McCarthy and "Close Games"

[mraynrand]

Sherman the coach was handcuffed by his GM.

Yes and no - Wolf's last draft was abysmal, but it was Wolf who made the Ahman Green trade and drafted the O line that Shermy rode to success. Shermy the GM always played to win THIS year. Shoulda worked in 2002, but injuries blew it up. Ultimately the Shermy strategy will lead to the team crashing and burning. But for a Superbowl team to come together, you may just have to make a FA move or two to fill that gap or two that you just can't paper over with raw draft picks. It's that age old riddle that even Oedipus might not answer correctly.

[retailguy]

Yes and no - Wolf's last draft was abysmal, but it was Wolf who made the Ahman Green trade and drafted the O line that Shermy rode to success. Shermy the GM always played to win THIS year. Shoulda worked in 2002, but injuries blew it up. Ultimately the Shermy strategy will lead to the team crashing and burning. But for a Superbowl team to come together, you may just have to make a FA move or two to fill that gap or two that you just can't paper over with raw draft picks. It's that age old riddle that even Oedipus might not answer correctly.

I think that is what gets forgotten during the Sherman era. Each year the team was expected to compete, and expected to be in the playoffs and expected to win. He didn't get there in large part because he could never solidify the left side of the DL. Until he got Barnett, MLB was a problem too.

He's got this rep for not liking rookies or valuing draft picks, but when your focus is to win every year, you take risks and sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't. He didn't.

We have the opposite exact same issue right now. Our OL sucks, it is not solid. If they don't get it fixed asap, it will be their undoing just like the DL was Sherman's undoing.

[pbmax]

I think that is what gets forgotten during the Sherman era. Each year the team was expected to compete, and expected to be in the playoffs and expected to win. He didn't get there in large part because he could never solidify the left side of the DL. Until he got Barnett, MLB was a problem too.

He's got this rep for not liking rookies or valuing draft picks, but when your focus is to win every year, you take risks and sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't. He didn't.

We have the opposite exact same issue right now. Our OL sucks, it is not solid. If they don't get it fixed asap, it will be their undoing just like the DL was Sherman's undoing.

He usually had one focus each offseason. When he realized Free was done and Schroeder wasn't going to morph into a better player, he went out, traded up and got Walker to add to Driver. Same with Barnett. But with so few picks and an aging team, he was turning his roster over to the dregs of the league. Combine that with botched FA maneuvers (signing Diggs back from the Eagles RFA and matching a phantom offer for KGB) he just boxed himself into a corner.

He was the epitome of a smart person doing a job he had no experience with. By his third year, it caught up to him.

[mraynrand]

He usually had one focus each offseason. When he realized Free was done and Schroeder wasn't going to morph into a better player, he went out, traded up and got Walker to add to Driver. Same with Barnett. But with so few picks and an aging team, he was turning his roster over to the dregs of the league. Combine that with botched FA maneuvers (signing Diggs back from the Eagles RFA and matching a phantom offer for KGB) he just boxed himself into a corner.

He was the epitome of a smart person doing a job he had no experience with. By his third year, it caught up to him.

I agree with the boxed in comment, but not the experience comment. Sherman hired Hatley to cover for his inexperience. Effectively, Sherman had a solid NFL GM at his right hand. Did he listen? Did he ignore better advice? Maybe someday we'll know, but one thing is for sure - Hatley isn't going to be the one to spill the beans.

[RashanGary]

What I miss about the Brett lead teams is that htey had an identity. You kind of knew what you were going to get from Driver, Jennings, Grant, etc. . . It was very similar week after week.

I'm no NFL offensive coordinator, but I'd image if you have an identity like that, it opens up other things and when your identity is the things your team does best, you're kind of on the right path.

I don't know if our offensive line is great at protecting for long periods of time, but we're asking them to be with the inconsistent down the field identity we have now.

Just seems dumb. Go back to the short stuff and mix everything else in from there. That's what our guys do well. OL, AR, WR's, TE's, RB's. . . . I know AR is good deep but his OL isn't and that's a HUGE part of any offense. Gotta play to their strengths and weaknesses too.

[retailguy]

What I miss about the Brett lead teams is that htey had an identity. You kind of knew what you were going to get from Driver, Jennings, Grant, etc. . . It was very similar week after week.

I'm no NFL offensive coordinator, but I'd image if you have an identity like that, it opens up other things and when your identity is the things your team does best, you're kind of on the right path.

I don't know if our offensive line is great at protecting for long periods of time, but we're asking them to be with the inconsistent down the field identity we have now.

Just seems dumb. Go back to the short stuff and mix everything else in from there. That's what our guys do well. OL, AR, WR's, TE's, RB's. . . . I know AR is good deep but his OL isn't and that's a HUGE part of any offense. Gotta play to their strengths and weaknesses too.

Never thought I'd say this, but, I miss the screen pass....

[Smidgeon]

What I miss about the Brett lead teams is that htey had an identity. You kind of knew what you were going to get from Driver, Jennings, Grant, etc. . . It was very similar week after week.

I'm no NFL offensive coordinator, but I'd image if you have an identity like that, it opens up other things and when your identity is the things your team does best, you're kind of on the right path.

I don't know if our offensive line is great at protecting for long periods of time, but we're asking them to be with the inconsistent down the field identity we have now.

Just seems dumb. Go back to the short stuff and mix everything else in from there. That's what our guys do well. OL, AR, WR's, TE's, RB's. . . . I know AR is good deep but his OL isn't and that's a HUGE part of any offense. Gotta play to their strengths and weaknesses too.

I remember another poster (perhaps Patler, perhaps not) saying that not having an identity is the Packers' identity. Opponents can't key in to try to stop one thing because the Packers can burn you nine ways from Sunday (as long as none of the nine are running plays). I don't know how valid that is, but I think it's worth keeping in mind.

[RashanGary]

I don't remember that, Smidg, but it's a great description of our identity.

Our identity is we'll attack your weakness.


In theory, it's a great identity but in practice I don't know if it works quite so well because you can only practice for so many hours and being great comes from repetition. MM and AR are all about theory. If I check into this, we should get that. If we attack this weakness, we should get that.

Problem is, if defenses show one thing presnap and do another post. So you're chcking into a bad play and don't even know it. Problem is, when your identity is doing everything, you never really become great at anything.

Too much theory it seems with these two.

[bobblehead]

Yes and no - Wolf's last draft was abysmal, but it was Wolf who made the Ahman Green trade and drafted the O line that Shermy rode to success. Shermy the GM always played to win THIS year. Shoulda worked in 2002, but injuries blew it up. Ultimately the Shermy strategy will lead to the team crashing and burning. But for a Superbowl team to come together, you may just have to make a FA move or two to fill that gap or two that you just can't paper over with raw draft picks. It's that age old riddle that even Oedipus might not answer correctly.

So, since the Patriots cut all the players that they "made the move" for a couple of years ago and have relied on young drafted players this season they can't win the super bowl?

[mraynrand]

So, since the Patriots cut all the players that they "made the move" for a couple of years ago and have relied on young drafted players this season they can't win the super bowl?

But for a Superbowl team to come together, you may just have to make a FA move or two to fill that gap or two that you just can't paper over with raw draft picks. It's that age old riddle that even Oedipus might not answer correctly.