Flagg the Wanderer
Mourning Algernon
So, if you roll out the team we see today against all those teams today, it would be something like 6, maybe 7 wins.
But given what we're seeing from the team right now, I like this schedule for them.
They have some tough games to start out; they could be 1-3 out of the blocks and I'd be pretty happy with 2-2, particularly if one of the wins is Miami. But they'll be gelling, starting to trust each other, think less, play faster, and do their do their jobs.
The next 6 games will be at least 4-2, should be 5-1, and could realistically be 6-0. At 6-4 or 7-3, with confidence and cohesion growing, but with talent and depth that they didn't have last year, they're in position to take control of the rest of the season. If by that point they've shown they can dominate at times, and shown heart and clutch...there's no telling from there on out. Even at 5-5, if the wins are the right kind of wins they have the straight up talent to make a run if a few things click.
I mean, based on what we're seeing, if just the OL gels and starts clicking, what are the other significant concerns?
DBs? A month ago this was a huge concern. But not anymore. Not a ton of experience on the corners, and no stud #1 CB, but top to bottom as much talent as I can remember having. 4 and maybe 5 starting-caliber safeties, two (or three?) starting-caliber *CBs, and 3 boundary corners that are solid #2s (one a valid #1, but not a stud)? That ain't nothing. And the issues that are there are the kind that tend to be addressed as the year goes on.
LBs? I see at least 4 legit starters with wildly varied skillets that Mayo and La Familia Belichick can play chess with, plus a couple of role players. I think Jennings could be an absolute star. And Dugger and Peppers can play that hybrid box safety/speed LB role to ramp up that flexibility and customization even more. Here again, the concern is experience and cohesion, not talent. Those tend to become less of a concern as the year goes on.
That doesn't mean they will come together and have a 2001-style run. I'm just saying that this is the most talented group we've had in awhile. They are flawed in that they don't have the core veteran leadership we're so used to having, but if they keep a steady ship, continue to focus on the steady incremental improvements, and gel as a group...
If they do come together, this could be a terrifying group down the stretch. No one stud you can scheme to stop or avoid, on either side of the ball. And they have the depth to handle a moderate to even pretty bad injury run at most positions.
In my mind it comes down to the OL first, then confidence and cohesion. They need to start to get it by mid-October, then let the stars and heroes emerge.
But given what we're seeing from the team right now, I like this schedule for them.
They have some tough games to start out; they could be 1-3 out of the blocks and I'd be pretty happy with 2-2, particularly if one of the wins is Miami. But they'll be gelling, starting to trust each other, think less, play faster, and do their do their jobs.
The next 6 games will be at least 4-2, should be 5-1, and could realistically be 6-0. At 6-4 or 7-3, with confidence and cohesion growing, but with talent and depth that they didn't have last year, they're in position to take control of the rest of the season. If by that point they've shown they can dominate at times, and shown heart and clutch...there's no telling from there on out. Even at 5-5, if the wins are the right kind of wins they have the straight up talent to make a run if a few things click.
I mean, based on what we're seeing, if just the OL gels and starts clicking, what are the other significant concerns?
DBs? A month ago this was a huge concern. But not anymore. Not a ton of experience on the corners, and no stud #1 CB, but top to bottom as much talent as I can remember having. 4 and maybe 5 starting-caliber safeties, two (or three?) starting-caliber *CBs, and 3 boundary corners that are solid #2s (one a valid #1, but not a stud)? That ain't nothing. And the issues that are there are the kind that tend to be addressed as the year goes on.
LBs? I see at least 4 legit starters with wildly varied skillets that Mayo and La Familia Belichick can play chess with, plus a couple of role players. I think Jennings could be an absolute star. And Dugger and Peppers can play that hybrid box safety/speed LB role to ramp up that flexibility and customization even more. Here again, the concern is experience and cohesion, not talent. Those tend to become less of a concern as the year goes on.
That doesn't mean they will come together and have a 2001-style run. I'm just saying that this is the most talented group we've had in awhile. They are flawed in that they don't have the core veteran leadership we're so used to having, but if they keep a steady ship, continue to focus on the steady incremental improvements, and gel as a group...
If they do come together, this could be a terrifying group down the stretch. No one stud you can scheme to stop or avoid, on either side of the ball. And they have the depth to handle a moderate to even pretty bad injury run at most positions.
In my mind it comes down to the OL first, then confidence and cohesion. They need to start to get it by mid-October, then let the stars and heroes emerge.
