5 ups, 5 downs vs the Giants

[turtle28]

UPs

 

1. Taylor Heinicke - 74%, 336 yds, 2 TDs, 1 int, 99,5 rtg 

Minus the bad throw which was intercepted when Scott Turner stupidly gave him a chance to get a 3rd and 7 with 2:22 left in the game. 
 

Just an awesome game, his pass to RSJ was absolute $ and the best throw a QB in this uniform has made in decades, just a great throw.

If he plays like this the rest of the season we’ll be in every game & we may just win the division again if the defense ever plays up to their potential.
 

2. Terry McLaurin - 11 recs, 107 yards and 1 TD.

They need to feed this guy like RG3/Kyle Shanahan fed Garcon back in 2013. 

I would like to see Terry get more intermediate to deep targets. Grant Paulsen said the average air yards in his receptions was only 2 yards. Meaning he was catching short passes and getting yac which is great but still, we need some post routes, go routes, deep crosses etc.  His ypc needs to be closer to 15, not 9.7 like it was last night.

3. Jon Allen - 6 tackles, 2 sacks

Playing next to Chase is really really benefiting him, he’s feasting bc Chase is getting so much attention.

4. Montez Sweat - 3 tackles, 1 sack

Like Allen, Montez has a sack in each of the first two games and is also benefiting from playing opposite of Chase as he never gets doubled or chipped by a RB or TE bc Chase is getting that attention. This allows him to always go one on one and he’s feasting.

5. The entire offensive line

The OTs, Flowers and Scherff all had an up and down game week 1 vs the Chargers defensive front, but minus early in the game when Cosmi was beat by Lorenzo Carter and Heinicke ran backwards into the sack instead of stepping up into the pocket or escaping into one of the lanes that was open to his right or left and scrambling for at least 5 yards, the OL much better this week. I think they’re going to be solid, they’ll continue to get better as the season goes on, especially Cosmi.

Honorable Mention - the entire fanbase has been giving Hopkins hell all preseason and while he was bailed out bc of the offsides call on Dexter Lawrence so he got to attempt the game winning FG twice & he knocked it through from 43 yards on his second attempt, he was perfect on the night. 
 

3-3 on FGs, 49 long & 3-3 on extra points 

 

DOWNs

1. Jon Bostic - We’ve talked about it as nausea, but he shouldn’t be starting and at worse he at least shouldn’t be on the field when we’re in our nickel D. I’d preferably like to have Landon Collins replace him as a WLB/dime LB - especially when we’re in nickel D & then Curl & McCain can play deep safety but if they’re not going to do that regularly, they at least have to play Jamin Davis & Holcomb as our dime LBs which, they seemed to do more as the game went on or at least I saw Jamin playing in the nickel D and he had good coverage on the RBs out of the backfield, they didn’t come close to getting open.
 

I really think that’s a good role for Jamin as he continues to learn the D more, his strength is his athleticism and coverage ability so he should definitely be on the field when we’re in our nickel D over Bostic.

 

2. Scott Turner’s  play calling -

I understand that Heinicke was hot and having a great game, but we need to be more balanced in our play calling. Last week I don’t think we threw/targeted Terry enough especially in the first half not to mention Logan Thomas & Dyami Brown too. This tweet by Brian Baldinger says it all when talking about Scotty’s play calling.

3. JDR & Rivera’s play calling -

JDR & Rivera need to get out of the 80s and start being more creative in their defensive calls & bring Collins, Holcomb & Fuller on more blitzes. They have to put pressure on the offenses & right now they’re not. They’re playing a soft zone, bend don’t break when they should be playing tighter coverage and challenging receivers at the line of scrimmage more.

JDR/Rivera have a lot of talent at DL, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean they should just rely on those guys up front to do everything as far as getting pressure while playing a vanilla defense behind them. It’s not working, and truthfully it didn’t work for most of the year last year too until we started facing battered OLs and back up QBs the second half of the year. 

 

4. Miscommunication and missed assignments in the back 7.
 

It’s been an issue both games this year.  Our secondary has too much talent to be playing below average & blowing assignments leaving guys wide open. They need to tighten it up. 

St. Juste played better this game and Curl played well but Fuller & WJ3 got burned at times. They’re both talented/good corners arguably great at times, they need to get it together and play better. I expect them to play better as the season goes on.
 

5. Landon Collins-

In intermediate to deep coverage he continues to be bad. Also, him not keeping contain and letting Daniel Jones turn the corner on the zone read and letting him run for a 58-yard TD that was luckily called back bc of holding but, it shouldn’t have happened. Collins should’ve tackled Jones for a short gain and we just can’t have him in intermediate to deep coverage! He needs to be made into a WLB/dime LB that plays the weak side on 1st downs & when we go nickel he and Jamin or he and Holcomb are our LBs together. 

