I've a feeling things will only get worse. With that out of the way, allow me to explain:
That statement has nothing to do with the coaching ability of Todd Haley and the rest of his staff. It also has nothing to do with the personnel acumen of Scott Pioli and his staff. It has nothing to do with the latest acquisitions in the off-season or draft, nor does it have anything to do with the holdover players from the Carl Peterson era.
Rather, this is exactly what each and every one of us should expect. Why? Because everything takes time to settle.
Move into a new house? It takes a long time before every painting is put up and every box is put away. Buy some new jeans? It takes a few cycles through the laundry to feel right. And while we're talking pro sports and not household chores, the analogy still rings true.
Consider this: Every coach is brand new in their position besides Tim Krumrie. The schemes are entirely brand new to most players. Even the players who were here last season are dealing with new people to their right and left. It's a new culture, a new language and a new level of expectation. From the owner all the way to the waterboy (I assume), everything has been turned over, flipped around or entirely replaced.
You can complain about the job of Matt Cassel last night and point to a 60 million dollar contract as the reason for your expectations. But the reality is that when he came in to save the day in New England, he'd been sitting on that bench under the same coach and schemes for years. We can discuss the development we hope to see from Dwayne Bowe and Glenn Dorsey, but even they're having to learn new terminology and plays.
Really the only player on a football field who can (largely) walk into a setting and accomplish something on their own talent level is the punter or kicker. And those were our two best players on the football field last night. So it should be no surprise that everyone else struggled to find their footing, to keep their assignments and to make the plays expected of them. Their opponent, the Houston Texans, have enjoyed a few preseasons now under Gary Kubiak and there's a sense of movement forward after taking the time to learn the way things work. And Schaub's early groove showed some of that level of comfort.
Of course, that's not to give the team an excuse for poor play. After all, professional football players should be just that - professional. They deserve whatever Haley gives them this week and some things will need to be thrown out the window. But the one thing that needs to stay is perspective - a perspective that realizes the early going will include a lot of moments of failing forward. The early schedule is hard, the first few steps of life are always shaky, but it's these moments we'll point back to and realize they had to take place - painful or not.
Filed under: