Midseason Review

[HitStickTaylor21]

Here we are, halfway through the season, still in contention with as many wins as we had all of last season. They haven't always been pretty, but I'll take'em. I decided to do a little write up on what we've done so far and what to take away from it.

Week 1: W 16-13(OT)-Miami Dolphins. In hindsight, this win looks terrible. The Dolphins are in the thick of a vicious fight with the Rams for the worst team in the league at 0-8. We should have slayed this team, but I guess Gibbs like to make us sweat.

Negatives: 1. We lose Jon Jansen for the season and are forced to go to our depth on the O-line way too early in the season. Todd Wade more than suffices at the position, but it left our line thin less than an hour into the season. 2. Dolphins are atrocious this year and we should have won this game with ease. However...

Positives: 1. To their credit, the Dolphins team we played then is not the same team now. They were at full strength, with healthy QB, RB, both starting safeties, and they had not traded Chris Chambers yet. Also, it was Cam Cameron's first game as their new head coach and we couldn't have gameplanned as well as other teams can now with eight weeks of game footage to study. 2. Clinton Portis comes back to the team showing no ill effects of his shoulder surgery in the offseason.

Week 2: W 20-12-@ Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are not the same team they have been in the past, but it's a division game. It doesn't matter how good or bad anyone in the NFC East is, every division game is a battle and any team can win it.

Negatives: Randy Thomas goes down and leaves our O-line in even worse shape. Jason Fabini is forced to step in and fill the void. Our line hasn't been the same since.

Positives: 1. Our defense showed last year was an aberration. Eagles don't get a sniff of the end zone and are held to four David Akers' field goals. 2. A solid win on the road in Philly. Never easy to win there. We went in and got the job done.

Week 3: L 17-24-NY Giants. This game gets away from us. Should have been a win and could come back to haunt us later in the season.

Negatives: This game is the first illustration of our inability to put teams away. We blow a 17-3 halftime lead and are unable to convert 1st and Goal from the 1 in the final moments of the game.

Positives: The team showed how good they could be in one half of football. Unfortunately we couldn't put it together for a full 60 minutes, but we showed flashes of our potential.

Week 4: Bye week.

Negatives: We have to sit at home for an extra week, waiting to avenge the heartbreaking loss to the Giants. You know this team wanted to go out and hit someone in the mouth after that loss and we couldn't do anything about it for two weeks.

Positives: The team is banged up early in the season, so we have a chance to rest.

Week 5: W 34-3-Detroit Lions. A big win coming out of the bye week, especially now that we see the Lions aren't that bad. This team needed it. Offense, defense and special teams all firing. Mike Sellers and Sean Taylor both killed someone.

Negatives: Not much to complain about on this one.

Positives: We played a complete game. We completely dominated our opponent. A lot of rare things happened. Carlos Rogers had an INT, Brandon Lloyd caught a pass and Andre Carter got his first career safety.

Week 6: L 14-17-@ Green Bay Packers. We had control of this one and let it slip away. Santana Moss had easily the worst game of his career and cost us dearly. Should have been a win.

Negatives: Another loss that could come back to haunt us. Packers are tied for first in the conference and we had'em. If Santana doesn't fumble, we probably win the game. Tough loss to take especially considering we would have won it in Green Bay.

Positives: Our defense plays solid. Sean Taylor has two INTs that breaks Brett Favre's all-time INT record. Chris Cooley continues to be our one solid receiver who JC can count on.

Week 7: W 21-19-Arizona Cardinals. Lucky to hang on to this one. Nearly blow a 15 point fourth quarter lead and need Neil Rackers to miss a game-winning FG as time expires to hold on.

Negatives: Again, no killer instinct. Our conservative play calling keeps teams in games. Our offense sputters, JC only has 95 yds passing and an INT while CP leads us in rushing with only 43 yds.

Positives: Defense plays great again. London Fletcher returns an INT for a TD, and Sean Taylor again has a pick. LaRon Landry and Rocky McIntosh are really starting to develop, playing all over the field. Our games are close, but it's better to be on the winning side of things. A win is a win.

Week 8: L 52-7-@ New England Patriots. We got destroyed, plain and simple. Patriots are proving to be one of the greatest teams of all-time. Showed us that we're still a long ways away from contending for a championship.

Negatives: Not much to smile about after this one. We were completely outplayed. We might be the Pats biggest victim of the season. They rack up their highest point total in 30 years.

Positives: We played probably our worst game of the season against the best team in the league. Not a bad time to do it. Whether the game was 38-31 or 52-7, it doesn't matter. It's still a loss.

Week 9: W 23-20(OT)-NY Jets. We again go to OT with a team with one of the worst records in the league. Suisham bails us out and we escape with a win that we thought would come easy.

Negatives: It looks like we play down to our competition. This is an ugly win and we couldn't take advantage of a bad team with a QB starting his first game. Opening kickoff is taken back for a TD and we get down early.

Positives: Portis comes back to life. 196 yds rushing and a TD to carry the team. Suisham sets a franchise record for FGs. We show we can be down and come from behind for a grind out victory.

This game against the Eagles is HUGE. We can't afford to hover around .500 and not keep pace in the division race. The Cowboys come knocking the week after and I hate to say it, but they are good. This weekend is a must win.

Overall analysis: The addition of London Fletcher and LaRon Landry are the best moves of the offseason. Fletcher is an emotional leader who puts people in the right position to make plays and he is all over the field himself. Landry has allowed Sean Taylor to play the style of football he needs to in order to make an impact. The defense is fast and is the reason we are 5-3 right now. Our offense is poor, but when we get O-linemen back from injury (thank God we made the Pete Kendall move) we will see how it will turn around. JC is progressing, but unfortunately, our play calling and down play of guys we count on is holding him back. Santana Moss needs to step up in a big way. Randle El and Cooley have been fairly solid in doing what is asked of them and Portis plays hard, but needs a healthy line in front of him to make an impact. We need to get Sellers involved more.

Season prediction: 10-6, we sneak into the playoffs as a wild card. We are the third team from the NFC East to make the playoffs behind the Cowboys and Giants.

My season MVP: Sean Taylor

Most improved: Rocky McIntosh

Areas to be addressed via draft: OL, DE, CB, OLB

Areas to be addressed via FA: DT, WR

[zCommander]

Thanks for the update.

HTTR!

[taylorcoreskin]

I don't think 10-6 will get us in the playoffs.

[skinsfan07]

I don't think 10-6 will get us in the playoffs.

that's why we're going 11-5.

[taylorcoreskin]

that's why we're going 11-5.

Pretty bold prediction. I hope you're right.