BakoSaint

I am glad we have been winning but I am skeptical of folks who think we are some kind of 2023 Super Bowl contender who should trade all our future first rounders, f the cap, and can win it all.

Looking at our record this year I noticed a trend.

Lets define a stable established QB as one who was a regular starter last year and has not been benched for performance this year. We have not beat any team with such a starter able to play a full game against us this year.

Consider our wins:

1. Atlanta we beat Mariota, a 2022 backup making his first start with a new team with little fanfare.

2. Seattle we beat Geno Smith, a 2022 backup making his 5th start after inheriting the job with little fanfare.

3. Las Vegas we beat Derek Carr, who although established at the time has since been benched for performance after never suceeding in his new coaches system. Carr was also benched late in this game.

4. Rams Matt Stafford was an established starter but he has been plagued with injury and Bryce Perkins, a no name backup, took over mid way in a close game and took the loss.

5. Atlanta Desmond Ridders first start as a rookie second day pick.

6. Deshaun Watson’s rusty second game back after 2 years out of football.

7. Gardner Minshew filling in for Jalen Hurts.

Compare this to our losses. 6 losses to stable established starters: brady 2x, cousins, murray, burrow, jackson. Loss to garrapalo who was a starter last year and regained starting job this year after stupid experiment with draft bust. Loss to Kenny Pickett the only 1st round pick rookie we faced. Loss to Baker Mayfield who was a starter last year, came into the season a starter this year, and is starting again with another team now.

Its nice that we can beat teams trying out new QBs. But basically we are not beating anyone who brings a good stable qb who has been starting for his team since last year with safe job and healthy. Perhaps Allen is not improving, perhaps he just got a lucky to have 3 games in a row against the kind of QBs he has beat all year.

I dont know that we need to dump Allen at all costs if no clearly way better alternative like Payton or Harbaugh is available. But I think getting too excited about this streak and thinking we are Lombardi bound because of Thomas, Lattimore, and Peat inevitably being so healthy when they are a year older is unwise. We need to rebuild.