Ten (possible) reasons that transformed 2022

[Hawkmode]

Trying to pin ten reasons for how our team transformed the narrative of basement/rebuild team (lucky to get 4 wins) to midseason 6-3 with some 3rd best NFC team "hype"...then the eventual struggle to finish strong...stumbling into the playoffs only to run smack into the WALL known as the 49ers.

1)
Biggest factor driving our rebuild narrative was the Russell Wilson trade. Many fans questioned if we got enough from Denver...maybe we should have jumped on the rumored "3 firsts" offered the year before. Seems like the fan base was wanting every QB name that popped into the "who can save the Hawks doomed season?" Surely not the "winner" of a Geno Vs Lock...these guys "proved" by playing for other teams that we only had a future nightmare of "Pick 6" and frustrated passes into the hands of opponent's jerseys.

Geno gave us a "taste" of expectations when RW went down injured in 2021...but we quickly excused it as him looking good against awful teams (Jags) and just "Geno" when losing 2nd half of Rams game and then Saints/Steelers. Perhaps RW recognized the need to "rush" his return...his leverage with Pete and John needed Geno to flop. Speculation?? Sure...but RW clearly played Green Bay as if he wasn't our reknown hero. Geno played his heart out in 2022 clearly having the biggest impact of vindicating Pete's boast of reload...not rebuild.

2)
Immediate "rewards" in roster boost from RW trade. Out Gerald Everett/Rasheem Green/(B/U status of Geno...replaced by Noah Fant/Shelby Harris/Drew Lock. Charles Cross and Boye Mafe and Tyreke Smith(stashed on 2022 IR) injected immediate (Cross) and future (Mafe/Smith) youth into a talent drained roster inherited from 2021.

3)
"Next man up" went from cliche to explosive impact in the form of our rookie Ken Walker III. Many in the fan base "moaned" when we drafted/wasted a pick on a "luxury" selection. A 2nd rd RB ?when we proved in our recent past that 7th rd guys like Chris Carson were surely available later...besides the way Penny Rashaad burst into the latter part of 2021 and signed up for 2022...this had to be stubborn Pete...deluded into elevating the "value" of a RB...who cares about a Doak Walker Award winner it wasn't even a Heisman. Ken Walker III played a big role in helping Geno "tell his comeback story". An injured Penny soon justified Pete and his emphasis of supporting a QB with a balanced running threat...even if he was "Next Man up"

4)
Emergence of 5th round "project" Tariq Woolen into a Pro Bowl opponents nemesis. Projects usually carry a tag as Boom or Bust and normally implies the need for good coaching to mold into something "later"...in the meantime you have a potential Special Teams Gunner phenom to work with. Past "projects" hadn't worked so well ...Tre Flowers converted from Box Safety to NFL Corner as a recent reminder. An untimely injury to Artie Burns prior to our season's start opened the door for Tariq (who never looked back)...almost similar to how Richard Sherman gained his own starting role via an injury (never to relinquish it).

5)
Emergence of Michael Jackson and Coby Bryant. If not for the Pro Bowl year of Tariq...Michael Jackson would have signalled an improved coverage "spike" from the days of Tre Flowers and Shaqille Griffen. M-Jacks arrival and Tre Browns's "return" sent Sidney Jones packing the day after the trading deadline. With Coby displaying "me too" impact the "experiment" of using a rookie in the slot paid big dividends in 2022...with Tariq picking up a few of Coby's (Forced Fumbles) turnover "gifts".

6) Uchenna Nwosu
With limited cap space due to a burden of "dead" money left from RW's departure...John Schneider identified Uchenna as the youthful upside free agency target of choice for investment. Uchenna quickly provided the blend of pass rush penetration and drop back coverage needed as we explored more 3-4 concepts that need a disciplined Edge Setter for minimising outside zone rushing from around the tackle. Our run defense was severely exploited so our team/scheme concepts are in flux. Uchenna has a strong role to play beyond what he showed in 2022.

