Larry Gude
Strung Out
...all I can say is that the last two weeks just took all the wind out of my sails.
I was relieved to see Joe move on and the naming of an actual GM.
The tragi-comedy of the head coach follies worked out, I think, pretty good, even if only by accident. It still should have been Gregggg but, oh well.
The Bengals are my sentimental favorite #2 team this year for NOT sticking us with Ohno Stinko.
The offensive draft sounded like a really good idea. At the time.
The first three preseason games were encouraging and exciting and fun.
The last two were unmitigated disasters.
As of right now, having listend the happy things, here's the unhappy things;
Jason is still a long way from playoff winning caliber. Be it offensive changes, lack of personel or bad luck. He is still not a top tier NFL qb.
The O line is what it is and was; old and on the verge of needing a major overhaul, possibly across the line. This probably the last dance for Kendall as it is for Jansen. Thomas and Sameuls might be about to take a step down from elite linemen. Rahbach is good, not great. This could be a disaster this season and that is much more likely than the hoped (prayed?) for ONE LAST STAND.
We are not one tiny bit better at skill than the end of last year. Both rook WR's aren't even getting on the field and Davis, while at least getting pt has not sparkled.
The D line, as otter said at the beginning of LAST year is still a team weakness. Montgomery has not stepped up. Griff is more or less expiring at the same rate as Thomas and Samuels. Taylor isn't going to save the team. LB has worries about Rocky and Washington, Fletcher is 72 this year, Landry is dinged, Springs and Smoot should be hobbling and limping around by midnight tomorrow night and Rogers, like Rocky, is a season away from what most players take to get back to 100% after their knees.
There are no stars on special teams. There is no Vinateri. No Hester. Not even a Pete Cronin to blow people up.
In short, I am resigned to going to the Meadowlands, a place we always struggle, against a division foe we're always happy to split with who are coming off of a championship season, and getting shellacked.
From there, we get the Saints who look great this year, then Cards at home, then at Dallas and at Philly then Rams here, a team we can not claim to be better than at this point, Browns, real contenders, here, at Detroit for one of the historical gimmes for us and then Steelers here and then the bye.
It's fairly easy to see an 0-3 divisional start, playing all three away, plus playoff caliber teams in Cleveland, New Orleans and Pittsburgh, with three 'should wins', Arizona, St. Louis and Detroit mixed in. 3-6 sounds about right. 4-5 sounds optimistic. 5-4 will impress the hell out of me.
I feel subdued about the coming season.
I was relieved to see Joe move on and the naming of an actual GM.
The tragi-comedy of the head coach follies worked out, I think, pretty good, even if only by accident. It still should have been Gregggg but, oh well.
The Bengals are my sentimental favorite #2 team this year for NOT sticking us with Ohno Stinko.
The offensive draft sounded like a really good idea. At the time.
The first three preseason games were encouraging and exciting and fun.
The last two were unmitigated disasters.
As of right now, having listend the happy things, here's the unhappy things;
Jason is still a long way from playoff winning caliber. Be it offensive changes, lack of personel or bad luck. He is still not a top tier NFL qb.
The O line is what it is and was; old and on the verge of needing a major overhaul, possibly across the line. This probably the last dance for Kendall as it is for Jansen. Thomas and Sameuls might be about to take a step down from elite linemen. Rahbach is good, not great. This could be a disaster this season and that is much more likely than the hoped (prayed?) for ONE LAST STAND.
We are not one tiny bit better at skill than the end of last year. Both rook WR's aren't even getting on the field and Davis, while at least getting pt has not sparkled.
The D line, as otter said at the beginning of LAST year is still a team weakness. Montgomery has not stepped up. Griff is more or less expiring at the same rate as Thomas and Samuels. Taylor isn't going to save the team. LB has worries about Rocky and Washington, Fletcher is 72 this year, Landry is dinged, Springs and Smoot should be hobbling and limping around by midnight tomorrow night and Rogers, like Rocky, is a season away from what most players take to get back to 100% after their knees.
There are no stars on special teams. There is no Vinateri. No Hester. Not even a Pete Cronin to blow people up.
In short, I am resigned to going to the Meadowlands, a place we always struggle, against a division foe we're always happy to split with who are coming off of a championship season, and getting shellacked.
From there, we get the Saints who look great this year, then Cards at home, then at Dallas and at Philly then Rams here, a team we can not claim to be better than at this point, Browns, real contenders, here, at Detroit for one of the historical gimmes for us and then Steelers here and then the bye.
It's fairly easy to see an 0-3 divisional start, playing all three away, plus playoff caliber teams in Cleveland, New Orleans and Pittsburgh, with three 'should wins', Arizona, St. Louis and Detroit mixed in. 3-6 sounds about right. 4-5 sounds optimistic. 5-4 will impress the hell out of me.
I feel subdued about the coming season.
I know that isn't saying much for them, though. 
).