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  1. #25

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    When your team us struggling to make a 1st down and you have 2 TOs left and you have the ball, you at least TRY to get pts on the board, if you fail, no big deal. But wasting an entire possession is a JOKE...only a little p--sy wouldn't try to get more pts. And Billick called the whole game like a scared little kid.

    FM





  2. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Scaggsville, MD
    Posts
    1,405

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    There's one other reason that I haven't seen yet, and it's the most painful one to hear: simple bad luck.

    Sometimes, the ball's just not going to bounce your way. Heap fumbles and the Colts recover. We hit a deep strike with flags flying and the receiver (can't remember who) fumbles, so we have to take a five-yard penalty instead. We force a fumble and it rolls out of bounds. The Colts KR flubs two kicks, but the ball stays near him, so he has time to pick it up and get a few yards back, rather than having to fall on it. We tip away a couple of passes that would have otherwise been interceptions. Vinatieri's kick hits the crossbar and bounces over, so his last kick has a chance to seal the game by putting them up two possessions.

    This is not intended as an excuse for shoddy offensive play, or to say that we deserved to win the game. But it was a factor. Our defense did a tremendous job and Manning looked awful again, and we held one of the top three offenses in the NFL without a touchdown. Our offense was lethargic and McNair played a miserable game.

    Still, if we catch a couple more breaks and the luck had evened out, we might be talking about hosting the Pats right now.





  3. #27

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    the offense as a whole didn't play well the entire game. But with 4 changes we win that game.

    1 ~ that pass makes it to heap we're up 10-6
    2 ~ McNair completes the pass to williams and at worst that's another 3.
    3 ~ Clayton holds onto the ball ~ more potential for another three.
    4 ~ heap doesn't fumble, 1st down Ravens.

    Then you're got Ravens winning 16-12.

    But that's the whole problem with our offense, execution has to be about flawless to win. I am hoping Billick gets his hands out of the offensive pot and let's Slick Rick (if he's not the new OC I will be shocked) run his own game, I think we'll like the changes.





  4. Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    It all comes down to playing to win or playing not to lose. You can get away with playing not to lose if you are winning the turnover battle. If you lose the turnover battle like we did the only way to win is to play to win. Don't abandon the run. Throw it down the field. Try a 15 yard pass on third and 5 instead of a 2 yard pass.





  5. #29

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    > It all comes down to playing to win or playing not to lose.
    Something that gets repeated so often I might be tricked into thinking it means something.

    If the guys 15 yards down the field are (a) covered or (b) overlooked, then there will be a throw underneath. If Steve McNair sees a receiver break loose 15 yards downfield, he will throw it to him, of course.

    Even assuming the plan was for throws underneath, that's consistent with a strategy of attacking Indy's undersized linebackers. Good strategy? Bad strategy? I don't know. Lots of people who post here and call NST *do* seem to know; perhaps their experience watching television, playing Madden, and coaching peewee football makes them experts.

    I can't help but think that without one or two bad calls and bad turnovers, we would have won.

    Would everyone be calling/posting to complain about our terrible coach without those bad calls and bad turnovers, and a victory instead? Same coach, same coaching, different result. Nobody whines.

    We had a great season, going 13-3, sweeping the Steelers and generally representing very well. We *did* have a poor game against Indianapolis in the playoffs. That does *not* mean, after a successful year, you burn down the house.
    Festivus

    His definitions and arguments were so clear in his own mind that he was unable to understand how any reasonable person could honestly differ with him.





  6. #30
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Pasadena, Maryland
    Posts
    844

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    The Colts had three (3) fumbles and recovered all three.

    We had two and lost both







  7. #31

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    Quote Originally Posted by Gabrosin View Post
    There's one other reason that I haven't seen yet, and it's the most painful one to hear: simple bad luck.

