Based off Pre-season Games Week 2

[BIGH2001]

The difference is TB and Seattle have proven quarterbacks. We have no reason to be hiding our starter on the bench. 

[Khyber53]

Yes, we weren't playing many of our starters, even during the first series. Yes, a bunch of those guys won't see the field in the coming year. So, we have to keep that in mind, but here are a couple of takes:

1. Slye isn't going to cut it, sorry, but there's going to be a kid from ECU available at the end of preseason that looked pretty good.

2. We have an excellent punter.

3. I'm not as worried about our linebackers group as I was before.

4. Teddy Bridgewater may have been right about one thing: Brady apparently isn't big on practicing for red zone and goal line plays. Three runs at the middle of the line in a row from the 3? 

5. We have the makings of an offensive line, if they can get the mixture right.

6. Dan Arnold, maybe. Tommy Tremble, definitely. Giovanni Ricci is an upgrade over Ian Thomas.

7. We're still playing a zone defense that's softer than a pack of Hostess Twinkies.

8. CMC and DJ Moore will greatly improve the offense. 

9. Sam Darnold? We know barely anything more about him than we did before. We did learn that he can stand in the pocket and not immediately start a Claussian-type screaming run for the sidelines at the snap of the ball. So there's that I guess.

Wow, that was a pathetic showing. Will Grier was one of our best performers out there. Let that sink in.

Doesn't mean the sky is falling, but I sure expected to see things a bit better than that.

[kungfoodude]

3 hours ago, OldhamA said:

Both weeks our third stringers have looked like G5 players running against P5 athletes. 

Speaks to how bad our roster was/is. It will take a few years to see that improve.

But, you don't do what we did to our roster and expect to have great depth for a while.

[musicman]

Also realize preseason is vanilla in the plays they call. OC Brady is not going to tip his hand for 2 reasons. One to show other teams what they like to do and second, players that will be cut and picked up by other teams won't know what we really do. I could see the Saints picking up one of our guys just for intel and then dumping after our week 2 game. 

They want to see players win or lose in basic straight up man to man plays most times to just evaluate. Our 2nd string is not that bad and our 3rd stringers seem to be terrible. Baltimore has a deeper team. Depth is one of the most important things in the NFL, just as important as starters as they can affect the outcome the same (see last years Super Bowl terrible back up tackles for KC). 

I'm still encouraged and excited for the season. 

Edited August 22, 2021 by musicman