You may be right about Bilichick but I have always seen him as basically a percentage player coach. Remember there are times when going on fourth down makes sense. I don't know what plays you are referring to but I would trust B hands down on whatever he does. That he has been the cause of this newfangled and reckless nonsense would surprise me a lot. But I know for sure that Bilichick would NEVER do anything that Staley has done in the last two weeks. In fact, few coaches (if any) would.Dargo wrote: ↑October 2nd, 2023, 2:50 pmFunny you mentioning Belichick in this context though, and because you may recall he was one of the first coaches to begin going for it on fourth down in "questionable" field position, and even in the Pats' own territory on occasion. I think he was actually the guy who started this whole recent trend...for better or for worse. He was also the first coach I remember calling a play-action pass on second and short yardage and thus surpising the Defense and often then resulting in a long gain. I still grumble whenever I see any coach (almost all do) decide to just run for the first down in these sorts of situations as I believe they're missing a golden oppurtunity for a big play.laffite wrote: ↑October 2nd, 2023, 2:12 pm
If Bradshaw did that, then he is a HERO of our football times. AND HE WOULD KNOW !!!!!! He played before all the tomfoolery started. I will try and google those remarks if I can find them. And it would take a Bradshaw to speak the truth. He is an "elder statesman" and he can do what others might be reluctant to do. Ask Andy Reid or Bill Bilichick, as well. They would no doubt agree. Brandon Staley is a disgrace.
Thanks, Dargo.
Now, my feeling on this whole thing is that the coach must take into consideration how his running game has been doing during the game and especially during the most recent times during the game...i.e. the flow of the game. If his running game has been doing well, then yes and while taking into account the field position, his chances of success would favor him as I've always felt in key short yardage down situations a running play is the best play to call because as ol' "Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust" Woody Hayes used to say "There are three things that can happen on a pass play, and two of them are bad".
(...my basic feeling being that if you can't even get one measly yard by use of your running game when you need it, you don't deserve to win the game)
A "measly" yard is not a gimme. But Staley thinks it IS because it looks so easy. But allowing himself to get sucked in like yesterday and last week is stupid.
Respectfully, the 'flow of the game' doesn't mean anything when it comes down to a single play. It doesn't make it more likely or less likely that the fourth and one will work. That play, like all plays actually, singled out, are a thing in itself and there is no telling what will happen. But these thoughts should not even come to mind with the situations we are talking about. It's easy, punt the ball on fourth down and trust the defense. What, Staley cannot even trust his own defense? In last week's game, the opposing team had no timeouts left, that makes Staley's bungling all that much worse. He goes for it on his own 20!!!!!!!!!! That is so unconscionably bad that it defies belief!!!
Trust me and Terry, we are both right.
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