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JCJ - not sure exactly how many yards he gave up but it wasn't many. I think 2 rec for 5 yards?? I don't believe a WR had more than 30 yards all day overall. He could of had at least one more INT I believe but Darnold didn't end up going his way. JC had eyes on him the entire time though. Over the last two years I think he's been the best DB, CB or SAF at locating and coming down with the ball. Great instincts on what's happening and when the ball is arriving. He plays his man and the QB equally well at the same time. Most DB's will throw their hands up without turning their head, which is what some are taught and works at times but not ideal imo. How many times have we've seen a DB crash into the WR bc they're so messed up on the play but JC is great at playing his man's movement's and tendencies. Watching a WR's eyes widen as the ball comes closer. Watch their arms and hands extend or open up. He does the small things really well like above but is just a cut above locating and getting hands on the ball.
Bill gave Barmore a little extra love after the game and deservedly so. When Bill is heaping praise like that on a rook every one should take notice. It wasn't Bill speak, we're used to that. This was different and actually really nice to hear. I'm certain Bill is this way in private but nice to hear nonetheless. Barmore has been really good so far. We absolutely have to get him and Judon some help this year via trade, FA or draft. We could have something special with them two.
It's nice to see things translate and match up with what you studied on film when looking at a prospect. He's plays with "high hands" - hands above his eyes to really utilize and max out w/e leverage he's playing with. It's something he's done regularly in college and the pros but flashed yesterday after his initial move stalled out. He just went right into power, moved his man back yards and if you watched close or paused a few plays you saw the trait pop off. I also love when big man keep their legs moving, man. It sounds so simple but these guys are enormous and it's not easy for them to consistently give max effort. Barmore's effort and motor have been great imo. It can be the difference between staying on the field on 3rd down or not. He's always moving and churning those legs. I talked about this a bunch after/before the draft, especially concerning stunts and along the same lines. His movement skills and lateral movement are such a problem. We saw him show them off yesterday chasing the QB, ball carrier and crashing into piles. He can really move and it help lead to a big play for JC.
Another thing that was a "strength" of his on his scouting report was his ability to bat down passes. Great awareness and effort. You have to love it. Today he displayed some nice awareness on that knock down, which was huge. Initial move fails so he tries to power through and succeeds for a bit. When linemen are driven back they'll go to "hop" to gather themselves, get their legs and some power under them to stall a rush. Barmore immediately takes to the air knowing the rush was almost dead. Knew his man was digging in and tried made a play. Eyes up, focused and didn't give up when he was impeded. Knowing when and just the fact that he's so aware of this every rush is part of what made him so good at Bama. Very happy to hear he's working out. If he hits his ceiling he could be a top 20 player from this draft.
Look at him move ...
Speaking of Barmore, the last few draft classes have been productive and added some young guns to the team. Maybe not the names some wanted but the they're the names we got and they've been really, really good. Onwenu might be the steal of the draft when you look at his value. He just missed a 4th round grade from me but he's out-playing everyone's expectations so far. Especially the league, dude was a few decisions away from being UDFA.
I wanted to give a shout out to Bryant last week but with work it's tough to post and things fall through the cracks. It's impossible not to this week though. I had a 5th on him and a little surprised he went udfa but it's not a shock given the crazy process, that can become overwhelming. The shear number of prospects available and open spots teams have (think about how many spots are truly available) and believe it or not teams like the Bengals have like 2 scouts (no really they're scouting department consist of like 2 real scouts that do scout stuff and 5 other guys and they still don't matter bc what the owner says goes lol). Anyway he's been extremely solid and aggressive tackling in the open field. Reliable and always comes in hot. We've ran a lot of man / zone match the past few weeks and I believe this is zone match. Same coverage as the hit on Allen last week I believe but I could be wrong there. Either way he's real comfortable and trusting his instincts bc he's not hesitating at all. He's breaking as soon as Moore cuts in leaving the vertical, great anticipation, focus and play speed. And we know he can hit.
He showed off some real nice awareness and anticipation on a few more routes. One or two screens or plays to the flat I believe. We've seen him used in several different ways and in several different positions. Chased Herbert out the pocket last week on a slot blitz I believe. Bryant has been a huge help and effective no matter where he's lined up.
Dugger is still coming along in the passing game. It's tough, not easy covering some of these guys but he's slowly improving. Noticeably better at the top of route imo. Although catch point can still be a problem it's a process and he's improving. Still has trouble sticking with certain guys in-route, in/out of breaks but you see the work he's putting in the work. Borderline great vs the run. Rarely fooled by misdirection or window dressing. Decisive and fires through blockers like a missile when he makes up his mind. You'll notice he's always around the ball. Always in position and squared up on a ball barrier. Sure tackler and doesn't give up a lot yac. Dugger has been a really solid player since day one and again only getting better. He plays angry, is versatile and durable.
