Bulltalk wrote:I would add one more to the list off the top of my head. RW attempts (and oftentimes completes) DOWNFIELD STRIKES! I've been so bored with our offense in recent years by the lack of true downfield attempts in the passing game.
And if I could add one more qualifier to that: He likes to put those passes in places where only his guy can make the play. The TD to Martin, the completion(s) to Edwards, etc. He gives his receivers a chance to make a big play, and so far he's done it in a way where the potential reward is great than the risks. Compare that to Tarvaris who certainly has the strongest arm on the team, but is either afraid or unable to use it effectively/consistently.
Tonight, Wilson's the headline, but there was a lot to like. Specifically Turbin. With Lynch on the bench we got to see Turbin used both outside [where he showed he has the speed to break the run outside] and inside [where he refused to go down, broke some tackles and high-stepped over others]. How can you not love the idea of using this guy to spell Lynch? Some teams like to use change of pace backs, trading speed for power, but our approach seems unrelenting. The Seahawks used their running game to wear teams down last season, and they did so without really having anyone to effectively rotate with Lynch. You can also safely use Turbin on 3rd downs as he adds a passing threat that Lynch really doesn't.
I like Edwards' chances of making this team. He's made some big catches when given the chance to do so [and almost pulled in a great one-handed catch on a deep ball along the sidelines], and take a look at what he does on Turbin's TD run. He seals off the CB on the outside, allowing Turbin to get into the endzone at the end of his run. I hadn't expected Edwards to be much other than a potential big play guy, but it looks like he's with the program and willing to use his size to block downfield. That's huge.
As for T.O.? He had two more drops, but he made a play on a deep pass that only a handful of WR can make. How do you streak downfield, keeping your eye on the ball as you fall backwards? For all his faults, I still maintain Owens makes this roster because no one else on the roster can make that play. And because keeping Terrell Owens is also SUCH a Pete Carroll thing to do, isn't it? We're not supposed to keep Owens, ergo we will keep him.
The pass rush also looked much improved tonight. Irvin's not there but he's getting closer; Scruggs looks like a nice find in the 7th round [and every thing I read about him makes me like him more...guy has a great attitude]. Law came up with a delightful strip-sack that shows everything you want out of a defensive end. As roles become clearer and the blitz/stunt packages start to be utilized, I think we'll see a demonstrable improvement out of last season.
My level of excitement is getting out of control. Every facet of the game tonight, from the pass rush, passing game, rushing attack, special teams, pass defense...everything looks better than the week before, right? I don't see an area of play so far where I think the team is worse off than it was the season before.
