I con't see it as a totally disappointing season nor do I see it as a masterful rebuild. It was not a totally disappointing season because the second half of the season, overall was very successful. It was not a masterful rebuild because the plan changed so much from season start to the second half of the season. A closer look:cromartie wrote:I expected an 8-10 season with a first round playoff loss and will be pleasantly surprised if those expectations are exceeded. And while I agree with you on the nature of the season, I don't get the impression that this was the objective from the outset (though, in light of how 2009 ended up, it should have been). Robertson and Printers were not guys you plug in if your intent was to rebuild. I'm glad it's turned out the way it has for all of the reasons you've mentioned. Shivers has done a great job providing talent.
But how to use that talent remains a problem. I am unhappy with the coaching staff and will be disappointed if there isn't some degree of realignment in the offseason (barring some sort of miracle run ala Wally in 2001). But it's not all bad, and I appreciate you banging that drum.
OFFENCE:
We came into this season losing Martell Mallett to the NFL, with Wally allowing him to go, with a year left on his contract, we chose not to bring Jason Jiminez back because he was unhappy with our offensive scheme, and decided to not bring Buck Pierce back due to his injury situation. We began the season with the same offensive scheme that Chap had used in the past, except that Chap stated that we would run the football less this season.
Offensively, we chose to go with free agents to fill the key positions that needed filling. We had signed Printers the season previous and named him our new starting quarterback for 2010. We signed Derek Armstrong to the import receiver position to compliment Geroy and we signed Jamal Robertson as our tailback.
On the offensive line, with Jiminez now gone at right tackle, we made a wholesale shift of our offensive line, deciding to move Sherko, our best offensive lineman, to right tackle, name Valli the starter to replace Angus Reid, used an rookie import at the right guard postion, and decided to go with two former defensive tackles to start the season as our left guard and left tackle. It was a disaster, especially for an offensive scheme that, in the past, even with a very good offensive line, usually led the league in giving up the most quarterback sacks.
The first half of the serason was a nightmre offensively. The offensive line was in constant flux and confused on blitzes, we struggled to run the football consistently, and our quarterbacks were under constant pressure, with little time to throw the football.
In that first half of the season we also used three quarterbacks. Printers tried to play with a torn ACL and torn maniscus and was not mobile. Lulay badly struggled in his first stint as our starting quarterback, Jarious went in for a game and a half and he struggled too, stil nursing his shoulder injury. No quarterback could have been successful during that first half of the season. Hampered by a porous offensive line and a scheme with no anti-bliz strategies, and without a running game, our quarterbacks spent most of the first half of the season on their backs or running for their lives. We also experimented briefly at the tailback position, benching Robertson for Davis, before deciding that Davis was more helpful to us at the punt returner position.
The scond half of the season, offensively, was a much better story. Reid replaced Valli, who got hurt, Sherko returned to his familiar guard spot. Instead of wasting an import at right guard we moved Olifoye to left tackle and McGrath, picked up from Edmonton moved into the right tackle spot. Our offensive line began to play a lot better in the second halof of the season. We had released Armstrong to go with Passmore. who got hurt quickly and was replaced by Black. Lulay started for the injured Printers, who was eventually released.
In the second half of the season, we also made some key and very long awaited changes to our offensive scheme. The key change was to release the tailback on swing passes rather than keeping him in to block. That gave Lulay an outlet pass against the blitz, something our quarterbacks in the first half of the season did not have the benefit of. We often used two backs on passing downs, with one blocking and the scond one releasing as a safety valve. We also used the occasional tight end set to improve our protection.
Offensively, this was not a masterful offensive rebuild. However, offensively, in the scond half of the season, with some improvements in our scheme, wtih the same offensive lineup, and an offence being aided by some excellent defensive and special teams play, we improved. Still our offence struggled for long stretches during games and also was not effective in the red zone. We go into next season with an aging tailback, a star receiver in Geroy who is in the latter stage of his career, and an offensive scheme that has finaly had some adjustments made to it but still needs more work.