    Sometimes, the ball's just not going to bounce your way. Heap fumbles and the Colts recover. We hit a deep strike with flags flying and the receiver (can't remember who) fumbles, so we have to take a five-yard penalty instead. We force a fumble and it rolls out of bounds. The Colts KR flubs two kicks, but the ball stays near him, so he has time to pick it up and get a few yards back, rather than having to fall on it. We tip away a couple of passes that would have otherwise been interceptions. Vinatieri's kick hits the crossbar and bounces over, so his last kick has a chance to seal the game by putting them up two possessions.

    This is not intended as an excuse for shoddy offensive play, or to say that we deserved to win the game. But it was a factor. Our defense did a tremendous job and Manning looked awful again, and we held one of the top three offenses in the NFL without a touchdown. Our offense was lethargic and McNair played a miserable game.

    Still, if we catch a couple more breaks and the luck had evened out, we might be talking about hosting the Pats right now.
    You nailed it. Hey, Indy won the game fair and square, but man, it sure did seem like every bounce went their way.





  8. #32

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    Quote Originally Posted by festivus View Post
    I am sick and tired of hearing this crap about killing the clock at the end of the half. It is real easy in the cheap seats to second guess that decision, but it made a lot of sense.

    There was about one minute left and the Colts had 2 time outs. If we start throwing the ball, we keep the clock from moving and, unless we get a first down, punt it away with appx. 40 seconds (or whatever) left to a Colts team with 2 time outs and a dangerous passing game. Plus to open the 2d half the Colts would get the ball.

    Was it conservative? Yes. Did the fans like it? No. But neither of those things means it was wrong, and I personally think it's just goofy to suggest anyone playing or coaching for the Ravens doesn't want to WIN.

    Concerning the play calling in the red zone being atrocious - If McNair hit Demetrius Williams for a td, instead of missing Heap for a pick on the exact same play, would that still be atrocious play calling?

    Agree 100%

    PP





  9. #33

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    It's moot at this point, since it's already been announced that he'll be back next season, but the call for Billick to be fired, as far as I'm concerned, is NOT just the result of Saturday's debacle -- that was merely the culmination of YEARS of having to put up with his stubborn arrogance, his misdirected overloyalty, his slow reaction to real time game situations, his abominable clock management, his inability to prepare the team for BIG GAMES, and, as has been stated already several times, his "play to not lose vs play to win" mentality. Now that Marty has shown his ability to abandon "Martyball", the new kid in town is now clearly BILLICKBALL. And unless one has an overwhelming desire to continually get f*cked up the ass, Billick should have been let go at the end of the season, IMO.

    But he wasn't, and I accept that, although I don't like it, and I will go on record as saying I don't like it now -- before next season even starts, so it won't be a matter of jumping on or off any bandwagons. I didn't join here until near the end of this season -- but I've been saying this about Billick now for years -- this isn't any kneejerk reaction to Saturday's loss to the Colts. I want a coach who is going to PLAY TO WIN, not PLAY NOT TO LOSE. If the mental giant Festivus is tired of hearing it, I could care less. I'm tired of hearing his and PP's apologetics for this woefully mismanaged team of ours.

    GO RAVENS!!!





  10. #34

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    I never said he should be fired for the debacle vs the Colts. I wish he had been fired after last year. If we had Bellichick, or Sean Payton as coach last week vs the Colts we win that game....no doubt in my mind.

    Billick played not to lose, instead of being aggressive and playing to win. We have seen this over and over w/ him since he has been here.

    FM





  11. #35

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    Nice meltdown, Preston, I mean skay. Sure, it's definitely all Billick's fault. He obviously instructed McNair to turn the ball over.





  12. #36

    Re: REASONS FOR THE LOSS (AKA, the Blame Game)

    Skay, I don't claim to be a mental giant. I'm not so fancy as you and don't understand the difference between playing to win, and playing not to lose. Unless you mean playing to tie? I thought they don't have ties in the playoffs.

    Anyway if you want to point to some specific things, and explain what the difference is between playing to win, and playing not to lose, then maybe I'll understand better.

    Thanks in advance.
    Festivus

    His definitions and arguments were so clear in his own mind that he was unable to understand how any reasonable person could honestly differ with him.





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