Maybe Dam was right

[FatDT]

A lot of you seem to be losing your minds over the results so far. Are you really that surprised? Were your expectations that high going into the season? And did they stay that high when our starters started mass migrating to IR?

Just enjoy development this year and look forward to next. Luck will improve his dumbass throws, our WRs will learn to catch or Ballard will find ones that can. The OL is playing well, in a new scheme, with an inconsistent lineup. The defense is further ahead than expected. Leonard is a blue chip, the front 7 system works well, they'll figure out the backfield once our corners don't suck. Our coaches are up-and-down but trending up as they gain experience. Ballard has made mistakes, but he admits them and shows he works to get better. Some of his decisions have been proven right, like drafting Leonard "too early" and keeping Hunt over Anderson (still should've kept Anderson, but I digress).

I am not a homer. If anything I am a lean-negative fan and person. I think you just have to have a realistic perspective or you're gonna have a bad time. Even without the injuries this would be a team that would struggle to earn a winning record, it's just not there yet.

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by FatDT

A lot of you seem to be losing your minds over the results so far. Are you really that surprised? Were your expectations that high going into the season? And did they stay that high when our starters started mass migrating to IR?

Just enjoy development this year and look forward to next. Luck will improve his dumbass throws, our WRs will learn to catch or Ballard will find ones that can. The OL is playing well, in a new scheme, with an inconsistent lineup. The defense is further ahead than expected. Leonard is a blue chip, the front 7 system works well, they'll figure out the backfield once our corners don't suck. Our coaches are up-and-down but trending up as they gain experience. Ballard has made mistakes, but he admits them and shows he works to get better. Some of his decisions have been proven right, like drafting Leonard "too early" and keeping Hunt over Anderson (still should've kept Anderson, but I digress).

I am not a homer. If anything I am a lean-negative fan and person. I think you just have to have a realistic perspective or you're gonna have a bad time. Even without the injuries this would be a team that would struggle to earn a winning record, it's just not there yet.

This team has been in every game, and the ones they've lost have been because of turnovers and poor decisions. That's what needs to be eliminated. Hopefully someone on Reich's staff has the wherewithal to teach this offense the importance of ball security.

[DrSpaceman]

Originally Posted by FatDT

A lot of you seem to be losing your minds over the results so far. Are you really that surprised? Were your expectations that high going into the season? And did they stay that high when our starters started mass migrating to IR?

Just enjoy development this year and look forward to next. Luck will improve his dumbass throws, our WRs will learn to catch or Ballard will find ones that can. The OL is playing well, in a new scheme, with an inconsistent lineup. The defense is further ahead than expected. Leonard is a blue chip, the front 7 system works well, they'll figure out the backfield once our corners don't suck. Our coaches are up-and-down but trending up as they gain experience. Ballard has made mistakes, but he admits them and shows he works to get better. Some of his decisions have been proven right, like drafting Leonard "too early" and keeping Hunt over Anderson (still should've kept Anderson, but I digress).

I am not a homer. If anything I am a lean-negative fan and person. I think you just have to have a realistic perspective or you're gonna have a bad time. Even without the injuries this would be a team that would struggle to earn a winning record, it's just not there yet.

I was surprised about yesterday, not about any of the other results this year so far.

Yesterday's game was a shit show with lots of mistakes by many players and coaches.

A very winnable game they just pissed away.

Threw away a good 20 points, if not more, one way or another

[FatDT]

Originally Posted by DrSpaceman

I was surprised about yesterday, not about any of the other results this year so far.

Yesterday's game was a shit show with lots of mistakes by many players and coaches.

A very winnable game they just pissed away.

Threw away a good 20 points, if not more, one way or another

We've had several very winnable games, that is just the most recent one. This team is too young and inexperienced, and the veterans too injured, for us to get enough of the critical details right to win consistently.

[ukcolt]

Below are the squads that suited up for week 6 games this year and last.

QB's
2018 - Luck, Brissett (Clearly better)
2017 - Brissett, Tolzien

RB's
2018 - Mack, Hines, Wilkins, Turbin Not a lot of difference, but considerably better receiving threat
2017 - Gore, Mack, Turbin

WR's
2018 - Rogers, Grant, Pascal, Johnson
2017 - Hilton, Moncrief, Aiken, Rogers, Bray (Clearly better)

TE's
2018 - Ebron, Swoope, Alie-Cox, Hewitt Better pass catching threat but a lot worse inline blocking
2017 - Doyle, Williams, Daniels

OL
2018 - Castonzo, Nelson, Kelly, Glowinski, Smith, Clark, Boehm (Clearly better)
2017 - Castonzo, Vujnovich, Kelly, Clark, Haeg, Kalis, Person,

DL
2018 - Sheard, Woods, Stewart, Turay, Ward, Ridgeway, Muhammad, Phillips Not a lot of difference, better at rushing the QB this year, but not quite as stout against the run
2017 - Anderson, Woods, Hankins, Hunt, Stewart, Ridgeway

LB's
2018 - Leonard, Walker, Franklin, Adams, Goode Not a huge upgrade, but slightly better, due to the superlative performance of Leonard
2017 - Simon, Morrison, Bostic, Sheard, Sankey, Mingo, George

