Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

I was more concerned about how the backup DBs (Tryon, Barnes, Dutch, etc) looked frustrated after getting burned. They can't let themselves get down mentally when playing that position. They have to be able to get right back out there as if nothing just happened.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

[quote=Paintrain;575824][B]Jim Zorn/offensive staff[/B]-The logic behind giving your starters one or two series is all well and good when you have an established offense and you're just looking to get some reps.[COLOR=Red][B] The Patriots had their offense in for the entire 1st half, the Eagles did the same. Both of them are well established but they wanted to get in a rhythm offensively. [/B][/COLOR] Our offense needed to play at least 5 drives in this game. What exactly did we learn from our starting offense last night? That for 2 drives Rinehart can hold up? That we can basically replicate 70% of our drives from last season? Last year since we had 5 pre-season games I understand doing that but in a make or break year for coach and QB, I'd think that he'd be more aggressive in getting the offense a good look with live bullets flying. This was a failure in the game planning and preparing for the season.[/quote]

Yeah, I don't think Zorn can afford to leave them in that long. Having a lack of depth on the team means that we can't expose our starters to injury in a prolonged stay in a preseason game. The Pats and Eagles are pretty deep teams so they are afforded the luxury of leaving people in there longer.

Also, they don't rely on the output or welfare of one key player, as witnessed when Brady went down. They scheme their roster around their gameplan so the responsibility doesn't just fall to one or two key players.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

I think they should leave the first team in until they can score a touchdown, eff an injury. If Randy can't play, cut him. If Samuels gets hurt, there should be someone with talent that can step up.

Losers = those who do not win.

Jimmie Johnson = Winner
Tigger Woods = Winner
Pittsburgh = Winners
Lakers = Winners
Obama = Winner
Michael Felps (however you spell his name) = Winner

Big Losers = those who don't win and can't even score [U]a point[/U]!

That's how I see it, plain and simple.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

[quote=roth74va;575830]And I knew you would, there are lots of "Maryland Lovers" on this board :). The thing is....lots of people were praising this pick, and suggesting this was a pre-cursor to getting Smoot off the field. That wont be happening anytime soon IMO, this guy has a long ways to go. Gonna end up being a situation like last years 3rd rounder(Rhinehart), he is gonna need alot of seasoning before he is ready for the bigtime.[/quote]

I am far from a Terp fan. But third rounders typically do need seasoning before they are ready for the big time. Otherwise they'd be first rounders.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

With how shaky the OL has been and the injuries, I think the coaches were overly cautious and didn't want to risk any further injuries to them or to JC. That said I think in the next two games we'll see the starters get an extensive look in these next 2 games.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

While it [B]IS[/B] early, I am disappointed what transpired last night. I did not see the game and can only hope that our starters basically did not see the field.
For the good of all, a statement needs to be made with the steelers. We don't necessarily need to win, but our first needs to prove it can do some damage against their first.............
HTTR

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

Disappointing, to be sure, but I'll withhold some judgment until I see more.

We saw that we have some problems in pass D, at least when we leave these guys out on an island. But we're trying to see who will step up, and that's one way to do it. (To say no one stepped up last night is an understatement!)

As for the O, the pass-pro was better than we feared, at least until Devin Clark began to get beaten like a drum. But we did not do much in the run game, which concerns me as well. Of course, the Raisins are one of the best defensive teams in the league, but still.

Overall, though, not scoring ANY points and giving up 500 yards of O is not acceptable in any context. Sure, we can take the positives here (what else is there to do?), but WTF? As a skins fan who lives and dies with this friggin team, I do not want to be subjected to a pathetic beat-down like that in ANY CONTEXT! It's preseason for Baltimore too, but they looked fine. Why did we suck so very bad? Oy.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

It was only a preseason game. But it was only a preseason game for Baltimore also. As others have pointed out, to perform so dismally is disconcerting.

The last time we had a truly poor preseason was in Gibbs 2nd season where expectations were high and the players seemed to have a cavalier attitude about the offense's lack luster performance ("It will be fine in the regular season"). We went on to a losing record. I am hoping this year and the reaction to this preseason game is not a repeat of that debacle.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

Those teams that played their starters longer on O (philly & NE) likely have fewer bubble players on their rosters that they need to look at for extended periods. For all those that have commented on d. clark's performance, consider it part of the coaches strategy to get some serious looks at these guys. The backup O linemen might be playing a lot this year so they really need to make the right decisions when its time to trim the roster.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

[B]Equipment Manager:[/B] Ladell Bettis?? Really? :)

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

It's funny how folks are giving up on Barnes and at the same time are praising Rinehart, a 3rd round pick that took a year to develop.

Also, kudos to the offensive line for playing well, I know just about everyone was predicting gloom and doom about that unit before they took a snap.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

On a positive note Orakpo is a BEAST!! The offensive line had to hold him on almost every play to keep him from sacking the QB

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

[quote=Lotus;575878]I am far from a Terp fan. But third rounders typically do need seasoning before they are ready for the big time. Otherwise they'd be first rounders.[/quote]

Yeah I understand like Cooley needed a full year before contributing right? If you make the right pick, the guy will contribute right away. Barnes is a rookie, so I wasnt expecting much, but to put him ahead of Smoot is crazy. Tryon will be the 4th corner(scary), Barnes will see only see time on special teams at best.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

In Barnes' defense, he was playing injured (hyperextended knee). And to me, that shows you what kind of player he is. He wants to be there for his team and he wants to move up the depth chart.

Re: Smoot Lays the Smack Down (Preseason Week 1)
 

Its all well and good to want your young DB's to get reps(Barnes.Tryon), but neither of these guys is ready for live bullets..If we had to rely on them in a regular season game,we'd be screwed.....Its time to look at a FA nickle corner right away