Achilles

This game is a seeming candidate for a last minute, game-winning field goal. It could be either team, but I’ve got to say: Panthers are due for one and I think Piniero is up for it. Stat prediction: The team with the most rushing yards in the second half will prevail. 1st half will probably be like a 10-6 type of score. I’m thinking this game ends 23-21. The X-Factor will be if either defense can come up with a big play to help their offense. Panthers may have lost 5 games, but the defense has scored multiple times. So, it’s not out of the question.

Remember when we all thought we had pulled a huge victory by locking him down. Giants wanted him. Now, one of those teams is 4-1 and IT AIN’T US!! I respect this move by Tepper. Shows there will be accountability. Go ahead and make a move. The season is in the gutter, but at least now the culture of losing can potentially change. I like Wilks too!!

I am for firing Rhule now. I have never said this before. I didn’t say this about Fox or Rivera. The Rhule era has consisted of good defenses that can’t shut teams down because the offense can’t hold onto the ball. we are always in it the first half. Then, the offense can’t do crap in the 3rd quarter and the other team pulls away. We must have lost 20 games in the last 3 years simply because the offense couldn’t keep possession and put the D out there to give up long 2nd half drives. This team needs new leadership now!! Get Rhule the F out! This team has never sucked this consistently for this long. It’s over. Fire Rhule!

There are certainly things that Shula could do to 1) focus on blitz protection in practice, 2) game plan to actually take advantage of an over aggressive D, and 3) make in game adjustments to adapt to whatever the defense is doing. Looking ahead to the Minnesota game, one thing we know is that they like to get pressure with their front four in a 4-3 package. This should bode well for our o-line. They do have an all pro pass rusher in Jared Allen, so i expect that there will be some pressure generated from the Vikes D-line. Will it be enough to frustrate Cam? Again, if he can break contain and float out of the pocket, then get up field a few times early on, it will help to soften up that front 7. Against AZ he really didn't get anything going and became one dimensional. Shula didn't call a good game in the second half and it seemed like we were going downfield on every pass play. Very few screens and underneath routes. THat Cards D is very good, no doubt. Minnesota isn't bad either. They have given up a lot of points, but they also have a defense that forces turnovers and scores points. Hopefully from Cam's perspective, the Cards loss will be a learning experience and he will approach the next game with a greater awareness and some strategies for overcoming the blitz. Vikings coming off a bye could be lackluster or could raise up on us. Hopefully, RR and Shula will think about their jobs a lot this week and bring some intensity to this squad. If we get to 1-5 I'd say we have to cut RR loose. We could have done better than Shula...in fact that might be a big reason we have lost 3 out of 4 games. Cam hasn't been stellar and now the stats are starting to bear that out. He was due for a 3 INT game. That doesn't mean that he won't turn around and have another 3 TD game next week. Leadership is being tested right now and arriving home in week 7 at 2-3 would do wonders for this team.

The one thing that makes me think that this won't be like the Seattle game is that Palmer is not mobile and the Cards O-line is beaten up and they have a player making his first NFL start going up against Hardy. The only way they put up 27 points is if they get a ST or Def score (which I guess isn't out of the question). The chances of us getting e Def TD are just as high, if not higher. Probably...probably...13 points isn't going to be enough to beat us even if its a low scoring affair. Also, they don't really have a running game and we do. That bodes well for a team on the road. They are already one dimensional and we have just the D-line to attack the drop back passer. All of this seems to point to the Panthers having the advantage. The only thing that really worries me is that we have a knack for losing close games, so it is important that we get out to a 2+ score lead. Bury them early and make Palmer take those 5 and 7 step drops (of course Fitz will still probably get his 7 or 8 catches). I will stop just short of predicting a score or a winner, but on paper at least it looks like we have several key advantages and should...should...win. We also have historically played well in AZ.

interesting to know about the issues that the Bills are having. It looks like they are a team that has a great many question marks, even at positions that probably should be solid (like the secondary). I hope our coaches can create a game plan to take advantage of this. I'd like to think they can, but RR's track record doesn't give me a lot of confidence. Looks like it will be a case of the running game opening up the play action downfield passing game. if the O-line can hold their own, we should be able to move the ball. I'm guessing that the winner of this game will need to score a minimum of 21 points. It might take a defensive TD for us to get there. Watched most of the Pats-Jets game last night and WOW! NE offense was brutal. They had 9 straight incomplete passes and probably at least 5 obvious drops by WRs. It wasn't so much that the Jets D was causing problems, the passing game was just not clicking and the announcers were saying that the same poo was happening against Buffalo. Credit to their coaching staff for pulling out two close wins under the circumstances, but this NE offense is a shadow of its former self with Welker and others. My point is...if that offense can put up 23 on this Buffalo team on the road, i like our chances (based on potential of course, not on what we saw in week one). Even so...NE is never really serious about running the ball, but we are. Buffalo hasn't faced a power running game like ours. It was pretty good last week. Should be better this week. We just need that added dimension of the deep threat. Ginn could have a big game. Another thing is that RR seems to be a slightly better coach on the road in these conditions. I think that bodes well for us this week.

The first preseason game I think can be very telling. It sets the tone for the rest of the practice season and that can snowball into the regular season. The offense usually comes out looking to score on that first drive. I remember how the offense came out in 2011 and just lit up the Giants, Clausen and Cam looked solid. I was so excited because when Cam came in, it was just immediately clear that he would be the franchise QB for years to come. It became clear over the next couple of preseason and regular season games that this team would struggle to get Ws. But after that 1st preseason game I was so stoked. What I'm saying is that the preseason can be full of surprises and that first drive in game 1 sets the tone. I think players play harder in that game, honestly. Plus, as mentioned, you get to see the kick return game in action and that will be very telling because they are going to do the same thing in reg season. Game 1 is also a lot better if the opponent is a rival and we do kind of have a grudge thing going on with the Bears. We gutted them in that 2005 playoff game and they have had our number ever since. Plus, there's last year's heartbreaker which we lost after leading comfortably. Its a good match, because the Bears are a good team that will provide a good measure of our abilities.