CB's
2018 - Desir, Moore, Wilson, Hairston, Milton
2017 - Melvin, Davis, Moore, Desir, Hairston, Milton Probably Better

S's
2018 - Hooker, Mitchell, Odum, C Moore A Push
2017 - Hooker, Farley, Butler, Green

ST's
2018 - Vinatieri, Sanchez, Rhodes A Push
2017 - Vinatieri, Sanchez, Rhodes

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by ukcolt

Below are the squads that suited up for week 6 games this year and last.
QB's
2018 - Luck, Brissett (Clearly better)
2017 - Brissett, Tolzien
RB's
2018 - Mack, Hines, Wilkins, Turbin Not a lot of difference, but considerably better receiving threat
2017 - Gore, Mack, Turbin
WR's
2018 - Rogers, Grant, Pascal, Johnson
2017 - Hilton, Moncrief, Aiken, Rogers, Bray (Clearly better)
TE's
2018 - Ebron, Swoope, Alie-Cox, Hewitt Better pass catching threat but a lot worse inline blocking
2017 - Doyle, Williams, Daniels
OL
2018 - Castonzo, Nelson, Kelly, Glowinski, Smith, Clark, Boehm (Clearly better)
2017 - Castonzo, Vujnovich, Kelly, Clark, Haeg, Kalis, Person,
DL
2018 - Sheard, Woods, Stewart, Turay, Ward, Ridgeway, Muhammad, Phillips Not a lot of difference, better at rushing the QB this year, but not quite as stout against the run
2017 - Anderson, Woods, Hankins, Hunt, Stewart, Ridgeway
LB's
2018 - Leonard, Walker, Franklin, Adams, Goode Not a huge upgrade, but slightly better, due to the superlative performance of Leonard
2017 - Simon, Morrison, Bostic, Sheard, Sankey, Mingo, George
CB's
2018 - Desir, Moore, Wilson, Hairston, Milton
2017 - Melvin, Davis, Moore, Desir, Hairston, Milton Probably Better
S's
2018 - Hooker, Mitchell, Odum, C Moore A Push
2017 - Hooker, Farley, Butler, Green

ST's
2018 - Vinatieri, Sanchez, Rhodes A Push
2017 - Vinatieri, Sanchez, Rhodes

Thanks, this is helpful. I do disagree with your exclusion of the currently injured Colts such as Hilton, Doyle, Hunt etc. because I think this distorts the analysis a bit. Those guys are part of the roster this year, and will return (with a few exceptions), so if we're comparing the composition of the 2017 and 2018 rosters I think they should be included. This would move the needle even more in this year's direction.

Also, I don't think your conclusion that we are not as stout against the run this year is supported by the statistics. According to NFL.com we are currently giving up 3.7 yards per carry, whereas last year we gave up 3.9 yards a carry. So we've actually improved, despite the howls of protest heard here when Hankins, Simon, Anderson were jettisoned.

I think our linebacker corps is greatly improved this year. A big chunk of this is due (as you point out) to Leonard's presence, but I think Walker has been a big upgrade too. Last year the LBs group, as a whole, were pretty pathetic. Also, I should mention that it might not be a full apples-to-apples comparison due to the change from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense.

Lastly, and on more of a gut level, your comparison just highlighted for me how much better and more exciting our current roster is. Reading all those names from last year brought back depressing thoughts of mediocre play.

[ukcolt]

This was quite literally a comparison of the squads after 6 games, so there would have been some attrition of the squad by this point of the season last year as well.

[DrSpaceman]

Originally Posted by FatDT

We've had several very winnable games, that is just the most recent one. This team is too young and inexperienced, and the veterans too injured, for us to get enough of the critical details right to win consistently.

When I say a winnable game, I mean one that going into it, the fans had a reasonable expectation that the team very easily would and really should win

None of the other losses were like that. Maybe Houston, but its a division game and always tough

Yesterday was against a 2-5 team with a rookie QB and missing half their starting CBs themselves, Colts still couldn't manage to win.

So yes, the other games were also close, but I wasn't surprised about a loss to Philly or NE or even CIncy in week one.

This one, I expected them to win and they lose in disappointing fashion

[FatDT]

Originally Posted by DrSpaceman

When I say a winnable game, I mean one that going into it, the fans had a reasonable expectation that the team very easily would and really should win

None of the other losses were like that. Maybe Houston, but its a division game and always tough

Yesterday was against a 2-5 team with a rookie QB and missing half their starting CBs themselves, Colts still couldn't manage to win.

So yes, the other games were also close, but I wasn't surprised about a loss to Philly or NE or even CIncy in week one.

This one, I expected them to win and they lose in disappointing fashion

I am not expecting any wins this season. The Jets have a stronger roster in several areas and an experienced coaching staff. We had a young, injured, one-win team going into NY.

[DrSpaceman]

Originally Posted by FatDT

I am not expecting any wins this season. The Jets have a stronger roster in several areas and an experienced coaching staff. We had a young, injured, one-win team going into NY.

The Jets are coming off back to back 5-11 seasons, have finished last in their division 3 of the last 4 years, start a rookie QB and had not won back to back games in over a year

Not exactly an imposing team, even if it is on the road.