You have one team with a rookie quarterback that just threw 5 interceptions last week. You have another team with a young quarterback who has been the backup all year. One team decides to run the ball no matter what. Another team decides to line up in shotgun and throw the ball around.
Which team do you think was the Bucs?
The Jets ran the ball 42 times. Let that sink in for a minute.
FORTY TWO MUTHAFUCKIN TIMES
Out of those 42 times they had 2 big runs totally 58 yards. You take those two runs away and they ran the ball 40 times for 117 yards for a 2.9 average. They weren't ripping the our defense with the run. In point of fact for most of the day our defense kicked their ass on the run. And the Jets are ranked number one in rushing offense in the whole NFL. But they didn't give a damn. They knew that it was hot and that their quarterback isn't that good. So they decided they would run the ball, not turn it over, and keep our defense on the field for as much of the game as they could.
The Bucs on the other hand evidently thought they had the second coming of Joe Montana as they decided to start off the game in shotgun and throw the ball with Josh Freeman. The interception to start off the game deep in our own territory evidently did nothing to dissuade them from chunking it all over the field. And that's how they end up throwing the ball 33 times, having Freeman scramble 4 other times and get him sacked 3 other times. Add it all up and their offensive coordinator, Greg Olsen, called at least 40 passes with a rookie quarterback who just threw 5 picks last week and facing the number one pass defense in all of the NFL.
Oh and we ran the ball all of 20 times. I believe I pointed out last week that we passed it twice as much as we ran it that game too.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is not rocket science. If it were there would be a lot fewer coaches in the NFL. When you have a young quarterback and your defense is playing well and ESPECIALLY if you are playing in warm weather, weather that the Jets were unaccustomed to, YOU RUN THE MUTHAFUCKING BALL. And I don't mean run it on first down and then maybe throw it if you don't get much. I mean you commit to running the ball on first and second down and hell maybe even if its 3rd and medium you run it then too. That is what football is all about.
What its not about is selling out your defense and keeping them on the field all got damn day just so you can showcase your new toy to the detriment of the team overall. I don't know how anybody on the offensive staff can even look any of the defensive coaches or players in the face after this game.
Now ultimately this falls on the head coach though. Raheem Morris may not call the offensive plays but he for damn sure hears them in his head phones. Well its time to start vetoing a bunch of this bullshit. I remember when the know nothing assholes in this town on the radio and elsewhere used to knock Coach Dungy because we ran the ball so much and we were "boring" on offense. Well you go back and look at our record in December, especially our home record. We beat teams into submission with our running game in this Florida heat and they didn't want to come down here and see us. I saw defenders for other teams literally quit after trying to tackle Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn for 3 quarters.
That's what wins ball games. All this Mickey Mouse throwing just for the sake of throwing bullshit is how you get beat.
Now maybe nobody on the offensive staff really gives a damn anymore. Maybe for them the games are just glorified practices where they can experiment and wait to get the first pick in the draft. I don't really believe that, but for the people who do I can understand why. What I do know is that they owe the defense a big ass apology for the product they put on the field today. I am sick and tired of watching bad football and what we are doing on offense with our game plan is fucking offensive.
I will say this much, watch the game today wouldn't make me feel any sense of comfort that anybody on the offensive staff has a fucking clue of what they are doing. And that's AFTER the debacle last week. Take that how you will.
Showing posts with label run the damn ball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label run the damn ball. Show all posts
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Ron Turner, You Are The Weakest Link
I know people are going to give Jay Cutler the business for today for throwing 5 interceptions in the game last night against the 49ers, but allow me to throw someone else under the bus. Cutler threw the ball 52 times last night in a game where Chicago was never down more than 7 points and in a game that ended up in a final score of 10-6. Let me say that again, he threw the ball 52 frikkin times!!!
Now we all know that Cutler is prone to throwing interceptions and if everyone else can see it presumably his coaches should be able to see it to. So why then would Ron Turner give him 52 opportunities to throw an interception? Well I think it comes down to the difference between a good to great coach and an average coach.
See a good or great coach on offense, defense, or special teams always has a good game plan and scheme. But what separates them from the rest of the pack is their ability to make adjustments. And that doesn't just mean adjustments to what the other team is throwing at them, it also means adjustments to their own personnel.
See an average coach has his scheme and his gameplan but they can only really be successful when they have the perfect players to go with their scheme and gameplan. If you put them in a situation where their talent doesn't fit with what they are trying to do on offense then instead of adjusting what they are trying to do, they just keep trying to put a square peg in a round hole. And results usually are disastrous.
In the case of the Bears they now have this big time quarterback with a strong arm who can make all the throws anywhere on the field. But they also have a quarterback who has a propensity to throw into coverage several times a game believing that he can squeeze in throws that he can't. And of course that leads to interceptions. But its not just Cutler that is the problem.
