cage Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Despite the disappointing finish I think the season had a number of strong positives to build on in the future. Lets list them: 1. We have a clear answer on Tyrod... there have been lots of pros/cons debated all season long. I'll admit I've been a supporter, but the last half of the season clearly showed he won't be the QB who can take us to the promised land. While the QB position remains a problem, we've settled that question. 2. McDermott is a competent in-game coach...the tribulations of past coaches have been well chronicled from wasted TOs to poor/missed challenges to questionable gadget plays. While there's improvement needed on in-game adjustments and play-calling, we seem to have a competent in-game coach who will not lose us games. 3. Much improved salary cap... they bit the bullet and got rid of several big salaries giving the team flexibility and ability to maneuver going forward 4. Secondary has become a strength... Hyde/Poyer/White/Gaines, this area was a huge question mark in the off season and now is a bonafide strength. Though the defense needs further improvement (pass rush, run D, LBs) 5. Great rookie class... White (DROY), Dawkins, Milano played very well. Zay Jones needs to improve but showed flashes and Peterson seems to at least be a good back-up and will compete to possibly start. No obvious busts 6. Great draft pics in 2018... 2 firsts / 2 seconds / third can help with several areas that need upgrading What else?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KW95 - JA17 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Just now, cage said: Despite the disappointing finish I think the season had a number of strong positives to build on in the future. Lets list them: 1. We have a clear answer on Tyrod... there have been lots of pros/cons debated all season long. I'll admit I've been a supporter, but the last half of the season clearly showed he won't be the QB who can take us to the promised land. While the QB position remains a problem, we've settled that question. 2. McDermott is a competent in-game coach...the tribulations of past coaches have been well chronicled from wasted TOs to poor/missed challenges to questionable gadget plays. While there's improvement needed on in-game adjustments and play-calling, we seem to have a competent in-game coach who will not lose us games. 3. Much improved salary cap... they bit the bullet and got rid of several big salaries giving the team flexibility and ability to maneuver going forward 4. Secondary has become a strength... Hyde/Poyer/White/Gaines, this area was a huge question mark in the off season and now is a bonafide strength. Though the defense needs further improvement (pass rush, run D, LBs) 5. Great rookie class... White (DROY), Dawkins, Milano played very well. Zay Jones needs to improve but showed flashes and Peterson seems to at least be a good back-up and will compete to possibly start. No obvious busts 6. Great draft pics in 2018... 2 firsts / 2 seconds / third can help with several areas that need upgrading What else?? Agree with everything but this: He has been terrible in 2 minute offence, time out calling and challenges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foreigner Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Due to free agency the NFL is a now league. 25-50% of this team could be gone by next year, so if there is any building it will be with new players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundybout Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 If they can fix the offense as well and as fast as they fixed the secondary, we are in business! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJBobby Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 1. And most important the 100000000000000000000000000000 lbs Elephant of the Drought is dead 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Fan Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Pretty much really cleaning house this year and we still made the playoffs. In past years they just tweaked things but this somehow felt different. Hey I thought 6 wins start of the year but a promising future. I still believe the best is yet to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeginnersMind Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Discipline. Penalties way down. Preparation. Fundamentally sound team usually prepared for game. These are huge plusses as well. McD's in game decisions with timeouts need work but that can be learned or just outsourced. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juice_32 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 The secondary and the front office. I have a lot of faith in Beane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundybout Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 This year feels just like 2014. Lots of hope for next year, and now that we know Rex isn't coming, we can actually build on it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Best Player Available Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 First year without the Ryan Bros. And the team was in the playoffs. I'll take it. Even with the loss today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 1 hour ago, KW95 said: Agree with everything but this: He has been terrible in 2 minute offence, time out calling and challenges. I agree. McDermitt has done a good job making sure everyone is prepared, eliminating the stupid penalties and creating a sense of team. But his in game management needs a lot of work. Hopefully, that will improve with experience. 