7) Tyler/DK
Sharing the burden of providing Geno with quick strike options this "dynamic duo" rapidly allowed Geno to explore some deeper routes as he improved on what "reads" the opponents defense was presenting... allowing him to quickly know where the coverage mismatches were as he dropped back for quick delivery. DK helps Tyler by demanding the most physical corners in coverage while Tyler in turn helps DK by getting quick coverage separation to draw attention of the deep safety. Its clearly a case of forcing our opponent to "choose their poison" since both of them have contrasting styles.

8) 12 Personnel
Shane Waldron made full use of 12 (2 TE) and even 13(3 TE) personnel formations to boost the running game and as immediate help to our bookend rookie tackles on obvious passing downs. As our tackles proved capable...Fant/Dissly/Parkinson went stealth mode...dropping into easy check down targets if our QB was feeling harassed.

9)
Pete and coaching promotions/hiring. Pete understands he sets the tone of our Seahawk culture and he understands to get the Best version of young talent you need strong focused coaching. Retaining the best coaches runs counter to consistent winning...since in any given year your talented coaching can be lured away. Super Bowls and Conference Championships draw the biggest risk as grabbing a coach away is easier than trading or buying the stars from those games. If Pete harbors any doubts he's quick to hide them behind unbridaled enthusiasm and adding another stick of gum or two. Rehiring Sanjay Lal to teach the finer points of being an NFL WR kept DK and Tyler "running hot". Hiring Karl Scott for the Secondary got immediate surprising results in the elevation of Tariq Woolen/Michael Jackson and the fumble forcing baptism of Coby Bryant as our slot corner (normally given to a seasoned vet with quick flipping hips). Losing Sean Desai to the Eagles is a recent example of having coaches "plucked" away.

10) Emotional supportive Twelves
Our Twelfth Man wasn't the whimper of a doomed team but the roar that energizes our team time and again...making that perfectly clear from the onset as the Seattle Denver game played like a "fan's Super Bowl". Wearing his Denver uniform RW was greeted by an uncharacteristic cascade of boos as he took the field. RW and the hardnosed Marshawn with the Legion of Boom had driven a "stake" into the heart of Denver's pride as the number 1 Offense led by their old hero Peyton Manning went down in flames in Super Bowl XLVIII.

They wanted RW to know he had chosen the wrong side...and the Seahawks responded in a close fought battle with no RW heroics on display and a jubilant Pete shaking Hackett's hand with a firm victorious handshake.

We rewarded our fans with an unexpected return to the playoffs in an effort to ease some of the pain of 2021. The 49ers still loom as the "bully" on our block...but we got in some early punches to serve notice in the playoffs..."we'll be back"

 

[nanomoz]

Great post.

I would say #1 is re-committing to an actual plan and organizational culture priorities. The handling of Russell Wilson seems to have been a road block, or too big of an exception for too long, to truly commit to those things.

The sort of people you bring into the building, from the players all the way down org. chart, informs what kind of organization you have.

They haven't come out and said this, probably because doing so would be a tacit admission of the fact that they lost sight of something really important, but when you hear them talk about the players they bring into the building, they say the same things over and over which echo those priorities.

 

[Hawkmode]

Great post.

I would say #1 is re-committing to an actual plan and organizational culture priorities. The handling of Russell Wilson seems to have been a road block, or too big of an exception for too long, to truly commit to those things.

The sort of people you bring into the building, from the players all the way down org. chart, informs what kind of organization you have.

They haven't come out and said this, probably because doing so would be a tacit admission of the fact that they lost sight of something really important, but when you hear them talk about the players they bring into the building, they say the same things over and over which echo those priorities.

John Schneider has recently admitted a renewed focus on "Seahawky" type players rather than a wider NFL type view.

 

[chrispy]

Geno deserves his own point. If all else was the same, but Geno performed in line with national expectations, record is below 500.

