Macdonald: "Geno Answering the Call"

[pittpnthrs]

(Pssst. You're not actually arguing against keasley45's point.)

I get it in the aspect that while opposing teams adapted, supposedly Waldron's gameplan did not over the stretch of the games, but the statement was one of which why did the team falter after the firse set of scripted plays in the first quarter. There's more to it than Waldron completely laying an egg in playcalling regards. There's different matchups on the field that get indentified, players taking a little while to settle in and get comfortable during the game, other players getting gassed, finding weaknesses in execution and so forth. That's all I was saying.

 

[NoGain]

So much rests on our offensive line this year. I'm just hoping for a respectable offensive line for the second half of the season. I have no idea if Lucas will be truly healthy at any point this year. I have no idea if Cross will resemble a top ten draft pick in his third season. I have no idea if Bradford will ever be a starting caliber guard. I have no idea if Olu or Nick Harris will amount to competency at the center position. The Haynes pick seems solid by all accounts I've read, but he'll still be a rookie. The Fant signing may turn out to be one of their most savvy signings in the off season.

There's really not much you can count on till they prove it.

 

[BlueTalon]

What I meant was that I see people automatically believing the team will be better because they were 9-8 last season when that 9-8 record really doesn't mean squat this season. Everything is new and different now. Could they improve,,,,sure. Could they be worse,,,,,absolutely.

Fair enough.

I find myself to be emotionally in the same position I was after Russ got traded. I am optimistic in the sense that I do expect us to do as well as we did last year, but knowing there could be growing pains, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy every win and not give a damn about the losses. As long as we're showing signs of growth and improvement, I can live with losses.

 

[LeveeBreak]

Fair enough.

I find myself to be emotionally in the same position I was after Russ got traded. I am optimistic in the sense that I do expect us to do as well as we did last year, but knowing there could be growing pains, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy every win and not give a damn about the losses. As long as we're showing signs of growth and improvement, I can live with losses.

As posters here are fans (fanatics), this is a reasonable and healthy perspective to have IMO. 9-8 does mean talent existed to compete and win more games than lost. Most of the top was talent retained, dropped a few under performers and had a solid draft by most respectable opinions.

Add in a head coach with a legit track record of superior defensive performance and a new OC that absolutely tore up the college ranks.

Anyone can say “Yea, but…” or “Not until…”. That is fine. But you can’t say the optimism is baseless. I also choose to believe that Geno can win playoff games and flourish with solid units supporting him.

 

[keasley45]

How do you know the playcalling will be better? Do you expect it to be? It might, but it very well may not. This is a whole new staff with new schemes and I see a lot of people believing that it's going to be an improved extension from Pete's days here when in reality, it's going to be completely different. Maybe they do improve, but don't be surprised if they take a step back even.

I'm not predicting anything because I can't until I witness what they are doing. New faces and new players don't always equate to improvements.

One can only hope. But its not a high bar to get over.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Fair enough.

I find myself to be emotionally in the same position I was after Russ got traded. I am optimistic in the sense that I do expect us to do as well as we did last year, but knowing there could be growing pains, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy every win and not give a damn about the losses. As long as we're showing signs of growth and improvement, I can live with losses.

Yeah, i'm just going to have fun watching this season. If they improve upon last season,,,awesome. If they are worse,,,,,don't care. I really don't know what to expect.

 

[keasley45]

Umm, probably because the opposing teams adapted to what Seattle was doing as the games progressed.

Exactly, and there was no counter to the adjustments they made. They took away what they knew we wanted to do, waited for us to throw passes they knew were coming and we had few answers.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Exactly, and there was no counter to the adjustments they made. They took away what they knew we wanted to do, waited for us to throw passes they knew were coming and we had few answers.

That's been going on for years with Pete Carroil regardless of the coordinators though. It's not exclusive to last season.

 

[Maelstrom787]

That's been going on for years with Pete Carroil regardless of the coordinators though. It's not exclusive to last season.

Do you honestly not see how this contradicts your previous stance of Carroll not knowing how to start a game and your allegations that he purposely sleepwalked through 3 quarters routinely to set up fourth quarter wins?

Pick a lane, man. Pick a lane. If you're going to pin it on Carroll, you can't straight up contradict yourself this badly.

The reality is that the coordinators actually coordinated their sides of the ball and each had unique strengths and weaknesses, and that always has been the reality of our situation. Always. Not only is that the reality, but it takes just a basic application of Occam's Razor to arrive at that conclusion independently.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

Wow, player looks good in off-season workouts. Did they say if he was in the best shape of his life?

