I'm Still Mad

[MoLewisrocks]

I'm still mad too! And I'm with Spacecrime - we should have tried going down the field at least a few more times. Remember, we had their pass rush pretty well under control, and Cassell was moving better than ever in the pocket.

The game plan didn't work - we lost, what other measure matters? You can't say if Gaffney hadn't dropped the pass, if Thomas hadn't lost his control, etc. that we would have won. It makes no sense to do so because Indy screwed up several times also; so couldn't we say Indy would have won bigger if Wayne hadn't dropped that pass, if Freeney hadn't just missed his sack, etc.?

In theory the game plan made sense, but in reality in didn't work. When you decide to go ball control one of the risks you face is the reduced number of possessions. If you don't convert the few you have - and the Pats' one TD in the red zone was a poor job - then you're at risk of losing to a team fast scoring team that does convert their opportunities. And that is exactly what happened Sunday night.

I also agree that BB doesn't trust Cassel yet. BB never would have called that panicked TO on Brady. why? Because he has trust in him. This is not to say that BB should trust Cassel as much as he can Brady, I'm only making clear the difference in the way he treats them despite what BB says at the podium.

The game plan didn't work in reality because players failed to execute, period. And if there was one glaring error on the part of coaching it was committed by the HC and not the OC at a time when his players didn't fail to execute. As for Bill's handling of Cassel - it is what it is and it's sad that some of you can't accept that - an 8 year veteran lock HOF QB went out in the second series of the first game of the year and was replaced by a guy who had not started a game since HS that you and a lot of others wanted off the roster before the final cuts because you were convinced he couldn't win a game in this league. Well, he's 5-3 because he's being developed well on the fly to be a playoff QB...

This team doesn't have much margin for error. Based on that they choose to limit potential turnovers and slow down the opposition by sustaining long drives and taking what is given. It's essentially the core philosophy of BB and what we have always done here, or at least did here prior to the first 12 weeks of 2007, with remarkably consistent success. We play to maximize the strengths and minimize the weaknesses of the hand we're dealt roster wise on both sides of the ball. Although for some of you success is now only measured in SB wins...

If we lost Sunday night 31-9 while Matt Cassel threw 3 picks and got sacked 4 times trying to get the ball to Moss you would be ripping the OC and the DC (or Ellis Hobbs...) and the HC a new one, just for a different reason. And if we won but Moss didn't catch a TD in the EZ you'd still have issues, and if he dropped two deep balls along the way it would have been due to poor throws or outstanding coverage....:ugh:

 

[maverick4]

It's not a good game plan when we pretty much executed the entire plan flawlessly, and yet lost the game.

It's not a good game plan when it is blatantly obvious the Colts' weakness is their garbage CB's, and we only throw it deep one time all game. It is even more crazy when you think of the fact that we have Randy Moss.

 

[BradyManny]

It's not a good game plan when we pretty much executed the entire plan flawlessly, and yet lost the game.

But the game plan was on its way to winning us the game before it was derailed by a few things that had nothing to do with the game plan.

 

[maverick4]

I guess this forum is in bizarro world then, where against a horrible Colts secondary and us having Randy Moss it is an amazing game plan to only go deep one time all game.

It must be the same bizarro world where it was smart game planning to go almost exclusively shot gun in the 4th quarter against a monster Giants pass rush, instead of screens or inside runs.

It must be the same bizarro world where it is smart coaching if you have Shaq against a horrible defensive front line, to keep launching 3's all game and not go to the post.

It must be the same bizarro world where it is smart coaching to tell a baseball lineup filled with sluggers, against horrible pitching, to play bunts and hit-and-runs all day.

 

[maverick4]

But the game plan was on its way to winning us the game before it was derailed by a few things that had nothing to do with the game plan.

Another example:
The Colts have a small, light and quick D-line and small quick linebackers. On the 2-point conversion, we run a DRAW play.

 

[emoney_33]

I guess this forum is in bizarro world then, where against a horrible Colts secondary and us having Randy Moss it is an amazing game plan to only go deep one time all game.

