Back in the preseason when everyone was doing predictions, the majority of the pics were in the 7 to 9 win range. Right where we are. You could make an argument that with the injuries we had, we did better than expected.
oh ok thats right Goodell had a meeting with all the refs at the beginning of the year and told them give all the close calls to the pats all year long and break a few rules to help them - man get real
Club Level sounds nice right about now. I said we'd be a 7-10 win team so not really a failure of a season. I guess most fans expectations were high and we all forgot what that felt like.
Bah humbug, Scrooge....This season wasn't as bad as you seem to think. Between the schedule, the injuries, and some poor coaching decisions as well, we fared better than expected based on the talent level. The adage in the NFL regarding the ability to turn a franchise over in a season or two now because of free agency and whatnot is hogwash. You can't wipe out 7 or 8 years of bad personnel decisions in 2 seasons...just isn't possible. I was not a huge supporter of the Tuna regime when they came on board. But the system they use works for changing the culture and for talent acquisition...just not in two years !! This is a better team than the one that went 11-5 last season and that is all we can expect or ask for. I'll also be the first to admit that the draft class of 2009 was not as good as 2008. This regimes' FA track record is spotty as well. But the team, such as it is, is better than last season, despite having a lesser record. That is what is expected of Ireland, Sparano and co. at this point.
That is very interesting to think about.....I thought if healthy we were an above .500 squad (9-7, 10-6, 11-5 ballpark range)- schedule and all (I think SoS is pointless once new season starts based on all the variables, etc). I thought that because the talent and approach seems to indicate that we can play with anyone and play well for a period of time. Breaks/turnovers would be the difference - unlike 2008, 2009 was not a caretaker of the ball year. Anyway, we had significant injuries to key contributors of 2009. And same SoS, but we are 7-8, with chance of either 7-9 or 8-8. So the question to me is, did we overachieve with the fill-ins....or did this FO do a great job of finding backup talent (heck, what seems like starter talent since given the chance) nearly equal to our original starters (which is commendable)? Or, the flip, does this shine a light that our STARTERS are not significant play-makers to separate themselves above our 2nd or 3rd tier guys? Meaning, do we have a completely average/above avg roster, but not a GREAT Roster? Do we need a GREAT Roster, or do we just need a few GREAT well-above Avg players in some spots (and hope those don't get injured) to put us over the top?? Its an interesting debate, but what we have achieved with the injuries seems to me to prove that this FO has done an amazing job - blue collar like - of finding similar talent for total complete depth and interchangeable parts. I do think a CHAMPIONSHIP can be won with this roster and talent. However, as seems to be the case, the Jekyll/Hyde approach really has to click all the time otherwise you are just a 50/50 toss up each week. We can play with the best for sure....but not for all 60 minutes it seems. Again, without STUDS/STARS, but the depth of equal average talent is a credit as well. thoughts???
i am as angry as anyone. saying that, we had very key injuries, we had issues with starting poorly then playing catch up, which we did but fell short. thing is most saw that w/ the youth and depleted depth, we werent going far if we made it. we also see we are close, we need 1 more good fa and draft class and we will have no more excuses. 2010 should be competing, settle for nothing less. we could be Giants fans today!
while it was very disappointing losing the last 2 weeks, over all the season has been a success .... we have a QB we have at least 1 CB (we'll see how much Smith grows this offseason) we have an OL (even if we do get rid of Smiley, and or trade Carey) we have RBs (between RB, RW, Cobbs and Hilliard) and we'll see what we have in Sheets we have a 'decent' DL with Soliai, McDaniel, Starks, Merling, Langford ... even if Ferguson retires. an earlier poster was correct in that most here projected us between 7-9 wins (including myself) .... and with a little better execution - we would easily be at 9 wins, have a WC and maybe even still fighting for the DIV. i look at it this way .... Henne was coming to play next year -- so we would gone through this learn and grow period next year vice this year. yes, the defense might be better next year so Henne wouldn't have been asked to do much, but no matter - he will continue to learn next year, but he has this experience to build off of. looking back, i am satisfied considering the challenges the team was presented with, but disappointed that playoffs were sitting there to be had.
I think you have to remember what Parcells and Ireland said when they got here. There was a lack of talent and depth. The fact that we lost our center, star RB, our star D-Tackle and our Star CB, and our leader at QB, I would say they added some quality depth. And Sparano said in preseason it was possible to have a worse record and still be a better team. I think we are a better team, we had 1st time players playing quality time, and yes, they made mistakes, but it was on the job training. Now its time to revamp our LBers and get a weapon on offense that scares people and we will be a playoff team.
I totally agree....its just interesting that we talk of injuries as if it should equate to less of a record, when to me, this FO deserves credit to have the quality of depth to make an injury insignificant to goal. I still think, aside from J/H mentality of this team, this talent could just as easily been an 11 win squad while it currently has equated to at best an 8 win squad come end of regular season.
