(07-16-2023, 07:39 PM)Jag149 Wrote: Hmm...not ideal.  I have a gut feeling that no matter what the experts say the AFC South is going to be knock down drag out fight to the end.

I agree. I don't see us winning this division as early as some people hope. It could come down to the last two, three weeks of the year. Cannot sleep on the tacks. They'll be looking to knock our heads off here at home and up there on the road after they got swept last year and eliminated. They still dragged it out with us in the season finale and Henry was having his way with our defense in that first half up there until the fumble happened. 

We need to stop drinking the kool aid here as a fanbase. It's all fun and games until the actual regular season starts and reality begins to sink in. I am hoping we'll see more of their 2nd half of last season show up early in the 1st half of this season, but, they still have to show that they can:

1. Actually bury the QB in the pocket instead of just buzzing around their earholes like gnats. 
2. Buy more time for our QB so he can make the longer reads and hit the deeper plays downfield. 
3. Protect the football on offense inside the redzone. 
4. Get off the field on defense on 3rd downs instead of making the costly mental error that gives our opponent a fresh set of downs and new life. 

Doug kept saying "complimentary football" last season. I am looking for "competent football" in year two. When you start playing more competently you don't need to play as complimentary anymore until it's the bigger opponents with bigger names to contest with. We only have four of those games this season. Chiefs, Bills, Bengals & Ravens. Those are the games they need to show up in and put away. If they split that series I would be impressed. If they go 0 - 4 in that series? It would give me pause on them finishing out as a divisional winner.

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