Falcons Fall Again

 On the road for a family wedding, so probably won't get the full treatment today.  I did listen to the full game with Todd and John while we were on the road.  They do an outstanding job.  Gibby has really matured into a great analyst...he uses his knowledge as a football player to help understand what BG is doing right and wrong.

The upshot is that BG played the defending champs very well. They are a very good team, and we gave them a lot to handle.  The defense rebounded after last week and that kept BG in the game.

BG didn't win the game because after they scored on the first drive, they didn't get another TD.  There were 7 punts, a turnover, 4th down stops, whatever.

The offense was exposed because we just don't have the players.  Dendy was out, which doesn't help, but even so, the line is simply too young (coach called it "baptism under fire") and/or unable to block the run or protect the pass. Also, the line is down a key starter who gutted it out yesterday, but clearly was struggling. Katernick is the guy we need because he's good and feeling pressure and extending plays.  But as Gibby said "imagine what he could do it we blocked for him."  And we remain thin at WR..on a lot of those scrambles there was no one open.

So, if you're going to win that game, you have to be mistake-free. And that means not allowing an 82 yard TD run, not missing an easy FG, not grinding the way down the field to let the HB throw a pass, not throwing a key INT late in the game.  There are more...but...the simple idea is that parts of this team are not bad, but they are not good enough to carry the parts of the team that are bad.

We head into a 10-day break, which gives everyone a chance to talk to their agent.  (He says, kind of cynically).  The season is over.  At 2-7, there will be no bowl game.

How do the guys react?  I will say this.  I don't agree that our guys are dead.  They are playing hard in every game.  All of the losses except the P4 games were games we could have won. We didn't...but we have been competitive with everyone else.

I am as sure as I can be that Coach George will be back.  This year, year two, is not a year where you fire the coach, especially one who started late in year one. The team has not quit on him and I think we are close to being back.  Who stays, who comes in via the portal, those are key.  And I do think we can improve the coaching.  Some run/pass flexibility is important until the line can support the cloud of dust offense. There are some bizarre play calls.  Coach expressed confidence in Coach Nosal as a line coach...I think it's hard to call plays for a team that can't block.

It hasn't been a terrible season, not like a couple years ago when we were getting destroyed every week.  Let's beat Kent and then head to the Glass Bowl.