 

[keasley45]

Great post.

I would say #1 is re-committing to an actual plan and organizational culture priorities. The handling of Russell Wilson seems to have been a road block, or too big of an exception for too long, to truly commit to those things.

The sort of people you bring into the building, from the players all the way down org. chart, informs what kind of organization you have.

They haven't come out and said this, probably because doing so would be a tacit admission of the fact that they lost sight of something really important, but when you hear them talk about the players they bring into the building, they say the same things over and over which echo those priorities.

Agree with this. When Pete got here, he stripped the roster and rebuilt it around a philosophy that emphasized smart, balanced, team play. Each phase of our team was exceptional in some way in those early years.

If the passing game was slow to click, we could run. If we were stopped on the ground and in the air, our punt game could flip the field, and of course the LOB was the great equalizer.

The team, it's players, top to bottom, believed in the compete philosophy. If you listen to the OG guard from our championship years, they all talked about how they held eachother accountable and had eachothers backs.

Although they had stars throughout, they all still functioned as a whole.

That changed when the accountability that all 53 held for eachother was adjusted for a special exception.

I won't spend time on the fallout from that decision. Just suffice it to say that the biggest change in my opinion
Above any one single move, is going back to that original formula that brought us success and resulted in some of those early Pete teams being counted among the best in NFL history.

The hunger is back. The chemistry seems to be returning. There's hungry youth. There's seasoned veteran leadership. And there's a ton of talent on both sides of the ball.

Max expectations might be here earlier than we all anticipated.

 

[olyfan63]

Good point about how DK draws the opponent's most physical corner, so they're not on Tyler. Maybe. Wouldn't Waldron scheme around release issues for Tyler by putting him in motion? Does Tyler have problems getting off the jam at the line against big physical corners? I just know we see Tyler getting downfield and getting open. Is it because opponent's DON'T put their big, physical corners on Tyler because he's too quick and elusive for them and makes them look like fools when they try to cover him? Sincerely curious about what the perceived reality is on that topic. Perhaps a good thread on it's own.

 

[rjdriver]

Solid post @Hawkmode !

Looking forward to seeing your post count in the thousands, not hundreds.

Particular good take on the view the Riq's success somewhat shadowed the solid contributions of Bryant and Jackson, I hadn't really thought of that much.

 

[FrodosFinger]

Boye Mafe’ is ready to explode and has had the best camp so far and beat out Daryl Taylor as the starter

 

[seabowl]

Always Compete is back. No more just living on your reputation. You don’t perform you don’t play.

 

[Xxx]

Trying to pin ten reasons for how our team transformed the narrative of basement/rebuild team (lucky to get 4 wins) to midseason 6-3 with some 3rd best NFC team "hype"...then the eventual struggle to finish strong...stumbling into the playoffs only to run smack into the WALL known as the 49ers.

1)
Biggest factor driving our rebuild narrative was the Russell Wilson trade. Many fans questioned if we got enough from Denver...maybe we should have jumped on the rumored "3 firsts" offered the year before. Seems like the fan base was wanting every QB name that popped into the "who can save the Hawks doomed season?" Surely not the "winner" of a Geno Vs Lock...these guys "proved" by playing for other teams that we only had a future nightmare of "Pick 6" and frustrated passes into the hands of opponent's jerseys.

Geno gave us a "taste" of expectations when RW went down injured in 2021...but we quickly excused it as him looking good against awful teams (Jags) and just "Geno" when losing 2nd half of Rams game and then Saints/Steelers. Perhaps RW recognized the need to "rush" his return...his leverage with Pete and John needed Geno to flop. Speculation?? Sure...but RW clearly played Green Bay as if he wasn't our reknown hero. Geno played his heart out in 2022 clearly having the biggest impact of vindicating Pete's boast of reload...not rebuild.

