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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.This type of well thought out balanced and measured thinking will make you no friends here .
Now remember - the narrative must endure - regardless of actual video evidence to the contrary.If this holds true over the season, it is a personnel upgrade none of us saw coming.
What does it take for you to consider MAC's play to be "great". Personally, I think that he as been great. For a Rookie.
In 2 games:
51 completions on 69 attemps - 73.9% comp %. 467 yards. 7passes of 20+ yards. 4 sacks. 2 fumbles-0 Lost. 1 TD. 1 Int. Grounding penalty.
The one area of concern to this point is what has led to at least 2 of the sacks, both fumbles, and the penalty. It is that Mac is trying to do too much. I'd rather see him throwing it away more often than taking the hits or throwing it into the ground the way he did today.
If you look at Brady's first two starts in 2001. He didn't even complete 60% of his passes. He took 5 sacks. had 2 fumbles. Yes he had zero TD and zero Ints as well.
Now, what's interesting is that there are currently 13 QBs including Mac who are currently passing at 70% or better. But Mac is 6th currently in comp %. As a rookie. I think that's astounding, all things considered. What is really interesting is that Jameis Winston is a 59.5% comp, Josh Allen is at 56% comp, and Aaron Rodgers is at 53.6% comp. The other 4 rookies QBs are all below 55.7% comp or worse.
So, I don't know what he has to do to be considered "playing great" for you, but that's what he's doing in my book.
With Bentley I think it's important to remember what kind of LB (at his best) he is supposed to be. He's not a coverage linebacker, he's a thumper and a north-south kind of guy. Citing tackles that he misses when he's chasing down a RB in the open field is a bit disingenuous. His limits are what they are, and you hope to have four linebackers on the field who can rush, play the run, AND cover, but that's just not a reality. The key will be for the coaching/scheme to minimize the times when he is asked to make plays in those positions, but the opposing OC's get paid too, and part of their job is to draw up plays that isolate weaker coverage players. It's how we got the pretty wheel route play to White in week 1 against Miami. Flores knows he doesn't want a linebacker covering White out of the backfield, but sometimes it happens. That doesn't mean the linebacker "sucks", any more than you'd say a safety "sucks" if he couldn't set the edge against a 330 pound OT.
With Bentley I think it's important to remember what kind of LB (at his best) he is supposed to be. He's not a coverage linebacker, he's a thumper and a north-south kind of guy. Citing tackles that he misses when he's chasing down a RB in the open field is a bit disingenuous. His limits are what they are, and you hope to have four linebackers on the field who can rush, play the run, AND cover, but that's just not a reality. The key will be for the coaching/scheme to minimize the times when he is asked to make plays in those positions, but the opposing OC's get paid too, and part of their job is to draw up plays that isolate weaker coverage players. It's how we got the pretty wheel route play to White in week 1 against Miami. Flores knows he doesn't want a linebacker covering White out of the backfield, but sometimes it happens. That doesn't mean the linebacker "sucks", any more than you'd say a safety "sucks" if he couldn't set the edge against a 330 pound OT.
Neither are the other 5!What's the difference between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets?
A: The last Patriots Super Bowl team picture isn't in black and white.