HarveysWBs

Right, if you want to step all over the joke, then I’ll grant you your point. But seriously, to your point, it will never cease to amaze me that ten games is all it takes to separate one of the best seasons in team history and a pretty big disappointment (assuming, as I am, that Milwaukee will finish this year with a mid-80s win total). Take just four more wins each from Chicago and Pittsburgh and this whole season is so different. It’s maddening.

Thanks, Atlanta. It wasn’t enough to directly end our season last year, you have to do your darndest to indirectly end it this year? And after stealing our franchise to boot? Go pound sand.

I was really hoping he’d at least make it until October, but he is nothing if not consistent. Time for Doubs to grow up fast.

I’m at the point where I expect nothing from Bakh. Not this year, and not ever again. I’m not saying that out of bitterness, or trying to be glib about his injury, because it seems to me he’s been through heck and half a dozen procedures to get this thing right and he’s just snake bitten. As such, there is absolutely no point in getting invested in the idea of him playing in games again. What would he even look like after nearly two years off anyway? My mindset is that they have to win with Nijman, and I’ll be presently surprised if I’m wrong. I didn’t start the year this way, but everything that’s happened since the off-season has just about convinced me he’s cooked.

Jaire got one!

Finish them!

We won the last inch!

Is there a view with the ball? It was obscured on tv

Certainly didn’t look like Watson thought it was, so I’m hoping you’re right. Would be a continuation of a bad night by Myers.

Darn it, Watson. I want to love you, but you’re making it hard.

Gotta be careful. QB1 is going to have his feelings hurt.

This team is just getting me ready to be hurt again next week. And darn it, I’m letting it happen.

Restoring order to the universe

Newman!

Good response by the defense. Of course, it always helps that Fields is not, you know, that good.

Have to get better than that out of Nijman. I know it’s Quinn, but c’mon man.

Let’s go. Run the dang ball.

Some things will never change, I guess. Even Alexander missed a tackle and gave up a big reception. How deflating

What a win. The big boys played like big boys tonight--Woody, Williams, Adames, and Yeli--and that's all it took. Incredible.

Big time. I am really geeked about Walker. I figured the brass had to know something with the resources they spent on him, and early returns seem to be rewarding that faith. BUT, I was this excited about Savage once upon a time, too, and now he looks like a weak link, so we’ll see.

So after thinking about the opener for a while, I’m not 100% sure I’m still as confident in classifying this as a blip as I was during the game. I stated at the time that considering the state of the pass catchers’ learning curve and the o-line health, this month should be a go-1and2-and-move-on situation. Well, that leaves Chicago and Tampa. I’m not feeling going to Florida and winning a game against anybody, much less the Buccs. If our secondary brain farted that much against Cousins (who, admittedly, doesn’t get enough credit in the turnover avoidance area), I’m not sure what depths of failure we’re in for against a guy who has quite literally seen it all in Tom Brady. But we can beat Chicago one-handed, right? I’m not sure right now. Now, I think the R-E-L-A-X position is still perfectly defensible. And if I was forced to bet on what I still think the most likely outcome is, it’d be a comfortable win in a focused, bounce-back performance next week. But my confidence wavers a little, and here’s why: I’m sure Joe Barry’s scheme works. I’m starting to wonder if Joe Barry works calling that scheme. Either that, or maybe he’s not as confident in his players as we all are. It’s really not a good look that Jaire said after the game that he wanted to take on Jefferson the whole game, but the staff insisted on staying true to schematic design and not giving anyone a single player to cover, damn the torpedoes. And sure, the color commentator (Greg Olsen?) tried to defend that decision as if the rest of the defenders would be unduly burdened by trying to figure out their assignments on a play by play basis. But…corners have shadowed receivers before. It’s not unprecedented. If Stokes and Douglas can’t figure out assignments, are they as good as we think they are? And if Barry can’t take away the one player everyone in the whole world knows the Vikings are going to feed, is he any better than Pettine? I’m a little worried there. And speaking of the reputations of coaches, I’m suddenly way more worried about supposed offensive line guru Stenavich. It’s now two straight games (the 49ers loss still infuriates me) where we have run out an absolutely bewildering o-line personnel group. Newman is a liability, but you can at least say he’s got real game reps at the NFL level, so I can stomach him under the circumstances (if he’s starting in a month, we’ve got problems). But I just do not see any way Hanson makes a lick of sense. I heard today that Hanson had never played guard in a game at any level (high school, college, or pros) before Sunday. And meanwhile, Tom is on the bench to start the game. I’m usually ready to give coaches a huge pass on personnel, because I’m a total amateur and I don’t see these guys in practice or meetings or anything beyond game day. But Hanson was outmatched (and, subjectively, it annoyed the heck out of me that it was Z Smith destroying him). These things need to get fixed ASAP (and getting healthy can’t be counted on—I’ll believe Bakh and/or Jenkins plays this month when I see it), or we’re more than capable of losing to Chicago.

12-5, lose the NFC Championship again.

We are all spoiled

No Walker, no Barnes. And all that MLB depth…gone

The only thing that really bothers me is the defense looking like this with preferred starters across the board. That is annoying, but the offense for Minnesota is giving a ton of unscouted looks as they break in a new system, and our secondary is brain farting all over the place. The offense is whatever. The line is a mess and the receivers are all deer in the headlights out there in as hostile an environment as you can have week 1. Tough draw. Learn from it and move on.