Enjoy the Trestman era while it lasts because it isn't going to last much longer.
Last night the Puckers spanked the Pears building a 42-0 lead at HALF TIME! I'm sure they could have put up another 20-30 points in the second half but dialed it down and let starters rest. The Pears are in utter disarray. Here are just a few of their problems:
1. Jeff Cutler: The guy is getting paid like a top flite QB and producing like a second (or even a third) stringer. His indifference is bothersome too. On the INT that bounced off of Long's head and was returned for a pick six, George made little effort to try and catch him. Yes, the game was out of reach. Yes, George probably wasn't going to catch him. However, as a "leader" of the team, show some pride. He quit on that play. I'm sure there are plenty of guys on that team that don't believe they can win with Jay George.
2. Trestman: He's lost control of the team. Back to back games of giving up 50+ points. Show some pride. He looks like a guy that has lost control. He looks overmatched. Trestman seems like a good coordinator and maybe a good head coach in the CFL or a small time program but he doesn't look like a guy that can get it done in the NFL particularly in a large market like Chicago. His time is done.
3. Defense is offensive: Apparently tackling is optional for this group. On Lacy's long run off of the screen for a TD, the defenders didn't look like they even wanted to try and tackle him. Just poor effort. Hate to see that. D Coordinator Mel Tucker should be fired immediately.
4. Too much talent on the offense to not be scoring: With guys like Marshall, Jefferey, Forte, Bennett, they should be putting up some points. I don't think anyone thought the defense was going to be great this year. The strength was the offense but they too are struggling. Trestman was brought in to help foster the offense and take them to another level. I suppose he did get them to another level...another level of suckiness. This group is a disappointment.
Just a slew of other problems:
- No identity.
- No control.
- Aging vets (Briggs, Tillman).
- GM sucks
In the end, they are going to have to blow this up and start over (new coach, new GM, new players). It's going to take a couple of years before the Pears get competitive.
As far as the Puckers, they are hitting their stride. They should have a tougher test next week against the Iggles but they are looking formidable. Rodgers is looking like the elite QB that he is and they have several weapons on offense. If their defense can solidify, they will be tough to beat.
In other league news:
1. Feel terrible for Carson Palmer and Arizona: It's looking like Palmer may have suffered an ACL injury. This is tough for Palmer in that he was having a solid year and he doesn't have too many years left. It's extra tough given that AZ had the best record in the NFL and it's going to be difficult to lose their starting QB. Injuries are part of the game and teams have to do their best to backfill.
2. Skins had a bye week and get back to work today in preparation for TB. Frankly, the Skins better beat the Bucs at home. If we don't, I may just have to start considering denouncing the Skins.
3. Iggles play tonight in the start of the Dirty Sanchez era. The Iggles weren't thrilled with Foles anyways and seemed to be pondering sitting him so the injury may not be such a bad thing. I'm sure Sanchez is happy to get back to being a starter so we'll see how he does with a fresh start on a new team. It's MNF so it's a national stage but they are playing a disappointing Carolina team so he should be okay.
4. Seattle seems to have bounced back. A much needed win for them against the Giants. Lynch was truly a beast with FOUR TDs.
Another week and another set of stories. Still a lot of football left to be played and I'm sure there will still be more great stories to come.
7 comments:
I enjoyed last nights game. I would have gone to bed at half time but I wanted to see if Lacy, Nelson, and Crosby could give me a bigger cushion in Fantasy.
I feel bad for Bears fans. It has to be hard to see this happen multiple weeks of the season. When a team loses like that, I think it falls squarely on the coaching especially when the talent to win is there. Either they were not prepared adequately or the players are just not responding to the coach. I would be surprised if Trestman makes it through the season. It has to be hard knowing that the team will likely be blown up.
I thought NBC brought up some interesting data. The Packers only have 5 players on their active roster who have played anywhere besides Green Bay. It is the lowest number in the league. The Bears have one of the highest if not the highest. I can't remember. I like that most of our guys are home grown. You really have to give Ted Thompson and the scouting team credit. These guys FIND players that are difference makers. Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Eddie Lacy are just a few. Those three player cost the Packers under 8 million against the cap this year yet they are the biggest difference makers on the team. There are some that are in the lineup now that are going to be future difference makers that are hardly costing the team anything. I can see it.
The Packers have owned the Bears recently. 9-2 since 2010. Since 2007, the Packers have made the playoffs every year except one, including a superbowl title. There is a clear difference between the two franchises that choose to operate in an entirely different ways. The result is what the Packers have accomplished recently vs what the Bears have. Much of it as direct result of victories over the Bears in crucial games. This year its be 93-31 Packers.
I saw the information that you are talking about. I believe it was 31 players for the Bears.
The biggest difference in the two teams is QBs. Jay George is the anti Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers exudes confidence and plays smart football. He has a great arm and he understands the game. Cutler relies only on his arm but doesn't seem to exude the same confidence. In fact, he seems to have this aura of indifference and teammates are not appreciating that.
If you switched the QBs right now, it would have an immediate impact. Nelson, Cobb, and Lacy are decent players but they have a great QB that gets them the ball. There may not be a better trio than Marshall, Jefferey, and Forte but Cutler isn't getting it done.
Most decent organizations build from within and then supplement a couple of key positions with FAs.
As mentioned, bigger test for the Puckers next week against the Iggles. Imagine that will be the 4 pm featured game on FOX.
