No intro on this one, let's get straight to the good (?) stuff
Game Balls
This was a difficult process, as I'm sure you can imagine. Finding three players to give game balls to shouldn't be this much of a chore.
Dirk Johnson - Yes, the punter. He gets a game ball for hitting multiple punts over 40 yards and basically due to the fact that no one else deserves one.
The trainers - Hey, outside of egos, no one got hurt, right?
The fans - We had to sit through that crapfest, and I now I have to write the article. I'm taking the game ball and going home.
In all seriousness, I can't think of three guys who played well enough to warrant consideration.
Anti-Game Balls
To be fair, every single player on the team should get one. There was not one good thing about this game. I always look back at games and ask the question "Who or what would other teams have wanted from our team during the game". The answer for Week 3 was no one and nothing. There wasn't a play, player, scheme, or idea that any other team would have wanted to trade for on Sunday.
Byron Leftwich - He didn't have much help, but the few chances he had, he was abysmal. Bad decision making, some off-target throws. Let's just put this one behind us.
Jim Bates - The execution has been lacking. That's 80% players 20% coaching. This time the execution and scheme was lacking. We were beaten at every point of attack. Adjustments have to be made at some point. Adapt to your talent please.
Raheem Morris - I get that you didn't exactly inherit alot of talent. But you have to adapt here brah. Simply calling out your players in the media doesn't work. There were too many times the cameras panned to him and he was standing their silent. Communicate, go talk to your players, do something (as I write this, Josh Johnson has been named starting QB). Morris has to find a way to get the team in the game. We start slow and coast. He has to get them up to game speed earlier.
The Good
No one got hurt, it was a game we expected to lose (if that's ever a good thing). Stroughter looked alright in his limited playing time. I didn't find myself missing Jermaine Phillips, which means Will Allen played alright. Barrett Ruud looks like he may be warming up. This is what we need game in and game out from him
The Bad
The inability to react and adapt by the staff and players. This could turn into a short novel, but we'll just say the whole game wasn't pretty. The weather certainly didn't help the fans at all.
The Ugly
The entire team performance. The offense did nothing and the defense stopped no one. No created turnovers, no sacks, very little pressure, missed tackles and coverage lapses. On offense it was the lack of blocking, receivers dropping passes, not getting open, bad decision making and lack of anything productive.