Good things happen to those who don't play

The one thing I can guaranty you is that we will not lose this weekend. Yes, it is time for the bye week. Could not come at a better time. It gives us a chance to relax and ponder the greatness of first five games. Okay, maybe greatness is a strong term. It has been a roller coaster year so far. A great start, followed by a nose dive south, with just enough  of a bump in this last game to provide hope.
    
First the good. Let us all remember that great win over the Rams. Hey, they out played us but bottom line is we beat them. And whether they turn out to be a good or bad team, they are still the Rams! In a season where we were all expecting pain, there was nothing finer than opening up with some pleasure. Got that felt good! Will it be the highlight of the season?
    
Then there was this past weekend. Yeah it was a 25-point loss but it was the best one I have seen. We held arguably the best team in the NFL to 7 points at halftime. Eventually we were beaten out by a much better team, but we had a nobody CB shut down Marvin Harrison. We had a rookie QB play like a rook, but at least provide a glimpse of what his talent could be. We had a running game for the first time this year. And we had some incredibly creative coaching with a pair of onside kicks.
    
Then there is the negative. That three game stretch in between. Those were three of the most painful losses I have seen. Philly was just crushing. Letting a lead slip away to Dallas in the 4th, and then finally belly flopping in Mexico against the Cardinals to reach a new low. It still brings acid up from the pit of my stomach just thinking about it. The Winborn situation was very poorly handled. Getting rid of a top LB for a 7th round pick does not work for me. Player evaluation has seemed poor so far. The team is not getting much out of draft picks, and the need to keep Barlow ahead of Gore seems like a mistake. In general the management staff has also presented themselves as the rookies they are.
      
Overall it has been a rocky 2005. Can not say it has been unexpected. And the unfortunate reality is that there will be much more pain to come before the pleasure returns. Hopefully the few glimpses of positives will carry us through. Of course the pessimist always returns with the fact that the Yorks still own this team, so even the positives will eventually be overwhelmed. Well, at least we wont lose this weekend!

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