dr. z on mularkey's clock management

[dave mcbride]

25. Buffalo Bills (4-10)

The essence of self-destruct. After scoring on their first drive against Denver, they blew themselves up on the next six ... that's right, six, possessions in the first half via either penalties or dropped balls. But this is what drives me nuts. The Broncos scored near the end of the half, allowing 35 seconds to run off the clock, to foil the Bills. And the latter smiled and nodded and said, sure, take all the time you want. So instead of getting the ball back with more than a minute left and time to get something going, they took over at their own 34 with 35 seconds remaining. And they called a time out, backed up to their 30 at :09 to go. And how, I want to know, does a coach then go into the locker room and motivate and inspire after such a butchery of the clock?

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...art3/index.html

[30dive]

But to hear Chris Mortenson (sp) it's all Ralph's fault.

[Kelly the Dog]

Mularkey and the Bills offense has been abysmal on clock management the entire season. I don't think teams spend enough time practicing it or discussing it, or going over it time and time again. The players often make mistakes, too, that we blame on the coach. And it's one of those things that is very difficult to know how to do right off the bat, and something some coaches never get. It's seemingly easy for the fan to scream at the TV "CALL TIME OUT YOU ASS!" when the coach is thinking of what play to call in the next two seconds and the fan isn't. MM is surely lost out there when it comes to time management right now.

[dave mcbride]

Mularkey and the Bills offense has been abysmal on clock management the entire season. I don't think teams spend enough time practicing it or discussing it, or going over it time and time again. The players often make mistakes, too, that we blame on the coach. And it's one of those things that is very difficult to know how to do right off the bat, and something some coaches never get. It's seemingly easy for the fan to scream at the TV "CALL TIME OUT YOU ASS!" when the coach is thinking of what play to call in the next two seconds and the fan isn't. MM is surely lost out there when it comes to time management right now.

539300[/snapback]

shouldn't there be someone who keeps tabs on this stuff for him? in those sorts of situations, it seems terribly obvious that you should call time out to conserve a little time. once a team is inside the 10 and there's a minute left, the clock is never an enemy to them. they can only run 4 plays at most. i sometimes get the sense that a lot of coaches don't realize this.

[obie_wan]

Mularkey and the Bills offense has been abysmal on clock management the entire season. I don't think teams spend enough time practicing it or discussing it, or going over it time and time again. The players often make mistakes, too, that we blame on the coach. And it's one of those things that is very difficult to know how to do right off the bat, and something some coaches never get. It's seemingly easy for the fan to scream at the TV "CALL TIME OUT YOU ASS!" when the coach is thinking of what play to call in the next two seconds and the fan isn't. MM is surely lost out there when it comes to time management right now.

539300[/snapback]

 

If he had a coordinator who was calling the plays, MM could handle time management.

 

However, MM is such anegomaniac that he calls the plays without any reference materials or play cards. No wonder the playcalling is so disjointed.

[MRW]

Not only that, but after getting the kickoff and running a play, they had second and short with the clock running and a time out in their pocket. Instead of using it there they opted to run a QB sneak (!) for the first down, then call the time out. It made no sense whatsoever, and was just another in a long string of baffling clock management decisions by this team.

[Beerstm]

If he had a coordinator who was calling the plays, MM could handle time management.

 

However, MM is such anegomaniac that he calls the plays without any reference materials or play cards. No wonder the playcalling is so disjointed.

539313[/snapback]

 

 

Why is MM a head coach again? I just don't get it

[MRW]

shouldn't there be someone who keeps tabs on this stuff for him? in those sorts of situations, it seems terribly obvious that you should call time out to conserve a little time. once a team is inside the 10 and there's a minute left, the clock is never an enemy to them. they can only run 4 plays at most. i sometimes get the sense that a lot of coaches don't realize this.

539308[/snapback]

In fairness to Mularkey, the defense did keep committing stupid penalties to keep drives alive, so there's no way of saying for sure that the Broncos would be limited to four plays.

[Kelly the Dog]

shouldn't there be someone who keeps tabs on this stuff for him? in those sorts of situations, it seems terribly obvious that you should call time out to conserve a little time. once a team is inside the 10 and there's a minute left, the clock is never an enemy to them. they can only run 4 plays at most. i sometimes get the sense that a lot of coaches don't realize this.

539308[/snapback]

I think it would be well worth it for a team to hire a guy for $25,000 a year to just do clock management as a part time job, like an official or a downs marker. Spend the week going over trends, talking to the coach about his philosophies, doing a lot of research on what has worked and what hasn't, etc. What the other team's tendencies are. And then just standing there and making those decisions for him. I really think that would be wise money.

[stuckincincy]

25.  Buffalo Bills (4-10)

The essence of self-destruct. After scoring on their first drive against Denver, they blew themselves up on the next six ... that's right, six, possessions in the first half via either penalties or dropped balls. But this is what drives me nuts. The Broncos scored near the end of the half, allowing 35 seconds to run off the clock, to foil the Bills. And the latter smiled and nodded and said, sure, take all the time you want. So instead of getting the ball back with more than a minute left and time to get something going, they took over at their own 34 with 35 seconds remaining. And they called a time out, backed up to their 30 at :09 to go. And how, I want to know, does a coach then go into the locker room and motivate and inspire after such a butchery of the clock?

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...art3/index.html

539261[/snapback]

 

 

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...art3/index.html

539261[/snapback]

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...art3/index.html

539261[/snapback]

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He's sure not alone. Most every Sunday, I see such. Against CLE in a close game at the end of the 1st half, Marvin Lewis held up 4 fingers to an official, thinking that the ref acknowledged that he wanted a time out with 4 seconds to go so the B'gals could kick a FG. Lewis was wrong - fortunately for him, WR Houshmanzedah called for one, leaving 1 second left.

