Monday Morning Thoughts: All It Takes is One

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It may not have been pretty and in fact, it may have been downright ugly. But at the end of the day, a win is a win no matter how you paint it. For Bryce Young, Frank Reich, and many others who are expected to be a part of this thing long-term, it's a step.
Winning an ugly game against a now 3-4 team is nothing to write home about but sometimes all it takes is one win for a group to start believing. Are they going to rattle off five more wins and get back to. 500? I'd be willing to bet everything I got that will not take place, but there is, however, a great opportunity to pick up a handful of wins over the next five or so weeks.
"We've been working hard to get this thing going," head coach Frank Reich said in his postgame press conference. "I think we're all walking off there feeling like, okay, now we're going to get going. This is one. We know we've got a long way to go. We will certainly enjoy this and celebrate it, but this is just the beginning. We've tried to set very high standards for ourselves with the way we prepare. I think we have been learning how to do that as the year has progressed, and there is no turning back. We know every week in this league it's a battle. Every week it’s a battle. All we have to do is prove we're the best team on the field that particular day. So, you reduce it down, shrink the problem just to that one-on-one match up, that one team you're playing, and then you go play your game and play it with confidence."
Winning a game is proof that what you're doing throughout the week is working. When you lose six straight, it's easy for guys in that locker room to grow frustrated and maybe doubt the staff's ability to put them in a position to succeed. One win doesn't fix all of that, but it certainly changes the perspective heading into the next game week.
There's also not the sense of pressure of still fighting for that first win. At times, you could see a lot of guys trying to do too much and trying to make something big happen, ultimately playing outside of their responsibility. There wasn't a whole lot of that on Sunday against Houston. Again, it was far from perfect execution, but it was enough to get the job done.
What Frank Reich Said Following the Win Over the Texans
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Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.