Well, I had the Hawks at 4-3 at the bye. Here are some things I was wrong about:
- I had their losses as against the 49ers, Bucs and Texans. So, 2/3 out of 3 there and they were within a whisper of winning the 2.
- I thought Darnold would be solid however he could be in MVP conversations if he keeps playing like he has.
- I didn't see JSN's dominance coming. Can anybody sans the 1st half of the 1st game Cardinals stifle him?
- I thought Bradford was going to be solid and Lucas was going to dominate given the rave reviews of their conditioning and play during minicamp. Rule #1: take everything said during minicamp with a grain of salt.
- I thought the commitment to the run game was real, and it was, however expected it to be more productive than it has been.
- The offense has been more explosive than I thought it would be at this point.
- For the defense, I thought Knight would be a solid contributor. I did not see Jobe, Okada or Thomas playing as well as they have been.
- I thought the special teams were going to be a disappointment.
So, I am very happy with the results overall. Looking at our games we have played so far, I see a team that has been finding itself throughout the 1st half. There have been some head scratching playcalls, some individual player mistakes and some players who have surprisingly stepped up. This was expected given the new offensive scheme and new personnel.
With the benefit of hindsight, the team still scores a solid A from me. Of course, the expectations are a bit higher for the 2nd half now. :-)
I think our run game will improve dramatically in a few days when we say a fond, heart felt goodbye to future Hall of Famer Anthony Bradford!
It's OK, it's just " me, myself and I Metcalf, " being Metcalf.
Unless the 49ers have pro bowl quality back ups to replace their injured, I think they're a 500 team at best. The Colts have had an easy schedule, should be a win.
I think Rodgers, Cousins Flacco and Wilson should retire before they get seriously injured. They've had great careers but nobody except George Blanda beats father time. ( Google him.)
I would love to see a huge break out game after the bye to set the tone for th 2nd half
Seems like at this point two problems we seem to be having are our run game and third down. It would seem a line upgrade would fix that and help us in the playoffs more than edge or any other position. Our defense has been playing fine, I think we can credit them with the win for the game when we have 4 turnovers. Also getting our injured players back should be a big help. We have a week to see what JS/MM think.
The only thing that worries me this week is the players coming back. I fear that sometimes it can take a week or so to get your mojo back after having an hiatus. Let’s hope they’re not Rusty.
Their hard hitting play demands they have a body that holds up to the demands. If there is an Art to tackling, they each need to Master it. No doubt 18 weeks changes the intensity. Now it's 9 weeks? 10? 11?
A lot of your retrospection involved the Hawks making mistakes and maybe letting off the gas when their opponent was down. Seems like this might be a coaching and play calling issue and not a team getting comfortable with what they are being asked to do issue. Hoping its the later and the players start to play like we expect them to or else we might still be talking about the same problem come playoffs and I can't imagine a playoff team letting us get away with those mistakes.
If we can improve out giveaway/takeaway ratio, all things are possible. The offensive efficiency will come I think. Repetition is all that's required. And good health. But we can't be in negative territory like we were last year in +/-.
I've always given Metcalf more of a pass on his temper than he deserved. Seeing him push that player last night crossed the line for me. He acts as though he can do whatever suits him then play the victim if he gets a penalty. There was no justifiable reason for that shove.
The 49ers losing to the Texans was quite the surprise...a welcome one, though.
I was wondering to myself if the Steelers (i mean Packers) players were just waiting for the right time to say something to push DK over the line and then they found it when it was about to be third-and-short in the fourth quarter. That was the perfect time to egg DK into a 15-yard penalty and you could see Rodgers reaching peak levels of frustration when that happened.
Same!! It was especially hard to keep track of which team was playing when the Steelers played against the Bengals a week ago. Rodgers and Flacco look like twins when they have their helmets on - LOL
Rogers needs to pick a team and stay there if he's going to keep playing!!
I think a lot of the offensive inconsistencies are partially the fault of the offensive line, not blocking. Trying to create a balanced, running game by running to the right and left. The numbers when they run to the left are much better than when they run to the right yet they keep running to the right.
Bradford is one of the worst defensive guards in the entire NFL. He has a PFF pass blocking grade of 27. That is near half of your replacement level player.
