mcjeff215 Posted September 21, 2005 Posted September 21, 2005 What's Jerry talking about this week? 'It's a bad sign when the head coach takes shots at his running back.' Huh? Where'd that happen? I miss something?
Sound_n_Fury Posted September 21, 2005 Posted September 21, 2005 Mularkey again called out McGahee, who ran tentatively against the Bucs. "Whether a hole's there or not, we've got to have Willis hitting up in some of the creases that were available," Mularkey said. "We need to make yards when we run the football. It's very hard to call plays and get into a rhythm when you're having three-and-outs. I just think the run game will help J.P.'s progress in the passing game."
Steven in MD Posted September 21, 2005 Posted September 21, 2005 On Sunday every questioned MM effecting JP's confidence by pulling him. Any chance that these comments will effect WM's confidence?
jarthur31 Posted September 21, 2005 Posted September 21, 2005 People must realize that our line isn't better when a certain QB was released. Even Travis sucked badly running behind it. Willis is the real deal and MM knows this. What the team needs to address is the line blocking competently to open up running lanes for Willis. So far, they've shown they can't do that. We can't block 1 on 1 worth a damn and it's been a problem since the preseason. I really think Teague needs to be benched.
scribo Posted September 21, 2005 Posted September 21, 2005 People must realize that our line isn't better when a certain QB was released. Even Travis sucked badly running behind it. Willis is the real deal and MM knows this. What the team needs to address is the line blocking competently to open up running lanes for Willis. So far, they've shown they can't do that. We can't block 1 on 1 worth a damn and it's been a problem since the preseason. I really think Teague needs to be benched. 448810[/snapback] You're correct that our line is no better than last year. But, please don't forget that WM rushed for more than grand last year. I don't see any reason to bench Teague, and I don't know who you would suggest we plug in there in his place. All MM is saying is that the team could have really used more two- and three-yard gains last week from WM vice the no-gains and one-yard losses he provded with his backfield dancing. In WM’s defense, I thought he was just trying to break something big, which, if he had been successful just once, could have changed the whole game for the better.
BuffOrange Posted September 21, 2005 Posted September 21, 2005 People must realize that our line isn't better when a certain QB was released. Even Travis sucked badly running behind it. Willis is the real deal and MM knows this. What the team needs to address is the line blocking competently to open up running lanes for Willis. So far, they've shown they can't do that. We can't block 1 on 1 worth a damn and it's been a problem since 1996. I really think it's an area that should be addressed one of these offseasons. 448810[/snapback] Fixed your post.
stuckincincy Posted September 21, 2005 Posted September 21, 2005 Novel idea: Hand the ball to the fullback now and then.
Fake-Fat Sunny Posted September 21, 2005 Posted September 21, 2005 On Sunday every questioned MM effecting JP's confidence by pulling him. Any chance that these comments will effect WM's confidence? 448803[/snapback] I think the confidence issue is a red-herring in terms of effectiveness and is mostly just an excuse. JP and Willis are big boys and extremely well paid big boys at that. I do not think that they are so weak as athletes or as people that their confidence is going to be so wounded by being benched or their failings pointed out. In fact, if they were that weak in terms of personality that the only way to deal with is to say they are good when they suck in real performance they are likely to fall apart at crunch time anyway. There clearly and obviously is a psychological game to be played here and managing group dynamics of this team is a crtical part of MMs work. Though expressing confidence and being there for your players is part of this, unrelenting confidence will come back to bite you hard when it begins to diverge from reality. Real confidence comes not from the HC being unwilling to say something about the failings of a player which are pretty obvious (WM's output simply sucked Sunday and he is not hitting the holes in a way that picks up the yards he normally picks up) or being unwilling to bench a player who not simply has a problem but really reeks in terms of his production. Real confidence comes from the HC proving he is willing to stick with a player an give him a fair chance to show what he can do in the longrun. Guaranteed JP is going to fail a few times this year, but MM showed JP that he can be confident that even when his play sucks he will be sent out there to give it another try. I have no problem with MM benching JP when his results were as horrendous as they were Sunday and even less problem with him being sent back in when out back-up (who is truly on a short leash fails to turn things around immediately. I think it will correct management of the team dynamics if he lets JP know the obvious that he is out starting QB no ifs, ands, or buts and that once again he will get a large shot at doing it right next week. Sure, just like Sunday JP should be bemched Sunday if he fails to socre a TD or run the offense well at all and we are then in the fourth quater. However, our pledge is that this will not happen. Not in our house. The same with Willis, if he breaks down pouts, or cannot perform merely because his HC state the obvious then perhaps we did trade the wrong RB. I don't think WM is such a weenie that MMs comments are a problem.
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