Eagles vs Green Bay this week should be a good one. Including the playoffs from last year, Eagles have won 14 games out of a possible 18 but they have repeatedly failed to close the deal & win when playing elite teams. That has to change if they want anyone to take them seriously as a contender this season. Eagles offense is yet to truly click this season, I am hoping this is the game where it finally does ;-)
I guess the Britt McHenry story has finally died down. All the so called Redskin's experts were quick to pounce on her, call it amateurish & stuff but in the end most of it got validated with what Desean said on Fox on Sunday. From a players standpoint I can understand why they might not be so excited about RG3's return. Most NFL players have a short window to make an impact and it's not surprising that they don't want to spend that with Redskins trying to find out if RG3 is their future. This week against Tampa is almost a must win, they might not win another one for a while with 49ers & Colts coming up.
The McHenry story died a few days after it was reported because it was clear it was out of context.
Not sure I undertstand when you say the "Redskin's experts were quick to pounce on her." They didn't jump out and pounce on her. Many of them were asked by other news outlets on what happened and they just gave their thoughts. They all seemed unhappy to have to contradict a fellow reporter that they respected but they just wanted to clear the air.
Not sure how it was validated by what Jackson said either. Teammates and Jackson all said that his comments didn't stem from what he was hearing in the locker room. But after multiple reports suggesting teammates weren't united behind Griffin were being circulated.
I think it means a lot for a guy like Jackson to come in and try and squash those reports. Reports (whether accurate or erroneous) can create distractions. Many players have said that RG3 is the QB and there is no problem but they respected Jackson for bringing some leadership and trying to build some unity.
I also don't understand when you say "from a players standpoint I can understand why they might not be so excited about RG3's return." You're right that most NFL players have a short career and no doubt they all want to win. I'm sure they hope just as most fans RG3 can be that franchise QB. He has to prove it. That is the case for every team without a franchise QB. It is not something unique to D.C. The Skins do need consistent QB play but we need MUCH more consistent and solid defensive play. RG3 didn't lose that game last week. The defense let a struggling rookie QB march down the length of the field TWICE to win that game.
Honestly, if we win that game, everyone is good with RG3's play and him engineering a late drive to take the lead. It didn't happen and, right or wrong, much of the attention falls on the QB.
The Skins have talent but we still need help at the safety spot and the right side of the O line. Hopefully Long and/or Moses can step up next season and we can find ourselves a quality, play making safety. Then it really will be on RG3 to pick it up and see what he can do.
As JSR mentioned before, respect is earned and RG3 has the talent to be that QB but he has to show it.
If we look back at the story, her point was that Griffin had alienated himself in the locker room and players didn't really want him to be the starter. On Sunday Jackson just confirmed that by saying "You kind of feel guys feeling a certain way about that," Jackson said about the quarterback change. "In the locker room I had to stand up and say something about that, like as players that's not our job. We can't worry about that. The only thing we can worry about is going out on Sundays and putting your best foot forward." All of this points to uneasiness inside the locker room over the QB.
That's validation for me as far as what the original report said, I don't understand how you still don't agree with it. As far as the other reporters, they didn't support her because in their view they couldn't draw the same conclusions from what happened in the locker room. But the basis of the report was not just what happened in the locker room, it also talks about "sources" inside the locker room telling the same story.
In anycase this one's a dead story now, waiting for the next episode :-D
On a side note, releasing Desean was a mistake on part of Chip Kelly. He's been the MVP for Redskins so far.
The Jackson comments you posted have to do with reports from the outside not what was taking place inside the locker room.
From ESPN, "Teammates and Jackson all said that his comments didn't stem from what he was hearing in the locker room. But after multiple reports suggesting teammates weren't united behind Griffin circulated a few days earlier, Jackson was concerned that controversy could bubble up.
The fact that Jackson spoke up made an impact.
"He's a soft-spoken dude, doesn't say too much," Redskins tight end Niles Paul said. "He addressed the situation with reports coming out that Robert had lost the locker room, which wasn't true at all. He addressed it and spoke his piece on it, and it meant that much more from him.""
McHenry's story pointed out there was a disruption (no one disputes that). It states that the disruption happened during a media session where RG3 was speaking (again, no one is disputing that). The dispute is in that McHenry ties the players involved in the disruption to their non support of RG3. This doesn't seem to be the take of any other reporter that was in that locker room. Again, several reporters were asked by other outlets what happened in the locker room and they all reluctantly shared that McHenry's take was incorrect. No one wanted to dispute her because they respected her and it seems like there is an unwritten code to not comment on other reporters work but they were being asked about it and they answered truthfully. I can't think of a single other reporter that was in that locker room that shared McHenry's views.
Jason Reid of the Post is very critical of the Skins but he disputed the report. I believe I posted the link to the SI article that he was interviewed where he lays it out plainly.
In the end, winning cures all. Things change from week to week.
If the Skins win last week, everyone is feeling great and thinking about getting to .500.
If Sanchize gets picked a few times this week or has another butt fumble, everyone will be clamoring for Foles. Media is like sharks and when there are losses, they smell blood and will go for the kill.
If you still believe what you believe, that's fine and we can agree to disagree.
Agree with you in that Philly would be that much more dangerous if they had kept Jackson. I know you have posted some things previously amounting to good riddance regarding Jackson and maybe you were doing that out of spite but it's good that you realize that he could have made a difference and that it may very well have been a mistake.
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