Josh McDaniels Q&A, 11/4

[Christopher_Price]

Here’s the complete transcript of Josh McDaniels Q&A with the media via conference call earlier today:Q: It seemed like Matt Cassel did a lot of good things on Sunday night, what would be the one thing that he did really well?JM: He really had a good sense of timing as far as the pass rush [...]

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[BlitzFritz]

WOW
josh is sure more expansive than his holiness. i can actually understand what the Pats gameplan was and why.

now i know why BB doesnt like his assts speaking to the media

 

[maverick4]

Josh McDaniels = Generation X version of Norv Turner.

Way over-rated.

 

[PrairiePat]

Josh McDaniels = Generation X version of Norv Turner.

Way over-rated.

Yeah, he sounds like he has no clue. Right. Good call, Mav.

Thanks for the link, that was about 100 times more enlightening than the typical BB interview.

 

[JR4]

Good Interview .... but he didn't let no cat out of the bag.

If opponents don't know what he revealed they surely are not
worthy to be part of any NFL staff.

getting the ball deep depends on time the QB has. duh really?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Good Interview .... but he didn't let no cat out of the bag.

If opponents don't know what he revealed they surely are not
worthy to be part of any NFL staff.

getting the ball deep depends on time the QB has. duh really?

And the skillset of the opponents and the coverages they are playing. This is really worth printing out for the numbnuts hereabouts who know nothing about anything other than wailing for the deep ball to Moss:

Q: In your opinion as the play caller why wasn’t the ball going down the field more in that game?

JM: The first thing you have to understand or take into consideration when you’re trying to get the ball down the field against any team is how much time you need to throw it. The Colts obviously have a significant pass rush, very good pass rushers and so you have to make a determination whether that’s a big part of your game plan or not. The way that they played - they’re a zone team, they’ve got a lot of defensive backs and linebackers looking at the quarterback on most snaps. They are very rarely in man coverage so when you have a lot of people back deep trying to make you throw it in front of them and they’re looking at the quarterback trying to read where the ball is going to be thrown and then they’re all trying to get to the ball at the same time that’s sometimes a little bit more difficult. They were rolling the coverage to Randy [Moss] most of the night - putting a corner up near him, putting a safety up high behind him and in past years against the Colts, again you have to really pick your spots. Last year we hit one on them to Randy in the game in ’07 but had two others that we were trying to force down the field picked off. In ’06 it was very similar we tried to throw the ball down the field a few times and didn’t have very good success doing it either. It’s a combination of the pass rush, how much time you need to hold it to throw the ball down there, what they’re playing to try to take a certain player away and how much success you think you’re going to have throwing it when there are people that are always significantly in the deep part of the field. We had a shot later in the game where we put Randy in the slot and the safety happened to over play inside and had a chance to hit [Jabar] Gaffney up the sideline and it just didn’t work out. Every game is different. You have to gauge how much time you have to protect, what openings they give you based on the coverages they play and how smart it is to take those risks and those chances in the type of game that it may be.

 

[maverick4]

Mo you are totally ignoring the fact that our 06 receivers were garbage. That may have something to do with lack of deep ball success.

 

[Rob0729]

Mo you are totally ignoring the fact that our 06 receivers were garbage. That may have something to do with lack of deep ball success.

Yet, you won't take the quality of the 06 receivers into account when judging McDaniels' performance that year as an OC. How ironic?

 

[spacecrime]

Josh McDaniels = Generation X version of Norv Turner.

Way over-rated.

Terrible, terrible play calling.

 

[maverick4]

Yet, you won't take the quality of the 06 receivers into account when judging McDaniels' performance that year as an OC. How ironic?

Actually, I do. He is not a bad OC, just not a top-5 OC.

I think he is very good at coming into a game with a certain game plan. Besides that, not very good, such as in making adjustments.

It is not coincidence that we haven't won it all since he's been OC. In terms of situation awareness, exploiting weaknesses, attention detail such as hands/catching, exploiting weaknesses and self-scouting yourself, he is flawed.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Terrible, terrible play calling.

That would have had up up by 4 or maybe 8 or 11 had Gaffney merely caught a perfectly thrown TD ball, Bill not negated a first and goal with a TO and Thomas not hit Sanders late in FG range...

