Coaches get too cute (2 Viewers)

[breesgirl]

The playcall wasn’t bad. Barkley screwed up by not securing that bunny pass. He could’ve sealed the game, but was too excited to make a highlight reel. Siriani got cute at the very beginning of the game by not taking the 1st half field goal. Then there was Fangio refusing to blitz a hampered, compromised statue like QB. Title was truly insanity for him to not send the house to disrupt Cousins and force him to run around on that repaired Achilles. It was clear for most of the game Kirk couldn’t drive the ball and still doesn’t fully trust that leg. Yet Fangio rarely, if ever, sent blitzes at him. Even if the blitzes didn’t get home, you still had the chance of making Cousins see ghosts and feel uncomfortable in the pocket. Inexcusable scheming.

That said I can’t just fault coaching. The Eagles had a chance to still win that game. They had plenty of time to get into field goal range at the end. I don’t know what the hell Jalen was thinking throwing that blind Hail Mary as if he was out of time. He’s proving more and more to be a pedestrian QB with elite running ability. Honestly, neither team looked formidable at all. Atlanta winning reminded me of us winning our early games last season. We took home the W, but not due to some dominating performance. It was more so due to our opponent being inept. Hopefully the Eagles look even worse Sunday in the dome.

 

[saint_drago]

I think it’s situational football. Creative play calling is a huge necessity in the league today because the defenses are so fast and defensive schemes are so complex.

You look at the situation of that play and it is a questionable decision - even though the play itself was undeniably perfect for a 3rd and 3.

But was it the perfect play for 3rd and 3 when your opponent has no time outs left and under 2 minutes on the clock?

That’s where, in theory, a run makes more sense because even if it fails to gain the 1st it keeps the clock moving.

So risky and creative play calling is hugely important - but sometimes you need to be a little more Dennis Allen and less Sean Payton. I’d have to think Allen would have vetoed Kubiak calling a pass play in that situation - but maybe I’m wrong.

This. There is a time to be creative and cute and there's a time to be smart. In that spot the Eagles simply could not afford two possibilities: an incomplete pass or a turnover. Passing in that spot opens up both possibilities. A run play only opens up one.

Knowing that I have Jalen Hurts, Saquan Barkley and one of the best short yardage ground games in the league, I'm running the football. If I don't get the first then oh well. I'm going to run the clock and then run the Tush Push for the automatic, cheat code 1st down. Game over.

Obviously the play was there if Barkley makes the catch then we're talking about how bold and brilliant the play call was. But it didn't work and they lost so it's an awful call. That's life in the fast lane. If it works you're a genius. If it doesn't you're a dingus. If you go for an onside kick in the Super Bowl and recover it then you made the boldest call in NFL history. If you don't get it then you made one of the most inexplicably dumb calls in NFL history.

 

[2009ring]

Tell me that you couldn’t feel that coming. I called it. Anytime a team is up by 6 and have to give the ball back with very little time, I just always feel like there is going to be heartbreak.

As soon as Saquon dropped that ball, I knew what was going to happne.

 

[St. Widge]

It was a risky call to throw, but honestly it was the least risky pass play they could call. If Barkely wasn't open Hurts could just run, stay in bounds ,and maybe he gets the first down. But Barkley was wide open for an easy catch and he just dropped it. Yes, the safe call was to just run the ball, run the clock, and then kick the FG or go on 4th down. But, had Barkley caught an easy pass the narrative right now would be how Siriani has giant balls for calling a pass play on 3rd and that's how you win games. I mean, people keep talking about the times Payton ran the risky play instead of the safe play, but that's why he won games. He was always aggressive. Sometimes it doesn't work and sometimes it turns into Ambush and you win the Super Bowl.

Anyway, I would have run the ball, but I don't think the play he called was that bad. And if you are going to call a play that might result in a pass, that was the one to call since it was an easy throw and catch and Hurts could have run if Barkley was not wide open.

But, IMO, the huge coaching errors and bad play calling came from the DC on the final drive by the Falcons. He was just giving them 20 yard completions for free and once they got in the redzone that defense was shell shocked and lost. There was talk it was a great drive by Cousins but basically every receiver he hit, other than the TD, was open by 10 to 20 yards with flat footed defenders standing there with no ability to break to make a tackle. And even on the TD pass the receiver was open by 5 yards because Slade broke inside.

They brought zero pressure against a 35 year-old QB that can't move at all in the pocket. That was the terrible play calling that cost them in the end. Even had they run the ball on 3rd down, they probably would have had a minute to try to get that score and the way Philly played defense on that last drive, Atlanta probably scores that TD in less than a minute and wins the game anyway. There was like 34 second left on the clock after Atlanta scored because they scored in like a minute.

And beyond all that Philly still should have won, but the play calling when Philly got the last drive was terrible and Hurts showed why he's not an elite QB. All they needed was another 15 to 20 yards and Hurts just threw the ball up with a Safety lurking.

 

[St.Fury]

Why do coaches try to get cute all the time? All Surianni needed to do was run ball, run clock and win game. Guys drop passes all the time. Beginning of end for Surianni just like with Staley who kept doing stupid things like this.

I didnt care for the call. However, I don't consider what he called "getting cute". He was simply trying to catch the defense off-guard...and it worked. Had Barkley (I think that's who the receiver was) caught tge pass, it would've likely been a TD. He had plenty of space to run toward the pylon. The pass hit him in the hands, too. He simply dropped it.

The bigger issue was giving ATL so much cushion with zero pressure on that last drive. They marched right down the field in a couple dozen seconds.

