WhitewalkerInPhilly

The playoffs, possibly. Ok, snappy answer out of the way. I did actually enjoy watching the game. But looking to the future, I absolutely see problems. The defense is worse than it was 3 years ago when Pettine was running the show, and that is supposed to be our HCs specialty. So many things were self inflicted: countless broken tackles that led to huge plays. clock mismanagement. Timeout mismanagement. Yeah, the refs screwed us on two non PI calls, but they absolutely did not cause us to be late lining up for the next play to knock off five yards and make Carp's job harder. These are coaching issues, all of them.

True. You could argue that was the signature of Rex in NY. That he would send the house, that he would cook up blitzes that seemed unimaginable. And then I cut to Week 2 against the Jets. I am watching that game and I am screaming at the TV "send a blitz up the middle! Up the middle! UP THE MIDDLE!!!!"

It is bad at the best of times. When you are in overtime, it is extra bad. When you are in overtime, and a tie disqualifies you from the playoffs, it is unspeakably bad. When you are in overtime, and a tie disqualifies from the playoffs, and you are up against a team that has had massive success running the ball, it is "pull your hair out, WTF are they doing bad" When you are in overtime, and a tie disqualifies from the playoffs, and you are up against a team that has had massive success running the ball, and if you do not get a 3 and out at that moment, and you hang your hat on being a defensive coach, it is "I am walking into a snowy field with a gun and a single bullet" bad.

Thank you for providing the numbers. I am sorry, but that is indefensible. (Pun originally unintended, but it totally works) That is abysmal. Again, say what you will about the long term viability of TT at QB or Lynn at OC, but when you have three separate games of allowing one player to pick up 200+ yards rushing, looking at it blind you would say "Fire the DC. Immediately." When you hang your hat on defense, that is more than abysmal. That is team killing.

He had a fantastic year in 2014. But man, I have seen nothing of the man we gave a big contact to since. Missed extra points. Missed game winning field goals. Kickers have been fired for worse track records.

Yeah, this is "sorry not sorry" territory. That is such an obvious organizational and discipline based mistake. And Iike "player coach" people. I see the benefit. But at that moment, in that situation, that is an absolute failing.

Lynn needs to be punched in the face for the last two red zone play calls in OT. But other than that, when your offense produces 600 yards of offense, and overcomes multiple 2 touchdown deficits to take a 3 point lead with 1:20 in regulation, they typically are doing something right.

I will preface this: I like Rex Ryan. He seems to be a wonderful man to grab a beer with. I enjoy the spirit and enthusiasm to which he brings press conferences. I think that his antics take pressure off players and onto him. This is in no way an indictment of his personal character, or political affiliation, or his media savvy, But Jesus Christ on a ham sandwich, this is a nightmare. It is hard to tear down the coach with the best win/loss record since Wade Phillips, but this Dolphins game was enough for me. If you want to rag on Lynn for the idiotic choice to run that Reggie Bush reverse, I feel you. But so much of this game was decided early. The tackling. The tackling was terrible. A few broken ones are to be expected, especially when talented players are involved. Gronk is special. Shady is special. Bell is special. But what we say today was a fundamental, top down, bottom up failure on pretty much every level. When your OC gets close to 300 yards rushing, say what you will about Taylor's viability long term, Lynn long term, but they are not the over-riding problem today. The defense today showed fundamentally poor tackling technique. They have, over the course of two seasons, been poorer than 2014. We are moving backwards, even as we have improved on offense. I'm sorry. I feel dirty saying this, but Rex is not the answer on defense. Screw injuries. Lawson being injured was replaced with LorAx having a Pro Bowl season. Ragland going down has been filled by Zach Brown, who has very solid. That doesn't change a top 5 defense going to the bottom half. Jesus, blow it up.

Jesus with the way we tackle why do you kick it short?

