tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436663076867686056.post575981765446391303..comments2023-07-07T03:36:11.275-07:00Comments on West Coast Offensive: No Excuse for What We Saw SundayTMF2http://www.blogger.com/profile/04596769766210758712noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436663076867686056.post-81992451158472802522015-01-23T09:07:49.314-08:002015-01-23T09:07:49.314-08:00Al - this might well be my longest blog post ever,...Al - this might well be my longest blog post ever, and now that I think of it, I am almost positive that your comment is the longest one I have received.<br /><br />As I read it, we agree (1) that the Packers should have gone for it on the early 4th and 1s; and (2) that McCarthy is a good coach overall. I guess that I agree with you that this loss was a team effort, too. The two places where I think I disagree with you most are your emphasis on the OT rule, and the fact that I still think it comes back to the coaches, even if it was an overall team effort. <br /><br />On the OT rule, bear in mind that I don't follow college football, so while I kind of know how it works, I don't live with the experience of it. From my perspective, when they loosened the rule in the NFL some years ago, they already addressed part of the concern you express. You can say they did not do enough, and I am not even really disagreeing with you on that. But to me the nature of the OT rules was the least of the Packers' problems on Sunday. <br /><br />As you say, a team that gets 5 turnovers should not lose the game. And there were player errors (the Bostick decision to go after the ball, the Burnett/Peppers decision to go down on the last INT, the Clinton-Dix misplay on the 2 point conversion) and even some official errors (not penalizing Lynch for the crotch-grabbing move, which would have set up a 17 yard two-point conversion attempt) that contributed. <br /><br />But then you think back and say, wait a minute, who is in charge of the in-game decisions? Who decided to try to run out the clock with running plays, rather than to try to get a first down with a pass? Who decided to play a semi-prevent defense late in the game and in OT? At a time when the momentum was overwhelmingly in Seattle's favor. It doesn't happen every game (as I mentioned in the post) but it has been repeated often enough to make one wonder if the Packers wouldn't be better off having the OC call the plays. By the way, in the famous Lions' game when Matt Flynn threw 6 TDs and earned himself a big contract with Seattle, who was calling the plays? Aaron Rodgers.TMF2https://www.blogger.com/profile/04596769766210758712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436663076867686056.post-28561226257690005882015-01-23T07:52:45.899-08:002015-01-23T07:52:45.899-08:00As a “Packers fan for the day” my opinions, coming...As a “Packers fan for the day” my opinions, coming from the enemy as it were, may be unwanted and ill-informed, but here goes. As a Lions fan since 1957, I understand losing better than most. And I think I understand the value of a good coach now that I have experienced having one (i.e. Caldwell). So let me bring a slightly different perspective to this discussion. <br /><br />First, my definition of football is controlled, directed aggression. Applying that to this game, I agree that the Packer’s coaches were not aggressive enough in their 4th-and-goal decisions. They left 4 to 8 points on the field. While being stopped may have affected morale, a coach must believe in his offensive line and his Pro Bowl fullback to get the job done for Lacy, who is a difficult guy to stop. I said so during the game and still feel that way. Apart from morale, the worst thing that can happen if stopped is that the Seahawks need to go 99 yards to paydirt, while a pick-6, safety, blocked punt, or at the very least good field position, in that situation are all positive outcomes. McCarthy could have shown confidence in his defense here. I ask myself what Vince would have done, and I think he would have gone for it both times.<br /><br />Getting back to my appreciation of a good coach, I would tend to trust McCarthy’s judgment overall. He is a very successful coach and you are lucky to have his leadership. But in this instance Pete Carroll played the game more aggressively. He was willing to risk 3 points for 7 and on two occasions McCarthy eschewed risk in favor of certainty. The game swung in the balance. <br /><br />While coaching decisions on both sides helped shape it, ultimately the outcome is determined by the players. I think the loss was a team effort. A team (Seattle) committing 5 turnovers should not win. An offense given 5 turnovers by its defense should not lose. The offensive line was unable to get a first down with 5 minutes to go. With 4 minutes to go, a defense should not give up 2 touchdowns. A championship defense does not give up 193 yards rushing. Then there were the two critical plays on special teams: the fake field goal and the muffed on-sides kick. Ordinarily Rodgers is quite capable of covering these flaws but his injury was crucial to the outcome. To wit, 171 yards passing. This was probably his least passing yardage short of the 147-yard game against my Lions (sorry, but I had to plug them somewhere).<br /><br />But in the end the Pack played well enough against a great defensive team to get to OT. The real reason for the loss, in my opinion, is the stupid NFL take on OT. The team that wins the toss can run the table without the opposition offense touching the ball. The NCAA has the right idea and the NFL should change its rules accordingly. The NFL seems driven, whether by TV networks or its own stupidity, to end its games quickly. I think the rules put too much emphasis on the luck of the toss. Far better, in my opinion, is to let the game be decided with both teams having an equal chance to win.<br /><br />Lastly, defense wins championships. The Pack should invest in stopping the running game (but please do not sigh Suh!). They had only one Pro Bowl player on defense (Matthews) while Seattle has 3 in key positions (linebacker, corner, and safety).<br /><br />I enjoyed your well-written post and will partake of it in the future, particularly after our rivalry games.<br /><br />Al<br />Just My Opinionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17867963000508506196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436663076867686056.post-27825651137542423012015-01-21T23:08:54.248-08:002015-01-21T23:08:54.248-08:00Longtime reader Eli F. sent me this comment by ema...Longtime reader Eli F. sent me this comment by email, with which I agree: "I am surprised that no one has included in the list of "errors" rushing three down linemen on a 3rd and 19. Given the amount of time that allowed a receiver was bound to get open and the worst quarterback in the NFL, hell, most if not all college quarterbacks, could gave completed a pass for a first down."TMF2https://www.blogger.com/profile/04596769766210758712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436663076867686056.post-31116398931528550822015-01-21T23:01:19.227-08:002015-01-21T23:01:19.227-08:00Thanks, Jeff, I appreciate it. I actually had may...Thanks, Jeff, I appreciate it. I actually had maybe half of it done Sunday night, but decided to wait.TMF2https://www.blogger.com/profile/04596769766210758712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436663076867686056.post-74582274830604450442015-01-21T11:59:29.384-08:002015-01-21T11:59:29.384-08:00Tom, Beautifully written. Astute as always. Pro...Tom, Beautifully written. Astute as always. Probably a good thing you waited a few days to write this. Jeff B.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com