Path to the Hall of Fame: Guts, Glory and Gangrene
Head Coach 09
I am using a custom HOF roster (attached in case anyone is interested)
The roster was set up for the toughest challenge possible.
I take over the Jets as the only team without HOFs.
I have the worst coaching staff and will use a create-a-coach to start further in the hole.
Justin Lech was announced as the Head Coach of the New York Jets. Lech believes his analytical background will help the Jets become efficient in personnel and player decisions. Former Head Coach Rex Ryan was not available for long as the Ravens have announced him as their Defensive Coordinator. His brother Rob also left the team heading to New Orleans as their DC and will be replaced by Joe Vitt. Lech has only a few weeks before the season stats and will not be able to shake up the staff.
Below is a brief transcript of the press conference:
Q. What are your expectations for your first year as coach?
A. I hate speaking in clichés but it is going to be an uphill battle. There are 3 HOF QBs in our division with Brady, Kelly, and Marino and we are unsettled there. Fans will need to be patient and trust our system is working. It may seem like a long time but I believe we have a strong 3 year plan to turn this team into a perennial contender.
Q. What should we expect to see from the offense this year?
A. I want to have a very physical team. I like having a power run game and tall receivers who can haul in long passes. I want a well-balanced QB who can do it all... but who doesn’t?
Q. Who will be taking snaps under the center?
A. Right now there are 2 QBs on the roster (Geno Smith and Matt Sanchez). I’ve watched tape on both but will need a full pre-season to determine who will start.
Q. There is a lot of talent on D, how will you utilize it?
A. This could be the one of the best Ds in the league. We have an elite CB in Revis, 2 studs DLs with Richardson and Wilkerson, and a lot of potential from Gholston and Coples. I’ll be running multiple formations: 46, 43, 34 and Rover.
Q. Play Calling and Personnel decisions … Who’s making them?
A. I will be calling plays on both sides of the ball and will have final say in all drafting and signing. The ownership has but a lot of faith in me to be the leader of this entire organization.
Re: Path to the Hall of Fame: Guts, Glory and Gangrene
I maxed out my performance to start out with. I normally wouldn’t do this but the minimum performance rating for all head coaches is 4 in my custom file. In the default roster the average performance rating is 2.75 for head coaches and they didn’t have max potential in every skill so I think this will balance out. I am using 2 custom Playbooks. My offensive PB is maxed and D is at 185. I will be using algoody’s sliders to start. I’m a proponent of adjusting your slider set based on your playbook and results. I’ve used slider sets where teams would run all over me as a cover 2 d but average less than 2 yards per carry in a 3-4 / 46 base. Now I understand the cover 2 should struggle a little against the run but there should be more than a 3 ypc difference based of playbook choice. Additionally, I’m not against setting different sliders for human vs cpu.
Before the 1st game I cut all the training camp invitees. I don’t plan on making any signings or trades as long as there are no major injuries.
I gave myself one gift when creating this roster: Samson Jolly. The Jolly Green Giant is a 6’8” TE loaded with potential. Former basketball player had the athletic gifts of Lebron but the jump shot of Shaq and switched to football his senior year. Jolly has HOF potential strictly due to his athletic ability, but is struggling to learn the game.
There is really only one position battle and it is QB. Sanchez was injured in practice and will miss the first preseason game. I don’t really care who starts as it will be a 1 year term tops. Once other teams cut QBs I’ll look for a 3rd player to challenge.
I’ll start Stephen Hill as my #1 WR. He fits the mold of what I want from a WR where Coles and Holmes are more #3 types. If Hill struggles earlier on I’ll phase him out and begrudgingly look for 2 WRs in the offseason.
O-Line is solid at 3 spots with Ferguson, Mawae and Mangold. Given the holes on the roster upgrading the other positions here is low priority.