 

[HouseCall]

It was a risky call to throw, but honestly it was the least risky pass play they could call. If Barkely wasn't open Hurts could just run, stay in bounds ,and maybe he gets the first down. But Barkley was wide open for an easy catch and he just dropped it. Yes, the safe call was to just run the ball, run the clock, and then kick the FG or go on 4th down. But, had Barkley caught an easy pass the narrative right now would be how Siriani has giant balls for calling a pass play on 3rd and that's how you win games. I mean, people keep talking about the times Payton ran the risky play instead of the safe play, but that's why he won games. He was always aggressive. Sometimes it doesn't work and sometimes it turns into Ambush and you win the Super Bowl.

Those are all solid points but contextually and situationally, the smart call is to run - because in that particular moment, the Falcons couldn’t stop the clock and time was a factor.

If Atlanta still had a time out left, then that play call is less risky because you have already lost the element of running out precious time on a running play.

So again, the old “no risk it, no biscuit” saying is true in a lot of cases but situationally, it wasn’t the best decision.

Conservative play really annoys fans - but there are times when it really works - so long as it’s not the overall philosophy of the team.

 

[Tapxe]

I feel like most fans would be thinking that a run would be warranted in that situation regardless of the expectation of run by the defense.

As a coach, as I appreciate it, you have to not only put your team in the best position to succeed in the immediate objective (first down), but also you need to do everything you can to reduce the oppositions opportunities to succeed in the event you fail at the immediate objective (first down).

I feel like many fans are also jaded and receive an external validation from second guessing coaches in lieu of facing internal feelings of failure in a society which tells them they suck if they aren't perfect.

But I'm a bit of an over thinker.

 

[BreesusSaves]

I just want to know how the Eagles came out in this defensive formation with 1:20 left and Atlanta having no timeouts.

 

[TenTwo]

Go for it on 4th and 4 in the first quarter against an inept offense? Dumb

Pass the ball on 3rd and 3 with a chance to kneel the ball to end the game? Dumb

Kick the FG to go up 6 instead of 3 and force the Falcons to play 4 down hurry up offense? Dumb

Play prevent defense with WRs running free 20 yards down the field? Dumb

Gamblers placing money on these bafoons against the Saints next weekend in the Dome? Dumb

 

[St. Widge]

Those are all solid points but contextually and situationally, the smart call is to run - because in that particular moment, the Falcons couldn’t stop the clock and time was a factor.

If Atlanta still had a time out left, then that play call is less risky because you have already lost the element of running out precious time on a running play.

So again, the old “no risk it, no biscuit” saying is true in a lot of cases but situationally, it wasn’t the best decision.

Conservative play really annoys fans - but there are times when it really works - so long as it’s not the overall philosophy of the team.

I agree that the smart call is to run and that's what I would have done. I'm just saying that there are some good reasons to call that play and if it works, and it did other than Barkely dropping an easy ball, they might win the game right there. It was a aggressive call by a team that regularly goes for it on 4th down so it kind of fits what they do. He went for the win on that play, but the safe move would have been to run the ball.

Still, given how quickly they gave up the TD on Atlanta's last drive, I'm still not sure they would have won if they ran the ball and kicked the FG.

 

[meily]

Why do coaches try to get cute all the time? All Surianni needed to do was run ball, run clock and win game. Guys drop passes all the time. Beginning of end for Surianni just like with Staley who kept doing stupid things like this.

 

[perret318]

let me get this straight, so we are good with creative play calling on offense when we can execute the play, but when others do creative (and in my opinion smart) calls to lock in the win but the player drops it it’s awful?!?!

I will never quit or understand this APP.

Bingo. It's an aggressive (but honestly, not even THAT aggressive) call to WIN the game. And it's a high-percentage pass to a very good pass-catching back. The odds were definitely in the Eagles' favor with the call. But sometimes, the dice don't fall the way you want.

Nothing at all wrong with the call. Execution was the problem. Catch the damn ball, and this is a conversation about what a great call it was.

 

[St. Widge]

Bingo. It's an aggressive (but honestly, not even THAT aggressive) call to WIN the game. And it's a high-percentage pass to a very good pass-catching back. The odds were definitely in the Eagles' favor with the call. But sometimes, the dice don't fall the way you want.

Nothing at all wrong with the call. Execution was the problem. Catch the damn ball, and this is a conversation about what a great call it was.

Not only that but because Hurts was rolling out on the play, if it wasn't wide open Hurts could have just run the ball and either got the first, and if not kicked the FG.

 

[Tapxe]

Bingo. It's an aggressive (but honestly, not even THAT aggressive) call to WIN the game. And it's a high-percentage pass to a very good pass-catching back. The odds were definitely in the Eagles' favor with the call. But sometimes, the dice don't fall the way you want.

Nothing at all wrong with the call. Execution was the problem. Catch the damn ball, and this is a conversation about what a great call it was.

SP blamed the Minny miracle on not picking up the 3rd prior. Coaches have a different perspective than fans.

It was gutsy to call Ambush. I can only imagine how insufferable it would be here if that had failed. But everyone loves it now.

 

[HattiesburgWhoDat]

like the time SP ran a pitch reverse with Reggie to Devery on third down and fumbled the ball when all he had to do is run the clock out but instead gave the Bucs a free winning FG?

edit, sorry, not FG a last second TD for the Bucs.. (2007)

Gah. How do remember that? I've already forgotten 95% of what happened last Sunday. Lol