It must be the same bizarro world where it was smart game planning to go almost exclusively shot gun in the 4th quarter against a monster Giants pass rush, instead of screens or inside runs.

It must be the same bizarro world where it is smart coaching if you have Shaq against a horrible defensive front line, to keep launching 3's all game and not go to the post.

It must be the same bizarro world where it is smart coaching to tell a baseball lineup filled with sluggers, against horrible pitching, to play bunts and hit-and-runs all day.

What exactly do you accomplish by forcing the ball into a double-covered Moss with an inexperienced QB you are trying to teach to make GOOD decisions?

 

[emoney_33]

Another example:
The Colts have a small, light and quick D-line and small quick linebackers. On the 2-point conversion, we run a DRAW play.

They also have very aggressive pass-rushers who like to storm into the backfield, opening up room for draw plays...

 

[maverick4]

How do you define 'forcing' the ball, when you didn't even go deep to Moss all game?

See, if the claim that the Colts were playing 2 deep and doubling Moss all day were true, then the entire middle of the field should have been open ALL day. But we didn't even exploit the middle, if that tenet were true.

The defense of the game plan makes no sense. Either you test the Colts deep several times, especially early, or you carve them up all day in the middle of the field.

NEITHER happened, how do you explain this. How can you call this a perfect game plan that just required 100% execution instead of the 99% perfect execution we saw of this flawed strategy

 

[maverick4]

They also have very aggressive pass-rushers who like to storm into the backfield, opening up room for draw plays...

On a 2-point conversion with a short field behind the D?

I call BS. On a play that starts near the goal line defenders must always think of the run and protect against it. A draw play on the goal line is pretty much the dumbest play ever against a small quick D like the Colts.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I'm not sure about the super bowl, because I will never look at that tape ever again.

But I can't see how you aren't happy with a gameplan that kept Manning off the field as much as it did, and should have put up a minimum of 22 points had we not had major screwups out of the control of McDaniels.

15 points + 4 points (Gaffney TD instead of FG) + 3-7 points (take away Thomas bonehead penalty) = 22-26 points

Had BB not called the timeout in the red zone = 26-30 points

This is in a shortened game, limited possessions. McDaniels called a game that should have succeeded.

 

[emoney_33]

How do you define 'forcing' the ball, when you didn't even go deep to Moss all game?

See, if the claim that the Colts were playing 2 deep and doubling Moss all day were true, then the entire middle of the field should have been open ALL day. But we didn't even exploit the middle, if that tenet were true.

The defense of the game plan makes no sense. Either you test the Colts deep several times, especially early, or you carve them up all day in the middle of the field.

NEITHER happened, how do you explain this. How can you call this a perfect game plan that just required 100% execution instead of the 99% perfect execution of this flawed strategy.

So it's impossible to double Moss and cover the middle?

Are the colts known for a really good pass rush? Is Cassel still learning how to feel the pass rush and go through his reads? Does it then make sense to call plays that take a long time to develop?


Moss was doubled all day, the Colts have a good pass rush, the gameplan exploited their flaws but Indy also played pretty damn well and WE were the ones to make the COSTLY mistakes.

 

[emoney_33]

On a 2-point conversion with a short field behind the D?

I call BS. On a play that starts near the goal line defenders must always think of the run and protect against it. A draw play on the goal line is pretty much the dumbest play ever against a small quick D like the Colts.

Hindsight is 20/20

 

[maverick4]

McDaniels called a game that should have succeeded.

This has been the recurring statement used after EVERY criticism the past 3-4 years.

Somehow we have always lost or screwed up in big moments, a major change from years past, and everyone thinks there is zero correlation with the guy at the offensive controls.

Somehow it is genius to run a draw play the goal line for a 2-pt conversion against a quick defense, to only go deep once all game against a horrible secondary, and to go shotgun in the final quarter against a Giants monster pass rush that is not even looking at the run whatsoever.

 

[maverick4]

Hindsight is 20/20

This is always the case with a McDaniels blunder. It's always 'well you never know'.... even though he repeatedly makes decisions that defy common sense. It's almost like he out-wits himself, he basically out-fakes himself.