Edited September 18, 2021 by turtle28

[Thaiphoon]

1 hour ago, turtle28 said:

UPs

 

1. Taylor Heinicke - 74%, 336 yds, 2 TDs, 1 int, 99,5 rtg 

Minus the bad throw which was intercepted when Scott Turner stupidly gave him a chance to get a 3rd and 7 with 2:22 left in the game. 
 

Just an awesome game, his pass to RSJ was absolute $ and the best throw a QB in this uniform has made in decades, just a great throw.

If he plays like this the rest of the season we’ll be in every game & we may just win the division again if the defense ever plays up to their potential.
 

2. Terry McLaurin - 11 recs, 107 yards and 1 TD.

They need to feed this guy like RG3/Kyle Shanahan fed Garcon back in 2013. 

I would like to see Terry get more intermediate to deep targets. Grant Paulsen said the average air yards in his receptions was only 2 yards. Meaning he was catching short passes and getting yac which is great but still, we need some post routes, go routes, deep crosses etc.  His ypc needs to be closer to 15, not 9.7 like it was last night.

3. Jon Allen - 6 tackles, 2 sacks

Playing next to Chase is really really benefiting him, he’s feasting bc Chase is getting so much attention.

4. Montez Sweat - 3 tackles, 1 sack

Like Allen, Montez has a sack in each of the first two games and is also benefiting from playing opposite of Chase as he never gets doubled or chipped by a RB or TE bc Chase is getting that attention. This allows him to always go one on one and he’s feasting.

5. The entire offensive line

The OTs, Flowers and Scherff all had an up and down game week 1 vs the Chargers defensive front, but minus early in the game when Cosmi was beat by Lorenzo Carter and Heinicke ran backwards into the sack instead of stepping up into the pocket or escaping into one of the lanes that was open to his right or left and scrambling for at least 5 yards, the OL much better this week. I think they’re going to be solid, they’ll continue to get better as the season goes on, especially Cosmi.

Honorable Mention - the entire fanbase has been giving Hopkins hell all preseason and while he was bailed out bc of the offsides call on Dexter Lawrence so he got to attempt the game winning FG twice & he knocked it through from 43 yards on his second attempt, he was perfect on the night. 
 

3-3 on FGs, 49 long & 3-3 on extra points 

 

DOWNs

1. Jon Bostic - We’ve talked about it as nausea, but he shouldn’t be starting and at worse he at least shouldn’t be on the field when we’re in our nickel D. I’d preferably like to have Landon Collins replace him as a WLB/dime LB - especially when we’re in nickel D & then Curl & McCain can play deep safety but if they’re not going to do that regularly, they at least have to play Jamin Davis & Holcomb as our dime LBs which, they seemed to do more as the game went on or at least I saw Jamin playing in the nickel D and he had good coverage on the RBs out of the backfield, they didn’t come close to getting open.
 

I really think that’s a good role for Jamin as he continues to learn the D more, his strength is his athleticism and coverage ability so he should definitely be on the field when we’re in our nickel D over Bostic.

 

2. Scott Turner’s  play calling -

I understand that Heinicke was hot and having a great game, but we need to be more balanced in our play calling. Last week I don’t think we threw/targeted Terry enough especially in the first half not to mention Logan Thomas & Dyami Brown too. This tweet by Brian Baldinger says it all when talking about Scotty’s play calling.

3. JDR & Rivera’s play calling -

JDR & Rivera need to get out of the 80s and start being more creative in their defensive calls & bring Collins, Holcomb & Fuller on more blitzes. They have to put pressure on the offenses & right now they’re not. They’re playing a soft zone, bend don’t break when they should be playing tighter coverage and challenging receivers at the line of scrimmage more.

JDR/Rivera have a lot of talent at DL, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean they should just rely on those guys up front to do everything as far as getting pressure while playing a vanilla defense behind them. It’s not working, and truthfully it didn’t work for most of the year last year too until we started facing battered OLs and back up QBs the second half of the year. 

 

4. Miscommunication and missed assignments in the back 7.
 

It’s been an issue both games this year.  Our secondary has too much talent to be playing below average & blowing assignments leaving guys wide open. They need to tighten it up. 

St. Juste played better this game and Curl played well but Fuller & WJ3 got burned at times. They’re both talented/good corners arguably great at times, they need to get it together and play better. I expect them to play better as the season goes on.
 

