Comments on: That One’s On The Coach

By: This Week on Patriots Daily : Patriots Daily

This Week on Patriots Daily : Patriots Daily — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:08:20 +0000

[...] the early hours of Election Tuesday, Scott Benson ran a negative ad on Bill Belichick’s in-game decision-making against the [...]

By: Terry Fields

Terry Fields — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:59:37 +0000

We all had these same thoughts, Scott. There is something strange about Belichick that is hard to put your finger on, but this game’s brain-freeze by the coach was not unlike his behavior in the last Super Bowl — just plain, ordinary, run-of-the-mill stupid.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:25:59 +0000

No, it couldn’t have been Yankee Doodle. Too fast of a tempo from one of Ol-ee-vah’s vamps on the satisfaction of growing things from the soil v. being a big city lawyer.

By: ozzy

ozzy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:42:38 +0000

Also, wasnt it Yankee Doodle that was played during Oliver Douglas’ rants?

By: Bryan Scott

Bryan Scott — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:02:42 +0000

The NBC replay of the Patriots challenge clearly showed one official throwing a flag. Were there 12 men on the field or ten because there were not 11 (because one man cearly was running off the field and did not make it- thus the flag). Without tht flag being thrown, BB does not challenge the play and yes there is a huge difference between 1st and 5 (bomb to Moss at least once) and 2nd and 10. Also, if the Pats knew that Indy was set, they would have stopped, reset and ran with a real play, not a run into the line. I think that the Pats should have won this game, but I am impressed with Cassel’s “managing” of games. It could be much worse- if we still had Huard we would be on our 3rd QB because he would be hurt already. Cassel has been taking a beatin’ and still competin’

By: ozzy

ozzy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:51:57 +0000

Another place that TO would have come in handy was the spot of the ball on the BJGE run ending in Thomas’ penalty. Lost in all the replays of the push was the fact that Uber-Ellis appeared to have made the first down to these old eyes.

Great column. Nobody I’d rather read after a ballcrushing loss.

By: ben

ben — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:24:26 +0000

The strange thing on the 2 is that BB is from the Parcells school and never chases points. Rarely employs it except very late. Yet he goes for it here when even quite adle-brained coaches wouldn’t go for the 2. Only a Herm Edwards type would even consider it there.

By: Chris Warner

Chris Warner — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:00:12 +0000

Good work Scott. Also, I disagreed with going for two in the third quarter. “Kick the PAT before the fourth quarter” is like “Look both ways before you cross the street” for me: advice that has always done me well.

A disappointing game, but one with a lot of teaching points. Shouldn’t happen again.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:11:00 +0000

Thanks for dropping in Ben. I see what you’re saying, and maybe if BB had been more decisive before that play I wouldn’t have thought as much about it. I’m not sure why a measurement wasn’t requested to at minimum give them more time to think, especially if they thought it was only inches to go. The whole thing seemed sort of out of control.

Oh, who am I kidding – I would have complained anyway, even if he had decisively sent out the field goal team. Based on their success on most running plays that night I really thought they could make the first down and get it in the end zone by running the ball there. As noted, they had just done exactly that on their previous possession.

Ah, well. Like I said, its not like we have to be concerned about a pattern of bad in-game coaching decisions developing.

By: ben

ben — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:48:24 +0000

Good column. I do think your point about things getting gummed up in near the goal is a good one and its tied to BB’s decision to call that time out. Cassell really showed a lot the other night (and would have been celebrated if Gaffney hangs on) but the inexperience shows in the red zone where the reads aren’t as clean. I’m guessing BB ran through the iterations in his head and landed on the fact that even a 1st down play on 4th and 1 doesn’t come anywhere near guaranteeing a TD (whereas with Brady it almost does). Thus, why risk a turning point play if it may not get you anything.