 

[Rob0729]

What exactly do you accomplish by forcing the ball into a double-covered Moss with an inexperienced QB you are trying to teach to make GOOD decisions?

Are you implying that the Colts might have done a little gameplanning themselves on defense and that realizing that they had an issue at CB that they might have taken steps to take away that weakness even it it exposed weaknesses in their short passing and run defense? That Dungy may have actually decided it would be the lesser of two evils to allow the Pats to mount 15 play drives that may or may not stall than allow the Pats to score an 80 yard TD drive in three plays?

I think it is crazy talk to think that Dungy and his staff realized that their secondary was an issue with only three of their four top CBs out and that he would actually take steps to cover that weakness. You gotta think Dungy was hoping the Pats would put up 40 plus points because that would play into his strategy of letting them win on Peyton's back. Besides, what does Dungy know about defense anyway?

 

[maverick4]

Hindsight is 20/20

A draw play at the goal line for a 2-pt conversion against a small quick D is not just about hindsight, it is about basic common sense.

In basketball if you have a dominant center and their center sucks at defense, you don't keep chucking 3-pointers and when you lose say 'hindsight is 20/20'.

Yet somehow for the Colts game our game plan was perfect and it was only execution that cost us.

 

[emoney_33]

This is always the case with a McDaniels blunder. It's always 'well you never know'.... even though he repeatedly makes decisions that defy common sense. It's almost like he out-wits himself, he basically out-fakes himself.

Listen, there is no "SURE" play for a 2-pt conversion. The draw had a good a chance as any to work. It's not as if we have this huge dominant power running OL and RB and they called a trick play. We called a play for our best RB, on a play that will probably work more often than not against those guys. It didn't, good stand Colts, move on.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

This has been the recurring statement used after EVERY criticism the past 3-4 years.

Somehow we have always lost or screwed up in big moments, a major change from years past, and everyone thinks there is zero correlation with the guy at the offensive controls.

Somehow it is genius to run a draw play the goal line for a 2-pt conversion against a quick defense, to only go deep once all game against a horrible secondary, and to go shotgun in the final quarter against a Giants monster pass rush that is not even looking at the run whatsoever.

How do you correlate a guy taking a bonehead 15 yard penalty on 3rd and inches to the offensive coordinator?

Face it, alot of it is on the players the past 3-4 years. I know in the Super Bowl years we seemed to make all the plays but that was a different team. We have alot of new faces and alot of the older faces are just that, older.

 

[emoney_33]

Are you implying that the Colts might have done a little gameplanning themselves on defense and that realizing that they had an issue at CB that they might have taken steps to take away that weakness even it it exposed weaknesses in their short passing and run defense? That Dungy may have actually decided it would be the lesser of two evils to allow the Pats to mount 15 play drives that may or may not stall than allow the Pats to score an 80 yard TD drive in three plays?

I think it is crazy talk to think that Dungy and his staff realized that their secondary was an issue with only three of their four top CBs out and that he would actually take steps to cover that weakness. You gotta think Dungy was hoping the Pats would put up 40 plus points because that would play into his strategy of letting them win on Peyton's back. Besides, what does Dungy know about defense anyway?

Pfffft, that's like saying some guy can come in and screw up all of Newton's laws with some ridiculous theory! That's just crazy man, the other team cannot gameplan like that!

 

[maverick4]

Are you implying that the Colts might have done a little gameplanning themselves on defense and that realizing that they had an issue at CB that they might have taken steps to take away that weakness even it it exposed weaknesses in their short passing and run defense? That Dungy may have actually decided it would be the lesser of two evils to allow the Pats to mount 15 play drives that may or may not stall than allow the Pats to score an 80 yard TD drive in three plays?

This was addressed previously already.

Of course this was Dungy's plan to play 2-deep all day, however that not only leaves the short field available, it would leave HUGE chunks of the field open in the middle or outside. Cassel threw for 204 yards playing dink and dunk, when there was enormous amounts of open field which the OC didn't even try to attack.

Anyways, this excuse isn't even legit because we didn't even try to throw deep to Moss once all game.