08-23-2021, 12:05 PM
I finally had a chance to watch the game yesterday. I'm sure in 7 pages it's all been covered but I have to say...
First and foremost, listening to Theismann call the game was the absolute worst thing. NFL Network games in general can be rough with the homers announcing but I almost had to put it on mute it was so bad.
The backup QB is not good. At all. We all knew/know this, but if Burrow isn't playing this year, this team is going to be relying almost entirely on defense (and kicking). The defense is good, but I don't think they're so good they can carry the team solely on their shoulders.
Playcalling is weird. Are they trying to practice the plays Burrow runs better? Is ZT trying to get fancy for some specific reason? Some of his misdirection stuff looks really smart and other times it just slows everything down in the backfield. It just looked like more of the Madden ball playcalling we've seen the past two years and not leaning on what situationally makes the most sense. It's preseason, but it looks to me like ZT hasn't changed his way of approaching the game.
Run offense struggled. Perine looks terrible, and Mixon sure doesn't look like what he's being paid to be. Then again, aside from that video link above, the O-line wasn't driving the run game, either.
Chase needs to get his head on his shoulders. Timing issues, time away from the game, being afraid of getting hit; there's no excuse to drop every ball thrown his way. A really bad look at this point.
All of that said, the defense looked solid. Really solid. Special teams looked good. And the pass pro seemed pretty solid as well (though I don't recall Allen holding onto the ball long). I would really love to see some positive steps taken this coming week and get Burrow some playing time as well. Burrow needs to connect with Chase to quell some fears.
First and foremost, listening to Theismann call the game was the absolute worst thing. NFL Network games in general can be rough with the homers announcing but I almost had to put it on mute it was so bad.
The backup QB is not good. At all. We all knew/know this, but if Burrow isn't playing this year, this team is going to be relying almost entirely on defense (and kicking). The defense is good, but I don't think they're so good they can carry the team solely on their shoulders.
Playcalling is weird. Are they trying to practice the plays Burrow runs better? Is ZT trying to get fancy for some specific reason? Some of his misdirection stuff looks really smart and other times it just slows everything down in the backfield. It just looked like more of the Madden ball playcalling we've seen the past two years and not leaning on what situationally makes the most sense. It's preseason, but it looks to me like ZT hasn't changed his way of approaching the game.
Run offense struggled. Perine looks terrible, and Mixon sure doesn't look like what he's being paid to be. Then again, aside from that video link above, the O-line wasn't driving the run game, either.
Chase needs to get his head on his shoulders. Timing issues, time away from the game, being afraid of getting hit; there's no excuse to drop every ball thrown his way. A really bad look at this point.
All of that said, the defense looked solid. Really solid. Special teams looked good. And the pass pro seemed pretty solid as well (though I don't recall Allen holding onto the ball long). I would really love to see some positive steps taken this coming week and get Burrow some playing time as well. Burrow needs to connect with Chase to quell some fears.
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
