It's the freakin' preseason, people.

[CPcavedweller]

1. It's the Preseason

2. Guys, its just Week 1, and it's Aaron Donald

3. Guys, it's the Bucs and Bruce Arians is a guy Rivera hasn't seen in a while

4. Guys, the first quarter of the season isn't even over, plus Cam isn't 100%, just wait

I've read this book before. The guys on defense lack juice because they aren't just out there reading and reacting. There is too much thinking going on due to the scheme change leading to more uncertainty, which naturally leads to less aggression.

The offense seems to be in trouble as well and not because of Cam. Dude didn't look any better than Allen or Grier last night, receivers can't get open, and we can't beat soft zone coverages or block well. None of this bodes well for the season.

Side note: Cam is fine. I understand everyone is freaking out but if that happened against the Rams in 3 weeks Cam would've finished the game. 

[rhyslloyd]

19 minutes ago, Bronn said:

Are you singing his praises, though, when he does the good things?

It is kinda low odds to get coach of the year. Rivera's done it twice.

He's frustrating as hell sometimes, yes. But, ultimately, I do believe he is one of the better coaches in the league.

As far as him getting to attached to players and having a "core," this happens with every team in every sport. If you play better and get better, then you're going to find your way into that circle anyways.

It sounds like bitter current players or former players making excuses because they weren't good enough tbqh.

Give me one instance, right now, were someone isn't going to be getting the PT they deserve when Week 1 rolls around.

When we cut/trade/IR Gano, and keep Slye, are people going to say that Ron has an inner circle of players and that he won't give people their fair shot?

The opportunities to give him praise for his coaching are few and far between.  I don't think anyone can say with a straight face that Ron Rivera is a coach who gets the most out of the talent he's given.  I mean, how much can you really do with the likes of Mike Shula, Eric Washington, Brady Hoke, Jeff Imamura, Sam Mills Jr., Ken Dorsey, Richard Rodgers and plenty of other buddies of Ron's coaching?  That's a sad lineup.

He's a nice guy that players seem to like, but the reality is he's a coach who has had three winning seasons in 8 years and still makes the same mistakes he's been making the entire time which he then declines to take responsibility for.  The reason he looks lost on the sidelines most of the time is because he truly is lost.

[Bronn]

I'm not going to look too hard into it but on the surface, teams are exploiting our defense on places that Luke and our starting DBs will normally be. I'm not worried about that.

We're also not pinning our ears back with any special blitzes much, but when we do they are pretty successful.

On offense, when guys like CMC, Greg, DJ, and Samuel are out there 99% of the time, we'll look 99% better.

The Cam injury deflated everyone last night. That is the bottom line. Everyone was ready to pack it up and head home.

Well, maybe not Antwione Williams and a couple other guys, but meh. And those guys might not even make the team so, again, meh.

[Daddy_Uncle]

1 hour ago, hepcat said:

It's pre-season but our recently oft-injured starting QB couldn't even make it through one quarter in a pre-season game so there is some legitimate concern.

Because it's... preseason. He would have been able to keep playing had the game meant something 

[Snake]

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this followed by a below average season. First its just preseason, then it's just a few game, then it's we are still in this, and finally it's well we will be better next year. 

 

To ignore this team has looked like ass and probably the worst it has looked in years is fool hearted. 

[Bronn]

1 minute ago, rhyslloyd said:

The opportunities to give him praise for his coaching are few and far between.  I don't think anyone can say with a straight face that Ron Rivera is a coach who gets the most out of the talent he's given.  He's a nice guy that players seem to like, but the reality is he's a coach who has had three winning seasons in 8 years, and still makes the same mistakes he's been making the entire time which he then declines to take responsibility for.  The reason he looks lost on the sidelines most of the time is because he truly is lost.

Didn't our D look better last year once he started calling plays?

Listen, I've even championed the Stoic Ron meme here lots of times in the past, but it could always be worse.

There's only one Belichick in the league, tbqh. That is like the only guy that takes guys and makes them play at 150% of their ability.

I can't list more than 4-5 guys that I think MIGHT be better coaches than Ron. Maybe some of it is homerism or w/e but he's had to deal with sub-par talent aside from Cam and Luke and another 5-6 guys during his tenure. We don't bring in amazing free agents. We don't always draft the best. But he's made lemonade when he's had to, some of the time.

