Week 2 GDT - In the land of Crab Cakes

[H2ThaIzzo]

Does everyone recall just how bad we were defensively last year? Currently this year we have two CB's, neither named Haden, rated as top 10 CB's. Our run defense is giving up 3.5 YPC. We shut down Leveon Bell week one. We gave up one killer run against Baltimore, and no, it wasn't on a predictable run call. That play call was brilliant, and our run defense was terrible on that one play. Take that run out and Baltimore has 31 rush attempts for 99 yards against us. 

 

Offensively we need to put some points on the scoreboard to win these football games. Red Zone turnovers killed us. We looked good preseason. Kizer looked decisive, he got the ball out quick, we need to get back to that. Hue needs to run the football. When a team like Baltimore commits to the run, and you run it 32 times, you're going to at some point find a seam and break a run. Nobody could have predicted that we had the football, driving towards Baltimore's end zone with 40 seconds to go in the first half, and the half ends with a Baltimore TD and zero points for the good guys. That was a ten point swing for us. Add in Kizer's interception in the end zone, and there's another 3 points we don't get. All of a sudden its a 17-16 football game that we are in until the last minute. 

[DizzyDean]

3 hours ago, H2ThaIzzo said:

Does everyone recall just how bad we were defensively last year? Currently this year we have two CB's, neither named Haden, rated as top 10 CB's. Our run defense is giving up 3.5 YPC. We shut down Leveon Bell week one. We gave up one killer run against Baltimore, and no, it wasn't on a predictable run call. That play call was brilliant, and our run defense was terrible on that one play. Take that run out and Baltimore has 31 rush attempts for 99 yards against us. 

 

Offensively we need to put some points on the scoreboard to win these football games. Red Zone turnovers killed us. We looked good preseason. Kizer looked decisive, he got the ball out quick, we need to get back to that. Hue needs to run the football. When a team like Baltimore commits to the run, and you run it 32 times, you're going to at some point find a seam and break a run. Nobody could have predicted that we had the football, driving towards Baltimore's end zone with 40 seconds to go in the first half, and the half ends with a Baltimore TD and zero points for the good guys. That was a ten point swing for us. Add in Kizer's interception in the end zone, and there's another 3 points we don't get. All of a sudden its a 17-16 football game that we are in until the last minute. 

Regarding getting back to that, its easier said than done.  Its a bit difference in preseason playing against many guys that are likely out of the league now, and vanilla defenses, when nothing really counts, as compared to going against Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the regular season.

Its like the kid that has taken all of the classroom training for drivers ed, he knew all of the answers, but when he gets behind the wheel of the car, he is all over the road, hard breaking, start and stop, etc.