Interesting note on Gabriel from Al Davis

[dtbrks]

On his 12-yard catch with 20 seconds left in the game, Doug Gabriel cut inside and was tackled at the Rams' 7 when he could have run out of bounds to stop the clock. With no timeouts, the Raiders couldn't get another play off before the game ended. "That guy made a mistake there," club owner Al Davis said after Sunday's game in his first media interview of the regular season. "He should have gone out of bounds. That's why maybe they (New England) let him go." Davis signed off on Gabriel's trade to the Patriots at the end of training camp, much to the dismay of his teammates. In a similar scene last year, players said Davis called out Gabriel for fumbling a punt in a loss to the Chiefs

http://www.benmaller.com/nfl_rumors_notes

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Another great player from the neck down.

 

[unoriginal]

Just a few weeks ago Reche Caldwell had a brain fart whereby he ran out-of-bounds in a situation where the Pats were attempting to run down the clock.

Each player's ability to function in a particular passing scheme (ours) is different from their situational awareness.

 

[zippo59]

Another great player from the neck down.

I'm not saying it has anything to do with football IQ, but didn't he get a bad score on his Wonderlic?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Just a few weeks ago Reche Caldwell had a brain fart whereby he ran out-of-bounds in a situation where the Pats were attempting to run down the clock.

Each player's ability to function in a particular passing scheme (ours) is different from their situational awareness.

In defense of all these guys when you're in a game situation things happen quickly. How many time playing pickup sports have you (me) made the wrong instantaneous decision only to realize it just as you're doing it? Then again, nobody pays us megabucks to play.

 

[unoriginal]

In defense of all these guys when you're in a game situation things happen quickly. How many time playing pickup sports have you (me) made the wrong instantaneous decision only to realize it just as you're doing it? Then again, nobody pays us megabucks to play.

I hear you, I wasn't criticizing Caldwell, I was pointing out that a single play like the one Gabriel made sheds little light on functional intelligence. I like to think I was a pretty smart defensive back in high school, but I once picked off a 20 yard pass on fourth down. **** happens.

Gabriel saw the end zone 7 yards away and thought he could make a play. I mean, really, with the Oakland offense the way it is, would you rather take your chances on two Aaron Brooks throws?

 

[captain stone]

I'm not saying it has anything to do with football IQ, but didn't he get a bad score on his Wonderlic?

He scored a 13. In contrast, Anquan Boldin, selected after Bethel Johnson in the same '03 draft, scored a 31.

 

[MrTibbs]

Just a few weeks ago Reche Caldwell had a brain fart whereby he ran out-of-bounds in a situation where the Pats were attempting to run down the clock.

Each player's ability to function in a particular passing scheme (ours) is different from their situational awareness.

I was there that was at the Bears game. I was screaming "WTF ARE YOU DOING'!!!???"

 

[dtbrks]

Well, at least Caldwell didn't play didn't end the game. Gabriel ended the game on that play. Caldwell was wrong, but it didn't decide the game.
The last play of the game you should know, get out of bounds.

 

[Gumby]

by PWP: In defense of all these guys when you're in a game situation things happen quickly. How many time playing pickup sports have you (me) made the wrong instantaneous decision only to realize it just as you're doing it? Then again, nobody pays us megabucks to play.

YES, BUT......

ok its the last 20 seconds in the game; you are the QB and you are calling the play in the huddle...............what is the last thing you say to anyone expected to get the ball? ........how about -get out of bounds. I'm sure the qb and teammates said something.

its not just common situational awareness at that point in the game; it is OBVIOUS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

It comes back to the point TB made. Some guys just want to do it their OWN WAY AND NOT LISTEN TO COACHING.

That was Gabriel right there in that play. He thought he could win it all and didnt want to listen to coaching that says get out and take another shot. save the time on the clock.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I know this is going to sound dumb, but I think going out of bounds when you shouldn't is not nearly the same kind of mental error as not going out of bounds when you should.

Caldwell's mistake was somewhat more esoteric. He'd picked up the first down, there was a significant amount of time left, his team had made a bunch of fumbles on the day after catches, and generally when you're a receiver late in the game you're thinking about going out of bounds. There's a lot to consider there on the fly, including asking the player to remember that 3:00 left in the game is different from 5:00 in terms of the clock stopping on out of bounds.

I'm not saying that he didn't make a goof. He did, and it could have been very costly. But I think it's an order of magnitude different from not knowing to run out of bounds when you have the opportunity to keep the game from ending.

 

[Michigan Dave]

In Michigan, we call that a "Tyler Ecker" play. Ecker is our tight end. At the end of the 2005 Ohio State game, we had no timeouts, and he caught a pass and tried to make a play in-bounds and the clock ran out.

