As yet it’s tad early to say what this team is or may become as the season plays out.
The team needed the W against Denver, they proved they were not going to start the season disrespected. Sadly though they were truly humiliated in Santa Clara. From the two performances it doesn’t appear they know who they are yet.
I think this will be a year of highs and lows and lows and lower, but throughout the team will retain the solid character of a team that plays every down.
For me the poor tackling, weak run D, consistent lack of edge pressure sure causes me concern. The play of the DBs is encouraging. The D needs to force the play more to get off the field. They are a unit without any identity. They have played strong inside their own red zone and that strength can be built upon. The poor tackling can be fixed and that one thing can give the D an identity quickly.
The O seems stilted, and predictable. There have been far too many drive killing dumb mistakes. Everything seems to be short and more designed to be directed at not making mistakes yet that is preventing success as the opponents are noticing and takiing away the predictable plays, defences are playing up against Geno to take away his strengths as he dinks and dunks away. There have been few explosive plays and nothing deep. There are only flashes of a running attack but no determined O in that direction as side runs are not working with any reliability.it seems schematic and six consecutive quarters of no scoring from the O seems to portend further ugliness. The trend at present is not their friend as they too have not established an identity.
On the other hand after years of seeing next nothing from the TEs they are finally being used but inconsistently.the two rookie OTs are playing acceptably and better than some have predicted. The the interior OLine needs to be better. The skill players on O need to get the ball more.
We don’t know who they are yet. I don’t see that so far. There is a good bit though that is encouraging but a trend that is not.
