Re: As far as not putting Hunter in...

Just think for a second, it's unlikely there is a giant conspiracy going on where HJ is a world beater and is just being quietly stashed on the bench. The ENTIRE TEAM sees this kid in practice every day and it would have to be blatantly obvious he was better for him to get the start. If everyone on the team saw HJ was clearly the better back, then Dabo would risk losing the team (maybe even the coaches) for being that stubborn and potentially costing them a win because of loyalty.

In other words, I still trust this coaching staff to make the best decisions. Everyone has been shouting to see Etienne, saying 'Free Etienne,' but I saw him in on plays and completely whiff on protecting the QB and nearly got Cooper killed.

This game is almost like that play where Sammy Watkins muffed a punt or something and when he came back to the sideline, Dabo wasn't mad and just said, "Glad to see you're human." Our guys may have needed to feel human, get a loss, and know that these wins will take more effort, more dedication, and more desire. Look for our players and coaches to refocus and come out swinging to finish this season.

quozzel

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Oct 14, 2017, 12:19 PM

I will say that everybody I have talked to who has been at practices has indicated that Hunter Johnson has been notably better.

I just haven't liked Cooper's poise in the clutch. He does throw a nice ball (sometimes) but his decision-making scares me and in those must-make third-down throws he never seems to come up with the goods...and in fact is rarely close. A lot of those efforts seemed "speculative" and never really stood much of a chance. Drives just sorta...fizzled. Often despite very good field position.

Considering the level of talent around him, and the competition behind him, I'd personally say: "move on". I'm a big believer that when you get your chance, do something with it, and Cooper hasn't in any of the chances he's been given.

Cooper just hasn't shown us anything. I don't think he's a gamer, whereas Deshaun Watson was...and Hunter Johnson, in his limited opportunities, has shown indications he may be as well.

It certainly wasn't all on Cooper, though, or any one player. Everybody except maybe Clelin Ferrell was pretty much terrible. From the staff, from top to bottom, it was bad. Personnel decisions, tactical decisions, you name it...across the board everybody had some 'splaining to do. Whole lotta "wut?" stuff was going on last night.

1) Coaches made the decision to start Kelly Bryant when he was clearly hurt. Wut?
2) They then made the decision to play Cooper over Johnson after almost getting Bryant killed...and never even give Johnson a chance despite the fact that Cooper never came close to getting it done. Wut?
3) Cooper (and Bryant, too often) kept missing blitzers coming right up the A gap despite the fact that 'Cuse had been doing it all night. Wut?
4) Also...yeah, you wanna establish the run, but why does Tony Elliot keep running it up the gut when they're repeatedly bringing the aforementioned multiple guys through the A-gap?
5) Elliot then made the decision to abandon the run despite the fact that it was getting more than 10 yards per carry, especially when we ran outside the tackles, because, you know, all those guys flying up the A-gap. Wut?
6) Ray Ray lost yet another fumble (again!) though it was recovered, and Cain continued to drop balls...and yet their positions are seemingly unassailable. Wut?
7) Lost count of the inexcusable, boneheaded personal-foul/late-hit penalties by our DL, especially Austin Bryant. Wut?
8) Syracuse - Syracuse! - was blasting it between the tackles on the ground, even though those tackles were Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins. Wut?
9) Kendall Joseph and Dorian O'Daniel failed repeatedly to get the runner or QB on the ground, giving up a myriad of first-downs in the process. Wut?
10) There was - once again - a litany of boneheaded plays by Tanner Muse. He made some plays, yup. He also busted coverages, got personal fouls, took some bad angles and got fried repeatedly. "Bad judgment" seems to be his norm.
10) There were some inexplicable busts by guys like Ryan Carter who are ordinarily money. It looked like he was in nickel and was the one who busted on that long TD pass.
11) Mark Fields repeatedly gave 15-yard cushions on 3rd-and-11...and gave up 12 yards. On one of them I watched Dabo tear Mike Reed's head almost clean off. I would have too. Wut?
12) Getting tired of repeatedly watching Spence hook kicks. Wut? And this guy was scholarship from the get-go? How'd we miss our evaluation on a bloody kicker that badly? What they do is pretty straightforward, no excuse to miss that badly.

And, oh, yeah....

13) Our punter made a terrible decision on what was clearly a "kick-throw option" to force the ball to Tanner Muse...who, predictably, didn't come up with it. Wut the...

...anyhoo, you add it all up and you get one of those head-scratching losses. You get the idea. But it was definitely not our coaches' finest hour.

Hopefully they got all their hubris for the season out in one giant swoop, and will learn from it henceforth, because that one was painful to watch.

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As far as not putting Hunter in...

DW4 would have beaten Georgia.***

Re: DW4 would have beaten Georgia.***

we were told cole was better than watson as well

you're right. Fire them all!

Re: we were told cole was better than watson as well

Wrong...

Re: we were told cole was better than watson as well

DW sucked like the rest of the team in

Re: DW sucked like the rest of the team in

You must not have been around in 2014