All or Nothing
Pass or Fail
Right or Wrong
Good or Bad
Pass or Punt
Get it?
Good.
Or in this case great & terrible
Dalvin Cook is a dynamo. Detroit knew what was coming but still were helpless to stop him. As Adrian did against San Diego with LT on the other sideline, so Cook did today with his predecessor in Purple on the other side. Coincidence? I think not!
Not let's get him and rest of this burgeoning juggernaut of an offense a quarterback that can be top 15 in the league week in and week out. I don't think that's too much too ask!
But more on that later.
It's too early to say that Irv Smith Jr.'s sophomore-slump is a thing of the past. But today may have been the spark for a second half of the season that could lead to questions of why Rudolph wasn't traded before the deadline. We won't know the answer until the season is over, but a two-score game is a great slump-buster!
Wilson, Kendricks & Smith.
Who needs shutdown corners when the safety & linebackers can perform like that! And I know, it's not like Rodgers was making the throws, but still, those guys dominated.
And lest I not overlook them, the offensive line played well again today. Beyond all the lanes that they helped create for Cook, they also keep Cousins upright for much of the game. It's a basic bar, but considering all the grief they've gotten this season, when they earn positive recognition they're going to get it!
Speaking of the quarterback - he still wasn't up to the level of a $40,000,000 dollar man but Kubiak and the rest of the offensive coaches seemed to have found a sweet spot with him. Short of a run to the Super Bowl no one should believe that the guy today can do it for at least 13 games a season. That said, with maturation of young players being the most important thing, it helps to have some competence.
But it wasn't all sunshine & empty seats today.
For a considerable amount of the game Detroit's running backs succeeded well beyond their norms. If Patricia were a better coach they may have ridden Swift & Peterson for far more than the 21 carries that they combined to have. Add Kerryon Johnson and the three of them combined for nine receptions for an additional 83 yards, with several near-misses along the way. That's comparable to what our guy did by himself and a lot of the blame can go the way of the defensive line.
And then there is the punt protection. SKOLquitt is borderline a national treasure but the way that the guys upfront protected his contribution was by far the worst this year.
And then there is the damage to the position next April. This team seems to have turned a turned a corner since their no-show against Atlanta, but they may just be setting themselves and the fanbase up for the worst possible outcome - a .500 record and nothing else. They wouldn't have to contend with any of the NFC East teams for the wildcard spots but three of the four West teams will be in the mix for the postseason, as well as Chicago. Not to mention that every South team is alive, though Carolina's loss today may ultimately lead to them being a non-factor. If it somehow comes down to Minnesota versus Atlanta, well we all know who owns that tie-breaker. So let's not lose sight of the big picture just because the last two week have been so magical!
Commentaires