It took me some time to get my thoughts together after Thursday night’s loss to the Tuskers. 41-7 is pathetic. There are numerous things wrong with the Colonials right now, but it looks like coaching is the root of many of their problems. In the first half they played seemingly without any motivation or spark, which is amazing given that the team still had a shot at the championship. After Harrison fumbled away the long drive that Ryan Perriloux had led, it was clear that they had completely thrown in the towel. Take a look at the replay on Dominic Rhodes’ 30-yard touchdown run near the end of the half—the defense was getting close but nobody was even attempting to take him down. Multiple defenders took half-hearted dives at the Tusker’s RB, but none made even a cursory attempt to wrap up.
And where was Lorenzo Booker during the game? Tory Harrison had most of the carries early on, and while the score quickly got so out of hand that Hartford eventually had to abandon the run, why would you not put your top playmaker in? One has to assume that this is part of Palmer’s disastrous “play everybody” decision that has done nothing but prevent a core group of eleven players from getting in sync, and made it impossible for anyone to get into a rhythm.
It’s a shame that the run had to be discarded; Josh McCown hasn’t seemed mentally ready to lead the Colonials since about week two. He has no pocket presence and refuses to throw the ball away when nothing is open, preferring instead to take a sack or to throw into traffic. Part of the blame lies with his offensive line. It must be hard to throw with any confidence when defenders are getting pressure a split second after the snap.
If there’s one phoenix to rise from the ashes of the dumpster fire that was Thursday night’s game, it’s that we’ve finally gotten to see Ryan Perrilloux in action. At this point in the season, and given that coach Palmer has made it clear that he wants to develop the young QB, I sincerely hope that Perrilloux will be starting against Las Vegas on the 20th. His mobility negates at least some of the pressure that the line gives up, and he’s proven that he is at least as accurate as McCown. Furthermore, #11 didn’t seem rattled even when the line in front of him was getting blown up by the Tusker’s backup D-line.
So, that’s it. The Colonials are done for the season, and may have been since week #2 despite pulling out a second win over the Mountain Lions, and despite two very close losses. We can now begin to look to next season, and ask ourselves what needs to change.
Coaching: Chris Palmer will hopefully not be with the team next year. Despite having more wins than last year’s New York Sentinels, there’s a very real chance the team may have just as many losses. He has a hard time motivating or disciplining his players; look to Thursday night’s special teams’ penalty for forming a wedge as a strong hint at that. It’s a rule that has been in effect in pro football for years now, an incredibly simple rule that nobody should break. Hell, in order for it to happen, multiple players must ignore it. How is it that the team didn’t get the hint? And cornerback Ryan Palmer’s backtalk to the coach during the Las Vegas suggests that the players aren’t afraid to get in his face. Looking back, one wonders what Taurus Johnson might have done to upset the team enough to lose his job.
As a former QB coach, Palmer may very well have been brought in to help develop Ryan Perriloux. That’s all well and good, and perhaps he’s fine as a position coach, but his decisions are baffling, and I don’t want to see him heading the team next year.
Quarterback: Josh McCown’s nerves are shot and he’s making too many bad decisions. Maybe he’ll regain some composure if the offensive line gets shored up in the offseason, but it’s hard to say, and even if that does happen, many of the mistakes he’s made belong to him alone. Perrilloux has quick feet that should help him get away from pressure. He’ll develop if he’s given a chance to play.
Runningbacks: Booker had been phenomenal, and the team may lose him to the NFL in the offseason. Harrison has seemed solid, if unspectacular. Andre Dixon is going to need to learn from a good vet if he wants to make a name for himself.
Recievers: White and Carter are reliable. The team is fine here as long as they can hold on to the two in the offseason. Chery and McBride are serviceable. Syndric Steptoe has too many drops. Taurus Johnson looked above average, and it’s a shame the team lost him.
Tight Ends: DeVree is serviceable, but will drop a few. Same for Ronnie Ghent. If the team can’t get decent lineman, they may want to look into finding a strong blocking end to compliment the line.
O-Line: Pete Clifford needs to be removed. None of the Colonials tackles have shown much promise, but Clifford has been particularly bad. Keith Gray is decent at center, but occasionally has a bad snap. Our guards are middling at best.
Defensive Line: The line began slow but is finishing strong. There aren’t really any standouts, but Fountain, Spicer, Seawright and Oghobaase have shown promise, particularly in the waning weeks of the season. Oghobaase’s first step is incredible, but he has trouble getting past the line.
Linebackers: Lansanah is a decent enough player, but he occasionally makes some bad decisions and gets called for dumb penalties. They’re mostly young guys (the most experienced of them, injured vet Tank Daniels has only four years experience), and might take a little time to really develop.
Defensive Backs: Ryan Palmer has two interceptions on the year. He’s competitive but completely undisciplined, and is often responsible for terrible penalties. Demps hasn’t been with the team long enough to quantify. There’s a lot of speed on the team. If they’re allowed to play close, I think they can beat opposing receivers. They’re been playing with huge cushions in most games however, and I think that’s hurt their play. Of course, that’s a coaching decision.
Any of these names might end up playing for the NFL. A few (like Markee White) may return to Arena ball. There are some solid players on the Colonials roster, but it is still a work in progress. Hopefully we can retain our key players and make a strong showing in 2011.
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