Sorry Fellas. Mike McCoy is not the guy.

[TABF]

I understand what you're saying, but I dont have a lot of concern about it since we have won games both ways. I think McCoy knows that we will have to put a lot of points on the board to beat Peyton. I didn't see extreme conservatism in either of those Denver games earlier in the year. I think there is maybe a greater likelihood of conservatism either later or earlier in the game depending on how things play out. This game could very well be about passing to set up the run. Running the ball will be key for us but we might focus more on that a little later.

Dont' get me wrong... I love the results, but its the pessimist life long Charger fan in me that hates this approach. All this being said, we have not won a super bowl and we have had fantastic teams that were either wide open or straight up conservative and neither approach has worked.

[ICE]

So I am off base criticizing those 3 straight runs in the second quarter?

Yeah I had a problem with that punt too, after the delay call punting was the right call, but did they plan to run a play? I wanted a qb sneak.

Maybe no Mathews just really hurt our short yardage ability.

Bengals were going to f that game up no matter what I feel, but I still think those were both game management errors by McCoy that could hurt us against stiffer competition.

I am in agreement with you BB. That was a head scratcher. Still do not know how we dont call more QB sneaks. We have a 6'5" QB and snap count in our favor - how can we not call more of those in the cases like that where we are inches away and good field position? My understanding of the delay had to do with miscommunication with Rivers and the back-up center being in there. But we close the door there if we convert and kill more clock. Nitpicking here but that series playcalling was frustrating as hell. Those last 8 mins took a loooong time.

[Guy Lombardo]

I think having Hardwick out was a big factor in our run heavy strategy. We looked to favor the run going into this game anyway, but Hardwick going down had to make them a little more careful. I mean wet weather and a new center, shotgun snaps, no-huddle, pass protections. That's a lot to deal with and a lot that could go wrong.

[Boltx]

If the point you're trying to make is that MM/Whiz didn't call a perfect, spotless game....then so be it, you win.


If that's your barometer for these guys...for any coach...then well, sorry you're going to be disappointed.

[BlazingBolt]

It wasn't three give up runs. We had two TOs left, I believe. That possession began at the 11 with a Mathews run for 7. It was called back due to Gates' holding penalty and moved us back to the 8 for 1st and 13. Whisenhunt did call runs on the next three plays and none picked up significant yardage. But all three forced Cincy to burn a timeout assuring that they would regain control of the ball with no timeouts and at best probably limited to going for a FG and not a TD. But did you really want to risk a turnover or strip sack from the ten yard line with the game so close at that point? If you did, that's fine but I don't know of any NFL coach that would have made that kind of tradeoff especially considering we'd basically played them to a tie even though their offense was running and passing at will against us.

There was 2 minutes left (1:57) and I guess we had 2 timeouts left and the holding penalty moved us back to the 8 yard line but still we needed only 13 yards for a first down.

Seriously you think all NFL coaches would not risk passing in that situation? I was shocked, I can't think of another NFL coach that would not, at least I would be surprised, just as I was surprised we didn't pass at all.

I don't view the 8 yard line as some incredibly risky field position. Inside the 5 changes things a bunch, especially when you are backed up on the goal line, but the 8 yard line is just as risky as the 20 pretty much as far as play calling. Obviously it is worse field position, but you can take a sack or a penalty with out giving up a safety. A turnover is just about as likely to go for 6 whether you turn it over at the 8 or the 20.

I agree the runs were called to make Cincy burn there time outs. Basically to run out clock. It was give up play calling (we were not aggressively seeking a first down or a score), 2nd down was a passing down and distance, and third down was a must pass down. Cincy had completed a 49 yard pass on the previous possession, had gone right down the field and were poised to score before the strip. I did not want to give them the ball back, McCoy did I guess.

I just don't see why you want to give them the ball back with good field position. Sure you burned off 30 seconds and made them use 3 timeouts. I just don't see how playing to give your opponent the ball with 1:30 and no timeouts on there 32 (thats with a an exceptional punt with great coverage, something that should not be counted on) at the end of the half ever makes sense (you want to test out your prevent defense or something?). Other than them making the FG the outcome was about as good as you could expect out of that idiotic strategy.

He is just lucky the punt didn't get blocked, they didn't get a good return, and that they didn't score a TD. I don't see how it can be considered anything but a blunder.

Any game, any half, I would love to give Rivers the ball with 1:30 and no timeouts on the 30 in a tie game. I don't see why we would take the ball away from Rivers to give it to the opponent in that situation.

