Well, we aren't dead yet, but if this team has playoff aspirations then they have to show they can play winning football, no turnovers, smart defense. We should saddle up Ricky and Lexxy and see how far they can take us.
Saddle those two up, skip the cute stuff for now, see where our traditional offense can get us. Ride them two, have henne take shots here and there, be safe with the ball, hit some routes.
And we really need to return to the low turnover/time of possession ethic. I think we have gotten away from doing that partially by being cute, partially by maybe asking Henne to do to much.
Id be careful about relying so much on the time of possession game. We are gonna have to hit some big plays.....and they are definatley there. I wouldnt say we have been asking Henne to do to much at all...before the 4th quarter yesterday....he was having a heck of a game, with some great throws. Some things I think do have to change....and thats doing what we do well, and staying the course. Running the power I with two recievers behind Polite works...and we need to keep doing that. We should have continued to work the ball to Fasano yesterday....when you are getting the ball to the TE...thats a killer on the defense. A few times yesterday...when we were running effectively...we were able to hit some passes because Buffalo was so focused on stopping the run. If we stay fundamental, ironically, we have been very sound moving the ball. Our play calling is counter intuitive at times...and that needs to change. 3rd and Long, why are we going play action? Its not working, and it hasnt worked. The times we do go 3 or 4 recievers....we really dont spread them out....why not? Why do we insist on keeping our recievers so near? By putting your WR's out wide...arent you forcing the defense to put in more DB's to cover you....your not gonna put a LB way out on a WR...you also force the safeties to stay out wide as well....especially on the strong side...why wouldnt you put Ginn way out and you almost force the safety to stay and protect the DB from getting beat deep. Use the WC...but use it on 3rd and short...2nd and Short...and inside near the goal line. Use it as a run formation...and that's it. No more throwing....I believe that call yesterday had more to do with next weeks game against the Pats, than anything else. We knew we didn't need that play to score..not at all. The coaches looked at it as a way to get that play into the game film, and force the Pats to have to be honest at the goal line next week. I don't have a problem with that....I think its great to set up a future opponent like that....Ricky has to know...unless he is 100% positive he is gonna hit the TE...he doesnt throw it. Besides....that close to the goal line....why not put Pat White in there? Ricky's hands are to small to throw the football...thats why he had trouble getting a handle on it. White could have definatley run it in...or passed it.... We need to get on opposing QB's early. Yesterday in the first quarter....why wouldnt we put Cameron Wake in and Charlie Anderson...and blitz the absolute hell out of Ryan Fitz? Knock any sense of fight out of Buffalo right off the bat....hit him from every angle possible....give him happy feet. The worst thing we did yesterday...is not going for the throat early and often and ending this game by the first half. Never...NEVER give a team (a division rival, with nothing to play for, and for a new coach) a reason to come out in the second half.... You want to waste a drive by putting out Pat White? Id rather see them go play action pass deep to Ted Ginn back to back plays.....you throw it out there...those safeties are NOT gonna creep up....if that play is there early...its there a hell of alot more often than its being called.
That is a good point about Wake and Anderson, and to me highlights DC Pasqualoni's issues, for example we have not seen the jailhouse blitz that we used against the Saints since we played the Saints, no Cb blitzes either. Imho DC P is too cautious, and doesn't have a feel for defensive playcalling.
With the problems that offensive line was having....why we didnt hit em with a freight train from the get go is beyond me. How many times did we hit Brees in the first half.....can you imagine what we would have done to Buffalo? If we insist on staying with 10 min offensive drives to be our bread and butter, folks...we gotta quit it with Pat White...and dumb reverses. 10 min drives are great...but when you do it all the time..and rely on it...your risking way to much to stall out on a drive. You almost have to score every time you get the ball...especially against teams like the Pats and Colts...they put up a ton of points on every defense...not just ours.
I know, people complain complain complain about Dan Henning, DC P is actually the culprit imho, he is working on becomming the modern version of Tom Olividotti. I'd love to see him walk and be replaced with someone like Crennel or Al Groh, or a younger guy like Bowles. Sort of, I can understand using White, I cannot understand the situations they put him into games. I personally think Henning is doing an okay job with what he has to work with, a poor Wr corps, missing Ronnie B and Te play that is inconsistent.
