09-17-2021, 11:25 AM
I think it is fair to make a big deal iut of the 5 sacks & 7 hits. He dropped back 32 times & got hit on 7 of them. What is that, 22%? That is a big number. We made a big deal out of zero sacks allowed in preseason. Fair is fair.
But context matters, too. Hopkins was genuinely terrible. I hope it is rust. If he is healthy enough to start week 1, he was healthy enough to get more than 3 snaps in preseason. I'd much rather have had that rust knocked off when Burrow was not behind him.
Of the other three sacks, IIRC, Perine got beat for one and Sample/Perine one. The other was a combo of poor line play plus a Mixon mistake. Callahan rightfully took the blame for the scheme where Sample & Perine whiffed. Perine was good last year, but if Gio is still here, two (or maybe 3) of those sacks don't happen. For my money, Gio is a better pass blocker/receiver than anyone we have. Evans is our best receiver. Patrick our best short yardage rusher. Mixon our best 2 down rusher. Perine is none of those things.
Of the other two hits, one was on XSF on the TD to Higgins. Cannot remember the other.
While we did improve the line some (Reiff + rookie backups), I am firmly of the opinion we should have done more. Be it draft, FA, or both. Especially on the interior.
But context matters, too. Hopkins was genuinely terrible. I hope it is rust. If he is healthy enough to start week 1, he was healthy enough to get more than 3 snaps in preseason. I'd much rather have had that rust knocked off when Burrow was not behind him.
Of the other three sacks, IIRC, Perine got beat for one and Sample/Perine one. The other was a combo of poor line play plus a Mixon mistake. Callahan rightfully took the blame for the scheme where Sample & Perine whiffed. Perine was good last year, but if Gio is still here, two (or maybe 3) of those sacks don't happen. For my money, Gio is a better pass blocker/receiver than anyone we have. Evans is our best receiver. Patrick our best short yardage rusher. Mixon our best 2 down rusher. Perine is none of those things.
Of the other two hits, one was on XSF on the TD to Higgins. Cannot remember the other.
While we did improve the line some (Reiff + rookie backups), I am firmly of the opinion we should have done more. Be it draft, FA, or both. Especially on the interior.
