Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Here are mine---I will be very interested to read yours.
Top 5 Concerns:
1. In the general sense, is this team tough enough, both physically and mentally? The simplest way to put it is---will 49ers' QB Alex Smith continue to be correct when he said, "If you get on top of the Cardinals they will fold up their tents."
The players that I am convinced are tough: #11, #19, #35, #63, #76, #86, #87, #90, #93, #52, #58, #20, #27.
Problem with this list is in game one we are not starting our toughest o-lineman, #76 (Deuce Lutui) or one of our toughest defenders, #52 (Stewart Bradley)...and #27 (Mike Adams) is coming back from knee surgery.
I wanted to list #24 Adrian Wilson---but it's the mental part that eludes me on him. Plus, he's going to play hurt again---which resulted in his worst year as a Cardinal last year.
The players I worry about: #4, #26, #75, #71, #70, #72, #12, #85, #18, #92, #51, #53, #55, #21, #25, #49. Just haven't seen the type of all-around toughness from them yet that I would call convincing.
The one thing that concerned me about trading for Kevin Kolb---his skittishness in the pocket. I am hoping that he starts stepping up into the pocket the way Bartel did in the last two pre-season games.
2. Lack of a pass rush. We have 2 good inside rushers in #90 and #93---but they cannot play every snap and be consistently effective---and the players who rush from the edges are either over the hill or thoroughly unproven.
3. The Whiz factor: Poor game management. Poor in-game decisions and lack of in- game adjustments.
4. Shoddy Fundamentals: blocking, protecting the ball, tackling, maintaining good leverage and looking back for the ball on pass defense.
In particular---the pass protection from the current personnel on the o-line.
5. Inexperience of both coordinators---neither has much or any experience calling plays. I think both have very good ideas---so I am encouraged by that---but can they deliver when the pressure is on in real games?
Top 5 Reasons to Be Optimistic:
1. The Players Taking Ownership---Fitz was huge in paving the way for Kolb to become a Cardinal---Darnell Dockett has said that while his new defensive responsibilities are not what he would prefer, he recognizes that the execution of assignments is critical to the team's chances for winning and thus he has accepted his new responsibilities with conviction. I sense that the players have a renewed commitment to winning---as they have to abandon the propensity to be "no shows" in games.
2. Talent at QB---the talent is there, imo, across the board. Whether the execution will be there---no one knows yet---but we have 3 QBs, all with different strengths who are capable of leading the offense.
3. Ray Horton and a fresh approach to attack style defense that also involves discipline. Ray is going to put the players in a position to wreak havoc---the question is, will the players respond?
4. Mike Miller's passing game. I like it and I like it a lot. Good waggle play action options---good, deceptive route wrinkles---and a good sense of exploiting mismatches, a la Kurt Warner.
5. Kevin Spencer's Special Teams---this guy---if Whiz continues to falter, would be one of my top choices for head coach. He brings it every week---for a phase of the game that takes great coaching to get the most favorable results in. I think that LSH and PP21 could well be the best KR/PR tandem in the NFL---and Jay Feely could well be the most accurate and clutch PK. I also believe that we could lead the league in blocked FGs and punts---and I am confident that we will tackle like dogs on returns.
Top 5 Concerns:
1. In the general sense, is this team tough enough, both physically and mentally? The simplest way to put it is---will 49ers' QB Alex Smith continue to be correct when he said, "If you get on top of the Cardinals they will fold up their tents."
The players that I am convinced are tough: #11, #19, #35, #63, #76, #86, #87, #90, #93, #52, #58, #20, #27.
Problem with this list is in game one we are not starting our toughest o-lineman, #76 (Deuce Lutui) or one of our toughest defenders, #52 (Stewart Bradley)...and #27 (Mike Adams) is coming back from knee surgery.
I wanted to list #24 Adrian Wilson---but it's the mental part that eludes me on him. Plus, he's going to play hurt again---which resulted in his worst year as a Cardinal last year.
The players I worry about: #4, #26, #75, #71, #70, #72, #12, #85, #18, #92, #51, #53, #55, #21, #25, #49. Just haven't seen the type of all-around toughness from them yet that I would call convincing.
The one thing that concerned me about trading for Kevin Kolb---his skittishness in the pocket. I am hoping that he starts stepping up into the pocket the way Bartel did in the last two pre-season games.
2. Lack of a pass rush. We have 2 good inside rushers in #90 and #93---but they cannot play every snap and be consistently effective---and the players who rush from the edges are either over the hill or thoroughly unproven.
3. The Whiz factor: Poor game management. Poor in-game decisions and lack of in- game adjustments.
4. Shoddy Fundamentals: blocking, protecting the ball, tackling, maintaining good leverage and looking back for the ball on pass defense.
In particular---the pass protection from the current personnel on the o-line.
5. Inexperience of both coordinators---neither has much or any experience calling plays. I think both have very good ideas---so I am encouraged by that---but can they deliver when the pressure is on in real games?
Top 5 Reasons to Be Optimistic:
1. The Players Taking Ownership---Fitz was huge in paving the way for Kolb to become a Cardinal---Darnell Dockett has said that while his new defensive responsibilities are not what he would prefer, he recognizes that the execution of assignments is critical to the team's chances for winning and thus he has accepted his new responsibilities with conviction. I sense that the players have a renewed commitment to winning---as they have to abandon the propensity to be "no shows" in games.
2. Talent at QB---the talent is there, imo, across the board. Whether the execution will be there---no one knows yet---but we have 3 QBs, all with different strengths who are capable of leading the offense.
3. Ray Horton and a fresh approach to attack style defense that also involves discipline. Ray is going to put the players in a position to wreak havoc---the question is, will the players respond?
4. Mike Miller's passing game. I like it and I like it a lot. Good waggle play action options---good, deceptive route wrinkles---and a good sense of exploiting mismatches, a la Kurt Warner.
5. Kevin Spencer's Special Teams---this guy---if Whiz continues to falter, would be one of my top choices for head coach. He brings it every week---for a phase of the game that takes great coaching to get the most favorable results in. I think that LSH and PP21 could well be the best KR/PR tandem in the NFL---and Jay Feely could well be the most accurate and clutch PK. I also believe that we could lead the league in blocked FGs and punts---and I am confident that we will tackle like dogs on returns.
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