2013 NFC North/NFL Thread

[NavinRJohnson]

I was saying that in the stands at the time.  1st and goal and Packers go 5 wide then motion Cobb into the back field.  I thought it telegraphed Cobb run.  Then 2nd down it's 5 wide.  3rd down its 32(3 wr 2 TE), I think.  Not one of those plays had a legitimate running threat presented.  The Cobb run is great outside of the red zone because it introduces all sorts of possibilities but in the red zone where it's packed in the defense doesn't have to think as much.  Lazy and Starks were getting a lot of traction late in the game and to not have them in even as a threat to run is down right criminal. 

100% on the money. Not to mention, IIRC, the Cobb run was to Newhouse's side.

Now, I may be as stubborn as McCarthy the other way, but I would have gone to Lacy and/or Starks 3 times, and would have at least thought about a 4th, before kicking the FG. Put Kuhn in there and let everyone know what's coming. With that place going crazy, the O-line, FB and TEs jacked up to get it done...at least go down swinging with what's been working. Even if they only get 4-5 yards or so on the first two. 3rd and 4 gives you a whole lot more to work with than 3rd and 8 does.

The Hyde non-interception was at least a tough play.  MM's play calling should not have been difficult and his screw up was way worse.

[NavinRJohnson]

I continue to get more and more pissed off about this. On their last two drives, Lacy and Starks combined for 11 carries for 61 yards (5.5 ypc). SF had nothing for them, and MM in his infinite wisdom decides its time to sread the field and hand the ball off to Randall Cobb.

Feed the frickin Beast!

[shiloh26]

I continue to get more and more pissed off about this. On their last two drives, Lacy and Starks combined for 11 carries for 61 yards (5.5 ypc). SF had nothing for them, and MM in his infinite wisdom decides its time to sread the field and hand the ball off to Randall Cobb.

Feed the frickin Beast!

The clock mismanagement at the end of the first half is what continues to make my blood boil.  Packers get the ball with all three TO and 2:48 on the clock.  Because they have to burn a timeout so the play clock doesn't run out, they end up running out of time and having to kick a field goal, when they should have had at least a shot into the end zone.  Aspiring head football coaches, watch last nights' game as an example of how not to manage your timeouts (both teams gave a clinic). 

[brandx]

They need to start taking the FA a lot more seriously. I think TT's draft talents are wearing off. There is a gaping hole at safety that cannot be solved by drafting an unproven rookie.

Well Thompson would have to change his entire strategy. He signs lots of FAs - they are just all his own guys whose contracts have expired.

So does he look to sign Neal, Raji, Shields, Finley, Jones, Dietrich-Smith, Kuhn, etc - or let them go and sign outside guys at top dollar?

[DegenerateDish]

Time management all around this weekend was a mess. In a playoff game, timeouts are sacred, especially in the second half. That TO the Chiefs wasted right after the two minute warning was a joke. I think the Niners burnt one on the first play of the second half too.

I know they may have lost anyway, and they were missing Charles, but once the Chiefs got up in the second half, they didn't run it nearly enough. If you think about it, if you milk the play clock, and run the ball on one series, you knock off about 2 mins and 15 seconds that series of downs. Pick up a single first down, and it's almost 5 mins of game clock that you can kill. Look at the Chiefs second half play log, and I'd be ticked if I was a Chiefs fan.

It'll never ever happen, way too radical, but as an experiment, I'd put a head coach in a suite for a game. Give him three 70'' screens in the suite, and with a head seat, allow him to call plays/personnel packages/challenges/timeouts. The year I worked for the Bears, I was lucky enough to be on the sidelines for games. As one can imagine, it's total chaos down there. It's not an excuse for poor time management, bad challenges, etc, but if you have a billion dollar business operation, wouldn't you want someone in better control of decision making at the most crucial point?

[brandx]

Time management all around this weekend was a mess. In a playoff game, timeouts are sacred, especially in the second half. That TO the Chiefs wasted right after the two minute warning was a joke. I think the Niners burnt one on the first play of the second half too.