2)
Immediate "rewards" in roster boost from RW trade. Out Gerald Everett/Rasheem Green/(B/U status of Geno...replaced by Noah Fant/Shelby Harris/Drew Lock. Charles Cross and Boye Mafe and Tyreke Smith(stashed on 2022 IR) injected immediate (Cross) and future (Mafe/Smith) youth into a talent drained roster inherited from 2021.

3)
"Next man up" went from cliche to explosive impact in the form of our rookie Ken Walker III. Many in the fan base "moaned" when we drafted/wasted a pick on a "luxury" selection. A 2nd rd RB ?when we proved in our recent past that 7th rd guys like Chris Carson were surely available later...besides the way Penny Rashaad burst into the latter part of 2021 and signed up for 2022...this had to be stubborn Pete...deluded into elevating the "value" of a RB...who cares about a Doak Walker Award winner it wasn't even a Heisman. Ken Walker III played a big role in helping Geno "tell his comeback story". An injured Penny soon justified Pete and his emphasis of supporting a QB with a balanced running threat...even if he was "Next Man up"

4)
Emergence of 5th round "project" Tariq Woolen into a Pro Bowl opponents nemesis. Projects usually carry a tag as Boom or Bust and normally implies the need for good coaching to mold into something "later"...in the meantime you have a potential Special Teams Gunner phenom to work with. Past "projects" hadn't worked so well ...Tre Flowers converted from Box Safety to NFL Corner as a recent reminder. An untimely injury to Artie Burns prior to our season's start opened the door for Tariq (who never looked back)...almost similar to how Richard Sherman gained his own starting role via an injury (never to relinquish it).

5)
Emergence of Michael Jackson and Coby Bryant. If not for the Pro Bowl year of Tariq...Michael Jackson would have signalled an improved coverage "spike" from the days of Tre Flowers and Shaqille Griffen. M-Jacks arrival and Tre Browns's "return" sent Sidney Jones packing the day after the trading deadline. With Coby displaying "me too" impact the "experiment" of using a rookie in the slot paid big dividends in 2022...with Tariq picking up a few of Coby's (Forced Fumbles) turnover "gifts".

6) Uchenna Nwosu
With limited cap space due to a burden of "dead" money left from RW's departure...John Schneider identified Uchenna as the youthful upside free agency target of choice for investment. Uchenna quickly provided the blend of pass rush penetration and drop back coverage needed as we explored more 3-4 concepts that need a disciplined Edge Setter for minimising outside zone rushing from around the tackle. Our run defense was severely exploited so our team/scheme concepts are in flux. Uchenna has a strong role to play beyond what he showed in 2022.

7) Tyler/DK
Sharing the burden of providing Geno with quick strike options this "dynamic duo" rapidly allowed Geno to explore some deeper routes as he improved on what "reads" the opponents defense was presenting... allowing him to quickly know where the coverage mismatches were as he dropped back for quick delivery. DK helps Tyler by demanding the most physical corners in coverage while Tyler in turn helps DK by getting quick coverage separation to draw attention of the deep safety. Its clearly a case of forcing our opponent to "choose their poison" since both of them have contrasting styles.

8) 12 Personnel
Shane Waldron made full use of 12 (2 TE) and even 13(3 TE) personnel formations to boost the running game and as immediate help to our bookend rookie tackles on obvious passing downs. As our tackles proved capable...Fant/Dissly/Parkinson went stealth mode...dropping into easy check down targets if our QB was feeling harassed.

9)
Pete and coaching promotions/hiring. Pete understands he sets the tone of our Seahawk culture and he understands to get the Best version of young talent you need strong focused coaching. Retaining the best coaches runs counter to consistent winning...since in any given year your talented coaching can be lured away. Super Bowls and Conference Championships draw the biggest risk as grabbing a coach away is easier than trading or buying the stars from those games. If Pete harbors any doubts he's quick to hide them behind unbridaled enthusiasm and adding another stick of gum or two. Rehiring Sanjay Lal to teach the finer points of being an NFL WR kept DK and Tyler "running hot". Hiring Karl Scott for the Secondary got immediate surprising results in the elevation of Tariq Woolen/Michael Jackson and the fumble forcing baptism of Coby Bryant as our slot corner (normally given to a seasoned vet with quick flipping hips). Losing Sean Desai to the Eagles is a recent example of having coaches "plucked" away.

