Francois penalty - poor coaching

[Brohm]

What I don't get is how MM cannot adjust to Rodgers getting hammered all day. Miami was in max-protect and we did not lay a finger on him. MM cannot adjust and we come out with the loss and a beat up QB. The constant slow-developing plays are killing this offense.

[Fritz]

That kills me too. Bulaga was getting eaten alive, and for most of the game the announcers kept pointing out that he was being given no help.

[mraynrand]

Crosby (and others) came to Francois' defense saying he was where he was coached to be.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/105155064.html

I'm glad they did, because it was an unecessary call, a call where nitpicking officials insert themselves into a game and eschew the flow of the game for some bizarre unattainable ideal of technical precision. BTW, I am guessing that tool Pereiro probably thought it was a 'great call.'

[mraynrand]

It's a great rule and a great call. It's all about what the NFL wants to be, and a trial attourney deciding games based on nitpicking is everything the NFL aspires to. It's wonderful to come to this site and see people arguing over whether a LB who clearly was not violating the spirit of the law was technically violating the letter of the law. Perhaps a day will come when the NFL is completely regulated by laser rulers and computerized officials obeying the letter of the law. That's what fans want - perfect precision and reproducibility down to the micrometer. That's what makes the NFL fun.

That being said, the Packers tied the game, and the call became moot. The most important calls were the calls Stubby made to not get the Packers a first down in overtime and lose another close game - yet again, and again, and again, and again, and again.

The defense was sorely hurting and the offense was pretty much intact. Capers did his job,, and did it pretty well, while Stubby failed - That his offense couldn't score more than 20 points against a pretty average defense at home is pathetic. That he can't find a way to win close games is even worse. No, he shouldn't be fired in midseason, but this counts as yet again another strike against the confusing mix of talent, stubborness, and 'flailure' that defines Stubby. This goes in the negative column when TT evaluates him at the end of the season.

I love that word, mranynrand. Did you make that up?

I also agree with your analysis of Studdy's coaching problems. First, he's not apparently very good at hiring assistant coaches. He got Capers right on his 2nd try for a defensive coordinator, but he is also responsible for Campen and Slocum.
Secondly, for his offense - supposedly with the best wide receiving corps in the league, and with an offensive line that outside Bulaga has lots of experience - to only be able to put up 20 against an okay Miami defense at home is an indictment of Stubby.

Flailure. Exactly.

That's my new word for Stubby. I can just see him watching the film of the game and getting upset that Bulaga isn't blocking properly. "THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT TECHNIQUE!" "THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO RUN THAT PLAY" "THAT'S NOT HOW I COACHED IT" all the while completely missing the point that when players are failing, you have to address the issue, not just get upset about the mistakes. I can see him waving his arms in frustration like Robbie the Robot: FLAILURE

[Patler]

Given McCarthy's claim about 1 and 1/2 yard distance, I would hazard a guess that replacement Francois either misjudged the distance or measured from the center, rather than the ball. Still, if the refs use the other bodies on the line to measure, then that player should too.

That was my point in starting this thread. It really doesn't matter what the rule states. What matters is what the officials look for. Coaches have to know that and teach their players accordingly.

Hochuli's explanation seems very straight-forward, very matter-of-fact. It sounded as if that is what the officials have been instructed to look for. If that is what the officials look for, the coaches should know it and teach accordingly.

[mraynrand]

Hochuli's explanation seems very straight-forward, very matter-of-fact..

I'm sure it wold stand up in a court of law.

[Tarlam!]

Hochuli's explanation seems very straight-forward, very matter-of-fact..

I'm sure it wold stand up in a court of law.

Well, no it wouldn't. The film evidence, which I just saw, since espen is re-running the game, it is absolutely clear that he played in accordance to how the rule is in the book.

[Badgerinmaine]

The defense was sorely hurting and the offense was pretty much intact. Capers did his job,, and did it pretty well, while Stubby failed - That his offense couldn't score more than 20 points against a pretty average defense at home is pathetic. That he can't find a way to win close games is even worse. No, he shouldn't be fired in midseason, but this counts as yet again another strike against the confusing mix of talent, stubborness, and 'flailure' that defines Stubby. This goes in the negative column when TT evaluates him at the end of the season.

I agree with most of this, except I wouldn't call a Packers offense without Ryan Grant or Jermichael Finley "pretty much intact".

[pbmax]

Hochuli's explanation seems very straight-forward, very matter-of-fact..

I'm sure it wold stand up in a court of law.

That is actually a good question. Is measuring the player in comparison to his teammates on the LOS the specific technique they are supposed to use? Or is it simply one tool to help the official determine if the player is lined up correctly?

We should call in Judge Joe Brown.

[pbmax]

I do not remember Bulaga struggling that much with his OLB in the first half. Am I mis-remembering this as a second half development?

[Tarlam!]

Is measuring the player in comparison to his teammates on the LOS the specific technique they are supposed to use? Or is it simply one tool to help the official determine if the player is lined up correctly?

We should call in Judge Joe Brown.

If it is and it's not in the rule book then I know who I'd be awarding the case to if I were in the jury.

[Joemailman]

It looks to me that although Francois was inside the linemen, the linemen were off the line a bit. It looks to me like Francois was okay, based on the way the rule is written.

[mraynrand]

It looks to me that although Francois was inside the linemen, the linemen were off the line a bit. It looks to me like Francois was okay, based on the way the rule is written.

Yes but the prosecuting attorney, Mr. Patler, would argue that the LB was leaning forward and a split second after your image and thus "Broke the plane" of the magical minimum distance. Cal Tech physicists are going to testify that, using digital laser reconstruction video analysis, the LB was 6.785 micrometers beyond the legal minimum limit. This is the kind of precision and rule keeping the NFL wants. The jury will side with the good Mr. Patler. But the Packers can always appeal to the 4th district court and then on to the Supreme court. I'm guessing they will cite the 14th amendment that the Packers did not get equal protection under the law and/or that Francois was engaged in interstate commerce (Wisconsin/Florida), and therefore could legally cross the minimum distance.

[ThunderDan]

It looks to me that although Francois was inside the linemen, the linemen were off the line a bit. It looks to me like Francois was okay, based on the way the rule is written.

Yes but the prosecuting attorney, Mr. Patler, would argue that the LB was leaning forward and a split second after your image and thus "Broke the plane" of the magical minimum distance. Cal Tech physicists are going to testify that, using digital laser reconstruction video analysis, the LB was 6.785 micrometers beyond the legal minimum limit. This is the kind of precision and rule keeping the NFL wants. The jury will side with the good Mr. Patler. But the Packers can always appeal to the 4th district court and then on to the Supreme court. I'm guessing they will cite the 14th amendment that the Packers did not get equal protection under the law and/or that Francois was engaged in interstate commerce (Wisconsin/Florida), and therefore could legally cross the minimum distance.

Isn't Wisconsin part of the 5th District Court?

[denverYooper]

I do not remember Bulaga struggling that much with his OLB in the first half. Am I mis-remembering this as a second half development?

I also thought he was fine until the 2nd half.