Please, ok? Ronnie Brown being out had nothing to do with our failures. Ricky did mighty fine averaging around 100 yards per game ever since Ronnie got hurt and scored 6 TD's. We had no problem scoring. With Ronnie Brown out, we're averaging a little than 2 points less a game. It was the big plays that our defense gave up, that was the problem. We also need a true free safety. Look how many big plays our secondary gave up. With Chad Henne and Ricky/Ronnie, we didn't really have a problem scoring, the problem was stopping the opponents from scoring especially with the big plays. For some reason, I'm still not sold on Sean Smith. This is one of those times I hope to eventually be proven wrong.
I wouldn't go that far. Could we have made a play to try and get Edwards? Sure. However, we did address the WR position in the draft and one of the 2 has shined. I think we found quite possibly another Welker in Hartline. Could he be faster? Sure. However, the kid has some serious heart and very good hands. Turner? He looked great at times in camp and the preseason. However, he hasn't even sniffed the field this year. So I guess the jury is still out there in regards to him. I would venture that we go after a big WR this off season. Who will be out there? Miles Austin, Edwards, Vincent Jackson, Brandon Marshall, Kelly washington, Troy Williamson, Lance Moore, Sam Hurd, Lee Evans, Steve Breaston. IYAM...we will land one or 2 of these guys and resign Bess.
Hmm Like this? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ5uPJGwscU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ5uPJGwscU[/ame]
rb injury no effect? your kidding right? you must be cause thats too ridiclous not to be a joke. on a team that had limited playmakers, when your primary 1 goes down, it has dramtic effect. how effective was the cat after Ronniie went out? it took options away from us, ronnie allowed us too not put too much on the inexp qb. stats/smats, Ronnie mz]ade defenses think
I completely forgot about Will Allen in my post at the front end of this. Truth is, we have some serious depth at a few key positions. NOW its time for a STUD WR, and a couple of upgrades at LBer. After that, its just adding depth and upgrading talent baby. I gaurantee you teams were already afraid to face us this year. Next year could quite possibly be murder's row. I like what the FO and staff is doing. They are NOT building for a one-hit wonder. They are building a franchise the way it should be built. Start with foundation and internal decisions. We are gonna be just fine....
The point is that for folks that predicted prior to the season a 7-9, 8-8 record, the reality is that regardless of INJURIES this is what we will end up. So if thats what we end up while having these injuries, that lends one to the conclusion that the time missed was insignificant and wouldnt have changed anything. Again, thats for those that predicted 7-9, 8-8 prior to season expecting healthy roster, etc. It makes one ponder for sure. I wouldnt read to much into it, or take them to task as a way to defend Chad P, Ronnie, Will A, Ferg, Cobbs, etc, etc,....just a reality at the end of this season.
So? that is all true, but how do u know we dont win the tenn and hou game if we had Ronnie and we are 9-6 now and clinched a wild card? not saying season was a failure, it wasnt, just not buying argument tthat losing Ronnie wasnt detrimental
here is your if IF ronnie brown could stay on the field we would know sitting here wondering what would have happened if he didn't get hurt is a waste of time imo they call it a football team for a reason personally i think ronnie gets way too much credit
I may very well be in the minority, but I did think we could win a SB this year...not HOMER Hype - DOLPHINS are the BEST type stuff...but, honest to goodness, any given sunday, that each week, we had the talent and depth to do it....heck even with Injuries I felt we could make our breaks and create turnovers and actually accomplish the goal of making the playoffs and seeing where the chips fell, etc. And with week 17 to come...maybe, just maybe it happens....who knows. Math is funny that way. This season proved, to lots of folks, the true fight this team has, and sadly it showed to me, that we have a huge Jekyll and Hyde personality. I just didnt know what team would show up and produce each week. J/H gets you to .500 faster than any other approach....hard to coach, plan, and scheme if you arent sure what quality is going to show up on game day.....are we COAL or DIAMOND...both are the same...it just takes the correct amount of pressure to produce the BEST.....or crumble and simply be tossed into a furnance. So going into 2010, others may join me on SB chances, but they wont change for me....I really like what our 3-headed monster has created....we just need a few other parts of the puzzle.
this is where a FO can really make a name for itself ... putting the final pieces together. i think its harder to do that, than it is to scrap what you have and start building something new. we all know what we need, but we also need the 'right' guys to make it work. we know one thing, Parcells et al usually only look for lunch pail type guys ..... so will they go out and sign Merriman (i have said all season we would if given the chance), Marshall (a little tougher choice there) .... or pray that Johnson will demand a trade from HOU (:-)) [wouldn't that just make our decade] ..... but we still need a MLB in the worst way !! make the right decisions and this team quickly becomes a SB caliber team ... make the wrong ones, and we are no better than we are right now a 8-10 win team. i don't judge this season as a failure at all, but next year ... it will be much more black and white.