We had 1:47 and 2 timeouts in a tie game on the 8 yard line any you agree with running clock and punting? I just don't get how anyone can defend that as the right call.

Not trusting the backup center to run the 2 minute drill is about the only reasoning that makes any sense to justify it. I think Mathews got hurt on the penalized first down too.

[Formula 21]

Running on the goal line says you're not a pussy.

[oneinchpunch]

Running on the goal line says you're not a pussy.

Running the play that they did with the players they did wasn't the wisest choice.

[TTK]

I didn't have too much of an issue with running it backed up at the end of the half, especially with Hardwick having gone out earlier.

I did want to see them go for it on the 4th and inches play though.

[BoltBalls]

The only thing that was disappointing about the game was our injuries and the delay of game penalties. Sure playcalling wasn't perfect but it worked for the most part. I could almost guarantee that we wouldn't be so willing to punt the ball like we are if we didn't have Scifres on our team. Not to mention the weather and Andy Dalton playing like he was for this game. There were many strong factors for enabling a conservative gameplan, and it was the right decision.

[Panama]

So, we are playing with house money, (on borrowed time, )... If, our coaches make a huge mistake that costs us a playoff win, do they get a pass since we all know we were not supposed to be here in the first place?

There was one glaring item yesterday that had me pissed... 4th and inches on the good side of the 50 and we decided to PUNT. I thought we were waaaay to conservative there and thought we should have pounded the ball between the tackles there and got those few inches and essentially BROKE their will. That would have essentially ended the game. I understand that our D was playing tremendous at that point, but how many of us have seen that conservative pucker factor decision come back and bite us in the ass...? In the end it worked out and our D stepped up again, but why not instill our will on them and force them to stop us on 4th and inches. That would have BROKE them IMO.

All this being said, I would have given the coaches a pass if that drive ended up in points as I 100% support the house money theory.... I'm happy we have good reasons to post in here on yet another Monday.

I would have gone for it, too, but they punted after the 5-yard penalty.

[Boltx]

Would you have been happier if we had pulled an Andy Reid and passed 70% of the time after taking the lead?

[ArtistFormerlyKnownAsBKR]

There was 2 minutes left (1:57) and I guess we had 2 timeouts left and the holding penalty moved us back to the 8 yard line but still we needed only 13 yards for a first down.

Seriously you think all NFL coaches would not risk passing in that situation? I was shocked, I can't think of another NFL coach that would not, at least I would be surprised, just as I was surprised we didn't pass at all.

I don't view the 8 yard line as some incredibly risky field position. Inside the 5 changes things a bunch, especially when you are backed up on the goal line, but the 8 yard line is just as risky as the 20 pretty much as far as play calling. Obviously it is worse field position, but you can take a sack or a penalty with out giving up a safety. A turnover is just about as likely to go for 6 whether you turn it over at the 8 or the 20.

I agree the runs were called to make Cincy burn there time outs. Basically to run out clock. It was give up play calling (we were not aggressively seeking a first down or a score), 2nd down was a passing down and distance, and third down was a must pass down. Cincy had completed a 49 yard pass on the previous possession, had gone right down the field and were poised to score before the strip. I did not want to give them the ball back, McCoy did I guess.

I just don't see why you want to give them the ball back with good field position. Sure you burned off 30 seconds and made them use 3 timeouts. I just don't see how playing to give your opponent the ball with 1:30 and no timeouts on there 32 (thats with a an exceptional punt with great coverage, something that should not be counted on) at the end of the half ever makes sense (you want to test out your prevent defense or something?). Other than them making the FG the outcome was about as good as you could expect out of that idiotic strategy.

He is just lucky the punt didn't get blocked, they didn't get a good return, and that they didn't score a TD. I don't see how it can be considered anything but a blunder.

Any game, any half, I would love to give Rivers the ball with 1:30 and no timeouts on the 30 in a tie game. I don't see why we would take the ball away from Rivers to give it to the opponent in that situation.

We had 1:47 and 2 timeouts in a tie game on the 8 yard line any you agree with running clock and punting? I just don't get how anyone can defend that as the right call.

Not trusting the backup center to run the 2 minute drill is about the only reasoning that makes any sense to justify it. I think Mathews got hurt on the penalized first down too.

Yeah, I don't agree with any of that. Your theory would be more interesting and thought provoking to me if we hadn't won the game, due in large part to the effectiveness of the play action stuff in the second half that was set up by the Martyball style of of the first half, including the final two mins.