I know they may have lost anyway, and they were missing Charles, but once the Chiefs got up in the second half, they didn't run it nearly enough. If you think about it, if you milk the play clock, and run the ball on one series, you knock off about 2 mins and 15 seconds that series of downs. Pick up a single first down, and it's almost 5 mins of game clock that you can kill. Look at the Chiefs second half play log, and I'd be ticked if I was a Chiefs fan.

Exact same reason GB was in playoffs in 1st place. With big Lead, Dallas refused to run ball in 2nd half.

[mu03eng]

Time management all around this weekend was a mess. In a playoff game, timeouts are sacred, especially in the second half. That TO the Chiefs wasted right after the two minute warning was a joke. I think the Niners burnt one on the first play of the second half too.

I know they may have lost anyway, and they were missing Charles, but once the Chiefs got up in the second half, they didn't run it nearly enough. If you think about it, if you milk the play clock, and run the ball on one series, you knock off about 2 mins and 15 seconds that series of downs. Pick up a single first down, and it's almost 5 mins of game clock that you can kill. Look at the Chiefs second half play log, and I'd be ticked if I was a Chiefs fan.

It'll never ever happen, way too radical, but as an experiment, I'd put a head coach in a suite for a game. Give him three 70'' screens in the suite, and with a head seat, allow him to call plays/personnel packages/challenges/timeouts. The year I worked for the Bears, I was lucky enough to be on the sidelines for games. As one can imagine, it's total chaos down there. It's not an excuse for poor time management, bad challenges, etc, but if you have a billion dollar business operation, wouldn't you want someone in better control of decision making at the most crucial point?

This is where I'm on board with Bill Simmons even though I think he's actually being a little tongue in cheek.  He advocates for putting a kid that plays 40 hours of Madden a week on staff to be the time management czar.

Seriously though, I get how the sideline is chaos so why wouldn't you want someone that is assigned to be cool, calm and collected around time, down and distance, time outs and challenges.  This person advises the coach, and you take away "time out privileges" from the QB and only make them from the sideline

Take the drive to end the first half.  Rodgers took a time out to save a delay of game, the TO was worth far more than the delay of game would have cost.  TO should have been controlled by the czar

[brandx]

Jarret Bush jumped inside instead of taking the outside route. Are you sure Capers told him to do that? This isn’t Madden 25, Capers doesn’t control these guys with a joy stick. Again look who we are talking about, Jarret Bush. That defense was decimated by injury in that game and all year.

 Let’s review,  best cornerback, Shields out, best defensive playmaker, Matthews out, two outside linebackers injured and out and/or ineffective,   It’ tough to overcome that, and with all that they still held them to 23 points, that’s  good enough to win.

As far as Hawk covering Davis, The middle linebacker covers the tight end over the middle, it’s been going on all year. Go back and look, Hawk had very good coverage on that play. The problem wasn’t Hawk, it was Morgan Burnett reacting too slow and missing the interception, went right through his hands.

I don’t disagree with you that Capers should be gone, just to bring in another voice that the players may respond to, but you can’t put that loss on Capers.

What about the dozens of other times it happened this year. As a matter of fact, they never made it through a single game without breaking contain on the outside. And that is not to mention special teams where breaking contain was a staple of their coverage.

Of course it is the player making the mistake, but when it is player after player, game after game - it is ALL about the coaching.

[GGGG]

Stopping the run has been lacking in GB for a long time, that is hand to hand combat, stalemate or beat your man using leverage and strength.  You can't scheme your way to stopping the run, that is unless you want to severely expose your secondary.

The Packers only had one good year stopping the run in the Capers...and it was the year they won the Super Bowl.

So what was it about that year that was different from now?  Was it personnel?  (Cullen Jenkins, Nick Collins, younger Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett)  Was it scheme?  Was it coincidence?

[GGGG]

Jarret Bush jumped inside instead of taking the outside route. Are you sure Capers told him to do that?

If you look at that play again, Kaepernick looked like he was about to pass the ball and Bush reacted to it to try to get in his way.

Yeah it didn't turn out well.  And maybe he was told not to do that.

[Blackhat]

The Packers only had one good year stopping the run in the Capers...and it was the year they won the Super Bowl.