 

[spacecrime]

And the skillset of the opponents and the coverages they are playing. This is really worth printing out for the numbnuts hereabouts who know nothing about anything other than wailing for the deep ball to Moss:

Q: In your opinion as the play caller why wasn’t the ball going down the field more in that game?

JM: The first thing you have to understand or take into consideration when you’re trying to get the ball down the field against any team is how much time you need to throw it. The Colts obviously have a significant pass rush, very good pass rushers and so you have to make a determination whether that’s a big part of your game plan or not. The way that they played - they’re a zone team, they’ve got a lot of defensive backs and linebackers looking at the quarterback on most snaps. They are very rarely in man coverage so when you have a lot of people back deep trying to make you throw it in front of them and they’re looking at the quarterback trying to read where the ball is going to be thrown and then they’re all trying to get to the ball at the same time that’s sometimes a little bit more difficult. They were rolling the coverage to Randy [Moss] most of the night - putting a corner up near him, putting a safety up high behind him and in past years against the Colts, again you have to really pick your spots. Last year we hit one on them to Randy in the game in ’07 but had two others that we were trying to force down the field picked off. In ’06 it was very similar we tried to throw the ball down the field a few times and didn’t have very good success doing it either. It’s a combination of the pass rush, how much time you need to hold it to throw the ball down there, what they’re playing to try to take a certain player away and how much success you think you’re going to have throwing it when there are people that are always significantly in the deep part of the field. We had a shot later in the game where we put Randy in the slot and the safety happened to over play inside and had a chance to hit [Jabar] Gaffney up the sideline and it just didn’t work out. Every game is different. You have to gauge how much time you have to protect, what openings they give you based on the coverages they play and how smart it is to take those risks and those chances in the type of game that it may be.

What a total crock. They went downfield once and it would have worked except for a drop. For him to say "it just didn't work out" is so stupid only a numbnuts would buy that crap.

What kind of logic are you selling here?

We went deep once and the receiver got open and Cassel laid the ball in perfectly but the receiver didn't look hte ball in. Since that play didn't work out, we won't run it again.

It's just like the Superbowl. They ran a screen early on, it got blown up, and they never ran another pass-rush-stopping screen again.

You may think people are numbnuts because they believe that a team ought to throw more than one pass longer than 20 yards a game, and that if a WR gets open and the pass is perfect the play ought to be run again, and that if teh opposing team has serious CB troubles it is a good idea to test them, that's your right. It's also you're wrong.

 

[maverick4]

What kind of logic are you selling here?

We went deep once and the receiver got open and Cassel laid the ball in perfectly but the receiver didn't look hte ball in. Since that play didn't work out, we won't run it again.

It's just like the Superbowl. They ran a screen early on, it got blown up, and they never ran another pass-rush-stopping screen again.

You may think people are numbnuts because they believe that a team ought to throw more than one pass longer than 20 yards a game, and that if a WR gets open and the pass is perfect the play ought to be run again, and that if teh opposing team has serious CB troubles it is a good idea to test them, that's your right. It's also you're wrong.

You have to understand that some posters here have a man-crush on Josh McDaniels, and any criticism directed at the OC will be met with all kinds of defenses, some of which completely defy logic or common sense.

Somehow against 3 crappy DB's, it was a perfect game plan to play the short game all day even though Cassel has shown the ability to throw accurately deep, and even though we have the best deep WR in the game.

 

[spacecrime]

It is not coincidence that we haven't won it all since he's been OC.

The only thing I didn't like about Weiss was his tendency to run draws on 3rd and 8, and his avoidance of ramming the ball when the running game is working and you need a tough yard. Unfortuanately, those are the only things JM kept out of Weiss's playbook.

In terms of situation awareness, exploiting weaknesses, attention detail such as hands/catching, exploiting weaknesses and self-scouting yourself, he is flawed.

I agree with this 100%

 

[Patjew]

The only thing I didn't like about Weiss was his tendency to run draws on 3rd and 8, and his avoidance of ramming the ball when the running game is working and you need a tough yard. Unfortuanately, those are the only things JM kept out of Weiss's playbook.

I agree with this 100%

Everyone is flawed. Doesn't Josh also deserve some credit for helping to put Matt in a position where he can succeed?

Anyway, don't be so angry, Spacecrime. You'll live longer! Hopefully we'll all have something to be happy about this Sunday.

