(01-18-2023, 01:53 PM)The Real Marty Wrote: We've turned the ball over 12 times in the last 5 games.  But we won them all anyway.  Of course, 5 of those 12 were against the Chargers.  

During those last few games, a lot of people said we were dominating teams that had no quarterback.  But then the last game, they had a very highly regarded quarterback, Justin Herbert.  We even gifted them 5 turnovers and still won the game.  

All of which brings me to the big question: are we actually better than we seem to be?  For example, if we hadn't had a -5 turnover margin against the Chargers, what would the score have been?  After we quit turning the ball over, we were unstoppable.  

I can't read anyone else's mind on this, of course, but I'm starting to think maybe I'm underrating this team.

It's a very valid question. 

Personally, I believe that the modern NFL is so highly attenuated to offensive performance and above average quarterbacking, that we are outperforming our weaknesses.

We are doing this because we have a gifted QB who has settled into his role in an excellent system and sometimes plays on a level that transcends the shortcomings around him. 

Doug Pederson and his offensive coaching hive put together an excellent playbook and have continually tweaked it until it successfully mitigates the weaknesses in protection and run blocking from the line while highlighting the things our QB and receivers do best. They also call plays with a cut-throat aggressiveness that we've never seen here. If your defense can't stop a certain look, Doug will call it until you find an adjustment. Likely, by then, he already has a counter move prepared. 

Combine that with inspired defensive play since the bye week, smart adjustments by Caldwell, and some old-fashioned good luck, and here we are. 

I know I had them underrated in November and didn't see this elevation of play coming this season. Thought we might see it next year after fixing some defensive woes. Very happy it is upon us now.

---