cenj

The issue to me is that the coach was putting his hands on the players while berating him, and he looked like he wanted to physically go after Demarcado. Try that on another player and the coach would get his ass thoroughly beat, which no organization wants to risk.

I think this next game is actually more important. If they go back to being totally incompetent, that win may not amount to much. We need to see the offense stop dropping passes, the OL keep holding up, Cam take what the defense gives him and trust the process, TEs more involved, WRs not dropping everything...

It really was a historic "how do I give the game away" comedy of errors. It should have been 28-6 with Callahan even closer to firing (maybe 35-6 if the ball didn't smack the halfling-QB in the head). That won't happen again and I agree we can't ignore the continued total uselessness before Q4. However, some things did change. The defense did their job after the fumble (AZ could have just marched down the field and ran out the clock). Cam looked legit good and we started hitting on a variety of plays, spreading the ball around (screens, runs, dump-offs, deep balls). The playcalls were finding success and Callahan managed the game excellently. Additionally, there were some optimistic signs even before the turnaround that would have been forgotten with a loss. The OL looked solid all game and gave Cam time in obvious passing situations. The players were hustling (see Sneed's sprint on the long run). Cam's accuracy looked rough all game, but he starting dropping perfect passes under pressure (looking more like he did the first couple of games). And Simmons is a legit DPOY wrecking machine who is playing better than ever, which is further evidence that more issues are talent-related.

Callahan desperately needed this; the whole team did. I am not on the fire Callahan bandwagon. I still think you have to give coaches time to figure things out too, but Callahan was doing his damndest to challenge that wisdom the first few weeks. But it's clear that the players haven't quit on the staff -- they just aren't very good. If Callahan gets fired at the end of the season, it should be because he can't manage the game and he can't design a successful offensive scheme. As long as the players are fighting and Cam is progressing, let's ride it out. Cam's development is the only thing that matters.

Momentum isn't some mythical thing. It's what happens when players are able to get into a rhythm and automate. It's incredibly difficult to do your job without consistent opportunities. You need those reps to feel out your opponents and their strengths/weaknesses. It doesn't matter the sport -- not shooting in basketball, not get touches in soccer, not getting passes/runs in football. You can't get a feel and you stop trusting your role in the moment and instead start pressing (trying to do more, or overthrinking it). Once Cam was able to hit different guys, and they they started catching it, then the field started opening up. Guys started just playing ball reactively. It looked.more natural and instinctive. The confidence is desperately needed. Cam has to trust the play and hit his open read, regardless who it is. And everyone needs to trust the playcalls.

Awful play design. Not even a 1-on-1 chance to give a guy, and everyone totally covered. I will say though, Cam is not quick or strong stepping up in the pocket. He's definitely gonna be a pocket QB with the occasional scramble, which is good, but he's slower than advertised and seems poor at shrugging off arm tackles.

You don't trade Sweat. You eat that cheap rookie contract and sit his ass so that he never gets the chance to earn a future paycheck. Let him choose: type 2 diabetes or a 2nd contract?

So yeah, Callahan is exactly what we should have expected from that Bengals offensive staff: a non-playcalling OC of a terrible scheme that happened to have the best young QB in the league making insane throws into tight coverage to some of the best WRs in the NFL.

Albert Breer has a really bad grasp of the organization. I've noticed his takes over the last year sound like someone who has read a fact sheet but has no idea what's really going on.

The OL issues alone are gonna get someone fired. They spent high draft picks and signed competant vets. Cushenberry was supposed to be as safe an OL signing as you could get. They've given Bill Sr. enough talent to work with. But it's not just that. They've OK'd a sizeable budget just for the OL. Bill Sr. is known for taking more gear and custom training stuff on the road. And the OL just isn't improved enough.

Cam sure doesn't seem to think it's on the coaches or scheme. He's pretty clearly putting it on the players for not executing, basically saying that the film shows the playcalls are giving them shots.

He absolutely doesn't. When Carthon was fired, a lot of people in Nashville were calling out Brinker. We don't know what's being said behind closed doors. Bud would tell you that Brinker did all the smart things and Carthon did all the dumb things, but no one knows. Brinker has managed to lift himself up despite the franchise getting progressively worse, so I hope he's being held accountable by AA.

I do think it's possible the offense wouldn't suck quite as much...

Well, we did it boys. Perfect game in all three phases: no points, allowed an 0-3 team to score easily, and we missed multiple FGs. It took 4 weeks, but we finally shat the bed in all three phases.

I have no idea what got into the Saints today. I'm assuming a heartbreaking loss is still on the way.