I mean look at Geno now and two years ago bro put in some serious work. If Grubb can work his magic on Geno like he did Penix and Haener, Geno ‘s haters are going to be real quiet this season.

 

[SuperSonic67]

Lord no. When Geno can take a team on his back and produce like Wilson did for so many years, then we can talk.

Take a team on his back? Okay…

 

[pittpnthrs]

Do you honestly not see how this contradicts your previous stance of Carroll not knowing how to start a game and your allegations that he purposely sleepwalked through 3 quarters routinely to set up fourth quarter wins?

Pick a lane, man. Pick a lane. If you're going to pin it on Carroll, you can't straight up contradict yourself this badly.

The reality is that the coordinators actually coordinated their sides of the ball and each had unique strengths and weaknesses, and that always has been the reality of our situation. Always. Not only is that the reality, but it takes just a basic application of Occam's Razor to arrive at that conclusion independently.

I'm not sure where your coming from Mael. I don't remember ever complaining about how the Hawks started games in a specific manner. Now if your talking about me complaining about quarters upon quarters of nothing going on until the playbook was thrown out and Wilson was allowed and made to improvise in the 4th quarter to win games,,,,call me guilty.

Was Carroll bad at adapting as the game went on? Yes he was. Do I believe he handcuffed his coordinators? Yes I do.

 

[pittpnthrs]

Take a team on his back? Okay…

Are you being serious? Guy accounted for every TD except one during a season. That's not carrying a team?

When Geno can do anything better than .500 ball and win a single post season game, get back to me.

 

[sutz]

I mean look at Geno now and two years ago bro put in some serious work. If Grubb can work his magic on Geno like he did Penix and Haener, Geno ‘s haters are going to be real quiet this season.

I wouldn't mind that at all.

 

[SuperSonic67]

Are you being serious? Guy accounted for every TD except one during a season. That's not carrying a team?

When Geno can do anything better than .500 ball and win a single post season game, get back to me.

Yes I’m serious…are you? How many MVP votes did he get? In his entire career? Carried us where? The Super Bowl win was our defense and running game…and yes he contributed to that. Our second Super Bowl ended on a pick he threw at the goal line. Wake up

 

[SuperSonic67]

Oh…and what has he done since then?

 

[AROS]

Well it stands to reason if we were 9-8 last year with a very low ranked defense and not too shabby offense, that we should be a game or two better with Big Mac’s influence on our defense. I think he can get our D to top 15 the first year and to me that spells a 10-11 win season assuming the wheels don’t fall off with injuries.

 

[GetNjigbaWithIt]

I mean look at Geno now and two years ago bro put in some serious work. If Grubb can work his magic on Geno like he did Penix and Haener, Geno ‘s haters are going to be real quiet this season.

Something I've noticed watching both Fresno St. and Washington during the Grubb years, his offense always made the QB look clutch when the game was on the line with little time left. And we've seen Geno do that under Waldron, so I think Geno is the perfect QB to run Grubb's offense, I'm optimistic Grubb & Geno are gonna mesh very well together.

 

[Torc]

How do you know the playcalling will be better? Do you expect it to be? It might, but it very well may not. This is a whole new staff with new schemes and I see a lot of people believing that it's going to be an improved extension from Pete's days here when in reality, it's going to be completely different. Maybe they do improve, but don't be surprised if they take a step back even.

I'm not predicting anything because I can't until I witness what they are doing. New faces and new players don't always equate to improvements.

I do expect it to be better. Pete's mantra on defense was to line 'em up and let 'em compete. That worked great when we had a few hall of famers on defense, less so when we had a group of JAGs. We've heard team after team comment about how our defense never changed, never tried to fool anyone. Well, now we have another proven defensive mind who doesn't think that way. Yes, there will probably be growing pains as players learn the scheme and MacDonald doesn't 100% have the personnel that fit his schemes. I still expect the defense to be better than it has been the past two years.

On offense, we have a more experienced playcaller than Waldron. Grubb is well known for taking advantage of and adapting to the strengths of his players. Yes, he was a college coach previously, and now he is going against NFL talent on the opposing defenses. Well, on the flip side he has NFL talent on his side as well. Of course we're going to see if he can cut it in the NFL....but there is way less difference between top end college schemes and the NFL than there used to be.

I understand wanting to be realistic, but if you can't be optimistic at this time of year, that's kind of rough.

 

[Titus Pullo]

Multiple Superbowl championships.

I can't tell if you are being serious or not.

If you are being serious, I want you to know that I bookmarked your predictions for future reference.

It will be fun posting them later.