Post season trend thus far

**Noelle18** · 01-23-2022, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by GOTA

Here is another trend from this season that I noticed. Good kickers matter. Both games yesterday were won with great kicks that were not gimmes. Last week Robbie Gould was 3 for 3 including 2 from over 50. Dan Carlson and Evan McPherson traded field goals all game. Having a top kicker is critical and luckily we have the best of them all.

Do we? Harbaugh doesn’t think so sometimes

**Beerracuda** · 01-23-2022, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Iamjacks

The games tend to come down to the last possession.

Teams should take note and have game ending drive plans for 5 minutes 3 minutes in addition to the 2min drill and 1 min drill.

Designs should be to burn clock and not hand it back. Not score too early.

The regular season too.

The NFL wants this.

In the first game yesterday, I thought the Titans were really boneheaded in their last possession. They had 2 minutes for their last drive to kick a game winning FG. They lolligagged around, allowing the clock to dwindle down, obviously not wanting to score too fast to give the Bengals any time left. Problem is, they weren't even close to FG range while they were burning the clock! I kept saying out loud, get down to the 30 yard line first, then you can fart around with the clock! Of course, they threw an INT at the 40 with 20 seconds left. Idiots.

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**NOLARavenFAN** · 01-23-2022, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Beerracuda

In the first game yesterday, I thought the Titans were really boneheaded in their last possession. They had 2 minutes for their last drive to kick a game winning FG. They lolligagged around, allowing the clock to dwindle down, obviously not wanting to score too fast to give the Bengals any time left. Problem is, they weren't even close to FG range while they were burning the clock! I kept saying out loud, get down to the 30 yard line first, then you can fart around with the clock! Of course, they threw an INT at the 40 with 20 seconds left. Idiots.

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Originally Posted by Iamjacks

The games tend to come down to the last possession.

Teams should take note and have game ending drive plans for 5 minutes 3 minutes in addition to the 2min drill and 1 min drill.

Designs should be to burn clock and not hand it back. Not score too early.

The regular season too.

The NFL wants this.

You might be onto something with this my friend...

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**RAVEN2FLY** · 01-23-2022, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Iamjacks

The games tend to come down to the last possession.

Teams should take note and have game ending drive plans for 5 minutes 3 minutes in addition to the 2min drill and 1 min drill.

Designs should be to burn clock and not hand it back. Not score too early.

The regular season too.

The NFL wants this.

Teams already do this. It's just not as easy to control the ball for 5 mins or 3 mins. Picking up first downs, executing plays with no drop passes, no turnovers, and defense actually making plays to stop you. It's so many factors. The ravens actually did this when their running game was going. But it's easier said than done.

**Iamjacks** · 01-23-2022, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by Beerracuda

In the first game yesterday, I thought the Titans were really boneheaded in their last possession. They had 2 minutes for their last drive to kick a game winning FG. They lolligagged around, allowing the clock to dwindle down, obviously not wanting to score too fast to give the Bengals any time left. Problem is, they weren't even close to FG range while they were burning the clock! I kept saying out loud, get down to the 30 yard line first, then you can fart around with the clock! Of course, they threw an INT at the 40 with 20 seconds left. Idiots.

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Exactly. Exactly!

Most teams don't seem to recognize that they must have plans for each situation they could be in for the last 5 minutes of the game and be able to call and execute them with specificity according to the situation. They must be able to either think quickly to execute these plans or if they can't, they need to have them mapped out in flowchart fashion.

Like you paint the situation above, you can't burn clock until you are sure you can make the go ahead score, not the reverse! Lol Titans. Lol Vrabel. Lol their OC! Lol Tannehill! All of those could have made the call to fix the situation but none were ready for it.

Anyone who is watching the NFL this year should be able to make this conclusion. The NFL wants games to be more like the NBA with the game being won or lost in the last 5 minutes.

According to your own personal belief system this could be due to happenstance, circumstance/coincidence, or organizational design. But the Reasons don't matter, they really don't. It started with more games than ever before being decided by 3 points in 2017 and has evolved to this situation. The last five are the best five and that's when the game will be decided. Boots on the ground says this is going to happen more often than not. The statistics on the volume of games coming down to the last 5 minutes is so high this year, it isn't a statistical error, something caused it to happen this way.

Smart teams won't get angry or dismissive or even upset. Smart teams will say "The NFL wants games to play out in the last 5 minutes. Ok, if that's what's happening, then we need to plan accordingly." Smart teams will practice winning under those conditions and have game plans for each of the positions they could be in, offensively and defensively. They will devise plays on both sides and save them until the end and use them there to maximize their chances of winning. Smart teams will try to have a QB who's good in the clutch and can win those games. (I think the Ravens have this)

This isn't going away. The NFL wants it. The networks want it. The fans want it. How many times this year have you or someone else said "that war was a good game it was really exciting" after watching the last 5 minutes? I've noticed it constantly this year.

I think the Ravens noticed this and fired Wink due to this specific reason. Wink's defense was horrible in the last 5 minutes, dead last or nearly dead last depending on the metrics. You can't win games without winning the last 5 minutes.

So, for Ravens fans, I think the Ravens organization knows. That's good for Ravens fans.

**Desert Raven** · 01-23-2022, 01:37 PM

First round bye is the kiss of death, and the QB can have an otherwise terrible game as long as he delivers when it matters most.

**Iamjacks** · 01-23-2022, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by RAVEN2FLY

Teams already do this. It's just not as easy to control the ball for 5 mins or 3 mins. Picking up first downs, executing plays with no drop passes, no turnovers, and defense actually making plays to stop you. It's so many factors. The ravens actually did this when their running game was going. But it's easier said than done.