10) Emotional supportive Twelves
Our Twelfth Man wasn't the whimper of a doomed team but the roar that energizes our team time and again...making that perfectly clear from the onset as the Seattle Denver game played like a "fan's Super Bowl". Wearing his Denver uniform RW was greeted by an uncharacteristic cascade of boos as he took the field. RW and the hardnosed Marshawn with the Legion of Boom had driven a "stake" into the heart of Denver's pride as the number 1 Offense led by their old hero Peyton Manning went down in flames in Super Bowl XLVIII.

They wanted RW to know he had chosen the wrong side...and the Seahawks responded in a close fought battle with no RW heroics on display and a jubilant Pete shaking Hackett's hand with a firm victorious handshake.

We rewarded our fans with an unexpected return to the playoffs in an effort to ease some of the pain of 2021. The 49ers still loom as the "bully" on our block...but we got in some early punches to serve notice in the playoffs..."we'll be back"

One factor I believe in totally is game tape on geno. Geno sat so long he learned how to look like a qb, but the league was learning nothing about him while he was doing this. Then after about less than ten games they put together some tape and now they know how to beat him easily, and then, he has not adjusted, neither has Pete or Waldo and now bodda bing bodda boom here we are

 

[bileever]

HOW DID WE GET HERE? TOP NINE REASONS THE SEASON HASN'T FULFILLED EXPECTATIONS:

9. The 49ers are even better than anticipated. Purdy's injury was just a blip, and their O-line isn't as bad as we thought it might be. And the Rams are better--reports of their demise were greatly exaggerated.

8. Clint Hurtt's defense has been better, but only marginally. We needed Hurtt to inspire the defense to play with a LOB-style aggression, but it hasn't.

7. Outside of Devon Witherspoon (and possibly JSN and Charbonnet), the rookies this year haven't been as big a factor as we expected. We had a lot of high draft picks, and not as much impact as we had last year with Cross, Lucas, Walker, Woolen, etc. Hall, Oluwatimi, Bradford, Young, Morris and McIntosh may still become good players, but they haven't contributed much yet.

6. Bobby Wagner has lost a step. He's still a good player, but he isn't the force that he used to be. Devin Bush hasn't been worth a damn. Thank god for Jordyn Brooks.

5. Losing Uchenna Nwosu to injury. We still haven't been able to replace him. Derick Hall hasn't been the difference maker we had hoped he would be.

4. Signing Dre'mont Jones for $17 million per year has turned out to be a bad decision. The money would have been better spent elsewhere. We knew the D-line needed improvement, but this wasn't it. Leonard Williams is already outplaying him. Javon Hargrave for $21 million for the 49ers has turned out to be a better investment.

3. The early season injuries to the offensive line has prevented the line play from gelling and allowing the offense to progress. Evan Brown has not turned out to be the improvement over Austin Blythe that we needed. Lewis and Haynes have inexplicably regressed.

2. Geno has regressed.

1. Shane Waldron hasn't stepped up in year three and provided the Seahawks with a modern, functional offense. He didn't anticipate opponents' adjustments to last years' success and come up with new wrinkles despite being provided with additional weapons in JSN and Charbonnet.

 

[hawkfan68]

HOW DID WE GET HERE? TOP NINE REASONS THE SEASON HASN'T FULFILLED EXPECTATIONS:

9. The 49ers are even better than anticipated. Purdy's injury was just a blip, and their O-line isn't as bad as we thought it might be. And the Rams are better--reports of their demise were greatly exaggerated.

