McCarthy's Playcalling

[Scott Campbell]

getting a first down would have ensured a Packers win. giving the ball back to vick was the worst possible scenario and it nearly cost them the game. had the Packers kept trying to score (which they were doing pretty much at will,) instead of bogging themselves down, it wouldn't have gotten to that point.

Starks had been running the ball at will too. I like the playcalling.

I think you can make a far better case for them squandering that final possession of the first half.

[Patler]

I am not saying it worked badly for the Packers. The sack and then the clock runoff were fine if that was the goal, same as a run. But trying to pass in that situation put everyone is the toughest spot if he was trying for the first. If he wanted the first, the use play action somewhere, not a shotgun pass on third and long.

Sorry, I understood the following to be a criticism from you of MM's decision to pass instead of running on third down, and that you were suggesting that a run would have used up another 45 seconds:

Actually, if McCarthy is going to go with draining the clock strategy, then the mistake was passing on 3rd down. Run it again and drain another 45 seconds or a TO.

[mraynrand]

I think you can make a far better case for them squandering that final possession of the first half.

Sure, but I think you can let that go as an emotional mistake. Hey, these guys are people too, and when you set the D up like that and have the perfect play with the perfect execution, and Jones drops it, there's going to be an emotional fall out. I'll give 'em that one. (But I would have liked them to come back with the exact same play, maybe with Nelson out there....)

[mraynrand]

Sorry, I understood the following to be a criticism from you of MM's decision to pass instead of running on third down, and that you were suggesting that a run would have used up another 45 seconds:

It used up the 2 minute warning, taking that TO away from Philly. That's 45 seconds OR a TO.

[rbaloha1]

Starks had been running the ball at will too. I like the playcalling.

I think you can make a far better case for them squandering that final possession of the first half.

Agree the playcalling was excellent. IMO "squandering" the first half was justified. Jones just dropped the pass. Regroup at halftime with the lead.

[pbmax]

Sorry, I understood the following to be a criticism from you of MM's decision to pass instead of running on third down, and that you were suggesting that a run would have used up another 45 seconds:

Yes, it was poorly worded. I was thinking generally and typing specifically.

[rbaloha1]

Sure, but I think you can let that go as an emotional mistake. Hey, these guys are people too, and when you set the D up like that and have the perfect play with the perfect execution, and Jones drops it, there's going to be an emotional fall out. I'll give 'em that one. (But I would have liked them to come back with the exact same play, maybe with Nelson out there....)

MM made the correct decision to regroup at halftime.

[Freak Out]

Stop with all the bitching about the bitchers you bitches.

[Freak Out]

I thought a great game was called from both a offensive and defensive standpoint. Would I have called for a pass when a run was called once or twice? Maybe, but for the most part the coaches came up with the perfect game plan.

[Patler]

[QUOTE=pbmax;564547]

It used up the 2 minute warning, taking that TO away from Philly. That's 45 seconds OR a TO.

Run and don't get the 1st, pass complete and don't get the first, sack and don't get the first; none of those results change anything. The clock is topped for the two-minute warning, and the punt comes with 2:00 on the clock.

The only difference would have been an incomplete pass. The clock would have stopped after third down before the two minute warning. The punt would have carried it past two-minutes so the warning would have come with less than two minutes left on the same stoppage they had for change of possession. It would have given the Eagles a few more seconds, but not anything close to 45 seconds.

The play call on 3rd down made little difference in the time available to the Eagles for their last drive.

[mraynrand]

[QUOTE=Patler;564602]

Run and don't get the 1st, pass complete and don't get the first, sack and don't get the first; none of those results change anything. The clock is topped for the two-minute warning, and the punt comes with 2:00 on the clock.

The only difference would have been an incomplete pass. The clock would have stopped after third down before the two minute warning. The punt would have carried it past two-minutes so the warning would have come with less than two minutes left on the same stoppage they had for change of possession. It would have given the Eagles a few more seconds, but not anything close to 45 seconds.

The play call on 3rd down made little difference in the time available to the Eagles for their last drive.

If there had been an incompletion anywhere in there, it probably would have given them an extra TO at the 2 minute warning. That's the risk with passing. That's the only point I'm trying to make there. I'm not certain the punt would have taken it to the two minute warning with an incompletion, but if so, you're right, the point is moot.

[mmmdk]

he's getting better. he only sucked in the forth quarter.

+ 1

[mmmdk]

I agree that play calling overall was good, but this is the NFL... games are going to be tight, and mismanagement at the end of a game can cost you the game, and it nearly did this time.

Everybody gets caught up in the clock... forget the clock - to win the game you need to produce at least 3 1st downs. I don't mind running on 1st down, especially if the running game has been going well, but on 2nd and 3rd down, I'm putting that responsibility in the hands of my pro bowl QB. McCarthy got away with it on the 1st set of downs, but then basically punted on 2nd down after we picked up the initial 1st down.

He only gave his QB one shot at it, when the defense was expecting pass, and of course Rodgers was sacked... would much rather have seen a pass on 2nd down, when Philly was stacked for the run. If we go 2 incompletes, so what??? we're still handing them the same scenario regardless, i.e. the ball, and plenty of time on the clock. So the smart play is go for the 1st down thru the air on 2nd down - I would have spread the field and put the pressure on the defense; the conservative, play not to lose strategy is exactly what McCarthy did and it almost cost us the game.

Awesome post - I pointed this out too in the game thread.

[Patler]

[QUOTE=mraynrand;564645]

If there had been an incompletion anywhere in there, it probably would have given them an extra TO at the 2 minute warning. That's the risk with passing. That's the only point I'm trying to make there. I'm not certain the punt would have taken it to the two minute warning with an incompletion, but if so, you're right, the point is moot.

I was only addressing the comment about running instead of passing on third down. Looking at the times in the gamebook, I am pretty sure the punt would have taken it to the two-minute warning, assuming it was kicked the same way that it was, such that the play took up 14 seconds, as it did.

What really would have screwed it up would have been an incomplete pass, then a punt out of bounds. That might have not made it to the two-minute warning.

[red]

Agree the playcalling was excellent. IMO "squandering" the first half was justified. Jones just dropped the pass. Regroup at halftime with the lead.

to me the mismanagement at the end of the first half started before we even got the ball. i think at the 2 minute warning it was 3rd and goal for the eagles. we stopped them. at that point IMO we should have used 1 of the 2 timouts we had left. they would have kicked the FG and we would have gotten the ball back with somewhere around 1:50 left. we have almost a full 2 miuntes to run the 2 minute drill and get into FG range at the very least.

instead we didn't take the timeout and we let 40 seconds or so run off the clock. by the time we got the ball back there was just over a minute left. then we ran the ball up the middle on first down and damn near gave me a stroke.