I really think he's starting to see where the pace of the game is, be it refs or game pace. Waterman comes in, plays really hard, almost recklessly, and Pope knows at what level Rudi, Jax, etc are able to play. Its why I think we're seeing less turnovers. Waterman is the litmus, as currently, he is probably the most expendable person on the team from an offense and defense standpoint. There isnt anything he can do offensively that Jax cant do, and there isnt anything he can do defensively that Atiki cant do.
However, if he starts hot and the refs are 'letting the boys play', he's a nightmare matchup.