On D I have a lot of talent and it should be fun calling plays with multiple formations. The DLine is the best part of the roster. Wilkerson and Richardson and the cornerstones of the D and Jenkins will be great as a nose tackle when playing the 3-4. I’ll slide Wilkerson and Richardson to DT when playing 4 man fronts, with Gholston and Coples moving to DE replaced by Barnes and Scott. David Harris is ok as my mlb but I’d rather have him filling in a spot at OLB for my 4 man fronts than every down backer. I don’t really have anyone who fits the role of rover yet so I won’t use that formation as much as I’d like. Revis is a beast at CB, but I’m still unsure of Wilson or Millner. Landry and Rhodes are competent so I won’t look to make moves at safety yet. I could see trading both in the future.
Re: Path to the Hall of Fame: Guts, Glory and Gangrene
PRE SEASON
Browns
On offense the Browns have a prototypical successful head coach build. Good QB in Luck, Power running back, Jim Brown, and 2 bigger WRs Braylon Edwards and Josh Gordon. On defense there is talent everywhere but nothing too overwhelming. Joe Haden is their best player so I’ll try to keep passes to the slots and TEs for most success. With Holmgren at head coach Cleveland is set up for long term success.
We won 35-26, but it was a lucky win as we won the turnover battle 6-3. Smith played the whole game and threw 4 TDs and 3 ints, but only completed 44% of passes on 29 attempts. I was throwing around the goal line so the TDs are inflated. The running game average 2.5 ypc and was disappointing. Stephen Hill looked the part with 7 catches for 105 yards and a TD. Jolly scored a 64 yard td on a wheel route that worked as a pick play. I threw to him 4 times in the red zone and he caught 2 of them for a total of 3 TDs on the day. He’ll be a beast in the redzone at the very least. The defense was ok, but saved by Revis who picked off 3 passes. Milner, Wilson, and backup safety Jarret also had ints. Wilkerson had a sack, but the pass rush was underwhelming.
Luck was 12/15, 179 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. Harrell and Quinn combined for 5 ints in 2nd half. Jim Brown went 15 for 40, but there were 3 carries where he was hit in the backfield for a loss. Edwards killed us putting up 120 yards and a TD in the first half. On D Haden played well and got a pick.
An odd game but I’ll take the extra skill points. Without 6 picks this game would have been a blowout as it wasn’t just the turnover it was the location with 5/6 occurring within Browns territory.
Redskins
RGIII is a beast at QB. If you don’t spy him he will kill you scrambling. Morris is a tough runner with good BCV. Garcon, Monk, and Cooley make up a solid receiving core. The Redskins also have a competent offensive line giving them a solid offense. Their front 7 is a little underwhelming, but Orakpo and Arrington are playmakers. The secondary is the strength of the D with Hall and Darrell Green at CB and Sean Taylor and Laron Landry at safety. Mike Shanahan is the HC so you know the offense will always be solid
Won 30-23 but it was a deceiving win as our 2nd string outscored theirs 17-6 including a pick 6. Sanchez looked awful going 7-15 for 128 and a pick. Smith was 6-9 with a TD and an INT. The running game has been a little disappointing so far but nothing too drastic on either side. Jolly is a beast and I might already regret creating him. 5 catches for 110 and he’s not dropped a pass yet. Wilkerson dominated with 5 sacks! This is a little misleading. 4 came against the 2nd string and 3 of those were scrambling qbs for 1 or so yard losses. Revis dominated again picking off 2 and returning one for a TD.
For Washington RGIII completed 80% of his passes on ten attempts for 125 yards. He also ran 3 times for 31 yards including a 21 yard TD. Their running game stalled averaging 2.2 ypc. I’ve played these sliders before with a higher rb ability and might switch back if ypc stays low. Monk was great in 1st half gaining 71 yards on 4 catches. Orakpo had 2 sacks blitzing off the edge and it was definitely a challenge passing against Hall and Green.