So what was it about that year that was different from now?  Was it personnel?  (Cullen Jenkins, Nick Collins, younger Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett)  Was it scheme?  Was it coincidence?

They gave up 4.7 ypc that year.  That is atrocious.  No matter personnel they have been getting pushed around by offensive lines.  For a decade they've been hovering around 4-5 ypc.   That's partly why I feel S&C comes into play.

SF is cut and big, not a plethora of fat guys and a 220 lb MLB.

[real chili 83]

I think Payton Manning wants to retire in Omaha.

[jesmu84]

They gave up 4.7 ypc that year.  That is atrocious.  No matter personnel they have been getting pushed around by offensive lines.  For a decade they've been hovering around 4-5 ypc.   That's partly why I feel S&C comes into play.

SF is cut and big, not a plethora of fat guys and a 220 lb MLB.

just like Seattle, I'm sure the PEDs help...

[77ncaachamps]

Don't know if y'all heard: Seahawks are limiting sales of their tickets to certain states and excluding CA.

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Seahawks-won-t-sell-tickets-to-California-5136665.php

[wardle2wade]

Don't know if y'all heard: Seahawks are limiting sales of their tickets to certain states and excluding CA.

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Seahawks-won-t-sell-tickets-to-California-5136665.php

Media blowing this out of proportion. This is actually standard operating ticketing procedure for playoffs for lot of teams and sometimes concerts and benefit shows.  Ultimate goal is to ensure fans (not brokers) get the seats, thus they limit to states nearest to the city.  If it also keeps some SF fans out, the team doesnt mind.

[keefe]

Don't know if y'all heard: Seahawks are limiting sales of their tickets to certain states and excluding CA.

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Seahawks-won-t-sell-tickets-to-California-5136665.php

It's an Act of Mercy, 77. An Act of Mercy. Imagine the public humiliation that awaits Niner fans at the Hawk's Nest. I 5 South projects as the New Trail of Tears. Better to absorb the loss in the privacy of one's own hovel. An Act of Mercy. God bless Paul Allen. 

[ATWizJr]

Sure do wonder how the Packers would have done if former Packer employee and current Seahawk GM was running the football operation in Green Bay.

[Spotcheck Billy]

WTH is going on in Mnpls. Jaybee? The ex-mayor trying to force a referendum on the public financing?

Could the Vikings be the first team to break ground on a new stqdium that never gets built? Stay tuned As the World Turns...

[hairy worthen]

They gave up 4.7 ypc that year.  That is atrocious.  No matter personnel they have been getting pushed around by offensive lines.  For a decade they've been hovering around 4-5 ypc.   That's partly why I feel S&C comes into play.

SF is cut and big, not a plethora of fat guys and a 220 lb MLB.

The NFL scrap heap is littered with ripped, workout warriors that can’ play a lick of football.

[GGGG]

Jim Caldwell new Lions coach.

Pretty much opposite personality as Schwartz.  Not sure how the guy can coach without Peyton as QB though.

[tower912]

Welcome to the coaching graveyard, the abyss, the hellhole from which there is no escape and no redemption, Mr. Caldwell. 

[Bocephys]

Jim Caldwell new Lions coach.

Pretty much opposite personality as Schwartz.  Not sure how the guy can coach without Peyton as QB though.

Not sure he could coach with Peyton as his QB.

[DegenerateDish]

Jim Caldwell new Lions coach.

Pretty much opposite personality as Schwartz.  Not sure how the guy can coach without Peyton as QB though.

This hire and the Wisenhunt hire are both terrible.

Caldwell is an awful ingame coach.

Generally speaking, I hate retreads as coaches who were recently fired.

[Lennys Tap]

The NFL scrap heap is littered with ripped, workout warriors that can’ play a lick of football.

Remember Alonzo Spellman? Looked like Tarzan, played like Jane.

[MerrittsMustache]

This hire and the Wisenhunt hire are both terrible.

Caldwell is an awful ingame coach.

Generally speaking, I hate retreads as coaches who were recently fired.

Why was the Whisenhunt hire terrible? He's a good offensive guy who can win with a decent QB.