[Bronn]

1 minute ago, Snake said:

I can't tell you how many times I've heard this followed by a below average season. First its just preseason, then it's just a few game, then it's we are still in this, and finally it's well we will be better next year. 

 

To ignore this team has looked like ass and probably the worst it has looked in years is fool hearted. 

You must be a miserable person IRL.

[philit99]

52 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

Agree on all points but that O-Line has me seriously nervous

29 yards at the half = seriously nervous regardless of situational football.

[CPcavedweller]

23 minutes ago, FakePlasticTrees said:

Whether you win or lose a preseason game is of very little value. However, the quality of play in the preseason (especially in the third preseason game) is of instructive value.

In a word, the performance of the offense last night was offensive. I hope that once the season starts the word that comes to mind will be aberration. Coming on the heels of last week's poor performance, I am worried that the word that will come to mind regarding the game last night once the season starts is ominous.

 

 

The past two weeks have been offensive. Not sure what's going on but it hasn't been pretty. Someone needs to call Thomas Davis and get him back in the building for a pep talk prior to game one. 

[Captain Obvious]

Its the freakin preseason baby and I'm about to have me some fun.....bounce, bounce , bounce...

[hepcat]

15 minutes ago, Daddy_Uncle said:

Because it's... preseason. He would have been able to keep playing had the game meant something 

He would have been able to keep playing, yes. Cam is a tough mother fuger. But if that was a regular season game, the Patriots would have kept blitzing, and Cam would have kept getting hit. He got hit or close to being sacked on almost every passing play. The offensive line sucks, and we might be getting close to the limit on the abuse Cam's body can take. If Cam plays all 16 games this season I'd be legitimately shocked.

[Anybodyhome]

There's a reason Tom Brady, Bill Bellichick and the Patriots have 6 rings. They came prepared and played football last night. This was not a "meaningless" preseason game for them. Anyone catch how focused Brady was? Anyone notice the defending champs weren't playing this game like it was some hotel meeting room walk-thru?

I dislike the Pats as much as the next guy, but if you look at New England's success and realize that most of that success is based on preparation with a team that has nowhere near the individual talent of many other teams, maybe Carolina should take a page from the New England Patriot book of how to win consistently and that process begins in training camp and the preseason games.

Hogan as much as said exactly that on the sidelines last night. He said the Patriots prepare, game plan and come ready to play, regardless whether or not it's a preseason game. If last night is any indication, New England is already a few weeks ahead of everyone else when it comes to being "game ready." 

 

[RumHam]

2 hours ago, Bronn said:

Sure, Cam's injury sucks and it appears our backups/team does as a whole right now, but JFC people settle down.

All preliminary indicators are that Cam's going to be fine.

The offense we've been running in these games is very very vanilla, with a bunch of somewhat nobodies, The defense we've been running hasn't been any real representation of what it will look like when games start counting.

Our stars aren't really playing, and when they are in there, it is for go-through-the-motion vanilla looks.

You shouldn't be watching these games hoping for lots of big, amazing plays. It isn't going to happen.

If you are so upset and ready to throw in the towel already, you just have an agenda against certain people/storylines or you just don't know what is going on from a football perspective.

THE ONLY real item of concern right now should be Cam's injury, and I expect we'll know a lot more about that later today. Until then, settle down with all that nonsense y'all've been talkin' 'bout since last night.

There's one, absolutely meaningless, game left until it starts counting. Stop being so eager to jump overboard.

The offense has been non-existent. Young guys need to make plays. Where the fug has hogan been? I don't think ron and hurney see eye to eye. 

[Captroop]

2 minutes ago, RumHam said:

The offense has been non-existent. Young guys need to make plays. Where the fug has hogan been? I don't think ron and hurney see eye to eye. 

"The offense" has played two series.

 

Seriously, I only have one complaint about the preseason. The F***ING Refs! Not in a "he blew that call" kind of way, but in the "seriously, you're gonna flag that?" Kinda way.

I think it's fair to flag the starters so you give them an idea of how they're gonna call things in the regular season. But come on! The coaches are trying to get some film on the bubble guys! Killing drives before they get going; 1st and f***ing 35? Keep the laundry in your god damned pocket and let these kids play. Less than 100 yards of offense means a ton of young guys didn't get any reps last night. These kids are trying to get a job and you're gonna call ticky-tack stuff like that?

Let them f***in' play Refs!