All three have been plus players for us this year. And even though it sucks that Uche hasn't been "unleashed" he's contributed. Not as much as you'd want from a 2nd round pick but it is what it is now. If we can get him consistently pressuring the QB on passing downs again then all will be ok but we really need more from him / 2nd round picks.
All four were on my PTP Board along with 3 others from that class but it's nice to see these guys work out and make an impact. Having a prospect you ID as patriot-type get drafted is a win in my book bc you're right on who they like and go after. After the draft things are so crazy, so fast, complicated at times things can go so many ways but it's nice to see them make an impact. I'm still hurting over Derek Rivers lol. It's nice to be on the same page as the big shots though.
The Collins play was incredible but he was an animal setting the edge a few times and did a great job dropping in coverage as well when he had too. All of our guys did a great job crashing down from the second level to make plays and set the edge like their life depended on it. Big time energy and attitude around the los.
I think we need to give some credit to the coaching staff as well on both sides. The defense has been on fire even if some of the names we're whooping up on don't inspire fear we're doing what we need to do and more.
Offensively so much of playing the QB position as a rookie depends on coaching, front office, ownership aka landing spot matters a ton!! It's everything, how many great QB's emerge from hopeless slapdick teams? Sure some prospects just suck but how many QB's have we seen the Browns, JeTe, Bills and Fins ruin by themselves? Not many make it out alive and in the world we live in, owners not being real football guys. Used to things happening quick and getting what they want. You're not getting the proper structure to really succeed. Making it out alive is what it's all about. For a rookie it's all about surviving and avoiding killer mistakes. It's unbelievable how many QB's are ruined as opposed to just being bad imo. Again we see it every year. Teams just don't protect their investments and build up their OL, targets, play calling, running game etc and get these guys crushed. So much of making it is just surviving, keep playing, taking the punches, trail & error and gaining experience. Get a look at this defense, that coverage and start learning from the experiences but just stay in the fight. Again all rookie QB's are bad. Make it out alive and you're much more likely to take that all important 2nd-3rd year jump. Those are the most important years for a QB. Jones is a fighter though. You see it micro and macro.
Another part is what you're asking these young guys to do. If you're asking them to be Peyton Manning and win the game every play it's not going to work out well. Asking rookies to win a game or constantly be aggressive can be a nightmare. We're not putting too much on Mac and that's one of things Josh and Bill bring to the table. Neither are coaching for their jobs. Both are secure and don't need to prove anything to RKK or anyone and that's something 99% of HC & OC don't have. You have to love the way those two have handled Mac and where he's at in comparison to recent rookies.
Remember Cam Newton? Remember the people who wanted and thought he should start? Do we really miss the line drive touch passes into a defensive lineman's chin? Mac has 3 batted down passes and this is working with a bad OL at times. It's certainly not perfect but it's night and day from last year and Covid had little to do with it.
Speaking of not being perfect the offense needs to tighten everything up. I was harping on this a few weeks ago but we're still not as quick as we should be out there in general. Still a bit too slow getting ready, getting things set at the line. There needs to be an urgency, a blanket feel for what's happening. Too often 1 or 2 guys aren't set on the line, delay of game, motion has been late, snaps haven't been as on point as they should be. Sure the false starts are individual flags that need to end but it speaks to these concerns in a way that not everyone is on the same page, reading from the same paragraph. Too many times this offense just doesn't look in sync, doesn't look fast enough in between plays and we've seen it play out further down field after the snap with targets running the wrong routes. This is just something to watch going forward and something that has to be cleaned up next year for sure.
Overall it was a mixed bag from Jones, judging him as a rookie. Some good, really good. Some not so good and 1 or 2 wtf plays he'd like to get back. I want to talk about the BB throw for a second. I've mentioned this before but a QB's job is to lead a WR, throw him open and that's exactly what Jones did here. He didn't just gently toss the ball up there and he put it in a open space away from the DB coming downhill. Great adjustments by Bolden but this was a nice pass from Jones too. Great play from both.
Bolden and Stevenson combined for like 75% of our offense I believe? Stevenson could be a weapon if pass pro improves and stays steady. Both of those guys were clutch today.
Pass pro was still a mess at times and is going to be a work in progress the next few weeks but hopefully either Wynn finally gets it together or switch to Brown. The interior was the star of the show this game. Great push, movements and finish. Very quick getting to the second level in particular.
