I cannot understand what it is about coaches in this league sometimes, how they figure to surprise their opposition by playing away from the defined strengths and
weaknesses of the two teams on the field, making haste with calls that need not be made, and ultimately directing a team that could run the ball for most of the second half (being down by no more than 6-9 points throughout most of it) to instead take to the air like their namesake and attempt to peck out the eyes of the hayseed stampede down below, rather than simply punching out their teeth the old fashioned way. Billick comes out of halftime and on the first posession it’s three and out, all three plays are passes. They get the ball back and again he’s telling McNair and the offense to do what they’re not good at doing, and for some reason not realizing that every time you drop back to pass, you voluntarily play to the Colts strength on defense.
The stupidity of going about the second half of that game as if there was only one option is what caused the ship to capsize. You figure to have at least six possessions, and understand that scoring on the first one might not happen, though the ground you lay could eventually pay dividends on subsequent plays. Eventually Billick does give the ball to his running backs, but it still gets undercut at some point when a first and second down are both passing plays, Ogden is flagged for holding, and instead of momentum and the ground game doing it for him, he’s got Stover out there hitting a 51 yarder. McNair gets the ball back and instead of the situation at the start of the 3rd quarter, at this moment he actually does have to pick up big chunks, and of course the offensive unit isn’t built to do that. This is easy to see with all the swing passes to backs…
This Colt team is built for shootouts, with their strength on defense being their speed and ability to rush the passer. You have to wear those guys out by keeping them on the field and NEVER giving up on your running game. When you pass on 1st and 2nd down, you’re playing into their hands. And so, it’s a sad night in Baltimore, where plenty will point the finger at McNair, but should really be asking why Brian Billick was channeling Dave Wandstat in the second half.
Funny, really. I’ve no idea where Billick gets this reputation as a genius. I guess you can give him some credit for doing exactly the opposite of Edwards. Edwards wouldn’t throw. Billick wouldn’t run. Although they’re both guilty of doing the same thing: seizing like an engine out of oil. Freezing like a deer in the headlights.
Saints look good.
I’m getting nervous about tomorrow as if I was actually playing…
I don’t get it either. He’s the typical guy who pays top dollar for the left tackle and cornerback, drafts very well in one area, pathetic in another, and cannot handle an ego approaching the size of his own within 100 yards of him at any time.
He got paid back by karma though, as his playcalling was Fassel’s job before he sandbaged him.
I’m nervous like always, but not as much as the national media would want me to be…everything’s Merriman…like a scheme can’t be implemented to keep him out of the backfield or something.
Jason Taylor is probably the only guy that deserves as much talk as Merriman is getting right now. And the last time I checked, Rivers was in his first year as a starter and beat out Brady for the pro bowl…so it’s probably time for the record to be set straight the way our Patriots normally have to before the world wakes up.
The Saints do indeed look good, but Philly was tired. They couldn’t tackle tonight.
I think Jeff Garcia is better than McNabb…even at 37.
Concur on Garcia. Something happened to McNabb in that ‘Bowl v. the Pats. I think he puked up his mojo right there on the forty yard line. His deep confidence was shot even before TO ripped the team apart. Outwardly, he seems ok. But there’s something missing.
Merriman by himself doesn’t worry me too much. Merriman on one side and Phillips on the other worry me–we can’t go 2 TEs all day and our right tackle spot was the shaky side v. the Jets.
One thing’s certain: this is going to be good.
Something tells me that the Jets could bring it harder than the Chargers can…I don’t know what that is, but with the way our line played last week, what I’m worried about more than anything is turnovers.
McNabb was dead to me as well after his choke in that superbowl…all the Chunky soup in the world can’t replace what that guy is missing. Watching the NFL network these past few weeks, they have commercials running for a new super bowl program, a few clips with Naimith and Cower getting emotional talking about their championships, and to think about how nonchalant McNabb was against us in that 4th quarter…if I were a Philly fan, I’d be very nervous about this guy!
Billick was a genious as the OC here in Minnesota. At least you don’t have to live your existence as a Viking fan…wow it’s been painful at times!
Yea – I guess Minnesota needs a quarterback. My take is you could always run the ball and rush the passer, but the quarterback position (especially with Culpepper) was always a problem in the big games. That defense was something else this season, but without a competent QB who can make the throws and take a hit, there’s a ceiling for just about any NFL team once December rolls around.