DEFENCE
Defensively, it was not a masterful rebuld either, to begin with, but this is a defense that has really come together. We knew, going into this season, on defense that we needed to come up with replacements at four positions...defensive end due to the departure of Ricky Foley, at safety, due to the retirement of Barrin Miles, at linebacker, due to the fact that we had plugged in an over the hill veteran at that position the year previously, and at defensive halfback, where the incumbent had not been satisfactory.
In the off-season we signed free agent Davis Sanchez to play wideside corner, a Canadian, to allow us to play an import at defensive end and we also signed another free agent (Keron Williams) to play defensive tackle beside Aaron Hunt. Brent Johnson was to be relegated to spot duty as a rotational player but injuries forced us to start him. Crawford, our backup safety moved into a starting postiion. Phillips was moved to shortside halfback and Franks, a rookie, was inserted into the lineup from training camp at wideside halfback. We experimented at linebacker, first using McKenzie inside and Henderson outside, then inserting Elimimien at outside linebacker before settling on Elimimian at middle linebacker and putting McKenzie outside. Pittman stuggled at defensive end before getting injured.
Two key additions mid-season made a huge difference to our defense. David Hyland was outstanding at safety and corner in the second half of this season. The insertion of Kalif Mitchell into defensive tackle shored up the interior of our defensive line and Hunts return has only made it better.
It was obvious, even in the first half of the season that our defense was much improved and playing a different style of game. There have been three keys to creating a defense that is now amongst the league's best. The first was hiring Stubler, a former defensive coordinator who had built the league's best defense in Toronto. Stublers influence from Day 1 was obvious in our defensive scheme. The second key was Roy Shivers who pushed Wally in the off-season to finally sign some free agents and Keron Williams and Davis Sanchez have been great additions. Thirdly, we found a gem in rookie linebacker Eliminian and the mid-season additions of Hyland and Mitchell were differnce makers.
SPECIAL TEAMS
We went into this season recognizing that Ian Smart's days were behind him and needed to find a new exciting punt returner. However, with Davis obviously a talent at training camp we sat Davis on the practice roster for a good chunk of the first half of the season. However, when Davis was inserted into the lineup our return game became a threat. In the second half ot the season, our return game was a key to many of our victories.
Paul McCallum, who has been outstanding for us, has amazed with his field goal kicking proficiency this season and his directional punting continued to shine. Our downfield coverage has been excellent all season as a number of players have emerged as new leaders on special team coverage.
WRAP
We go into the playoffs as a very dangerous team. I wrote at mid-season that our defense this season was going to be special and it has been. Our special teams are also a strength. Offensively, we've improved but there are still a number of question marks.
In terms of the overall season, the first half was a bitter disappointment and was the result of poor decision making by our coaching staff in a number of areas. The offensive line mix-experiment hurt us badly. The lack of any anti-blitz strategies in the first half of the season was inexcusable. The playing of injured quarterbacks Printers and Jackson was also very questionable. We waited too long to get Davis into the lineup. We would not have been in the situation of praying for an Edmonton loss yesterday, if better coaching decisions had been made offensively in the first half of the season, as we lost too many close games. However, our offence has improved.
However, going into next season question marks remain. We still need a Canaidan receiver who is a threat. Wilson is not the answer and Gore got into the lineup yesterday for a couple of plays. We are not far away to the day we need to develop a go-to receiver to replace Geroy. Jamal Robetson is a 33 year old tailback. Chap's offence stil needs improvement--both in the running game and red zone offence.
Defensively, we stil need to find an import defensive end who can get to the quarterback and Franks is stil being picked on. However, things look so much better now than they did in mid-season. Perhaps the most credit should go to Roy Shivers, who has brought in a lot of talent this season, along with his push for Wally to change paths and sign some free agents last off-season. Was it a masterful plan?? No, it was anything but....however, the future sure looks a heck of a lot more positive than it did in August of this season.