Really like this team and love seeing some of the young pieces we have come together. Unbelievable going undefeated on the road so far. Things are far from perfect but we've shown enough mental toughness to be taken seriously as a AFC wildcard contender imo. Division is right there. Those two Bills games are what it's all about. Those should be so fun
Bill gave Barmore a little extra love after the game and deservedly so. When Bill is heaping praise like that on a rook every one should take notice. It wasn't Bill speak, we're used to that. This was different and actually really nice to hear. I'm certain Bill is this way in private but nice to hear nonetheless. Barmore has been really good so far. We absolutely have to get him and Judon some help this year via trade, FA or draft. We could have something special with them two.
It's nice to see things translate and match up with what you studied on film when looking at a prospect. He's plays with "high hands" - hands above his eyes to really utilize and max out w/e leverage he's playing with. It's something he's done regularly in college and the pros but flashed yesterday after his initial move stalled out. He just went right into power, moved his man back yards and if you watched close or paused a few plays you saw the trait pop off. I also love when big man keep their legs moving, man. It sounds so simple but these guys are enormous and it's not easy for them to consistently give max effort. Barmore's effort and motor have been great imo. It can be the difference between staying on the field on 3rd down or not. He's always moving and churning those legs. I talked about this a bunch after/before the draft, especially concerning stunts and along the same lines. His movement skills and lateral movement are such a problem. We saw him show them off yesterday chasing the QB, ball carrier and crashing into piles. He can really move and it help lead to a big play for JC.
Another thing that was a "strength" of his on his scouting report was his ability to bat down passes. Great awareness and effort. You have to love it. Today he displayed some nice awareness on that knock down, which was huge. Initial move fails so he tries to power through and succeeds for a bit. When linemen are driven back they'll go to "hop" to gather themselves, get their legs and some power under them to stall a rush. Barmore immediately takes to the air knowing the rush was almost dead. Knew his man was digging in and tried made a play. Eyes up, focused and didn't give up when he was impeded. Knowing when and just the fact that he's so aware of this every rush is part of what made him so good at Bama. Very happy to hear he's working out. If he hits his ceiling he could be a top 20 player from this draft.
Look at him move ...
Speaking of Barmore, the last few draft classes have been productive and added some young guns to the team. Maybe not the names some wanted but the they're the names we got and they've been really, really good. Onwenu might be the steal of the draft when you look at his value. He just missed a 4th round grade from me but he's out-playing everyone's expectations so far. Especially the league, dude was a few decisions away from being UDFA.
I wanted to give a shout out to Bryant last week but with work it's tough to post and things fall through the cracks. It's impossible not to this week though. I had a 5th on him and a little surprised he went udfa but it's not a shock given the crazy process, that can become overwhelming. The shear number of prospects available and open spots teams have (think about how many spots are truly available) and believe it or not teams like the Bengals have like 2 scouts (no really they're scouting department consist of like 2 real scouts that do scout stuff and 5 other guys and they still don't matter bc what the owner says goes lol). Anyway he's been extremely solid and aggressive tackling in the open field. Reliable and always comes in hot. We've ran a lot of man / zone match the past few weeks and I believe this is zone match. Same coverage as the hit on Allen last week I believe but I could be wrong there. Either way he's real comfortable and trusting his instincts bc he's not hesitating at all. He's breaking as soon as Moore cuts in leaving the vertical, great anticipation, focus and play speed. And we know he can hit.
He showed off some real nice awareness and anticipation on a few more routes. One or two screens or plays to the flat I believe. We've seen him used in several different ways and in several different positions. Chased Herbert out the pocket last week on a slot blitz I believe. Bryant has been a huge help and effective no matter where he's lined up.
Dugger is still coming along in the passing game. It's tough, not easy covering some of these guys but he's slowly improving. Noticeably better at the top of route imo. Although catch point can still be a problem it's a process and he's improving. Still has trouble sticking with certain guys in-route, in/out of breaks but you see the work he's putting in the work. Borderline great vs the run. Rarely fooled by misdirection or window dressing. Decisive and fires through blockers like a missile when he makes up his mind. You'll notice he's always around the ball. Always in position and squared up on a ball barrier. Sure tackler and doesn't give up a lot yac. Dugger has been a really solid player since day one and again only getting better. He plays angry, is versatile and durable.
All three have been plus players for us this year. And even though it sucks that Uche hasn't been "unleashed" he's contributed. Not as much as you'd want from a 2nd round pick but it is what it is now. If we can get him consistently pressuring the QB on passing downs again then all will be ok but we really need more from him / 2nd round picks.