To an extent yes, they do. But what I'm suggesting is an expansion. Scripting what is done to get you to the last 5 minutes. Scripting what to do during those last 5 minutes. In all situations involving one score and two scores.

Ravens are actually well set up for this with Harbaugh's run first plan and to shorten the game. They are almost perfect for the NFL plans because they are trying to drag the game to the exact situation the NFL wants. Running then is perfect to control the clock and the Ravens practice it all game. It is just designing what to do then when up a TD, down a fg, opponent has the ball, etc...

Yes easier said than done, but once you recognize that's going to be the situation in most games, you can practice specifically for just these situations like you practice the two minute, field goals, punts. Essentially it becomes a special teams situation for the offense and the defense. Instead of special teams, it's special situations.

GI Joe used to say knowing is half the battle. Once you know then you can set up and practice what to do and be better prepared than the other team.

**Iamjacks** · 01-23-2022, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by RAVEN2FLY

Teams already do this. It's just not as easy to control the ball for 5 mins or 3 mins. Picking up first downs, executing plays with no drop passes, no turnovers, and defense actually making plays to stop you. It's so many factors. The ravens actually did this when their running game was going. But it's easier said than done.

I'm not minimizing your comment, I just think teams need to focus on this much more now. If you know more times than not you will be in these 5 minute situations you need to prepare for them both in getting to them and in closing them out.

**Beerracuda** · 01-23-2022, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by Iamjacks

Exactly. Exactly!

Most teams don't seem to recognize that they must have plans for each situation they could be in for the last 5 minutes of the game and be able to call and execute them with specificity according to the situation. They must be able to either think quickly to execute these plans or if they can't, they need to have them mapped out in flowchart fashion.

Like you paint the situation above, you can't burn clock until you are sure you can make the go ahead score, not the reverse! Lol Titans. Lol Vrabel. Lol their OC! Lol Tannehill! All of those could have made the call to fix the situation but none were ready for it.

Anyone who is watching the NFL this year should be able to make this conclusion. The NFL wants games to be more like the NBA with the game being won or lost in the last 5 minutes.

According to your own personal belief system this could be due to happenstance, circumstance/coincidence, or organizational design. But the Reasons don't matter, they really don't. It started with more games than ever before being decided by 3 points in 2017 and has evolved to this situation. The last five are the best five and that's when the game will be decided. Boots on the ground says this is going to happen more often than not. The statistics on the volume of games coming down to the last 5 minutes is so high this year, it isn't a statistical error, something caused it to happen this way.

Smart teams won't get angry or dismissive or even upset. Smart teams will say "The NFL wants games to play out in the last 5 minutes. Ok, if that's what's happening, then we need to plan accordingly." Smart teams will practice winning under those conditions and have game plans for each of the positions they could be in, offensively and defensively. They will devise plays on both sides and save them until the end and use them there to maximize their chances of winning. Smart teams will try to have a QB who's good in the clutch and can win those games. (I think the Ravens have this)

This isn't going away. The NFL wants it. The networks want it. The fans want it. How many times this year have you or someone else said "that war was a good game it was really exciting" after watching the last 5 minutes? I've noticed it constantly this year.

I think the Ravens noticed this and fired Wink due to this specific reason. Wink's defense was horrible in the last 5 minutes, dead last or nearly dead last depending on the metrics. You can't win games without winning the last 5 minutes.

So, for Ravens fans, I think the Ravens organization knows. That's good for Ravens fans.

I think it's getting even simpler than that. With good defenses being almost as rare as a 5-legged unicorn, thanks to the NFL's extreme tilt towards the offense, teams can't risk ever giving the ball back for a final drive. This forces many teams to engineer on the fly unusual drives and play calls in the last 5 minutes, trying to score while simultaneously milking the clock. It's pretty unnatural, and we've seen many examples of it failing this season. Also as a result, we've seen an unusual number of teams going for 4th down in unfavorable field position, as well as 2-point conversions for a win rather than a tie. All boiling down to not wanting to give the ball back to the other team because they don't have faith in their defense.

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**Ortizer** · 01-23-2022, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Noelle18

Do we? Harbaugh doesn’t think so sometimes

Why do you say that? Just because he doesn't send tucker out for the kick doesn't mean he doesn't think he could make it.

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**Ravenswintitle** · 01-23-2022, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Beerracuda

In the first game yesterday, I thought the Titans were really boneheaded in their last possession. They had 2 minutes for their last drive to kick a game winning FG. They lolligagged around, allowing the clock to dwindle down, obviously not wanting to score too fast to give the Bengals any time left. Problem is, they weren't even close to FG range while they were burning the clock! I kept saying out loud, get down to the 30 yard line first, then you can fart around with the clock! Of course, they threw an INT at the 40 with 20 seconds left. Idiots.

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and even before that - they go for two in the first quarter with the score tied 6-6. Analytics says kick the extra point. They could've taken the lead.
Had a chance at another FG in 2nd half. terrible decisions

But it came down to their QB play - you need a great one to win in the playoffs and even then it might not matter

**RavingMad** · 01-23-2022, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by QtR Nevermore

Completely agree. The rules favor pass rush over coverage. This season all the best defenses are lead by great D lines. Coverage still matters, but not as much as it did, even last season. You just need your DBs to hold up well enough to give your pass rush time to operate.

That's why I don't like suggestions that the Ravens should draft a Corner or Safety with their first pick. I hope and trust that EDC has kept up with trends in the league and will take a DT or Edge at 14.

After yesterday I can see why you feel that way. But some of those pressures were assisted by good coverage. Rodgers wanted to get the ball out quickly but couldn't due to coverage. Also IMO Davis isn't that type of pressure lineman like a Simmons. He is more of a Brandon Williams type. I would still take Gardner or Booth at 14.