Looking ahead: next week will tell us who this team really is.

[dgack]

IMO, I think next week will really show us what this team is made of. This is a classic trap game, and one that the Skins have consistently blown in years past. A lot of the media types said the Dallas game was a "must win" for Shanahan, but I don't think that was ever true.

The Rams game, however, will be. Will our squad bring a Grand Canyon-sized chip on our shoulders into this game and step on the throats of a depleted Rams squad? Or will we be conservative and tighten the leash on Rex, and continue to settle for FGs?

(I think the Dallas-Detroit game is going to be key for the same reason: I think it's the game where Dallas is exposed for what they are, and Detroit takes their step to the next level).

Things I'm looking for next week:

-- More Screens. I'd like to see Kyle call more screen passes to Hightower. We could have run the clock out last night with a heavier diet of screens, especially when Ware was basically jumping the snap count on every down towards the end. When we did throw them we got huge gains.

-- Rex the Amnesiac Gunslinger. By now we know what we have with this guy, which is to say, he's going to win us some games by having absolutely no conscience, a short memory, and brass cojones. But we'll likely lose some too. It's Favre Lite, minus the dong pics. I just hope we don't put the training wheels back on or start getting conservative. We'll never develop a vertical passing game without DOING it in games and giving players chances to make plays.

-- Continued execution and special teams excellence. Rocca's botched hold notwithstanding, our special teams have been pretty awesome this year, and we've been generally playing penalty-free football. I can't stress how awesome this is. It's a joy to watch a team just line up and know how to run plays and look like they've done it before. (Ask yourself if you'd rather have that or the shoot-from-the-hip and pray-for-a-miracle Cowboys/Romo offense).

-- More dominance from Dirty 30, more forced turnovers, more aggressive play. His presence was felt immediately and you have to think balls are going to bounce our way eventually if we keep attacking the ball.


What are you guys looking for next week?