8. Clint Hurtt's defense has been better, but only marginally. We needed Hurtt to inspire the defense to play with a LOB-style aggression, but it hasn't.

7. Outside of Devon Witherspoon (and possibly JSN and Charbonnet), the rookies this year haven't been as big a factor as we expected. We had a lot of high draft picks, and not as much impact as we had last year with Cross, Lucas, Walker, Woolen, etc. Hall, Oluwatimi, Bradford, Young, Morris and McIntosh may still become good players, but they haven't contributed much yet.

6. Bobby Wagner has lost a step. He's still a good player, but he isn't the force that he used to be. Devin Bush hasn't been worth a damn. Thank god for Jordyn Brooks.

5. Losing Uchenna Nwosu to injury. We still haven't been able to replace him. Derick Hall hasn't been the difference maker we had hoped he would be.

4. Signing Dre'mont Jones for $17 million per year has turned out to be a bad decision. The money would have been better spent elsewhere. We knew the D-line needed improvement, but this wasn't it. Leonard Williams is already outplaying him. Javon Hargrave for $21 million for the 49ers has turned out to be a better investment.

3. The early season injuries to the offensive line has prevented the line play from gelling and allowing the offense to progress. Evan Brown has not turned out to be the improvement over Austin Blythe that we needed. Lewis and Haynes have inexplicably regressed.

2. Geno has regressed.

1. Shane Waldron hasn't stepped up in year three and provided the Seahawks with a modern, functional offense. He didn't anticipate opponents' adjustments to last years' success and come up with new wrinkles despite being provided with additional weapons in JSN and Charbonnet.

Great post. Dre’mont Jones and Darrell Taylor should be released this offseason if not sooner. Both are useless on the football field. They should keep Williams and Jarran Reed. Releasing Jones might help to do just that.

 

[cymatica]

Have they been using Jones inside or outside more? I read somewhere that his breakout year with Denver happened when they moved him outside for most of his snaps

 

[TwistedHusky]

We don't have a good roster.

Pete has plenty of flaws, but he is adept at beating below .500 teams with whatever roster he has. Because his style of play takes advantage of opponent mistakes, and bad teams make more of them.
So we beat the projections.

But sit down and rank our roster against an average NFL team.

DEFENSE
DL - push, maybe slightly above avg (slightly below avg DE, slightly above avg DT)
LB - below avg
S - below avg
CB - above avg

The strength of the defense is the secondary, on paper. You might now know it from the #s this year, where our secondary looks avg. But our secondary turned a lot of offensive possessions into turnovers. Might have masked some other issues.

OFFENSE
OL - below avg
TE - above avg
WR - above avg
RB - below avg
QB - ? (was last year an outlier or not? nobody knew)


Now do the same rankings for the 49ers.

Was it even reasonable to expect an above .500 record for a team with a below avg DL, below avg LB, and below avg S? (Only offset by solid CBs?) Coupled with below avg OL, below avg RB, and a question mark at QB? (Only offset by a solid if not exceptional receiving corps of WR & TEs?)
I'll agree that Clint does not seem a capable DC. But there ain't much to work with either, though I wonder if he could be an effective DC even with a roster of All Everything defensive players.

(One frustration is that given the potential and demonstrated ability of our CBs, we are not getting the effectiveness from that group you should expect. Would be interested in breaking down how we use our CBs vs how we could be using them)

This entire team's success almost seemed predicated on our QB, after having a career year, not regressing at all but somehow improving. Unlikely.
This team was never going to succeed this year, or do better than last year because it didn't have the roster for it and had a tougher schedule. Expecting more based on the above made no sense. We never had a chance because we are limited by an avg to below avg roster, with what looks like an avg to below avg QB.

 

[Xxx]

We don't have a good roster.

Pete has plenty of flaws, but he is adept at beating below .500 teams with whatever roster he has. Because his style of play takes advantage of opponent mistakes, and bad teams make more of them.
So we beat the projections.

