While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
“Why you should buy: After a forgettable 2011 season, in which the Buckeyes finished 6-7 after coach Jim Tressel resigned in the spring, Meyer is already transforming the program. Quarterback Braxton Miller has emerged as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country and only figures to get better as Meyer adds better skill players around him. An inconsistent passer a year ago, Miller has completed 61.5 percent of his attempts for 611 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
Why you should sell: Over the first three games, Miller carried the OSU offense on his back. The sophomore has carried the ball 56 times — more than twice as much as any other player. Tailback Jordan Hall missed the first two games with a foot injury but returned to run 17 times for 87 yards in Saturday’s 35-28 victory over California. While the offense has dramatically improved (and is actually exciting to watch), the defense remains a concern. The Bears gained 512 yards of offense, and tailback Brendan Bigelow ran for 160 yards and two touchdowns on only four carries.” [Schlabach/ESPN]
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“Rogers has made the most of his opportunity, fashioning a 2.54 ERA in 37 appearances while tallying 49 strikeouts in 46 innings to quickly assume a spot in the thick of the Tribe bullpen. More importantly, with his mother, Altagracia, and his 45-year-old brother, Dario, now living with him, he has discovered a once-elusive comfort zone. “Your first opportunity might be your last one,” Rogers said. “You don’t know where you’re going to be. I want to be here.”
Upon Rogers’ departure from Colorado, Rockies skipper Jim Tracy questioned what role he could fill on a pitching staff. In a matter of a few months, Rogers has evolved into one of Cleveland’s most dependable bullpen arms.” [Meisel/MLB.com]
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An interesting break down of Weeden’s performance Sunday- “4. He let his receivers go to work. Because the West Coast offense is predicated on timing and rhythm, yards after catch (YAC) are imperative. The West Coast calls for plenty of short and intermediate routes that, if executed properly, become long gains. To achieve those, the quarterback must get the ball to the receiver on time and in stride.
Subpar quarterback play can make the West Coast synonymous with dink-and-dunk. It happens when receivers are forced to reach for passes high, low or behind, thereby halting forward progress. It also happens when passes, especially to running backs, are telegraphed, enabling the defense to shut down the play immediately.
Weeden created plays in Week 2 by throwing accurately and not giving away his target on dumpoffs/extended handoffs.
Stat: The Browns amassed 183 YAC against the Bengals, for an average of seven yards per completion. The number is that much more impactful given the high number of completions, and the fact that one huge number did not skew it (longest YAC: 23).” [Manoloff/Cleveland.com]
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Your playing time distrubution for week 2- “D’Qwell Jackson: 3 tackles, 2 assists (5 combined). 3 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback hits, 1 interception, 1 pass defended. Craig Robertson: 2 tackles, 2 assists (4 combined). Scott Fujita: 2 tackles, 2 assists (4 combined). Kaluka Maiava: 0 tackles, 1 assist (1 combined).
Thoughts: With Scott Fujita seeing his first action of the season, rookie L.J. Fort did not get any snaps on defense after starting in Week 1 and seeing 40% of the reps. Craig Robertson’s reps remained the same, presumably as a linebacker in the nickel package. The only real change here was a swap of Fujita-for-Fort. D’Qwell Jackson just keeps racking up big plays.” [Pokorny/Dawgs by Nature]
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Yep. “All of this made for a phone call from the Indians last week seem that much more bizarre. It was from my season ticket account representative. She was calling to see if I had received the information regarding renewing my season tickets for 2013. I simply said I had received the information. After an awkward pause, she asked if I had any questions and I said, “not for you, no.” While I have hundreds, I don’t expect to get answers from my season account representative that even General Manger Chris Antonetti refuses to address.
And finally she asked me, “are you even thinking of coming back?”
I said yes, I was thinking of coming back, and the answer—as crazy as it seems—is true. I love baseball and I love the Indians. I’ve seen bad seasons before and expect to see them again, regardless of 2012 or the decisions made because of the 2012 season. However, two things stunned me from our very brief conversation. First, the season ticket representative seemed scared and tentative on the phone. I can’t blame her. While none of the problems on the field or in the organization are her fault, I’m sure she hears plenty of the complaints while making calls about renewals and customer service issues.
But secondly, and more concerning to me, she didn’t try to sell me on 2013. I’ve been undecided about renewing before and I’ve always heard a sales pitch about the direction of the team, the core of players it has moving forward, etc. This time, however, I just heard a simple, “ok.” No sales pitch, nothing.” [Brandyberry/DTTWLN]
