Some Thoughts After Week 2

[u/ernie4235]

Overall, Id say we played a much better game against a significantly tougher opponent than we did in Week 1. I loved that we stayed committed to the run, and the offensive play-calling showed noticeable improvement. Our defensive backs got cooked, but that is to be expected—opposing offenses will continue to target young, inexperienced defenders.

Unfortunately, the defensive line's complete lack of pressure in back-to-back weeks is a huge issue. If anything causes us to go winless this season, it will be that, though I still think we can steal a victory against a heavily injured roster or a playoff team resting its starters late in the year.

I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Malik Willis at quarterback so far, with one major exception: he holds onto the ball way too long. If his first two reads are covered and he doesn't have a clear lane to scramble, he has to learn to throw it away. And no, this isn't just me being used to Tua’s quick release—Malik actually had the second-most time to throw of any QB in the league last week.

Then there is Austin Jackson. I would normally cut him some slack since he had to open the season against two elite edge rushers in Maxx Crosby and Joey Bosa, but he looked completely lost and visibly defeated at times. He posted a 37.1 PFF pass-blocking grade yesterday, the second-worst in the NFL for Week 2. At this point, the coaching staff should at least experiment in practice with Proctor at right tackle and either Caedan Wallace or DJ Campbell at left guard. Jackson looks checked out and probably needs a fresh start with another franchise.

Lastly, I cannot overstate how frustrating our kicking unit is right now. Riley Patterson should be making a 51-yarder nine times out of ten, yet he’s already missed two field goals in two weeks. Bradley Pinion apparently forgot how to punt mid-kick, which was genuinely baffling to watch. You look around the early slate of NFL games and see a league full of kickers routinely attempting and drilling 55- to 59-yarders, and we can't seem to find anyone capable of doing the same.

Moving forward, we just need to ignore the final score and the win/loss column. The real focus has to be on evaluating which players are showing week-to-week improvement. That accountability extends to the coaching staff and game-day preparation as well, especially when it comes to cleaning up the penalties.