R. Rich Posted September 24, 2009 Posted September 24, 2009 First off, the 10th annual TBD tailgate was fun. There were a few MIAs (like Sidbuff!!), but all in all, a great time. The band was really good too. I actually didn't win anything from the raffle this time. Wow. But, I did win the grand prize: some of Mrs. Mead's stromboli to take home!! Thanks folks, and be sure that we'll be coming up there some time this offseason for a visit. Also, thanks to everyone who wished us a happy anniversary. We appreciate the well wishes. Extra special thanks to Psycho Ward 86. I'm sure there's plenty of other place you would've liked to go for our anniversary. Thanks for allowing us to be in Buffalo, since it just happened to fall on opening weekend. Aw, who am I kidding? Like you would've passed up the opportunity to get some more of that stromboli! As for the game... Fred Jackson showed some great stuff! He runs decisive, makes people miss on the fly, is only scratching the surface in terms of his receiving ability (much room for improvement, so that is a HUGE plus w/ this guy!), and does a solid job in terms of blitz pickup (not perfect, but he wins more than he loses there). Man, this defense plays hard. They get after it in terms of run defense: swarm to the ball. Sometimes, that causes 'em to overpursue, but overall, they do a solid job of either stopping plays for minimal or no gain, or routing the play to the outside so that the pursuit can slow it down. Kyle Williams has really impressed me in terms of shooting the gaps and disrupting running plays. He also has done a fine job in terms of an interior rush; Donte Whitner owes his INT for a score to Williams' pressure. If Demetrius Bell is a work in progress, then he appears to be learning quite well. Not nearly as many boneheaded errors as week 1, and I love how he gets out in front of running plays to the outside. Heck, the line in general has done well getting to the second level so far. It's early, probably too early to make any real judgments, but the line seems to be progressing and not regressing. They'll certainly get a test in the coming weeks, as some good pass rushers are on the horizon. One thing I have noticed w/ Reggie Corner is that he seems to do well in man coverage and struggles a bit more in zone. All the more reason for Perry Fewell to let these guys press cover more, I think. I've seen good stuff from Corner, Lankster, McGee, and McKelvin when they let 'em get up in the receivers' grill. Maybe we'll get a bit more of that in the coming weeks. W/ the red hot Drew Brees coming to town this weekend, there's no time like the present to start. Did you like the more aggressive approach to the passing game? I know I did. Even though not all of it worked (Owens and Evans dropped BIG plays), they took their shots down the field. It paid off w/ the big TD catch by Owens. I still would like to see Evans' route running be a bit sharper. He rounds stuff off too much, which can make it appear @ times as if the QB is erratic on throws. Josh Reed continues to be a guy who can run all the routes and come up w/ some clutch catches. From here, you just hope that Edwards begins to trust these guys to the point where he'll throw to guys in single coverage and let 'em make the play. I hope this is only the beginning, and judging by Alex Van Pelt's play calling so far, it very well may be. Nice. Well, it was nice to get to see a win! I have a couple more trips lined up (Houston game, Miami game), and maybe I'll get to see 'em win all of those games. What a thought.
Beerball Posted September 24, 2009 Posted September 24, 2009 Also, thanks to everyone who wished us a happy anniversary. Kyle Williams has really impressed me in terms of shooting the gaps and disrupting running plays. He also has done a fine job in terms of an interior rush; Donte Whitner owes his INT for a score to Williams' pressure. If Demetrius Bell is a work in progress, then he appears to be learning quite well. One thing I have noticed w/ Reggie Corner is that he seems to do well in man coverage and struggles a bit more in zone. All the more reason for Perry Fewell to let these guys press cover more, I think. I've seen good stuff from Corner, Lankster, McGee, and McKelvin when they let 'em get up in the receivers' grill. Maybe we'll get a bit more of that in the coming weeks. W/ the red hot Drew Brees coming to town this weekend, there's no time like the present to start. Did you like the more aggressive approach to the passing game? I know I did. Even though not all of it worked (Owens and Evans dropped BIG plays), they took their shots down the field. It paid off w/ the big TD catch by Owens. I still would like to see Evans' route running be a bit sharper. He rounds stuff off too much, which can make it appear @ times as if the QB is erratic on throws. Josh Reed continues to be a guy who can run all the routes and come up w/ some clutch catches. From here, you just hope that Edwards begins to trust these guys to the point where he'll throw to guys in single coverage and let 'em make the play. I hope this is only the beginning, and judging by Alex Van Pelt's play calling so far, it very well may be. Nice. Well, it was nice to get to see a win! I have a couple more trips lined up (Houston game, Miami game), and maybe I'll get to see 'em win all of those games. What a thought. Happy Anniversary to a great couple. Happy to see your thoughts on Bell...hope his progress continues. Nice movement and push from the O-line in general. Also...decent pocket for Edwards most of the time. Would love to see more press coverage...especially if it is combined with the type of blitzing we did Sunday. AVP is mixing things up very nicely and Edwards is checking out of plays when the defense dictates it...love it!
stuckincincy Posted September 24, 2009 Posted September 24, 2009 As for the game... Fred Jackson showed some great stuff! He runs decisive, makes people miss on the fly, is only scratching the surface in terms of his receiving ability (much room for improvement, so that is a HUGE plus w/ this guy!), and does a solid job in terms of blitz pickup (not perfect, but he wins more than he loses there). Yep. I see a Kenny Watson ethic in him - complete back who gets the picture, seems to keep an eye on his QB and is there to help him out. You get AFC North games where you live, so you know Watson and know this is high praise. It will be interesting to see if they try to give Lynch a game 4 start. If Freddie has a decent outing this Sunday - pfft - Lynch sits IMO.
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