DKphin
Active Roster
Coming in to the season I knew that we were not going to enjoy the same success we had the previous year, but I did think that we would get more aggressive with the offense.
The first half of the season was a murder's row, but it still gave me much frustration as I watched as the losses mounted. But we got our first win and it seemed as though we were heading in the right direction. Our winning streak continued to bolster my confidence that we might be slightly better than I anticipated. Then we played the Pats and my expectations were lowered back to being happy with 8-8 or better record. We beat Carolina and my emotions ran high, but they were tempered by the knowledge that the Panthers were not a very good club. But this weekend has me coming to the realization that the problems we have has more to do with the coaching staff than the personnel.
Every game in which we play well in the first half seems to follow a consistent theme. It seems as though instead of trying to build on what has worked in the 1st half, the coaches have already drawn up a plan for how to maintain a lead even before the game started. They just go into the locker room and pick up the card that is labeled, "Gameplan for Maintaining the Lead". So whatever has been working in the 1st half is discarded because we already have the plan for the 2nd half.
The perfect example of this is the defense that we were employing in the 1st half of the Saints game. We were running an unconventional front in the 1st half and it was working. Was it perfect? No, but it was still working and why we completely went away from it in the second half is beyond my understanding.
Pasqualoni has got to go. It is as if he makes no adjustments at halftime and goes into a shell in the second half. As for Henning, I'm at a loss. Sometimes he seems that he is calling a good game and all of the sudden we come up with a boneheaded play. An example of this is the pass from Ricky when we were on the 5 or inside of it. During the week, Ricky had stated that he was not comfortable throwing the ball. On the drive we were smashing the Bills all the way down the field. They are not stopping the running game. Why in the Hell do you ask a guy that is not comfortable throwing the ball to throw it!
I like Sparano, but the gameplans that he and the coaching staff come up with have got to change. Trying to sit on a lead does not work in this league. The rules in the passing game have been too liberalized for the offense to think that playing prevent the the whole second half is going to succeed. And on the same theme, going into conservative mode on offense were we dink and dunk the ball and play 3yds. and a cloud of dust is not going to work either. The defenses are just stacking the box because they know we will not get vertical on them. And I don't mean throwing 80yd. bombs all day, but throw more than 2 seam routes a game. Our passing game consistents of bubble screens and 5yd. outs. Yes, rarely, we will throw a pass over 10yds, but you better pray to God that it is successful because if it is not you will never see it again.
Our running game is excellent and I commend the organization for that success. But we have got to get more out of the passing game. I know Hartline can run the deep slant. Can we get Bess and Camarillo further down the field. I know that we do not have anyone to run 9(go) routes because I have given up on thinking that Ginn will ever have the mental toughness to go up and fight for the ball against a defender. Yes, he can catch if there is noone around or if he has out run the coverage. But he is never go to be more than a second option in the passing attack.
Well, that is it. Sorry for venting.
The first half of the season was a murder's row, but it still gave me much frustration as I watched as the losses mounted. But we got our first win and it seemed as though we were heading in the right direction. Our winning streak continued to bolster my confidence that we might be slightly better than I anticipated. Then we played the Pats and my expectations were lowered back to being happy with 8-8 or better record. We beat Carolina and my emotions ran high, but they were tempered by the knowledge that the Panthers were not a very good club. But this weekend has me coming to the realization that the problems we have has more to do with the coaching staff than the personnel.
Every game in which we play well in the first half seems to follow a consistent theme. It seems as though instead of trying to build on what has worked in the 1st half, the coaches have already drawn up a plan for how to maintain a lead even before the game started. They just go into the locker room and pick up the card that is labeled, "Gameplan for Maintaining the Lead". So whatever has been working in the 1st half is discarded because we already have the plan for the 2nd half.
The perfect example of this is the defense that we were employing in the 1st half of the Saints game. We were running an unconventional front in the 1st half and it was working. Was it perfect? No, but it was still working and why we completely went away from it in the second half is beyond my understanding.
Pasqualoni has got to go. It is as if he makes no adjustments at halftime and goes into a shell in the second half. As for Henning, I'm at a loss. Sometimes he seems that he is calling a good game and all of the sudden we come up with a boneheaded play. An example of this is the pass from Ricky when we were on the 5 or inside of it. During the week, Ricky had stated that he was not comfortable throwing the ball. On the drive we were smashing the Bills all the way down the field. They are not stopping the running game. Why in the Hell do you ask a guy that is not comfortable throwing the ball to throw it!
I like Sparano, but the gameplans that he and the coaching staff come up with have got to change. Trying to sit on a lead does not work in this league. The rules in the passing game have been too liberalized for the offense to think that playing prevent the the whole second half is going to succeed. And on the same theme, going into conservative mode on offense were we dink and dunk the ball and play 3yds. and a cloud of dust is not going to work either. The defenses are just stacking the box because they know we will not get vertical on them. And I don't mean throwing 80yd. bombs all day, but throw more than 2 seam routes a game. Our passing game consistents of bubble screens and 5yd. outs. Yes, rarely, we will throw a pass over 10yds, but you better pray to God that it is successful because if it is not you will never see it again.
Our running game is excellent and I commend the organization for that success. But we have got to get more out of the passing game. I know Hartline can run the deep slant. Can we get Bess and Camarillo further down the field. I know that we do not have anyone to run 9(go) routes because I have given up on thinking that Ginn will ever have the mental toughness to go up and fight for the ball against a defender. Yes, he can catch if there is noone around or if he has out run the coverage. But he is never go to be more than a second option in the passing attack.
Well, that is it. Sorry for venting.