LinvilleGorge

A "good game" for Bryce is sub-200 yards, hovering around 20 attempts, hopefully a TD and no turnovers. That's low level game manager stuff. Backup QB stuff. And that's the real problem. Our starting QB forces us to run a backup QB offense.

Yeah, I get it and I largely agree. I just realize that the NFL wants to give the refs as much leeway as possible to protect QBs. I was honestly surprised a flag didn't fly on that Bryce hit. Do I think it should be a flag? No, but I'm conditioned to expect one when a feet first QB gets contacted.

Yeah, it was dumb of Icky because the push on Bryce was light and legal but it was still a pretty ticky tack flag. Pushing and shoving happens after a lot of plays and as long as they knock it off when the refs step in it's usually play on.

Yeah, I just know it's not gonna happen. The NFL wants to maximize QB protection because owners want to protect the most expensive position on their teams. The last thing you want to see as an owner is that $60M/year player leaving the field on a cart.

Those refs were flag happy as hell. 20 total penalties for 181 yards is just crazy. 11 on us for 103 and 9 on them for 78.

This is why it's important not to cherry pick when looking at stats. The wider net you cast the more likely you are to get the best idea of the overall situation. You can tell any story you want to tell if you cherry pick hard enough.

I think it's intentional. These late half ass slides are all about trying to bait a flag out of the ref's pocket and make defenders second guess whether you're still running or giving yourself up. It's all about trying to get that extra 15.

I know the they'll never do it but honestly I'd just get rid of the slide. If you're a runner, run. Don't wanna get hit, don't run. We'll protect you as a QB in the pocket but once you scramble outside of that pocket you're just another runner and that's how we're gonna treat you.

They do this late slide poo on purpose. They're trying to bait a flag like a basketball player flopping or doing the whole "drive and flail" thing. Shough got hit harder and he did more to sell it so he got the flag. The NFL should try to address it. Allow QBs to slide to protect themselves but you can't let them flirt with the fine line of trying to get every inch they can and then slide at the last second with the defender already committed to the hit and then put the onus on the defender to avoid it.

Can't get around the reality that the Saints are giving up an average of 24ppg and we only got to 17. Have an average offensive game against them and we win. It's just hard to win games in the modern NFL when you score under 20 points. It puts a ton of pressure on your D and when you're feeling that pressure it's only natural you're probably gonna be more aggressive and more at risk of committing penalties.

I think some of it is just that those are the games we've thrown the ball more. It's hard to get sacked much when you're trying to limit your passing attempts to around 20ish while you lean on the run. Overall, our sack percentage is 30th in the league. The overall pass protection has been very good.

I honestly hate it. It puts the defender in a terrible spot, especially that Shough slide yesterday. Like Ransom was saying, they were at the very fringe of FG range where every yard matters and he's trying to stop the runner for as little yardage as possible. Completely understandable and I can't really blame him for the play. Just a shitty no win situation for him and Shough sold the call with his hilarious overacting. It is what it is. I'd like to see the protection rule changed to some type of halo rule like on punt catches. Yeah, it adds another level of potential controversy to officiating but this bullshit of running as far as you possibly can and then sliding as a defender has already committed to the tackle is just that, it's bullshit. If you're protecting yourself, protect yourself. If you're trying to get every yard you can then get hit. fug having the best of both.

I don't "blame" Bryce for that play. Icky got whooped. It is what it is. But Bryce has a bad habit of always backpedaling under pressure and rarely ever stepping up in the pocket and that dates back to college. Had he stepped up there were options. That's all. The real problem is that we basically all knew we were cooked after that play. 2nd and 19 with Bryce at QB is basically the end of the drive. We all kinda understand that. Sure, there been this or that rare occurrence where we've overcome it but by and large that's almost always a drive killer for us. That's just Bryce at QB. Your offense is handcuffed and the margin for error is practically nonexistent. He was sacked on time all game and that basically meant game over.

Bryce having some disastrous games leading to us swallowing the bitter pill to not pickup his 5th year option honestly feels like the best outcome down the stretch when looking at the long-term big picture.

Yep, it's the reality of pro sports. If you're not gonna make the playoffs you're better off being as bad as possible. All that talk about morale victories and building a winning culture and we just continue to suck year after year. Not sucking enough is what led us to make that desperation trade up for Bryce.

I just hope Tepper does.

We averaged 3.3ypc because they were keying in stopping the run to make Bryce beat us. Everyone knows our blueprint for winning is to keep Bryce around 20 attempts. That's an offense handcuffed by the QB. We have to play backup QB offense with our starter.

The thing about those BY9 GWDs or basically pretty much literally any drive is that any penalty is an instant drive killer. As soon as we have a negative play it's over. Gaining 10 yards in three plays is hard enough already. Make it more and that's a wrap.

I hope everyone who thinks our D is awful is watching the Cowboys make J.J. McCarthy look like an All-Pro. This is what truly awful defense looks like if you've forgotten our defense from last year that fast.

No. I wouldn't say that the defense ranked #2 in the league in yardage allowed but #21 in points allowed was the second best overall defense in the league. That's why it's important to look at both metrics.

#17 in yards and #16 in points allowed this year. #32 in both yards and points allowed last year. That's leaps and bounds.

Honestly, given how historically abysmal our D was last year, I think everyone would've happily taken a league average D going into this season and that's basically what we've been. The D has improved leaps and bounds. It's still not good but it's not that bad either. The problem is that the offense is still pretty abysmal for the same reason - we're handcuffed at the QB position. And when you're handcuffed at QB the margin of error shrinks to near nothing.

Our overall record is just an anomaly. The offense is overall bad. The rushing offense is pretty good but the passing offense is abysmal. The defense is about average. That combination should have you solidly in the top 10 of the draft but we've caught enough breaks here and there that the overall W-L record has a lot of fans thinking that we're better than we are when in reality we've found ways to win several games we probably should've lost. I can't really fairly judge Canales right now. I have my issues with him but overall I think he's doing a pretty decent job of playing the cards he's holding which at the end of the day that's the coach's job. This is the hand, now play the cards as best you can. The whole has been greater than the sum of the parts.

He's actually pretty consistent. He's just consistently subpar and that's precisely the issue. His average is subpar then he'll have a couple disastrous games and a couple of legitimately good games but it all averages out to being pretty bad.