We know for sure Wallace was late on the route and Tanny wasn't early? True, whoever's fault it was on the first one, the second one they both re-adjusted to disastrous effect
Right now Vernon Davis for sure (he's suffering from Ckap's play) and Julius Thomas, if we're considering costs as well.
I disqualify Julius Thomas because Peyton Manning can make me go for 40 catches 400 yards and 4 TD's.
I think when you say that it's a "conversation" or an "argument" that's kind of glossing over the simple fact that these guys are for the most part widely accepted to be better. Yes, one COULD argue that Charles Clay is better than those guys. However, I'm not sure who exactly aside from a Miami Dolphins fan would be doing that arguing. It's like saying that aside from guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Tannehill is "in the conversation" for top five quarterback.
And Charles Clay is not similarly a product of the offense and Tannehill's ability to get him the football?
Last night sucked. One of the reasons was, I feel we were close to hanging and maybe stealing that game. Wallace drops a bomb, Tannehill fumbles a play or two later, Saints score. 14 point swing. We get the ball right before the half, Tannehill throws the interception, Saints score. 10 point swing. We get the ball to start the half, 3 and out, Saints score. 10 point swing. A step up in weight class means you can't make those mistakes because Brees was not making ANY last night. Oh well. Anyway, on topic: - Ryan Tannehill is a good player. I feel he will get better. I don't know what his ceiling is, I hope it's Aaron Rodgers but I'd settle for Joe Flacco. - Our offensive line is actually worse than I thought it would be, and that goes on Ireland's shoulders. Pouncey is the best in the league. Incognito is fine. I THINK Jon Martin is alright but can be upgraded. John Jerry is dreadful, Tyson Clabo is worse. When you've been the GM of a team for this long and STILL have major issues at 2 positions and a mid-major issue at left tackle that is inexcusable. Yes, I know he has drafted and signed guys and attempted to fix the problem, he has failed miserably at every attempt. We also have absolutely nothing sitting on the bench that can help because our depth is laughable. I'd say "throw every resource we have at the offensive line next offseason and in the draft" but what gives anyone the idea that this man can select the correct players when he has proven he can't? This position will be our undoing, I just hope it does not get Tannehill killed. - Mike Wallace needs to be better, period. He dropped at least 2 last night, one of which would have been a TD. Brian Hartline is Brian Hartline. Gibson is more than I could have ever imagined, he's been excellent. Clay is fine. The depth is fine. I'd like another tight end who can make plays. - Lamar Miller is a good 2nd tier running back. He's explosive but I don't think he is an every down runner, neither does the coaching staff. The issue is, the guy we have spell him and take on the heavy work is terrible. Daniel Thomas is a bust, plain and simple and nothing can convince me otherwise. He does nothing well. - Our defensive line is the best I've seen in the league this year, WHEN Cam Wake is healthy and WHEN Olivier Vernon is replaced. Ireland has to figure out the money and get either Starks or Big Paul signed. - Phil Wheeler was ****ing awful last night. I am not going to club him over the head too badly because he was being put into untenable situations by the scheme. Ellerbe played well I thought, even though I don't really like his instincts to play the middle in a 4-3. Ideally, he plays Misi's side and we have a true middle linebacker. Misi (when I have replaced him in the previous sentence) has been good. Our depth sucks, Trusnick is a disaster and is not in any good teams regular rotation. - The secondary got absolutely torched last night. I've disliked Chris Clemons for 3 years, last night did nothing to change my mind. He's late on EVERYTHING. Reshad Jones has regressed so quickly. It's like all that bank he got is on his back, in change. He's been awful, bench his *** awful. Problem is, Jimmy Wilson is the primary back up and he has been God ****ing awful. I think Nolan Carroll was alright and has been alright. He made the big mistake on the Sproles TD but that was a perfect throw and he was trying to change the game with a play. Why haven't we given Brent Grimes a contract extension yet? The kids have not played enough to judge them at all. - Love our special teams. Let me correct that, I love everything BUT our returner. Sturgis is a machine. - I like Joe Philbin, a lot. I worry about his ability to manage the staff a little bit. He has not been in a position to have to make staff decisions yet and he may be, soon. Jim Turner is a funny quote and seems like a cool guy to have a beer with but he is getting it handed to him. Speaking of having it handed to him, I wonder if Kevin Coyle's head is in his locker, desk or car. Payton took him to ****ing school. With our schedule we are a 10-6 team. I think it's a good start but there is a lot of work to be done and I'm not convinced Jeff Ireland is up for it, too bad we extended his contract.
