1. Drew Pyne cannot be the guy if Brady Cook has to miss time.
Not only did Cook’s injury clearly suck the life out of the team, there’s nothing a backup can do about that, but Pyne repeatedly put the team in position to fail. Throwing an interception for every two completions to your own team can’t happen.
You just can’t send him back out there again.
I really don’t understand the decision to send him back out after putting JR Blood in to start the fourth quarter. Eli Drinkwitz and his staff know what they have better than we do, but sooner or later enough has to be enough. And that sooner or later for me was interception No. 3 today.
2. But anyway, if Cook is out for an extended period, I think the team is done. There just isn’t any life to the offense without him out there. The defense can only play incredible for so long when the offense can’t get anything going. Sooner or later if you know one mistake means your team loses, you start playing tight and get demoralized.
Even with Cook playing today, no one was able to find any space. That’s a credit to Alabama’s defense, but with a receiver room as talented as Missouri has, it becomes a question about play design, too. If there’s no Cook and no improved play design, there’s nothing making this offense go.
3. That being said, I do think the defense played great. There were definitely issues later in the game, but there’s only so much you can ask of a defense when the quarterback keeps giving the other team short fields. Holding Alabama to six points on five drives while Cook was on the field was a great performance. The secondary had a couple of bad plays, but they didn’t end up doing massive damage and Alabama struggled with deep passes, which was my main worry coming in.
4. Finally, a second bright spot. I think Jamal Roberts looked pretty good getting more opportunities. There’s not a lot to say analysis wise here right now, but I think he’s earned himself some more carries, especially if Nate Noel misses any more time and even if he doesn’t.
Head on over to the Tiger Walk to give me your immediate impressions from the game.
