But upon further review......
I watched the game back on DVR today, and it didn't look as bad as I thought it was.
There are definitely signs of growth, small as they may be.
Keep an eye on the offensive line. You can definitely tell that James Carpenter has lost a bunch of weight. He is really athletic for a guy his size. He not only got off the ball quick, but there were a few times you could see him get to the second level and obliterate his guy. He still gets beat in pass protection too much, but his improvement in the last two weeks is one of the most exciting signs we've seen so far. Moffit did some good things too, and Paul McQuistan was a more-than-adequate replacement for Robert Gallery. This offensive line could be awfully good if it continues to grow as it has in the first 3 weeks. There were some big holes for Lynch to run through yesterday, and if we can sustain at least a league-average running attack, it will make the offense better as a whole.
Our wide receiver group looks really good when Rice is on the field. He's as good as advertised, our most legitimate downfield threat in a long time. Baldwin and Tate are nice pieces in the slot, and we all know what Mike Williams can do. Now... if only Jackson would look Williams way. T-Jack's disinterest in looking for Williams may be the most baffling and frustrating development so far.
Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas are establishing themselves as the best young combo of safties in the league. Chancellor's pick to seal the game with 1:04 left was the kind of play a seasoned veteran would make. He baited Kolb and played it perfectly. Thomas is simply all over the field. Overall the defense looks capable of keeping us in games.
If you were hoping for Andrew Luck, you may be out of Luck.... sorry for the pun. No way we end up with the first pick in the draft. I still don't see us winning more than 4 or 5 games right now, but if the offensive line continues to get better, and as long as we're still in the NFC West, anything is possible.
As much as I would love to see Luck play quarterback for the Hawks for the next 10 years, I simply can't pull for them to lose. Wishing for Luck is probably wasted energy at this point. More likely we will be picking in the 5-10 range. In the meantime, I'm encouraged by what I saw yesterday.
It's a small step forward. But the Atlanta Falcons are coming to town, and they're pissed. This Sunday will be a better barometer of where this team is.
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