What you also have in Chicago are receiver who are not very big and don't have especially good hands. You also have an offensive line that makes swiss cheese look solid. You put that all together and you SHOULD come away with the distinct impression that what your team needs to do is lean on running the ball heavy and save the throws mostly for play action pass or 3rd and 4 or more. I mean the Bears have a decent defense and outstanding special teams so if the offense doesn't turn the ball over generally they will always be in it at the end.
But like a kid with a brand new toy their offensive coordinator, Ron Turner has decided that he simply must show off Cutler's arm. This in spite of the fact that they have a very good young running back in Matt Forte. Where they should be pounding the ball and wearing defenses down along with shortening the game by running the clock, instead they have Cutler running for his life and thrown the ball down field to the likes of Johnny Knox and Devin Hester.
But here is what is really funny to me. So called sports "experts" actually claim the Bears should be throwing the ball MORE. LOL What a bunch of clowns. See a lot of sports pundits nowadays are just a bunch of lazy minded followers of conventional wisdom. It seems the only way to be "aggressive" on offense these days is to throw the ball down the field every other play. It reminds me a lot of the stupid criticism of Alabama in college football. They have in my opinion the best stable of running backs in all of college football and yet week after week I have to listen to Lee Corso or some other "expert" tell me that they can't win a championship unless they start throwing the ball downfield even though their quarterback is usually the only guy on the field for either team that can actually beat them.
NEWSFLASH. Running the ball when your passing game is suspect is ALSO aggressive. It opens up the play action pass which gives young, inexperienced wide receivers a chance to get open against single coverage. And it also helps your offensive line so that the other teams defensive line can't just get in sprinters stances and tee off on your quarterback. It keeps them honest where they have to at least hesitate on the run fake. Which does what? Gives your quarterback time to throw the ball down the field.
Oh and by the way, if the Bears kick field goals instead of throwing redzone interceptions they probably win the game last night.
So hey by all means throw Jay Cutler under the bus today, but make sure you save some room for the guy calling the plays for him.
It is what it is.
Now we all know that Cutler is prone to throwing interceptions and if everyone else can see it presumably his coaches should be able to see it to. So why then would Ron Turner give him 52 opportunities to throw an interception? Well I think it comes down to the difference between a good to great coach and an average coach.
See a good or great coach on offense, defense, or special teams always has a good game plan and scheme. But what separates them from the rest of the pack is their ability to make adjustments. And that doesn't just mean adjustments to what the other team is throwing at them, it also means adjustments to their own personnel.
See an average coach has his scheme and his gameplan but they can only really be successful when they have the perfect players to go with their scheme and gameplan. If you put them in a situation where their talent doesn't fit with what they are trying to do on offense then instead of adjusting what they are trying to do, they just keep trying to put a square peg in a round hole. And results usually are disastrous.
In the case of the Bears they now have this big time quarterback with a strong arm who can make all the throws anywhere on the field. But they also have a quarterback who has a propensity to throw into coverage several times a game believing that he can squeeze in throws that he can't. And of course that leads to interceptions. But its not just Cutler that is the problem.
What you also have in Chicago are receiver who are not very big and don't have especially good hands. You also have an offensive line that makes swiss cheese look solid. You put that all together and you SHOULD come away with the distinct impression that what your team needs to do is lean on running the ball heavy and save the throws mostly for play action pass or 3rd and 4 or more. I mean the Bears have a decent defense and outstanding special teams so if the offense doesn't turn the ball over generally they will always be in it at the end.
But like a kid with a brand new toy their offensive coordinator, Ron Turner has decided that he simply must show off Cutler's arm. This in spite of the fact that they have a very good young running back in Matt Forte. Where they should be pounding the ball and wearing defenses down along with shortening the game by running the clock, instead they have Cutler running for his life and thrown the ball down field to the likes of Johnny Knox and Devin Hester.
But here is what is really funny to me. So called sports "experts" actually claim the Bears should be throwing the ball MORE. LOL What a bunch of clowns. See a lot of sports pundits nowadays are just a bunch of lazy minded followers of conventional wisdom. It seems the only way to be "aggressive" on offense these days is to throw the ball down the field every other play. It reminds me a lot of the stupid criticism of Alabama in college football. They have in my opinion the best stable of running backs in all of college football and yet week after week I have to listen to Lee Corso or some other "expert" tell me that they can't win a championship unless they start throwing the ball downfield even though their quarterback is usually the only guy on the field for either team that can actually beat them.
NEWSFLASH. Running the ball when your passing game is suspect is ALSO aggressive. It opens up the play action pass which gives young, inexperienced wide receivers a chance to get open against single coverage. And it also helps your offensive line so that the other teams defensive line can't just get in sprinters stances and tee off on your quarterback. It keeps them honest where they have to at least hesitate on the run fake. Which does what? Gives your quarterback time to throw the ball down the field.
Oh and by the way, if the Bears kick field goals instead of throwing redzone interceptions they probably win the game last night.
So hey by all means throw Jay Cutler under the bus today, but make sure you save some room for the guy calling the plays for him.
It is what it is.
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