They have to talk with Walker about taking what the Defense gives you and stop trying to go wide. It is the same thing Lynch had to learn. He had to trust that the hole would be there. It will help a lot when he has his full back healthy. Remember what Lynch used to say about his full back that he was his eyes. I think that’s probably what Walker will need.
We really only have one reliable wide receiver. Kupp is not the same as he was in prior years. He has lost a lot of speed.
We have to start using some of the other receivers more. I am liking the use of the tight ends as pass catchers both are very good.
As far as the Defense, I think they are fine as long as people take a consideration, we have had our share of injuries that we should be getting back
Good point, I wonder if Christian Haynes will actually be better or if he's just someone different. He was losing a camp battle to Bradford and it didn't seem to be very close.
My take on Bradford is he's a simple soul doing his best. My bet is John Benton has been burning the midnight oil with Haynes while he's been laid up. Someone pointed out he exceled at wide zone blocking in college. We've not seen any of this as yet. I expect to see some surprises now we are into the second half of the season.
When the schedule came out I had the Hawks as a 12 win 5 loss team and 6W 1L at the bye. I had them splitting with the 49ers and Rams, and losing to the Texans (I thought they would be better on offense) Washington and Atlanta. At the end of preseason, I had them at 13 wins, changing my loss at Atlanta to a win, but still splitting with the 49ers, and rams, and losing to Washington and the Texans.
I now see them as a 14 win team if they don’t lose a key player like Darnold, JSN, E Jones, etc. Their only loss from here on out will be against the Rams. 9 wins, 1 loss from here on out after the bye.
Yes, I toyed with the idea of them going 10 and 0 the rest of the way, but LA with Stafford and their D-line, coupled with their coaching is going to make it hard to sweep them. I’m more confident they will beat the Colts than beat the Rams twice.
We should win the rest and split with the Rams, but I could see a loss or two in the late season run of Vikings-Falcons-Colts-Panthers. Any given Sunday in the NFL . . . remember the Giants.
Also, interesting that the 2nd Rams game on 12/18 is Thursday night in Seattle, with the Rams coming off a Lions game at home, and the Hawks coming off the Indy game at home. All likely playoff teams, fighting for seeding. Then on 10 days rest after Xmas we head to Carolina while the Rams head to Atlanta - which both feel like they could be “trap games”.
Yeah, on any given Sunday, sure, but I feel we should win those games. If anything, I’m now glad the Giants beat us so badly last year. It will serve and a reason to play 100% no mater who your opponent is. I think the biggest obstacle to finishing with 14 or 13 wins is injury. I think it won’t be taking their foot off the gas, or lack of focus on the game at hand.
Yes - completely agree, we should win them all, short of major injuries. But the mistakes that allowed the Cards, Jags and Texans to stay in those games haven’t been completely cleaned up, so that’s part of the picture. Still one bonehead playcall per game?
And some teams will play better in the second half of the season - Vikes and Falcons potentially. Can’t count out Kevin O’Connell. But we will be better too!
I agree things need to be cleaned up. But our 1st team DBs have out quite a bit, so hopefully the defense is more stout. And Our offense is still so new - coaches, QB, and O-line with this new system. Look how much better our defense was in the second half last year with a new system. Maybe the offense will see a bump in efficiency in the second half.
Hard to say how good the Colts are. They played the Rams and the Cards and both games were one score wins. I also think they have one of the weaker schedules.
I think we still can be fine if we split with the Rams. But winning that first one in three weeks in LA would really make it much easier. Seattle’s Defense will have to be at the top off their game to win that one, and the offense needs to handle the D-line of LA so they don’t do to us what we did to Jax and Houston.
I'm watching MNF and don't think Washington can score on the Seahawks.
Well, I had the Hawks at 4-3 at the bye. Here are some things I was wrong about:
- I had their losses as against the 49ers, Bucs and Texans. So, 2/3 out of 3 there and they were within a whisper of winning the 2.
- I thought Darnold would be solid however he could be in MVP conversations if he keeps playing like he has.
- I didn't see JSN's dominance coming. Can anybody sans the 1st half of the 1st game Cardinals stifle him?
