Game management strategy & “The big miss”

[Olliemets]

5 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

 

 

Also I dispute the thought Bass couldn't kick it into the endzone. He didn't even try. He had a 4 yard run up. He should have kicked a low line drive kick that cut through the wind. You better teach him how to do that because the weather isn't going to get any better. 

 

 

Totally disagree. Both kickers had difficulties kicking deep to that end. I usually attend a few games a year (6 hour drive for me) and the windy end zone is definitely a factor. I was in upper deck 2 years ago vs Washington and had perfect view of a solid kick knocked down by the wind that dropped suddenly way short, leading to a huge return. So I'm sure Bass' intent was for a touchback.

 

Hoping coaching staff went to school on this. Given the new formations, if assignments, tackles are missed and the returner breaks through, he's gone as there is no depth of defense anymore. Given the particular situation with score and time remaining tacking the penalty on a squib that falls short of 20 might be the right call. Starting at 40 vs a big return 

[ColoradoBills]

It's the first real week of this new rule.  In most cases with good weather and in domes it will be TBs.

Bad weather will have some choices and techniques maybe not even known yet.

Going to take some time for STCs and kickers to adapt.

[RoyBatty is alive]

6 hours ago, ProcessImproverMan said:

Maybe the refs could actually enforce the rules and call the block in the back clearly visible on replay that sprung the return. Nah, that's too much to ask from officials who cannot even understand that we didn't touch Murray so there should have been no flag. 

Who was blocked in the back, I will watch it again.

[Rochesterfan]

5 minutes ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

Who was blocked in the back, I will watch it again.

 There were 2 -

 

1 was #99 I believe on the outside - very minor but as he is crashing down the Cardinal player is pushing him in the back with one hand.  Again that is minor.

 

#2 is pretty egregious- Bills # 30 something right in the hole.  He is going to be double teamed by Cards #3 (2nd deep man) and #44.  The Bills guy is past #44 at the 30 and is breaking down near the 25 - he looks to be sandwiched by the 2 Cardinals players, but fights through.  #3 looks to whiff and as the Bills player reaches out at the 25 - you can clearly see #44 driving him from behind.  #44 never gets him from the front or side everything is him pushing from behind and that opens the gap to run through.

 

Even with that - the Bills are still in pretty good shape - 95, 5, and 41 are all converging on the runner right in the hole.  Both Gilliam and Elam have him in their arms at the 35, but fail to make the tackle. An outside DB also has him lined up as they are making the tackle near the 37 and ducks and ends up giving him the O’le - allowing the TD.

 

It was bad tackling, but a block in the back also.

[RoyBatty is alive]

1 hour ago, Rochesterfan said:

 There were 2 -

 

1 was #99 I believe on the outside - very minor but as he is crashing down the Cardinal player is pushing him in the back with one hand.  Again that is minor.

 

#2 is pretty egregious- Bills # 30 something right in the hole.  He is going to be double teamed by Cards #3 (2nd deep man) and #44.  The Bills guy is past #44 at the 30 and is breaking down near the 25 - he looks to be sandwiched by the 2 Cardinals players, but fights through.  #3 looks to whiff and as the Bills player reaches out at the 25 - you can clearly see #44 driving him from behind.  #44 never gets him from the front or side everything is him pushing from behind and that opens the gap to run through.

 

Even with that - the Bills are still in pretty good shape - 95, 5, and 41 are all converging on the runner right in the hole.  Both Gilliam and Elam have him in their arms at the 35, but fail to make the tackle. An outside DB also has him lined up as they are making the tackle near the 37 and ducks and ends up giving him the O’le - allowing the TD.

 

It was bad tackling, but a block in the back also.

i am pretty sure Davis #21 the RB rookie should have made a tackle.

[Doc]

I second that there was a block in the back and bad tackling. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

8 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Ok. So are you advocating for a squib then? Correct me if I'm wrong but the squib is not the same as it has been in the past. 

The ball must land in the land zone so it's not really a squib anymore and as you saw when he tried it they got the ball at the 40. I'd argue it'ds probably much harder to try and kick it low and land in the landing zone than it is to kick it low and deep.

 

It was also pointed out by the announcers on Sunday that if the squib kick is too low and if any of the opposing players in the front line can jump up and somehow  touch the ball in any way, it's the same and not reaching the landing zone and the ball comes out to the 40.

 

So the ball needs to be high enough to easily get over the front line players heads and reach the landing zone on the fly, but still basically die before it reaches the two return men and also try and not roll it into the end zone.  Add to that you probably want to angle it towards the sideline to increase the time required for the return man to get to the ball, but then have to worry about ball going out which is what happened.

 

The rules are still all new.  With all the limitations on how much time can be spent by teams in the summer during training camp. things like this have probably received little reps.  Probably will take a couple of years of practice for kickers to prefect all the little wrinkles the new rules create and ways to get around them.  And by the time they do, the rules will likely be tweaked again.  They are already talking these rules may create too many touchbacks so will make changes to further penalize teams for kicking into end zone.  They were saying likely he ball will be brought out further.