My quick takeaways:
1. Run game just doesn't appear like it's going to get going this year. Combination of injuries and defensive changes by our opponents are likely going to make that difficult. Maybe if defenses start defending Lamar as a passer better, it'll open up, but the lack of a running game is a long-term concern for me.
2. Very little positive to say about the defense. Can call out a few individual players who I thought played well and made some key plays (Oweh, Young(before the penalty), Clark), but there's too much to hate here.
The tackling is pathetic, and at least last night, we looked old and slow. Looked like we were multiple steps behind on every play, and when we made contact with a ball carrier, they seemingly shredded first impact at will all game long.
That's a toughness, technique, and effort flaw. That's not a "too many injuries" issue, or a schematic issue, or a coverage issue. That's basic defense 101. I know they put the pads on this past week during practice. Whatever they need to do to shore up the tackling, it needs to be done quicker.
We can all marvel in the comeback and it was great. Completely unsustainable, and everybody knows it. You're dead money in the playoffs, or maybe even in tough division games or against better competition, if you're waiting til late 3rd quarter to find the endzone, and you're definitely dead money if you allow chunk play after chunk play after chunk play on defense all game long.
It's a win, so that's great. Some of the issues I saw last night I only saw last night. Others, like the lack of a running game and the inability to tackle, are now trends, not aberrations.
Short week, extremely tough opponent. Get it cleaned up.
