I don't feel compelled to say too much about a meaningless week 17 game, but I felt a strange little bit of satisfaction after the win. It was good to see that our coaching staff put some serious game plans in, and that our players played with a greater sense of urgency than a team who was still in the running for a playoff spot.
Orton showed me that he has made homself over physically and mentally. He looks stronger & fitter than he did in 2005; he exhibited better pocket presence than either of our veteran QBs; he ran the offense smoothly and kept mistakes to a minimum; and he showed a big play ability that he was sorely laacking in 2005. He should (and will) be our #1 or #2 QB next year. I'd like to see Grossman re-signed, and duel for the #1 spot with Orton in camp. At this point I wouldn't even consider Griese as a #1...he's a great guy to have step in for a few plays if your QB gets the wind knocked out of him, of even a game or 2 if it's nothing major, but he's not a guy who can make enough plays to justify giving him a shot to start.
Devin Hester is a badass, they need to sign him to a long term deal next season as long as he stays healthy.
I have a lot more to say about this team, but I'll wait until later in the week. Jerry Angelo is going to give his 'state of the franchise' address to the media tomorrow, and I'm both excited & apprehensive about what he's going to say. Whereas Lovie Smith is intentionall dull & non-descriptive to the point of rarely being worth listening to, Angelo has a tendency to speak in broad terms, but also to occasionally let things slip, or allow the media to goad him into revealing his thought process. This makes him a better interview, but can also work against him when he says too much.
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Pat,
Good post. Orton might be a surprise next year. I don't know that going after a guy like Anderson or McNabb makes all the difference (how'd their teams do this year?).
I'd rather invest in o-line and d-line, and maybe upgrade some skill positions (RB and WR). With dominant lines and a strong running game, the QB and overall defensive play will improve. Well, that's not entirely accurate. Strong lines on both sides of the ball both also hide and negate a lot of weaknesses in QB play, for one, and overall defensive play for another. So, in addition to improvement, there's also an ability to overcome imperfections - you can win with good, or less than perfect play; your margin for error is a little higher, in other words.
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