All four were on my PTP Board along with 3 others from that class but it's nice to see these guys work out and make an impact. Having a prospect you ID as patriot-type get drafted is a win in my book bc you're right on who they like and go after. After the draft things are so crazy, so fast, complicated at times things can go so many ways but it's nice to see them make an impact. I'm still hurting over Derek Rivers lol. It's nice to be on the same page as the big shots though.
The Collins play was incredible but he was an animal setting the edge a few times and did a great job dropping in coverage as well when he had too. All of our guys did a great job crashing down from the second level to make plays and set the edge like their life depended on it. Big time energy and attitude around the los.
I think we need to give some credit to the coaching staff as well on both sides. The defense has been on fire even if some of the names we're whooping up on don't inspire fear we're doing what we need to do and more.
Offensively so much of playing the QB position as a rookie depends on coaching, front office, ownership aka landing spot matters a ton!! It's everything, how many great QB's emerge from hopeless slapdick teams? Sure some prospects just suck but how many QB's have we seen the Browns, JeTe, Bills and Fins ruin by themselves? Not many make it out alive and in the world we live in, owners not being real football guys. Used to things happening quick and getting what they want. You're not getting the proper structure to really succeed. Making it out alive is what it's all about. For a rookie it's all about surviving and avoiding killer mistakes. It's unbelievable how many QB's are ruined as opposed to just being bad imo. Again we see it every year. Teams just don't protect their investments and build up their OL, targets, play calling, running game etc and get these guys crushed. So much of making it is just surviving, keep playing, taking the punches, trail & error and gaining experience. Get a look at this defense, that coverage and start learning from the experiences but just stay in the fight. Again all rookie QB's are bad. Make it out alive and you're much more likely to take that all important 2nd-3rd year jump. Those are the most important years for a QB. Jones is a fighter though. You see it micro and macro.
Another part is what you're asking these young guys to do. If you're asking them to be Peyton Manning and win the game every play it's not going to work out well. Asking rookies to win a game or constantly be aggressive can be a nightmare. We're not putting too much on Mac and that's one of things Josh and Bill bring to the table. Neither are coaching for their jobs. Both are secure and don't need to prove anything to RKK or anyone and that's something 99% of HC & OC don't have. You have to love the way those two have handled Mac and where he's at in comparison to recent rookies.
Remember Cam Newton? Remember the people who wanted and thought he should start? Do we really miss the line drive touch passes into a defensive lineman's chin? Mac has 3 batted down passes and this is working with a bad OL at times. It's certainly not perfect but it's night and day from last year and Covid had little to do with it.
Speaking of not being perfect the offense needs to tighten everything up. I was harping on this a few weeks ago but we're still not as quick as we should be out there in general. Still a bit too slow getting ready, getting things set at the line. There needs to be an urgency, a blanket feel for what's happening. Too often 1 or 2 guys aren't set on the line, delay of game, motion has been late, snaps haven't been as on point as they should be. Sure the false starts are individual flags that need to end but it speaks to these concerns in a way that not everyone is on the same page, reading from the same paragraph. Too many times this offense just doesn't look in sync, doesn't look fast enough in between plays and we've seen it play out further down field after the snap with targets running the wrong routes. This is just something to watch going forward and something that has to be cleaned up next year for sure.
Overall it was a mixed bag from Jones, judging him as a rookie. Some good, really good. Some not so good and 1 or 2 wtf plays he'd like to get back. I want to talk about the BB throw for a second. I've mentioned this before but a QB's job is to lead a WR, throw him open and that's exactly what Jones did here. He didn't just gently toss the ball up there and he put it in a open space away from the DB coming downhill. Great adjustments by Bolden but this was a nice pass from Jones too. Great play from both.
Bolden and Stevenson combined for like 75% of our offense I believe? Stevenson could be a weapon if pass pro improves and stays steady. Both of those guys were clutch today.
Pass pro was still a mess at times and is going to be a work in progress the next few weeks but hopefully either Wynn finally gets it together or switch to Brown. The interior was the star of the show this game. Great push, movements and finish. Very quick getting to the second level in particular.
Really like this team and love seeing some of the young pieces we have come together. Unbelievable going undefeated on the road so far. Things are far from perfect but we've shown enough mental toughness to be taken seriously as a AFC wildcard contender imo. Division is right there. Those two Bills games are what it's all about. Those should be so fun
We beat them or kicked their azs. We beat up on the jete. Hung in there until the end with Tampa and Dallas. We're a pretty good team and I know we can compete with the Bills. I have a ton of respect for them and can't get into it now but their run game isn't really working. Their OL is shaky. Their secondary is great when healthy but they have weak spots on that defense. With a little luck we could be easily be competing for the division. 