Are you kidding me? When it's us you can't breath on a WR too hard. Now, twice today they have been draped on our receivers and nothing

Man, you really see Byrd and Searcy really lighting it up now, don't you? Right,they got horribly overpaid elsewhere. Searcy hasn't exactly lit it up with the Titans and Byrd has become the prime case for "this is why you don't pay out big for a safety" naysayers. Also, Byrd missed half the year you say was so amazing. And then, they were miraculously better the next year without them. I'll admit that Darby is having a down year. But he's getting very little help with safety play. If you want to indict Whaley for not doing enough to help the safety group, and he overly counted on AW getting through one more year I'm right there with you. But let's not make out Byrd and Searcy as horrific losses. You want to say that Zack and LorAx are going to go elsewhere? Well, we have their replacements waiting I'm the wings. There is something to be said for having a nose to find journeymen who are motivated to outplay expectations and Whaley seems to have it. Do you seriously believe that the GM had nothing to do with bringing Incognito in? Whaley struck first, and Ritchie has been our best lineman all season. And even if, by some miracle, the Pegula's brought him in without their GM, Whaley has made sure he is staying with a very reasonable deal. The man has flaws. WR, S and QB looks messy right now. But let's not misrepresent things.

I would hate it. Less than I hate him as president, but at least that has a time limit on it.

The only thing I buy in this is that this is a divided organization. On Rex's side, he can point to the obvious: glaring, gaping holes at safety and the WR group. On Whaley's: Rex hasn't gotten the production out of the D that even Pettine was able to, never mind Schwartz. Mario Williams quit on the team after less than a season with Rex, and vast resources have been poured in to try to right the ship and it still hasn't worked. Whaley got an extraordinary value in Kiko for Shady, struck gold with Darby, LorAx, Zach, Hughes and Ritchie, and got the pieces for the best rushing attack two years running. But it still isn't enough. I bet the knives are out. It's hard to tear it all down if they finish 9-7 but there is bad blood. FWIW, the last coach I remember being fired with a winning record was Lovie Smith from Chicago and neither side has done well since.

I don't know about Head Coach (though at this point I am not against it too much) but if he wants to be czar, I am all for it.

Obviously Shady and Sammy. They showed the dynamic part of the offense that we desperately miss when they get out. I also have to hand it off to Hunter. His touchdown was a thing of beauty, and that first down at the end of the game was crucial.

Is anyone else loving this acquisition right now? Say what you want about his all around value, he has been invaluable in Red Zone situations. He leads us in receiving touchdowns, despite not being with the team at the start of the season. We absolutely ought to upgrade WR in the offseason, and Hunter definitely has its limitations, but I certainly think he's shown enough to be brought back next year.

I don't get why they don't have Watkins back practicing. All the reports I heard were that his injury was about pain management. You would think that if he feels good he should be out there.

Against a 3-4-1 team that has looked like a shell of itself, and it's only wins against terrible teams and only able to draw against the Skins? With, again, a team that is coming off a bye when they are on a short week.

I'm a little surprised that we are the underdogs, even by a small margin. The Bengals have not been playing well at all, and we play them off a bye while they are on a short week. We should have Sammy back this week, right?

I definitely agree with WR. Understatement of the year. Sammy has been hurt, Woods is a free agent and we have a big load of nothing after that

At the very least he should be in every red zone package we have. He ran a good route, absolutely beat the pair of safeties on him and caught a perfect ball. If anything, I would want to expand him in the long pass. We really left it off the table most of the game.

I think they have it screwed up in their brackets. They have us playing the Broncos and the Raiders are the 3rd seed when they should be sixth. The Texans being 4th seed at 3-2 is about as clear indication that the playoff system needs overhaul than anything.

I'm not usually one to toot my own horn but I'll just leave this here.

Here's the thing: I share your worries Yolo, but I think Buffalo is just a bad matchup (or good for us) vs the Niners. Chip's offense (for the 3 years I watched it in Philly) is brilliant when everything is clicking at the same time. Kaep, at his best, is near unbeatable when clicking. But they are flying cross country and playing in a very hostile stadium. Kap's biggest knock was accuracy and a difficulty reading defenses. Chip Kelly needs accuracy with all his high tempo pick routes. Rex (with Palmer and Brisset) got back to swarming amoeba coverages. And when Chip goes 3 and out, he goes 3 and out fast. Also, unlike last year vs the Eagles, their run defense is putrid. I don't care what the score is in the first half, pound that rock.

Now that it's official who is starting, I need to bump this. It's the perfect gameplan to throw at Kaep.