The thing that killed me was watching NO run screen pass after screen pass, most for big gains. We tried a few (I think 3) and I am not sure we gained more than 4 yards on a single one of them. That is the perfect way to slow down a big pass rush. However, for years we have been bad at stopping screens and terrible at executing our own screen passes. I hope they work on those quite a bit. Will help slow down the pass rush on obvious pass plays.
Everyone saying Thomas sucks. Where is Gilislee? I know Thigpen is in the mix but where is the other Rookie RB we drafted? Can he not even challenge Thomas?
I disagree with that totally. I think Dustin Keller would be just as productive right now if not more so had he stayed healthy, because of the system and the quarterback tendencies. Charles Clay is being given great opportunities by the system and the quarterback. So is Julius Thomas. Thomas IMO has been more consistent in taking advantage of those opportunities.
Peyton is a star maker to an extent. I disagree that Julius Thomas is simply a product of Peyton alone. JT coming into the NFL was another basketball - TE convert, with all the physical ability in the world. I think he could be successful without Manning as his QB, although Peyton is getting the best from him as a result his play.
Gruden said 5,000 times the Saints had run the ball 19 times for 23 yards before Khiry Robinson broke a couple 5-10 yard runs. The Falcons was the only team capable of running against us.
The Colts ran the football against the Dolphins efficiently as well. Trent Richardson averaged 3.6 yards per carry against the Dolphins, which isn't god-awful for a tailback on an individual game basis. The primary problem there was the Browns voluntarily stopped running the football. Didn't run it a single time in the fourth quarter. The Saints tailbacks ran the poorest against us this year at 3.3 yards per carry. Richardson as I said averaged 3.6 yards per carry, the Colts tailbacks 4.3 yards per carry and the Falcons tailbacks 4.8 yards per carry.
Agree with number two and fortunately the "first tier" in the AFC seems to only be Denver at this point. I guess New England is borderline because Brady's still out there.
Unified Theory: You would settle for Flacco type ability? Why? Joe Flacco is terrible. He's proving he can't carry a team like an Elite QB should meanwhile he's a QB so he gets paid like one anyway. With the amount of money it costs to sign a QB, im not OK with Flacco type ability. Would do exactly what Tampa did with Freeman and let him finish out the deal. if he's not progressing, draft another one.
He's been great in the playoffs and has a ring and is a winner. If Ryan Tannehill turns into Joe Flacco I'd be happy. You don't "move on from" Joe Flacco. You plug him in for a decade, win a Super Bowl and have some success.
That might be the silliest thing you have ever posted. Last year's Super Bowl MVP is terrible. The Dolphins screwed the pooch when they didn't trade back into the 1st round to select Flacco. Edit: So we're talking Flacco for Merling and Henne.
Those screen passes were giving me flashbacks to Kenneth Davis in the cold in December. I kept waiting see a shot of Shula on the sidelines looking at Olivadotti with that "Will you effing stop those please" face.
Screen to Davis, draw to Thomas, screen to Davis, draw to Thomas, slant to Reed....rinse and ****ing repeat.
Tom Brady is a winner. Scrubs or all-stars, doesn't matter. HE is the difference maker. That's a winner. Your description of Flacco is Feidler-esk, even being obviously more talented than him. Assuming everything is perfect, he can win. I can't wait to see all the success Flacco has without his defense. It's going to look very similar to the Eli Manning success... I called that one. I don't have a lot of interest in that kind of QB. Cost too much (100+ million) and don't play consistently enough. And more specifically to Ryan Tannehill, he is playing in an offense designed to throw and throw some more. Which makes his play all the more important. We need a QB who can carry the entire offense, not Joe Flacco. *** Not making any assumptions about Tannehill's ability, I think his ceiling is quite high and still think he needs 3-4 years before he fully takes off ala Aaron Rodgers. ***