5. Landon Collins in coverage & him not keeping contain and letting Daniel Jones turn the corner and run for a 58-yard TD that was luckily called back bc of holding but, it shouldn’t have happened. Collins should’ve tackled Jones for a short gain and we just can’t have him in intermediate to deep coverage! He needs to be made into a WLB/dime LB that plays the weak side on 1st downs & when we go nickel he and Jamin or he and Holcomb are our LBs together. 

Good write up.

Per #5 down.  I keep watching the Collins pursuit of Jones. And while I think Payne gets in the way a bit, there's no way Collins should've been outrun by Jones. In fact, I don't think Landon is running hard at all on that play.

[Vladimir L]

Last year when Collins got injured defense got better

 

just saying…..bench him or use him as a hybrid lb but even then he gave up one of the big 40 yard plus run

[turtle28]

9 hours ago, Thaiphoon said:

Good write up.

Per #5 down.  I keep watching the Collins pursuit of Jones. And while I think Payne gets in the way a bit, there's no way Collins should've been outrun by Jones. In fact, I don't think Landon is running hard at all on that play.

It’s what I do! 😂 

[turtle28]

7 hours ago, Vladimir L said:

Last year when Collins got injured defense got better

 

just saying…..bench him or use him as a hybrid lb but even then he gave up one of the big 40 yard plus run

Yeah, I think WLB/hybrid/dime Lb is the way to go. Curl & McCain should start at S.

Edited September 18, 2021 by turtle28

[turtle28]

 

[turtle28]

We should’ve either been a) running the ball to take time off the clock for the rest of the game & if they stopped Gibby, then pin them deep w/ Way, or b) Heinicke should’ve thrown it to Gibson who looked uncovered in the flat & may have picked up the 1st if so. Bad play call by Turner, compounded by a bad decision by Heinicke.

[turtle28]

Thomas may not be putting up a lot of stats but he’s getting a lot of attention in the middle of the field & it’s clearing up things on the outside for others. Thomas took 2 defenders on the McKissic long pass play. He took two defenders in the Redzone when Heinicke came off Thomas and threw the TD to Seals-Jones & once again Thomas clears the way for Humphries to pick up this crucial catch to stop the clock.

[turtle28]

Juice is starting to show he belongs, we just need our two vet high paid CBs to play up to their abilities in the slot & opposite him, then, our D coverage will be where we expected it to be, especially if Bostic plays less in the nickel & Davis plays more for him.

Edited September 19, 2021 by turtle28

[turtle28]

 

[e16bball]

1 hour ago, turtle28 said:

 

His run blocking was already evident in the preseason, and it’s a real credit to the coaching. He was not a great run blocker in college — he had a tendency to lunge and dive, which obviously isn’t real conducive to consistency in moving people. 

He remains unreliable in pass protection, which is a little disappointing. I’d hoped he’d be able to step right in as a pass protector, because of his athleticism and (what I believed was) great length. Maybe he’ll end up as a guard, as some predicted, but it will be interesting to see if the pass blocking clicks for him at some point as the run blocking has. 

[MikeT14]

Again, I did not expect Cosmi to step in right away, that said, I knew he'd have struggles in pass protection, but I honestly expected his athleticism to carry him a little more than it has (kinda what Thomas is going through). The run blocking is a very pleasant surprise. 

[turtle28]

11 hours ago, e16bball said:

His run blocking was already evident in the preseason, and it’s a real credit to the coaching. He was not a great run blocker in college — he had a tendency to lunge and dive, which obviously isn’t real conducive to consistency in moving people. 

He remains unreliable in pass protection, which is a little disappointing. I’d hoped he’d be able to step right in as a pass protector, because of his athleticism and (what I believed was) great length. Maybe he’ll end up as a guard, as some predicted, but it will be interesting to see if the pass blocking clicks for him at some point as the run blocking has. 

Do you think we should start Lucas over him? I didn’t really realize why they didn’t have Lucas as the starting RT?

I understand wanting to give your young OT a chance, but he’s not better than Lucas at this point and I thought the goal was to win games - at least in the beginning of the year until and if, we get eliminated from the playoffs.

I didn’t really think about moving him to guard as I had hoped he’d work out at OT & I think we should still continue to develop him as an OT, but if he he doesn’t work out at OT, we should love him to guard like we did with Ereck Flowers and Cosmi can replace Scherff next year w/ Lucas being re-signed to be our RT..

[Woz]

On 9/18/2021 at 9:20 PM, turtle28 said:

 

That's good.

Perhaps get Gibson more involved now, both in the run game and the passing game.

[turtle28]

2 minutes ago, Woz said:

That's good.

Perhaps get Gibson more involved now, both in the run game and the passing game.

Yeah, I’d like to see them get Gibby like 5 more touches a game & they have to find away to get Thomas some more as well.