
FWIW.
Smith's arm whips forward late in 2:16 of the video clip. At that instant, he's committed to the throw. At that same instant, Metcalf (just crossing the 30 yard line about halfway between the outside hash and the numbers) is still in front of the defender (between the 31 and 32, a bit further out than Metcalf). An argument could be made that Metcalf's left foot has widened his stride to narrow his angle across the field. It looks to me like there might have been a sightline from Smith to Metcalf at that point, but that leg (Metcalf's left) is on the side away from Smith, making for the poorest depth perception.
At 2:17, the ball is in the air. At that same time, DK has clearly started his move further down field (no longer really crossing), and the defender has begun his move in front of Metcalf, partly because of Metcalf's move down field (he had to avoid Metcalf, who was suddenly angled more downfield).
In the middle of the 2:17, the ball can be seen in front of the 23. The defender is already in front of Metcalf. (The angle of the camera means that my "yardline calls" on ball location are a bit off. I could work out the geometry...but is it OK if I don't & we just say that I did?)
Late in the 2:17, the ball is just "crossing" the 25 yard line, and the defender is clearly on the right line to intercept. The interception is early in the 2:18.
In the span of less than two seconds, Smith whipped his arm to throw, Metcalf changed his angle, and the defender mostly just kept going where he was already headed.
"Throwing with anticipation" means the receiver has to do AFTER the ball is thrown what the passer expected him to do BEFORE the ball was thrown. If Metcalf had simply maintained his (slightly curved) trajectory, he would at least have prevented the interception (just by being in the way).
I think it would have been a tough reception, though. If Metcalf HAD maintained his trajectory, I think the ball would have been slightly behind him. I think the defender would have been forced downfield a bit in order to avoid DPI, so might not have been as well positioned.
I recorded the game, and might could produce a finer resolution assessment, if you like. I'm guessing it won't change my conclusion.
Another possible breakdown of what happened and what could have happened. In the end, I stand by my conclusion that a shorter pass to JSN was the better and always safer option. The throw was always gonna be risky to DK moving across the middle of the field with the defender tracking him. So many scenarios.
Maybe. As JSN crossed the outer hash at the 25 (clip-time 1:45), there was no window (defender well-positioned in front of him). After that, line of sight is quickly blocked by the pair tangled up between the 11 and 13. I think Smith might have had an opportunity to step up to get a good bead on JSN, and it looks like his head might have been turned in that direction. But there's a defender well-positioned behind JSN and closing fast; any over-throw would have been pretty risky, too. The range is a bit short for a "lofted" touch throw.
I didn't pay any attention to the commentator's assertions about how the play was originally designed. I was only interested in the trajectories and lines of sight.
When he stepped up, I thought (at the time) that he was going to rush the gap & take what yardage he could get. He probably would not have made the 25, but it was pretty wide open. He was pretty clearly trying for longer yardage.
I agree Smith's strong suit is not improvisation. Improvising, he might have come forward to the 11 & juked hard to his right. If it worked, JSN would have been an easy target. But if the block at the 11/12 failed, we'd be carping at him for blowing that.
The 49er defense actually played a good down, there.
The D was good. As I said, why the hell did he throw it (ie. attempt a pass) if he didn’t think anything was on. Just throw it away. Any way you look at it, Geno didn’t do the right thing in that moment.
I really wish John Schneider was an option for the frustration question. His lack of judgement on IOL draft picks (he nailed the OTs, not really his fault Fant and Abe are on IR). Plus giving terrible contracts to guys that are still on the books (Diggs/Adams) plus prioritising Noah Fant over ILB and IOL and then signing the cheapest guys he can find in the dregs of FA.
Agreed, my wish when they made the head coaching change that it would be a clean sweep and dumped JS. Not a good GM IMO and I think without Pete covering his a$$, he is going to really be exposed now.
We know how bad Schneider’s drafts were for about 8 years after the KJ Sherman Russ Bobby draft hits. But at least we could say his full personnel performance kept the team in a position of strength, making the playoffs consistently by filling in around a quality core. Now, it’s hard to even have confidence in the “promising” young players he’s drafted the last 3 years. Nobody is proven. And the rest of the veteran picture - we filled in with a bunch of cheap vets who were cheap for a reason- failed at their last stop, too expensive, getting older, injuries, whatever. A crapshoot all the way around. A broken clock is still right twice a day, so maybe we’ll look back at season’s end and say, “Hankins turned out to be a good pickup”. But right now, it looks like the 9-8 team we had last year, with no major infusion of talent anywhere. Taking the over on the 6.5 O/U for season record might have been a sucker’s bet.
Basically, the bet this year was that a brand new coaching staff would get more out of the great unrealized talent we supposedly have on this roster. I cut the coaching staff some slack - I believe they are worth the investment of a year+ to learn, grow into their roles, and build a team that fits. But let’s be real - not a single impact player was added to this team from last year, except for Murphy. The O-line talent level dropped and the ILB talent level even dropped (hard to believe).
The chickens have come home to roost for Schneider. And it’s on our young coaching staff to figure out how to work with this mess. I am looking for them to show some progress throughout the year, no greater expectations than that.
I'm surprised Izzo wasn't retained.
I maybe oversimplifying but I think the number 1 problem is turnover ratio. I truly believe that if DK (I chose offensive line as most frustrating, but DK was really close) did not fumble in the Lions or Giants game we win 1 and maybe both. And yesterday. I mean minus 3!! If the Chiefs play the Panthers and are minus 3 they might lose. If you go back and look at all the games where a bad team beats a good team that is usually the reason. I mean those games where you think wow I can't believe that team beat that team. I have no stats to back that up, but I have been watching football since the 1970 season and that has been my experience. So, it's simple really either do not turn the ball over or get turnovers preferably both. Now if I knew how to make that happen, I could be a coach. Coincidently the Superbowl in 1970, Superbowl 5 between the Cowboys and Baltimore Colts I believe still holds the record for turnovers in a Superbowl.
Shocked, shocked, I tell you, that you have received no rec's for this post, until me.
That looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship!
My main frustration is the defense because that's where I've seen the greatest departure from my preseason expectations so far. I expected the interior o-line to struggle, and they have. I expected to celebrate and curse DK in roughly equal parts, and I have. I expected Geno to be goodish/fine, and he's been that. I didn't know what to expect from Grubb, and I still don't. However, I expected the defense to be better than average, and they've been as bad as I've ever seen these last three weeks. Perhaps my expectations were unfair, and perhaps they improve drastically as they gain experience and get healthy, but that's how I feel right now. So there!
In the first 3 games, I thought I saw the defense start to exhibit some swagger that reminded me of the Super Bowl years. They were on their toes. These last 3 seem like a unit on their heels and honestly a bit confused. Even Devon Witherspoon seems to be caught out of position too many times. I don't envy Mike McDonald, but that's what you get paid for. We all hoped for a magic transformation, but that was just unrealistic. I guess the roster churn will continue.
Some roster churn and some patience with the learning process. I think some of these guys will get better and more consistent with time, but some will need to be replaced.
The team is not wholistically bad.
The pass game is definitely improved. You could attribute it to Grubb, but as i did all pre-season, some love must go towards Passing game coordinator Jake Peetz. This improvement is contributing to an improvement in pass play OLine. We all know the run game is a different skill set. I hoped we'd see a step up there, but i guess it's going to take Grubb a little time to really get to grips with that aspect at the NFL level. I'd love Grubb to stop worrying about winning games this season, and focus on developing his scheme and the younger OLine players we have. Commit to a more balanced game plan and be a good coach, make our players better. Or realise we don't have good enough players, and convince JS to spend on the Oline.
The D is trickier. The front7 is better and has been playing better. Our DB play i'd say has been good. But specifically when it comes to the Run, we just can't. I reckon I could make positive yardage against our Run D! But when i watch the games, to me it screams of scheme issues rather than player issues. It was an issue for MM in Baltimore, so do we think he can fix it? I believe so, especially if he and Durden and the rest of the D Coaches keep making out players better, and i'd say every defensive player is improved this year, and even against SF looked to being playing better than they did against the Broncos.
Basically i keep my expectations measured, we're not in a place to contend. But that doesn't mean things are awful. There's more to come from this squad and these coaches, and i'd rather see the set-up given time to bed in and work. Call this year what it is, a genuine rebuild and not one to challenge, and put that emphasis on growth and positioning for 2025 and beyond.