- I thought Bradford was going to be solid and Lucas was going to dominate given the rave reviews of their conditioning and play during minicamp. Rule #1: take everything said during minicamp with a grain of salt.
- I thought the commitment to the run game was real, and it was, however expected it to be more productive than it has been.
- The offense has been more explosive than I thought it would be at this point.
- For the defense, I thought Knight would be a solid contributor. I did not see Jobe, Okada or Thomas playing as well as they have been.
- I thought the special teams were going to be a disappointment.
So, I am very happy with the results overall. Looking at our games we have played so far, I see a team that has been finding itself throughout the 1st half. There have been some head scratching playcalls, some individual player mistakes and some players who have surprisingly stepped up. This was expected given the new offensive scheme and new personnel.
With the benefit of hindsight, the team still scores a solid A from me. Of course, the expectations are a bit higher for the 2nd half now. :-)
I think our run game will improve dramatically in a few days when we say a fond, heart felt goodbye to future Hall of Famer Anthony Bradford!
It's OK, it's just " me, myself and I Metcalf, " being Metcalf.
Unless the 49ers have pro bowl quality back ups to replace their injured, I think they're a 500 team at best. The Colts have had an easy schedule, should be a win.
I think Rodgers, Cousins Flacco and Wilson should retire before they get seriously injured. They've had great careers but nobody except George Blanda beats father time. ( Google him.)
I would love to see a huge break out game after the bye to set the tone for th 2nd half
Seems like at this point two problems we seem to be having are our run game and third down. It would seem a line upgrade would fix that and help us in the playoffs more than edge or any other position. Our defense has been playing fine, I think we can credit them with the win for the game when we have 4 turnovers. Also getting our injured players back should be a big help. We have a week to see what JS/MM think.
Then again, maybe the return of our starting fullback will fix the run game.
The only thing that worries me this week is the players coming back. I fear that sometimes it can take a week or so to get your mojo back after having an hiatus. Let’s hope they’re not Rusty.
They’re not Rusty. That’s me.
😆
True enough, but a rusty Love or Witherspoon is still better than no Love or Witherspoon. Washington and Arizona are beatable.
Their hard hitting play demands they have a body that holds up to the demands. If there is an Art to tackling, they each need to Master it. No doubt 18 weeks changes the intensity. Now it's 9 weeks? 10? 11?
A lot of your retrospection involved the Hawks making mistakes and maybe letting off the gas when their opponent was down. Seems like this might be a coaching and play calling issue and not a team getting comfortable with what they are being asked to do issue. Hoping its the later and the players start to play like we expect them to or else we might still be talking about the same problem come playoffs and I can't imagine a playoff team letting us get away with those mistakes.
True. Maybe just need to run the ball better and block better.
If we can improve out giveaway/takeaway ratio, all things are possible. The offensive efficiency will come I think. Repetition is all that's required. And good health. But we can't be in negative territory like we were last year in +/-.
Yes, we need more INTs and strip sacks !!!
And hold onto the INTs when we get them!
Agreed!
I've always given Metcalf more of a pass on his temper than he deserved. Seeing him push that player last night crossed the line for me. He acts as though he can do whatever suits him then play the victim if he gets a penalty. There was no justifiable reason for that shove.
The 49ers losing to the Texans was quite the surprise...a welcome one, though.
Houston is one of those teams who looks to kick ass first and winning second. They are coming on.
I was wondering to myself if the Steelers (i mean Packers) players were just waiting for the right time to say something to push DK over the line and then they found it when it was about to be third-and-short in the fourth quarter. That was the perfect time to egg DK into a 15-yard penalty and you could see Rodgers reaching peak levels of frustration when that happened.
Good catch!
Steelers or Packers? I expect there's no opposing team that doesn't have a handful of ideas on how and when to poke that bear.
Packers, I keep confusing them!
Same!! It was especially hard to keep track of which team was playing when the Steelers played against the Bengals a week ago. Rodgers and Flacco look like twins when they have their helmets on - LOL
Rogers needs to pick a team and stay there if he's going to keep playing!!
Rogers better get use to it. Plus, last week he got a taste of 2 INTs on targets to DK. You know how he HATES INTs.
Aaron is probably the last Man who can blow up at Metcalf. Even Pete tread lightly around him.
