|
After losing on that field goal and hearing about the 3-0 Chiefs for two weeks, I expect Manning to come out and dismantle us. Something along the lines of 450 yards and 3 TD without even getting his uni dirty. I don't think we have any chance, and that this is going to be the first (but not last) time we'll look like a young team in 2010, something that was inevitable all along. I don't think we match up well at all. We don't appear to have the quarterback to hang in a shootout, or a passing game to make their defense think about anything but stopping the run, and they probably won't even try to run the ball themselves, defense against which has been our main strength so far. We have a very good secondary, but they're a very young secondary, and if Manning has time to throw (and I expect he will), he will pick them apart.
I think in order to keep it close, we're going to need some non-traditional scores, big returns in the kicking game, turnovers forced by the defense, and we're going to have to continue to limit our own mistakes. We aren't going to have any margin for error this week, and the bounces will have to go our way for us to have any shot.
As far as progress goes, all I want to see is a competitive team that continues to improve just a bit every week. Don't go out there and get embarrassed KU-Baylor style. That 3-0 optimism will turn to panic fast if they head out of indy with their tail between their legs on the losing side of a 45-10 beating.
|