In some ways this is where I am. They're going to be mediocre and sometimes better than that. A better QB than Geno would've seen the lurking DB around DK and not thrown into danger. Geno's very good IS very good. But he's not elite and we knew that. The offense IS more creative... but not great at anything.
The D can, sometimes, look good. And look like garbage on fire, too. And they're very injured.
The schemes are... interesting... and evolving. And a TON to learn for peeps who don't know the system. Look at Purdy execute like crazy with decades of time! Just imagine that guy without it? Just imagine Seattle harassing that dude like Geno was being Bosa'd into a hole and see how Brock reacts? And that last dream is why I think this isn't just scheme. Bosa is a world-busting talent, and you could put him in a bad scheme and he'd shatter you anyway. So what I see, for instance with run fits is scheme but also talent, and a lack of it. And it's why the D and the O can both look just plain "off" from play to play. You need skill and scheme. Right now we've only got scheme some of the time, and that's only when guys get it.
Yes, unfortunately Bosa and Aaron Donald have been in our division for a while. 2 of the most single-handedly destructive beasts on the line outside of Chris Jones in the league.
So far I do not see a lot of difference from the Pete Seahawks and the Mike McDonald Seahawks. Both preach the same mantra. Run the ball stop the run. During the second half of Pete's tenure the Seahawks failed at both. Through six games this version is likewise failing. Over the last five years they won slightly more than they lost because on most occasions they did not beat themselves. What gives me hope is that some of the things the defense and offense are trying to do are a breath of fresh air and maybe what we are seeing is the learning curve. What worries me is that they may not be able to learn or just are not good enough to do what is being asked. In the first six games they have tried to give the game away in every game. In the NFL most games are lost rather than won. If this doesn't change then the Seahawks will have a to 10 pick next year.
Sherman gave a great interview awhile back. He was crystal clear about what made the SB team so terrific. It was all about the camaraderie among the players. Pete didn’t create it but he knew to nurture it. That friendship resonated with the 12s. The players today don’t seem to have the friendships that is instinctively able to create the ability to “finish each other’s sentences” or have each other’s backs. They aren’t all rookies so they know what once was there is gone.
Schneider’s continuing ability to escape accountability for bad interior offensive lines is easily my greatest frustration.
Way too many mistakes. I had complete faith in Mike picking the very best of coaches to have on his staff, now I’m not sure he did that. We even had a 5 yard penalty for illegal formation on a kickoff. Are you serious? Pop Warner kids don’t even do that. K9’s penalty for being in motion on DK’s TD is elementary. I thought Mike was a detailed, precision perfect coach. I might have been wrong on that thought. Very disappointing.
Meh. I don't blame the coaches for this TBH. This isn't McDonald's team yet. Does nobody remember how bad Pete's teams were before RW came along??? They STANK. They were interesting, but they were not good. You got Beastquake with a 7-9 roster. So I think they're going to be boneheads for a while. What you hope is that the system is strong, because we know he went and got two guys from the Dolphins (just as one example) who the Fins didn't want to counter for. What does that tell you? That McD had some great insight into the quality there? Or that he needed some bodies to try out for the plan? I think there'll be a very heavy duty rebuild that they won't call that but that's what will happen. Detroit didn't get to where they are (and they're not "there" yet) for several seasons...
Coach Mac has an eye for players he knows will fit his designs, as we see with the passable jobs his chosen LBs are doing. Why Spoon is lacking in performance is a mystery. I suspect his rookie sophomore status, the newness of this system and the passion he runs at, have much to do with what we are seeing. But let's recognize everybody is new to Coach. He hired on here knowing the challenges, with a 6 year contract that spells confidence that given time, he will fill the ranks effectively. He was confident this crew would grasp what he is teaching sooner, but obviously that is taking longer than hoped and injuries allow. As it stands, our bench players are more experienced now rather than later. I will count that as a Good Thing as the season progresses.
No one else has mentioned it but while watching the games my biggest frustration reaction has been with missed tackles. So many times we’ve had players dead to rights and they’ve just bounced off or run through our tackles. Clean these up and we’d be at least an extra score better team (if not two).