 

[Rob0729]

Actually, I do. He is not a bad OC, just not a top-5 OC.

I think he is very good at coming into a game with a certain game plan. Besides that, not very good, such as in making adjustments.

It is not coincidence that we haven't won it all since he's been OC. In terms of situation awareness, exploiting weaknesses, attention detail such as hands/catching, exploiting weaknesses and self-scouting yourself, he is flawed.

Yeah, his DEFENSIVE playcalling was horrendous vs. the Colts in the AFC Championships in the 2006 season. It was all McDaniels fault that the Pats gave up a 21-3 half time lead. It was all McDaniels fault that Dallas Clark ate apart the Pats defense in that game.

And yes, I know it is the McDaniels' haters mantra that Belichick forced McDaniels to make brilliant halftime adjustments against the Chargers and the famous, well published quote (although somehow no one has ever seemed to have found a single place it was published even though it was clearly the truth) that McDaniels clearly told Brady that he refused to do any half time adjustments in the Super Bowl. Let's face it. Belichick is so disgusted with the guy that he refuses to watch the offense when it is on the field.

 

[Rob0729]

You have to understand that some posters here have a man-crush on Josh McDaniels, and any criticism directed at the OC will be met with all kinds of defenses, some of which completely defy logic or common sense.

Somehow against 3 crappy DB's, it was a perfect game plan to play the short game all day even though Cassel has shown the ability to throw accurately deep, and even though we have the best deep WR in the game.

Which is worse a man crush or people like you who want to blame him for everything from every Patriots loss to tempting Eve from eating from the tree of knowledge. Which is worse, people who think McDaniels is doing a really good job or you who blame him for the sloppiness of the David Thomas penality yet not give him credit that the Pats are on pace to be one of the least penalized teams of the last 30 years event though you say penalties are the Coordinator are responsible for mental mistakes like penalties.

You are definitely not one to criticize people with your double standards when reviewing McDaniels and your blind hatred. I know I may not be always the most objective guy when it comes to this guy, but you of all people shouldn't be criticizing the McDaniels fans. Your blind hatred and lack of objectivity with the guy is only one step below NEM.

 

[Deus Irae]

Yeah, his DEFENSIVE playcalling was horrendous vs. the Colts in the AFC Championships in the 2006 season. It was all McDaniels fault that the Pats gave up a 21-3 half time lead. It was all McDaniels fault that Dallas Clark ate apart the Pats defense in that game.

And yes, I know it is the McDaniels' haters mantra that Belichick forced McDaniels to make brilliant halftime adjustments against the Chargers and the famous, well published quote (although somehow no one has ever seemed to have found a single place it was published even though it was clearly the truth) that McDaniels clearly told Brady that he refused to do any half time adjustments in the Super Bowl. Let's face it. Belichick is so disgusted with the guy that he refuses to watch the offense when it is on the field.

Of course, the proof of just how awful an offensive coordinator the Patriots have is that they've fired his ass.





What? He's still there? Nevermind....

 

[Rob0729]

The only thing I didn't like about Weiss was his tendency to run draws on 3rd and 8, and his avoidance of ramming the ball when the running game is working and you need a tough yard. Unfortuanately, those are the only things JM kept out of Weiss's playbook.

I agree with this 100%

Come on. I am glad he didn't keep Weis' ability to string together five or six 3 and outs in a game like Weis did prior to 2004. Isn't that a good thing he left out of Weis' playbook. I am glad he gave up on Weis' love of the FB draw. Or his over reliance on trick plays. Weis was not this perfect OC that people like to remember. Prior to 2004, Weis had a lot of critics and somewhat justified in a lot of cases too. Just go back and look at Weis' third down success rate in 2003 vs. any year with McDaniels as OC including this year. Even without Brady, the Pats have a 44% success rate on third downs this year (even with the "garbage" receivers in 2006, the Pats had a 42% third down success rate) while Weis had a 37% success rate in 2003.

 

[Rob0729]

Of course, the proof of just how awful an offensive coordinator the Patriots have is that they've fired his ass.





What? He's still there? Nevermind....

Well isn't giving him complete autonomy with the offense the same thing as firing him? I mean if he had utmost confidence in the guy, he would be working with the starting offense when the defense is on the field while McDaniels watched with his hands on his hips like Dean Pees does.