1. On D, we're facing Stretch. This game is 100% mirror images, we are they, they are we. D, vs ZBS, in my opinion, begins with studly, intelligent, disciplined play from DE's---Burg, Richardson, Scott. But, given that DE does, indeed, win the edge---D vs ZBS is so demanding---80% of runs ZBS cutback---ALL of the gaps equally enticing to ambitious ballcarrier: DISCIPLINE, to the max, is required, crucial, mandatory, all across the front. That's Mo, Ho, RB, the DT's---heads up, aware: if your gap's under attack, STEP UP and BLOW UP. If your neighbor, come down, S angles. Don't come down too far, don't overpursue, as you come down half your attention is on your gap, which moves with you---relation between BALL and YOUR GAP. Never dance with blockers, blow them up.

2. D vs Stretch is exhausting. DT's play akin to basketball, every play they're running. We need to rotate fresh pairs of DT's in, ideally, every 10 plays. Sands, since each plays starts out running, Sands more than any DT I can imagine is suited, by his physical traits, about as badly vs ZBS as a guy can get. Sands' attributes suit Steel Curtain, perhaps, with allowances for quality. But IMMOVABLE is not really what we need vs Stretch.

3. One thing I can suggest which might help, again, to my favored DE's. For goodness sake, guys, whenever you see play going away, which of course is naturally close to 50%. When play's away---tone down the aggression, tone up the heads-up, backside discipline. THAT play will come right to you, you won't even have to work. If you're smart. Whearas, haven't you yet noticed, when you sell-out vs plays away, you sucker yourself, every time, into wake?

4. S Young is Shanahan's RB of the minute. He's that little scatty guy who burned us in DN last year on 3rd and forever, an amazing, Joe-Washington-like draw for +60, on which horrible failure of a D, we had little scatty ALL corralled, surrounded by several S&B---til we lost him in the mayhem---what happened was, he was down, Young, tackled for loss---BUT, with one hand on the ground, he managed to stay up---we lost him AND let up. Young is all bounce, no muscle. I don't know how short he is. He's a -2, no gain, -1, +25 type guy.

5. We are ideally D'd up to smother screens. Right now, we will be one of the hardest teams in football to screen against. RB's head, tho, may be a worry, here (shouldn't be, he should be fine). Even were Alston to play, we match-up dominant vs screen. Of course, little Young in space is dynamite.

6. Last year a Mile Hi, I did a film study of Michael Huff, every play vs DN. I never published it cuz the results would've heightened some already shrill hysterical hymenism. I saw 2 very pertinent things. One, for sure, for sure, Ryan went at least 3 and I'm pretty sure it was 4 straight series vs DN in Cover 2. I wanna say start H2. I thought it weird til I remembered Cover 2's great strength (CB's in the flats, belly up) vs sweep, outside run game, ZBS.

7. And two: I saw Huff, man-vs-man against that lanky WR McDonald's Bag Marshall, who ate #24's lunch. About a dozen one-on-one contests, McD's winning outright like 11. I must tell you what Huff looked like on all those plays, how he played em. This is vs run, I'm talking. Marshall's turning Huff out. SS's playing tall, he's head up as he can get, his hands are on WR, who's driving him, driving him. Michael's tall, head craned, feet turning fast over, trying to giraffe over Marshall's height to SEE, to READ, where RB's going. He's still diagnosing the play! Staring into backfield, mesmerized, like a kid's first seeing of Dorothy's winged monkeys. Or something. For football's sake, Michael, damn---the play FOR YOU is Marshall. Hello. He's right in front of you. I'd think you could FEEL him if not see him. My point: SS vs ZBS, Gibril Wilson. For Raiders' sake, SS, BLOW HIM UP. You gotta blocker, man, don't tackle, don't work thru---THIS AIN'T HOOPS---blow him the blank up!

8. Cutler's gonna stay away from Huff. Michael---jump TE! Gibril---expect help behind vs TE, lots of help. BLOW UP McD's, or whoever. Nam takes away one side. They try #21, they gonna pay. Shanahan wil take a few shots there, hope for that one, rare, key lapse---3rd down, red zone. Hall's on his own---let's see what you got. Islands are tuff. DN's not much. Patience with Hall, Nation. He must win IN THE LONG RUN. He's being asked a lot. He doesn't have to be total shutdown to be worth it. TD's, number 1. No TD's yielded. 3rd downs, secondly. The longer, the worse.

9. Turnovers, our returners, McFad, Russell. Return smart. Possession first, if that's all, we'll take it. P and KO cover---spectacularly consistent thru preseason, would only expose as the jokes they are those exhibitions if coverers let up now.

10. Russell running in red zone is a potential TD machine. This kid could potentially rush for 20 TD's. D's should have fits. Kif---run him, inside the 20.

11. Kif will open with his whole playbook. One series. If he feels he must, 2. Then, he'll run marathons. Establishing something. Finally, some time in H2, early Q4 the latest, when the moment of the game has come, Kif will attack---downfield, downfield, downfield. I see Miller, you do too.

12. PUNT THE GODDAMN BALL ON 4TH DOWN! I never question play call, too girly for me. But on 4th down I reserve the right to be my child-self. If Kif's 4th down games-in-a-play cost us vs DN I'm gonna be pissed. It'd be different if he WENT FOR IT on 3rd down, instead of always +3 on 3rd and 6.

13. No FG's over 60, unless inside :10. Maybe in DN.

14. Somehow, McFad holding the ball feels super key to me, a hunch.

15. WR's is gonna be a crapshoot. If a few good things happen, don't start getting your hopes up. For that to happen, we'd have to see at least 2 straight games with some consistency. Then, perhaps some optimism.

16. DE's vs DN: if play is toward you, get upfield and hold your ground, head up, crane, see, hold your ground, don't get stretched, you'd almost have to die in the "hole" (for DE?!!!) before you allow yourself to get stretched, head up---turn the play in. Don't make tackles, turn plays in.

17. DE's: if play's away---relax, head up, backside discipline and angles, if it comes your way, you'll see, oh boy. Don't take yourself out.

18. Don't blitz.

Professor Eyepatch