When he costs you games, someone has to tell him to stop letting opponents play you like a fool.
YEP
I think a lot of the offensive inconsistencies are partially the fault of the offensive line, not blocking. Trying to create a balanced, running game by running to the right and left. The numbers when they run to the left are much better than when they run to the right yet they keep running to the right.
Bradford is one of the worst defensive guards in the entire NFL. He has a PFF pass blocking grade of 27. That is near half of your replacement level player.
They have to talk with Walker about taking what the Defense gives you and stop trying to go wide. It is the same thing Lynch had to learn. He had to trust that the hole would be there. It will help a lot when he has his full back healthy. Remember what Lynch used to say about his full back that he was his eyes. I think that’s probably what Walker will need.
We really only have one reliable wide receiver. Kupp is not the same as he was in prior years. He has lost a lot of speed.
We have to start using some of the other receivers more. I am liking the use of the tight ends as pass catchers both are very good.
As far as the Defense, I think they are fine as long as people take a consideration, we have had our share of injuries that we should be getting back
Good point, I wonder if Christian Haynes will actually be better or if he's just someone different. He was losing a camp battle to Bradford and it didn't seem to be very close.
My take on Bradford is he's a simple soul doing his best. My bet is John Benton has been burning the midnight oil with Haynes while he's been laid up. Someone pointed out he exceled at wide zone blocking in college. We've not seen any of this as yet. I expect to see some surprises now we are into the second half of the season.
When the schedule came out I had the Hawks as a 12 win 5 loss team and 6W 1L at the bye. I had them splitting with the 49ers and Rams, and losing to the Texans (I thought they would be better on offense) Washington and Atlanta. At the end of preseason, I had them at 13 wins, changing my loss at Atlanta to a win, but still splitting with the 49ers, and rams, and losing to Washington and the Texans.
I now see them as a 14 win team if they don’t lose a key player like Darnold, JSN, E Jones, etc. Their only loss from here on out will be against the Rams. 9 wins, 1 loss from here on out after the bye.
Sky's the limit.
Yes, I toyed with the idea of them going 10 and 0 the rest of the way, but LA with Stafford and their D-line, coupled with their coaching is going to make it hard to sweep them. I’m more confident they will beat the Colts than beat the Rams twice.
We should win the rest and split with the Rams, but I could see a loss or two in the late season run of Vikings-Falcons-Colts-Panthers. Any given Sunday in the NFL . . . remember the Giants.
Also, interesting that the 2nd Rams game on 12/18 is Thursday night in Seattle, with the Rams coming off a Lions game at home, and the Hawks coming off the Indy game at home. All likely playoff teams, fighting for seeding. Then on 10 days rest after Xmas we head to Carolina while the Rams head to Atlanta - which both feel like they could be “trap games”.
Yeah, on any given Sunday, sure, but I feel we should win those games. If anything, I’m now glad the Giants beat us so badly last year. It will serve and a reason to play 100% no mater who your opponent is. I think the biggest obstacle to finishing with 14 or 13 wins is injury. I think it won’t be taking their foot off the gas, or lack of focus on the game at hand.
Yes - completely agree, we should win them all, short of major injuries. But the mistakes that allowed the Cards, Jags and Texans to stay in those games haven’t been completely cleaned up, so that’s part of the picture. Still one bonehead playcall per game?
And some teams will play better in the second half of the season - Vikes and Falcons potentially. Can’t count out Kevin O’Connell. But we will be better too!
I agree things need to be cleaned up. But our 1st team DBs have out quite a bit, so hopefully the defense is more stout. And Our offense is still so new - coaches, QB, and O-line with this new system. Look how much better our defense was in the second half last year with a new system. Maybe the offense will see a bump in efficiency in the second half.
Hard to say how good the Colts are. They played the Rams and the Cards and both games were one score wins. I also think they have one of the weaker schedules.
They win games with a great running game. So if our run defense steps up, I don’t think Danny Dimes will beat us.
Rams games feel like the major tipping points of the season, as usual.
I think we still can be fine if we split with the Rams. But winning that first one in three weeks in LA would really make it much easier. Seattle’s Defense will have to be at the top off their game to win that one, and the offense needs to handle the D-line of LA so they don’t do to us what we did to Jax and Houston.