From time to time all teams get blown out, yes.  However, this has not happened to those teams on the consistent basis that we have become accustomed to.  

 

There are a lot of factors we can point to that would explain how this continues to happen to us, but they are excuses without tangible solutions:  We're a young team - so are the Seahawks.  We were on the road - so were the 0 and 3 Colts.  We're building from a dismal team last year - so are the Texans - so were the Chiefs before them - so were the Colts before them.

 

Bortles and our offense show improvement, so long as they can stay healthy and keep their noses clean, (Ace).  However, there is no help coming for our defense, and our offense is not the kind that can simply out score an opponent while we leave our back field completely empty.  It does not look to me that it is merely communication issues, an ability to grasp the playbook, or our boys needing to gel after 4 weeks of consistent blow outs.  I don't even think it's the play calling.  It's a dearth of talent.  

 

I do think we will look better in the coming weeks playing against weaker teams and at home (Steelers, Browns.)  We will win some games this season, but I still see us targeting the #1 pick in 2015.  I hope we will use our high draft pick to trade for multiple later round picks to plug our many holes and add depth to our lines and our secondary, (although it's hard not to want Gurley after seeing Gerhart's potential dwindle so quickly.)  Still that puts us with valuable spots filled by even more rookies in the year to come, who will also need time to communicate, grasp the playbook, gel etc.

 

What's frustrating isn't that we're not improving, it's that it's taking much longer than anyone expected, and far longer than we deserve.  We should have been a legitimate team this year, not lending an unending preseason match up to the rest of the league.  I don't mind losing, but how can we not predict to see more blow outs to the Bengals, the Cowboys, the Giants, and the Ravens?

 

I had believed we would have a losing season this year with closely fought games and a winning season next year.  By all accounts, it looks like we will see closer games next year and should not expect a winning season until 2016.  I'm not trying to be negative, I'm attempting to be pragmatic after all I have seen.

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