Last comments on Raider victory

[*SHRacerX*]

(11-28-2021, 02:31 AM)N_B Wrote: What was there to believe in before this year?  Have you ever seen a coach in his first two years with less potential?

I don't know.  I get the lack of patience with ZT and his staff, but when Burrow got injured last year, he was just starting to hit his stride.  Anyone that thinks they could not have won 6-7 games last year with him is just lying to themselves to keep their hate up.

He also showed he can attack with less.  That team that beat pitt on National TV was so depleted of talent.  No Burrow.  AJ Green was a shell of himself.  There were a ton of players out and yet he and his coaches put together a plan that beat the steelers with Ryan Finley.  Read that again.

This season I called early on the "no excuses" season.  Burrow was clearly not 100% at the beginning of the year, and they wisely focused on running the ball to protect him.  They slowly opened it up over the course of the season and now, almost exactly one calendar year from the injury, they are showing more creative play designs and schemes.  I have NEVER seen a fake flea-flicker before.  It was hilarious, and it could have been a huge gain if Mixon doesn't slip.  They are also being opponent-centric in their scheme.  Instead of the BS "we just need to block and tackle better" when your team is being destroyed and you look like a deer in the headlights, they are making their scheme specific to each opponent.

They have been blown out ONCE this year.  Their losses?  All by 3 points or less.  They are very competitive and I love the direction of the team.

People will probably hate ZT until he wins a playoff game.  The long frustration from Marv is being held against ZT and that is fine.  I just think he deserves more credit for what he has done this year with one of the youngest offenses in the league.