 

Important in a game that ended up 23 - 20 in the last few seconds of the 2nd half...Lewis said in the paper the next day..."Lesson learned".

 

I hope so. He and his staff have made bonehead actions like that., throughout the season. NFL coaches and staffs know a lot about players, playcalling, matchups etc., but my opinion is that most of them are far behind an astute 4th grader when it comes to teling time.

[KOKBILLS]

25.  Buffalo Bills (4-10)

The essence of self-destruct. After scoring on their first drive against Denver, they blew themselves up on the next six ... that's right, six, possessions in the first half via either penalties or dropped balls. But this is what drives me nuts. The Broncos scored near the end of the half, allowing 35 seconds to run off the clock, to foil the Bills. And the latter smiled and nodded and said, sure, take all the time you want. So instead of getting the ball back with more than a minute left and time to get something going, they took over at their own 34 with 35 seconds remaining. And they called a time out, backed up to their 30 at :09 to go. And how, I want to know, does a coach then go into the locker room and motivate and inspire after such a butchery of the clock?

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writ...art3/index.html

539261[/snapback]

 

MM commented on this I believe...It went something like..."The Clock has just not stopped for us this Year...I've seen it stop for other Teams...I just can't explain it..."

 

Mort commented later that dispite the poor clock and Game Management, "sometimes it's just not your year to stop the clock."

 

[Johnny Coli]

Let's keep him around for another year. I'm told the players love him.

[AKC]

shouldn't there be someone who keeps tabs on this stuff for him? in those sorts of situations, it seems terribly obvious that you should call time out to conserve a little time. once a team is inside the 10 and there's a minute left, the clock is never an enemy to them. they can only run 4 plays at most. i sometimes get the sense that a lot of coaches don't realize this.

539308[/snapback]

 

 

I recall the Jets hiring a full-time clock specialist in 2004, I suspect other teams emply someone in this capacity just as some teams have specialists on their gameday staff to advise on replay requests.

[GG]

shouldn't there be someone who keeps tabs on this stuff for him?

539308[/snapback]

 

Kay Stephenson?

[Beerstm]

Kay Stephenson?

539388[/snapback]

 

 

MM=Kay Stephenson ?????

[stuckincincy]

I recall the Jets hiring a full-time clock specialist in 2004, I suspect other teams emply someone in this capacity just as some teams have specialists on their gameday staff to advise on replay requests.

539381[/snapback]

Yep - there was a short tv feature on just that - the Jets. I can't say if it worked out for them - and what an embarrasmemt it was - a whole sideline of coaches and players with gawd knows how many years of experience not being able to figure out something obvious to most fans watching the game or watching on TV. That they or any other team need an advisor is prima facie evidence of stupidity. Proof once again that football is not rocket surgery!

[Mikie2times]

Clock management is one of the most butchered areas in the league. Just like ST some coaches don't spend much time working on it, while the good ones either have the experience to multitask, or hire people to deal only with the clock. Mularkey is making the same mistake several inexperienced coaches make, namely underestimating how difficult managing the clock can be, and how much of an effect it can have on a game. I'm not making an excuse for Mularkey, but this is often a league wide problem coaches have, and the less experienced guys should all have people in charge of watching the clock.

[stuckincincy]

Clock management is one of the most butchered areas in the league. Just like ST some coaches don't spend much time working on it, while others either have the experience to multitask, or hire people to deal only with the clock. Mularkey is making the same mistake several inexperienced coaches make, namely underestimating how difficult managing the clock can be, and how much of an effect it can have on a game. I'm not making an excuse for Mularkey, but this is often a league wide problem coaches have, and the less experienced guys should all have people in charge of watching the clock.

539454[/snapback]

 

I give them not one ounce of slack. What adult needs years of experience as to how to read a da*n clock?

 

Telling time and appreciating what's what's going on, on a football field is something a 10 year-old could figure out. There are 53 active players on the field, coaches, mucky-mucks in the sky boxes...

 

I'd like to think that at least one of that well-paid multitude could understand the concept of minutes and seconds..cripe, even fast-food clerks have that down pat.

[Mikie2times]

I give them not one ounce of slack. What adult needs years of experience as to how to read a da*n clock?

 

Telling time and appreciating what's what's going on, on a football field is something a 10 year-old could figure out.  There are 53 active players on the field, coaches, mucky-mucks in the sky boxes...

 

I'd like to think that at least one of that well-paid multitude could understand the concept of minutes and seconds..cripe, even fast-food clerks have that down pat.

539465[/snapback]

 

Counting isn't difficult, it's trying to do the other million things coaches need to do that makes it difficult. If it was so easy why do these things even happen? Like you said it's not just Mularkey, the heralded Marvin Lewis did it. Most coaches will mess up from time to time, some more so then others. This is clearly the trend in the NFL regards to time management, especially when dealing with new coaches.

 

I do agree that it's inexcusable for not one of the million other assistants to be keeping an eye on it. If that is happening and MM is still messing it up what a nightmare that would be. Personally I don't think they have anybody that does monitor the clock, because Mularkey thinks he can handle it. That's probably the problem at a lot of places, but regardless of what the problem is it needs to be addressed before 2006. .

[Tcali]

shouldn't there be someone who keeps tabs on this stuff for him? in those sorts of situations, it seems terribly obvious that you should call time out to conserve a little time. once a team is inside the 10 and there's a minute left, the clock is never an enemy to them. they can only run 4 plays at most. i sometimes get the sense that a lot of coaches don't realize this.

539308[/snapback]

but the fact that he let time piss away from 30 secs to 10 secs before the moron calls a time out--especially when he had 2 left----is double idiocy.