1 month later, we're playing the bowl game against Nebraska. We run that crazy 9 lateral play, and Ecker is running to the end zone for the winning score among the chaos, with no time on the clock. Right next to him is Steve Breaston, probably one of the best players in college football running with the ball. Breaston is SCREAMING for Ecker to lateral him the ball. There is 1 big, hulking Husker between Ecker, Breaston, and the end zone. Naturally, Ecker runs out of bounds, ending the game.

 

[PromisedLand]

In defense of all these guys when you're in a game situation things happen quickly. How many time playing pickup sports have you (me) made the wrong instantaneous decision only to realize it just as you're doing it? Then again, nobody pays us megabucks to play.

These are common situations and everyone on the field needs to know what the situation calls for before the play starts. I did that and so did most of my teammates when I played amateur sports - for example in baseball I played first base and outfield. I always tried to keep my head in the game, which meant (if playing outfield) thinking about what base you were going with on a throw if you caught the ball for an out, if you fielded a ground ball, etc. BEFORE the pitch was made. Same thing with baserunning.

There is no excuse for a professional at this level not to know about clock management and get it right at least 99% of the time.

 

[SVN]

here is dr z's scoop on gabriel


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/dr_z/12/20/power.ranks3/index.html

Official sources say that dead wood such as Randy Moss and Jerry Porter soon will be gone, leaving the receiving corps in the hands of young, energetic go-getters such as Doug Gabriel. Gabriel recently was re-signed after he had flunked out of the Patriots system, supposedly for his last-on, first-off practice field habits. I guess it's a relative matter, huh? And I wonder who his relative is.

 

[Fencer]

Caldwell was aware that he made an error right after the play.

Does anybody want to bet that the same thing was true of Gabriel?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

These are common situations and everyone on the field needs to know what the situation calls for before the play starts. I did that and so did most of my teammates when I played amateur sports - for example in baseball I played first base and outfield. I always tried to keep my head in the game, which meant (if playing outfield) thinking about what base you were going with on a throw if you caught the ball for an out, if you fielded a ground ball, etc. BEFORE the pitch was made. Same thing with baserunning.

There is no excuse for a professional at this level not to know about clock management and get it right at least 99% of the time.

An example of what you cite is Kevin Faulk's lack of situational awareness in the Miami game when on the flea flicker he throws the pass way in front of Brady. Knowing their relative positions was key to the play's success. I'm a Faulk fan but that was a very big mental lapse.

 

[unoriginal]

An example of what you cite is Kevin Faulk's lack of situational awareness in the Miami game when on the flea flicker he throws the pass way in front of Brady. Knowing their relative positions was key to the play's success. I'm a Faulk fan but that was a very big mental lapse.

Never attribute to mentality what can be explained by a simple physical screwup. Faulk threw a bad pass. There's a reason he's not the quarterback.

 

[zoostation]

Just a few weeks ago Reche Caldwell had a brain fart whereby he ran out-of-bounds in a situation where the Pats were attempting to run down the clock.

Each player's ability to function in a particular passing scheme (ours) is different from their situational awareness.

Yup...pretty sure that was against the Bears. That play allowed Chicago to get the ball back and set up the Samuel pick. Brain fart that the Championship teams didn't make (and I'm not saying this team can not win it all...I still have faith).

 

[RayClay]

I know this is going to sound dumb, but I think going out of bounds when you shouldn't is not nearly the same kind of mental error as not going out of bounds when you should.

Caldwell's mistake was somewhat more esoteric. He'd picked up the first down, there was a significant amount of time left, his team had made a bunch of fumbles on the day after catches, and generally when you're a receiver late in the game you're thinking about going out of bounds. There's a lot to consider there on the fly, including asking the player to remember that 3:00 left in the game is different from 5:00 in terms of the clock stopping on out of bounds.

I'm not saying that he didn't make a goof. He did, and it could have been very costly. But I think it's an order of magnitude different from not knowing to run out of bounds when you have the opportunity to keep the game from ending.

I remember the play and I did think he looked to hit the dirt with 2 Bears in front of him and maybe thought they wanted to pull the stand him up and strip the ball play.

I know it crossed my mind. Hey, I'm no mind reader and he made the wrong play, but there were a lot of forced fumbles in that game.

 

[RayClay]

Quote:
Official sources say that dead wood such as Randy Moss and Jerry Porter soon will be gone, leaving the receiving corps in the hands of young, energetic go-getters such as Doug Gabriel. Gabriel recently was re-signed after he had flunked out of the Patriots system, supposedly for his last-on, first-off practice field habits. I guess it's a relative matter, huh? And I wonder who his relative is.

If anyone understands this, please explain it to me.

And Deadwood? I thought we were supposed to trade our whole draft for Moss and Porter.