What Bad Gameplanning and Playcalling Looks Like

[mraynrand]

As Forrest Gregg might say about today's Bear Seahawks matchup: "You saw it."

So, what did you see? You saw a gameplan that featured a reliance on the running game - counting on Lynch to play ball control and give the Seahawks third downs that were manageable. So inflexible was the gameplan and the scheme, that the Seahawks came out of the halftime, down 21-0 still running the same scheme. Of course, Seattle was also going to rely on their tight end Carlson, so once he was lost, it was a huge blow to Seattle. But this game was already lost before it started, due to the gameplan and the rigid playcaller. So what should Seattle have done? First, they should have Done a better scouting job of Chicago, and Second they should have devised a game plan to counter Chicago's strengths, and Finally they should have called plays that took advantage of their strengths versus Chicago weaknesses, not vice versa. In the Seattle game-planning sessions: "Let's see, Chicago is #2 against the run and #20 against the pass. Let's see, we won last week because our Pro Bowl QB got hot and used the pass to set up the run. Let's see, we have one guy on our roster who is an absolutely sure handed slot receiver in Stokely, and we have a guy who was a major weapon just two years ago for the Jets in Leon Washington - a guy who can catch out of the backfield and be an option for a QB under pressure. Let's see, that must mean we should run, run, our "Big RB" right at the Chicago defensive line and then throw to our slow, large WR, who is being mugged" "Oh, and once we figure out that Lynch can't run and that Williams has no interest in the game, we should keep feeding these two guys until down by four TDs late in the third quarter." So if you ever want to see what abysmal, incompetent game-planning, playcalling, and adjustments (or lack thereof) looks like, just roll out the tape of the Seahawks at Chicago.

[Lurker64]

This was a classic example of "overthinking it". The Seahawks beat the Saints by passing, so the Bears are going to try to stop the Seahawks passing game, so we should surprise them by trying to run the football... despite the fact that we're not actually good at it.

[gbgary]

who accused mm of being a poor game planner?

[pbmax]

But Marshawn Lynch had this one really good run. He is a game changer.

[RashanGary]

I have frustratoins with MM's game planning at times. 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons we've had spurts where we throw long more than we throw short, the OL doesn't hold up, our offense lives and dies by the big play and we lose. It's spurts. When MM's back is against the wall he gets it fixed, but those stretches it's frustrating. Early in the season it was happening, then our back was against the wall and we won a few games with the short pass as our starting point. Then we went back to the live and die by the long ball offense and we lost a few in a row, including the game to Detroit. Then the Flynn game, they almost beat the Pats with nothing but game management from the QB position. Since then we've been on a none stop roll. Then Starks came along and everything is working beautifully. Picture the TD passes last week. Nelson, Kuhn. . . I don't remember the third, but it wasn't the long ball. We throw short, run, throw mid and throw a few far. It's back to what our offense looks like when it's winning. For stretches, none of us know why, he goes back to wanting to air it out with down the field passes and we seem to lose when we do that.

[RashanGary]

Quick hitch throws to the WR, curls, outs, slants, RB's in the flat. . . . . It's been our bread and butter. Its' not to sya you have to do that eveyr time, but it's nice to have a starting point, something you do well that the other team has to line up and try to stop. Then you mix it in the MrAyn talks about. You attack their weaknesses. But htat's part of the game plan. Every week shouldn't be a whole new playbook. Part of winning is attacking weaknesses, but antoher part of it is being good at what you do. You can't be good at everything. There's a balance. I think MM tends to lean toward having a lot of change week to week and when it gets out of hand I think it tends to look very inconsistent.

Love him as a coach though. Every coach has something they're not the best at. This is one I think MM has but I think he's a brilliant guy and he's taken a few lumps. When he's on track, with Dom in our corner. . . We have great coaches on both sides of the ball.

[Cheesehead Craig]

But Marshawn Lynch had this one really good run. He is a game changer.

A home run hitter even. Akin to Brady Anderson.

[Pugger]

How about the playcalling in NE in the 4th qter? The Pats were down by 2 scores but they acted like they had all week. They squandered at least 6 minutes screwing around trying to run the ball while the clock flew. If I were a Pats fan I would have been livid! Those fools should have been in a 2 minute offense but instead they lollygagged down the field and never did score!

[Lurker64]

How about the playcalling in NE in the 4th qter? The Pats were down by 2 scores but they acted like they had all week. They squandered at least 6 minutes screwing around trying to run the ball while the clock flew. If I were a Pats fan I would have been livid! Those fools should have been in a 2 minute offense but instead they lollygagged down the field and never did score!

The Pats can blame Mel Kiper, who offended the football gods by going on ESPN Radio last night and claiming that Brady would have "seven or eight" superbowl Rings by the time he was done, and that the Patriots should be double digit favorites against everybody in the playoffs. The football gods cannot abide such hubris, even from a man with exceptional hair.

[Little Whiskey]

The Pats can blame Mel Kiper, who offended the football gods by going on ESPN Radio last night and claiming that Brady would have "seven or eight" superbowl Rings by the time he was done, and that the Patriots should be double digit favorites against everybody in the playoffs. The football gods cannot abide such hubris, even from a man with exceptionally BAD hair.

fixed

[Lurker64]

fixed

Well, "exceptional" just means "unusual; not typical", which is certainly true of Mr. Kiper's hair-helmet.

[get louder at lambeau]

But Marshawn Lynch had this one really good run. He is a game changer.

He did? Today? Which of his 4 carries for a total of 2 yards was the really good one?

[Tarlam!]

The football gods cannot abide such hubris, even from a man with exceptional hair.

BOMNF

[get louder at lambeau]

BOMNF

LOLOL! OMG!

What the fuck is BOMNF?

[Lurker64]

LOLOL! OMG!

What the fuck is BOMNF?

"Beer Out My Nose Funny" it's a Tarlamism.

[denverYooper]

Hoody is taking some flak for frittering away a lot of time on a late game drive. Yet another terrible display of game management.

[Joemailman]

Stubby is now 3-2 in the playoffs since 2007. Hoody is 2-3, including losses in the last 3.

[get louder at lambeau]

3-3. Beat the Seahawks then lost to the Giants in '07, lost to AZ last year, and won two so far this year.

[denverYooper]

3-3. Beat the Seahawks then lost to the Giants in '07, lost to AZ last year, and won two so far this year.

3 + 3 =/= 5

[get louder at lambeau]

Oops. Nevermind. I need to go to sleep. Doing math at 11 PM with a buzz is a bad idea.