Playoff picture

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by metalskins

The sad fact is, this team is more than good enough to make the playoffs, but with the injuries this team has sustained, so far, and the brutal schedule, we will probably miss the playoffs by the skin of our teeth.

I agree with this, unfortunately.

If you look at the first four games of the year, our biggest weapon has been Thompson. Watch the replays of his biggest plays and you see a common theme - either Scherff or Trent get out in front on screens and make unbelievable athletic plays that only a handful of linemen in the NFL could make. I mean Scherff was getting to safeties 25 yards away from the line of scrimmage to spring Thompson.

Their mobility is hampered and thus Thompson doesn't figure to break those plays for more than 10 yards very often, not until those guys are healthy.

The reason Jay was calling all those plays for Thompson is because he knew A) he didn't have the horses at WR to make the same big plays as they did last year and B) he knew his line was fast enough to spring the big play.

He'll still call the plays for Thompson but they won't go for big gainers until our best linemen are healthy and mobile. Either the health needs to return quickly, or the WRs need to step up and replace Jackson quickly. Otherwise we have no big play quick strike ability.

And we obviously miss Norman and Allen on defense.

Hopefully we hang in there and make it interesting at the end of the year with a strong push. It's a decent team if it's healthy.