4 minutes ago, Juice_32 said: The secondary and the front office. I have a lot of faith in Beane. Based on what? Serious questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cage Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 54 minutes ago, KW95 said: Agree with everything but this: He has been terrible in 2 minute offence, time out calling and challenges. I don't think he's been perfect, but he has been pretty good. He's been good on challenges, there's not too many examples of poor/missed challenges and none that I'm aware of that cost us. On 2 min offense. They have been efficient at the end of half including a great drive we got screwed on before the half in NE. Good strategic choices in Colts snow game. They've typically been able at least close the half w/ a FG. I don't want to confuse inability to execute (and play calling.. on Dennison) w/ the 2 min coaching strategy, which is more on McDermott. I think he's been much better than his last 5 predecessors,... admittedly that bar is LOW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franco_92 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 I can feel the emptiness that comes from a big playoff loss in the first game, highlighting how far we still have to go. But teams don't just become Super Bowl contenders with the snap of the finger. It takes several seasons of strict adherence to a good plan to get things into place. For 17 years we had been trying as hard as possible to get the first steps in place, and failed miserably. This year we've finally taken that first step. We've established culture and accountability. We now have tasted postseason football and know what it takes to get there, and know how hard we have to work and how well we have to build to do well there. It's going to happen. McD has some ironing to do in his game management, but it is nowhere close to being as bad as we've seen during the drought, and quite frankly, I'm skeptical that there are any non-Belichick coaches out there that would make us completely satisfied in this regard. Deeply flawed coaches have won recent Super Bowls. In just a few months our team was transformed into one of my least favorite sports teams in Buffalo history to a team that we were thrilled and proud to watch come on the field every Sunday, a team that made up for its talent deficiencies by getting back up and trying harder time and time again, staying disciplined, staying the course. I was proud to watch these guys battle and show respect to each other and their opponents unlike the Rex teams of just last year and their 13 penalties per game. This stuff isn't just cliche, it's important, and we've finally got it. Then, there are very real QB options in both FA and the draft, and we are loaded with assets to improve the roster deficiencies that were supposed to give us a 4 win season. The team is in the right hands, the expectations are now raised to a level beyond what we've been searching for the past 17 years, legitimately, and I now have confidence that the guys are in place who can get this team to meet and exceed those expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juice_32 Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 3 minutes ago, vincec said: I agree. McDermitt has done a good job making sure everyone is prepared, eliminating the stupid penalties and creating a sense of team. But his in game management needs a lot of work. Hopefully, that will improve with experience. Based on what? Serious questions. Based on what I hear from Panthers fans who wish he was their GM now (I'm in NC) and based upon the trades he's made this year (Sammy, Darby, KB). I think he's a forward thinker and am excited to see how he shapes the roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 1 minute ago, Juice_32 said: Based on what I hear from Panthers fans who wish he was their GM now (I'm in NC) and based upon the trades he's made this year (Sammy, Darby, KB). I think he's a forward thinker and am excited to see how he shapes the roster. I'm in Charlotte too and I don't hear too much about him. Anyway, I hope he works out. These next two drafts are critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeginnersMind Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 8 minutes ago, vincec said: I agree. McDermitt has done a good job making sure everyone is prepared, eliminating the stupid penalties and creating a sense of team. But his in game management needs a lot of work. Hopefully, that will improve with experience. Based on what? Serious questions. Watkins for Gaines. Big win. Benjamin. Jury is out a little but that should be good with a good QB and a fixed knee. First and second round extra picks. Tre White. Matt Milano. Dareus disaster contract gone. Micah Hyde. Jordan Poyer. Beane maybe missed on Jones. Maybe also Matthews. But other than that, pretty good year 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, BeginnersMind said: Watkins for Gaines. Big win. Benjamin. Jury is out a little but that should be good with a good QB and a fixed knee. First and second round extra picks. Tre White. Matt Milano. Dareus disaster contract gone. Micah Hyde. Jordan Poyer. Beane maybe missed on Jones. Maybe also Matthews. But other than that, pretty good year 1. Hyde, Poyer, White and Milano were all here before he was hired. They were brought on by Whaley. So was the extra #1 pick. Matthews and Benjamin were useless deals. Gaines was good, but so was Watkins. Gaines is a FA now. He's got a lot to prove, IMO. Edited January 8, 2018 by vincec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offyourocker Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 I think Benjamin will be a 1000 yard receiver once we get a QB. We need help at DT. I like where this team is headed. Huge improvement in game management and player discipline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Linen Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 24 minutes ago, vincec said: I'm in Charlotte too and I don't hear too much about him. Anyway, I hope he works out. These next two drafts are critical. I'm in Charlotte also and I know fans that wanted him to stay. I think one of the most important things about Beane is he and McD's 6 years together in Carolina. They know each other and have a good relationship. I"m not saying Beane doesn't have to prove himself, he does, but the HC and GM being on the same page is important. One of Whaley's biggest problems was his inability to get along and be on the same page with the coaching staff. For the unknown Beane that's a good start for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeginnersMind Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 49 minutes ago, vincec said: Hyde, Poyer, White and Milano were all here before he was hired. They were brought on by Whaley. So was the extra #1 pick. Matthews and Benjamin were useless deals. Gaines was good, but so was Watkins. Gaines is a FA now. He's got a lot to prove, IMO. Right you are. Bring back Whaley! Beane has something to prove of course. But this team is better right now for 2018 than they were before he joined. His picks and this off-season will show a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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