But sit down and rank our roster against an average NFL team.

DEFENSE
DL - push, maybe slightly above avg (slightly below avg DE, slightly above avg DT)
LB - below avg
S - below avg
CB - above avg

The strength of the defense is the secondary, on paper. You might now know it from the #s this year, where our secondary looks avg. But our secondary turned a lot of offensive possessions into turnovers. Might have masked some other issues.

OFFENSE
OL - below avg
TE - above avg
WR - above avg
RB - below avg
QB - ? (was last year an outlier or not? nobody knew)


Now do the same rankings for the 49ers.

Was it even reasonable to expect an above .500 record for a team with a below avg DL, below avg LB, and below avg S? (Only offset by solid CBs?) Coupled with below avg OL, below avg RB, and a question mark at QB? (Only offset by a solid if not exceptional receiving corps of WR & TEs?)
I'll agree that Clint does not seem a capable DC. But there ain't much to work with either, though I wonder if he could be an effective DC even with a roster of All Everything defensive players.

(One frustration is that given the potential and demonstrated ability of our CBs, we are not getting the effectiveness from that group you should expect. Would be interested in breaking down how we use our CBs vs how we could be using them)

This entire team's success almost seemed predicated on our QB, after having a career year, not regressing at all but somehow improving. Unlikely.
This team was never going to succeed this year, or do better than last year because it didn't have the roster for it and had a tougher schedule. Expecting more based on the above made no sense. We never had a chance because we are limited by an avg to below avg roster, with what looks like an avg to below avg QB.

Burn it down

 

[bileever]

We don't have a good roster.

I generally agree with your assessment of the roster, but I think it's an improved roster with potential. You're also right that people seem to forget that we are in the middle of a rebuild. We had 15 rookies on the opening roster, the most in the NFL, not to mention 7 second year players. We didn't improve enough to support everyone's expectations that we would be a top team this year.

 

[scutterhawk]

"Next Man up"? Sure, but Injury Kills Consistency, and there's a damned good reason your Backups aren't your Starters.
IF "The Man Next to You" is struggling, YOU have to pick up the slack, BUT, because of the imbalance and impromptu, YOU WILL whiff on a few plays.
First regular game this year, and your Second-year bookend Tackles.... injured.
You put a band-aid on the O-Line by having your TE's in there to support.
Defensive Coordinators aren't stupid= Exploitation
Quarterback can no longer count on good, or hell, even Average Protection.
There are no easy fixes to these setbacks and misfires AND, there ISN'T ANY Quarterback in the League that's going to come through this kind of turmoil unscathed.
And now comes the Run Game with a busted up O-Line....Never Mind.... I think some of y'all get the picture.

 

[Slick]

It seems like every year since 2014 the defense goes through a "we gotta communicate better/trust each other" type thing. I think we're in that situation now with new personnel (guy from Giants/Frank Clark/Uchenna out new guys rotating in/Tariq benching) who have their own tendencies and stuff.

 

[TwistedHusky]

My concern is that Pete will always keep us at or near .500 no matter how threadbare the roster. He is adept at that.

This means we will never be terrible enough to have 2 or 3 years of great drafts to reload with top players. You CAN rebuild without it (the Eagles had only one bad year with a 4 win season, then reloaded with a series of 'rob the other guy blind' trades that helped....but for the most part you need to fill a roster out by getting early draft slots. You probably have to be below .500 for a year or two) Unless you have a great QB, which we don't. And you need to make good trades, which we don't usually do.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect much more than .500 as long as Pete is here. Not because Pete is not capable of above .500 (clearly in his history) but because FROM THIS POINT ON we won't be able to reload enough to offset some of the weaknesses that come with some of Pete's strengths. I also think it's reasonable to expect the next coach will be worse. There are likely holes in the roster that Pete is papering over. That may be clear once he leaves.