Fadingpain

On a somewhat related note: every time a kicker was ready to place kick the ball, players were feverishly kicking snow out of the way with their feet. I thought it looked ridiculous and was totally unprofessional. What's the rule on that? Could team assistants have gone out with a pusher shovel and really cleared the kicking area properly and efficiently? Is there some rule saying "no tools allowed" ??? I think not allowing for snow clearing as part of some official component of the game is kind of amateurish, even if fun. I.E., the rules should be amended to say in a snow game, the kicking team has 30 seconds (or whatever) to clear the kicking area, may use unlimited team personnel in so doing, and may use implements in so doing. I.E., let's all give the kicking team some reasonable time (30 seconds) to get snow shovelers out there and really clear off the kicking area of the field. I don't think something as important as a kick should be limited to how fast a football player can kick snow away with his cleats. The whole thing was just sort of stupid, though funny and kind of entertaining. The snow component of the game should not be allowed to impact the kick, when in 30 seconds you can clean up a big patch to kick from if you do it correctly. By the 2nd half, I think there was at least 6" of snow on the field. There were times when a player would slide to avoid a tackle at the end of a run or play, and his body sliding across the snowy field would function as a snowplow, and plow up a pretty high pile of snow! I couldn't believe that. I have never seen an NFL snow game with that much snow during gameplay. It is usually a dusting type of thing. What made yesterday unusual is that you had a football game being played in a lake effect snow band, simultaneously with a lake effect snowstorm. Not sure that has ever happened before.

Great catch, great hands...good throw too. Shady was super solid all day long.

I think he's pretty much impressed everyone this year.

I know what you mean but I don't think so. Simply because the stakes weren't that big today. Fun finish and the snow was crazy, but this is going to prove to be a nothing game for both teams within the context of this season.

We'll find out just how badly this organization is really trying to win "now" this week, I think. I bet Peterman will be fine to play and I bet Tyrod's knee will be OK. So then you play whoever you prefer as "your guy" and use injury/concussion protocol as the excuse and carry on with your guy. I say Peterman starts.

I would say the system broke with that incident.

That's him doing weird things because he is knocked silly at that moment; I've seen guys hold up hands and do weird things while flat on their backs out cold. The official is touching him and looking at his face; the fat that he somehow continued to play after that shows a flaw in the system; he should never have been allowed to remain on the field. It just shows how often this sort of thing must have happened in past years, with the player remaining in the game.

One thing I hope we can all agree on is that yes, a Playoff game would be super exciting and welcome, at least for the week leading up to the game and for a while in the game while the outcome is still in doubt.

No, not necessarily due to our own losses (going forward) but more because of other teams winning. Baltimore has an easy road ahead and even winning both Miami games won't be enough.

Seems to have some merit. On a number of punts, our strategy clearly was "don't catch it and then just get out of the way"...so sure, why not load up the LOS and go for a block? On a few punts the ball did bounce and continue beyond its point of impact, but on a number the ball just stopped dead on contact, like "bean bag" as Tasker said on the broadcast.

The reality is that a game like we had today is extremely rare. A crazy, lousy game like this every 15 years is no big deal. What is not rare is playing in a boring, sterile environment on a carpet if you have a dome stadium. Every game is totally in the wrong environment.

Mike Schopp laying into a caller just now on the post game show; listen for it in the audio vault if you are interested. Caller started by saying "What do you know about football?" and was arguing in support of the punt based on his "reading of the defense." Schopp then slammed him and concisely summed up the argument for not punting... Very entertaining.

One of whom won't have a job after this season, and the other who should probably be joining him in the unemployment line, but won't be.

2 comments: 1) Regarding the punt in OT, Schopp is on the winning side of that argument, not the NFL head coach, which is sad. 2) You don't seem that bright.

Actually, time sucking drives were the norm today. They didn't always result in points...but the decision to punt was a horrible mental error that lowered our chances to win. The fact that we actually won has nothing to do with the merits of the decision. I'm not sure you understand that.

Mike Schopp just asserted on the air during the post game show that McD likely did not know the ramifications of a tie today and how that should have impacted his decision to punt in OT. NO ONE in the post game PC asked that question or addressed it. I think Schopp is right. You are of course correct, but no way Promo gets that.

Great observation. There are good mistakes and bad mistakes. Hopefully Nate is OK, learned about sliding feet first, and doesn't do that gain. He is still learning many lessons about everything every time he plays.

BINGO! BINGO! BINGO!

McD committed a firing offense in OT today. The sad part is I don't think Pegula is a smart enough sports observer to know that. McD is just another defensive coordinator pretending to be a HC. He is very replaceable; it's a real disappointment to find this out with games remaining in his first season. As it is, I expect he'll get his 3 years. We are going to have to hope for wins despite him.

Trying to explain probability and basic statistics theory to many at this forum is like trying to teach your dog how to read. Good luck with it.

Not just crap decisions. That whole situation would make me want to fire this guy in the offseason, b/c I now know he is not good enough.

The fact that McD's decision resulted in a win, in this particular game, doesn't make his decision correct. You understand that, right?

We are not debating the merits of winning the game; we are debating the merits of the coach's decision to punt under those circumstances. McD basically held up a giant sign, for anyone who knows how to read, saying "I have no idea what I am doing."

To all the idiots who think the OT TD and/or Bills win ultimately vindicate McD's call to punt in OT.... They don't. That decision to punt was one of the worst mental errors I have ever seen a HC make in a football game. This is the sort of thing that will drive Mike Schopp absolutely insane. I hope he gives McD a tough time tomorrow during McD's weekly spot with Schopp and Bulldog. I would love for Schopp to get into it a little with the coach...Schopp is smarter than him and he will have the winning side of the argument. Could be entertaining, if Schopp mans up, grows some balls, and let's McD know he was an idiot on that call.