Leidner played worse this year than last year. Last year he had a bad foot. this year he was healthy, and played worse. What was different - new OC and QB Coach.
Here's what I see: pluses: scored more points. good (but not dominant) running game. Defense played well later in the season. Carpenter solid at PK.
Minuses: predictable offense. Too many bad possessions. Santoso very inconsistent punting. Too many turnovers at key moments.
Beyond the stats, this team just seemed to make mistakes at the worst time possible. Had opportunities to win every game - but had terrible 2nd halves in the 4 losses (bad halftime adjustments by coaches). Even in some of the wins, the team struggled at times against lesser opponents. Some of that is on the players, but some of it has to be on the coaches. They call the plays - they're supposed to motivate the players.
So, bottom line - this may be an 8-win team, but they just (to me, at least) did not look impressive. I think the team from a couple of years ago with Cobb and Maxx Williams would blow this year's team off the field. I don't see a team getting better. I see a team that keeps making the same mistakes; keeps getting dumb penalties; and never seems to learn from its mistakes.
Yes, I think the team took a step backwards. That may sound crazy after going from 5 regular-season wins to 8, but that's what I saw.
