(03-22-2023 10:33 AM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-22-2023 07:43 AM)Big Red Wrote:  

(03-21-2023 10:58 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  

(03-21-2023 10:23 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote:  

(03-21-2023 09:31 PM)Rabid Squirrel Wrote:  That's a lot of assuming. Assuming all based on optimism, which is fine, but not always accurate. I recall last year when the LB crew was going to improve when Pugh returned. The D was gonna get better with Lafayette returning and all the experience young players gained in 21. Fabian Mccray was going to finally reach his potential. Crawford was going to be the man at TE. Waylee and Brown would lead the MAC in rushing.

We can do the "we should be better at every position" thing almost each spring. Is Rudolph going to be 100%? Is Rocky? Do we just assume every transfer is an immediate improvement to last years starter? Suddenly Dolphin is a great MLB? In 2023 the secondary magically can cover?

There's potential in a lot of places. There's almost always potential. Valid reasons for optimism in the O side. Yes. Any thoughts that the D is going to be very good or even just good is blind optimism.

My typical optimism has been drained from last year. Yeah, I may be living in the past. But at this point I need to be proved otherwise.

Everyone freaked out after the EIU game. Which ended up serving as a precursor to a severely underperforming year. And that was with all of the pieces for success in place...

I know Hammock can coach a mean offense. But I need to see the defensive staff gel with each other. The last few years of Huskie Defense have been abysmal. Nothing like the defenses we were treated to with Knowles and Kane.

Last year didn't ruin my optimism, it altered my assumptions. I used to only see the positive outcomes of most unsure scenarios - "it's his second year so he's naturally going to improve". "he put on/took off 10 lbs...hes going to play better". "he's switching position to where he can really shine". etc etc.

Every situation I only evaluated positive possibility. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn't. Im optimistic about this season, but there are way too many unknowns that need to have very positive outcomes for me to make any assumptions about this team being very good. As the spring and fall progresses I think a few of those unknowns will be answered.

It's too early to know exactly what the rest of the division will really look like but last year's mediocrity in the West should at least provide some kind of optimism that we don't have to be great to tread water and potentially win the West. This may be a season where it takes some time to get things right and, if healthy, the division should lend that type of leniency.

Last year, we were 2-6 and were only 3 games behind the leaders. Catch a lucky break here or there and you're a game back and not even all that good. Based on last year (which is a bit of a clouded vision obviously...but), the division is winnable even with an average squad.

Rocky wasn't fully healthy last year either. The knee brace was a pretty good indicator and he hardly ever ran. It was obvious but they just don't release that info. I kinda think we are going to get some version of Rocky between '21 and '22. We can only hope with Rudolph. He will have had a full year. Will they both be 100% physically AND mentally? I think as the season progresses so will they.

With a 100% Rocky and Rudolph NIU wins the west. Crap defense be damned.

Yes, that's the big concern. Will we see Rocky running and/or throwing more? If he is not healthy to continue, will be see the same crap offense as last year, with handoffs to the RB who ran into a stacked box? A system that is not set up to pass or with a very mobile QB is doomed to fail. All the opposition has to do is load everyone up to the line. I hope Hammock saw and learned that last year. Every time I think about last year's offense post-Rocky, I want to .