I’m satisfied with a win, but the writing is on the wall. The team really struggled in the first half and I expect rough sledding once the regular season rolls around.
Giants
The Giants are a super bowl contender despite an average looking offense. Eli is a solid QB, but with the HOF roster nearly every team has a QB this quality. Jacobs is on the lower tier for rbs, but the Giants have a nice WR crew with Nicks, Cruz, Toomer, and Shockey. The OLine doesn’t have any probowl level talent but no weakness either. The defensive line is what makes this team special. Strahan, Umenyora, Pierre-Paul, and Tuck may be a bit undersized but are a pass rushing terror. Add LT at ROLB and you’ll want to max protect to keep your QB upright. The Giants also have Pierce and Armstead at LB creating arguably the best front 7 in the league. A solid secondary should be pick happy with the pass rush generated. With Coughlin as HC this team should compete yearly for the title.
Down 21-3 at half time, but it should have been 28-3 as Eli threw a pick on 1st and goal from our 4. 3 sacks and 6 hurries from the Giants front 7 in first half of the game. Smith was 5/12 and didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Ivory averaged only 1.6 YPC but made a nice grab on a swing pass turning it into a 33 yard gain. Only score came after a 27 yard PA streak from Jolly. This is more of what I expected in terms of a struggle. On D, Eli torched us 14/22 for 231, a TD and an INT. Jacobs only averaged 2.5 per carry. I’ll give it one more preseason game but will likely bump RBA. Cruz did the most damage with 107 yards on 6 catches. I was a little disappointed in the pass D as there are no elite players on the Giants O. We recovered a fumble off the opening kickoff and pounded in a score early even got within a touchdown with the ball before imploding.
The QB battle is likely over as Sanchez was awful in the second half. 9/17 2 picks and was sacked 5 times. Even in the 2nd half the running game couldn’t average over 1 ypc. A tough loss, but sets realistic expectations for the future.
Eagles
The Eagles have a lot of pure talent on offense. Vintage Michael Vick is the most athletic QB in the game. Dedicating at least one defender to him at all times is a must. McCoy is the most elusive runner not named Barry Sanders while Owens and Jackson form a scary WR duo. Philly also benefits from having a pro bowl level player at every position on the oline. The defense is one of the weaker ones on the hall of fame roster. Babin and Cole are adequate as pass rushers but they’ll need to blitz to consistently get pressure. Linebacker is strong with Trotter and Joyner, Eagles surprising released William Thomas after 2 preseason games. The strength on D is in the secondary with 3 quality corners (Brown, Shepard, Taylor) and pro bowl safeties in Dawkins and Williams. Chip Kelly is unproven as a head coach but this team has enough talent to compete for a playoff spot.
Smith 7/12 for 98 but was sacked 6 times, 4 hurries. Eagles pass rush dominated (Devin Taylor had 3 sacks, Barwin 2), I guess Jim Johnson is all you need. Running game finally got going a little as Ivory had 36 yards on 8 carries. Hill was the only receiver showing signs of life. Kerry Rhodes had 2 picks. Vick was 10/16 2 Tds but threw 2 picks didn’t scramble much. Mccoy 6 for 19 was bottled up. With Owens out I thought their pass game would struggle, but Jason Avant stepped up with 72 yards in first half.
14-10 at half, Eagles returned kickoff for TD ended 34-26. Sanchez threw 2 picks and only completed 40% of his passes. Philly finished with 9 sacks and 23 hurries. I blame my play calling as I didn’t max protect as often as I usually would. I was just trying to get through the last preseason game and into the real fun.
Re: Path to the Hall of Fame: Guts, Glory and Gangrene
Preseason Promise – Win At Least 3
I think in reality we’ll win 5-6 games. It is going to be a struggle facing Brady, Marino, Kelly 6 times + we’ll face Montana and Elway meaning ½ the games are against HOF QBs.
Draft Path: Sweetney.
I haven’t played the Sweetney draft class in a long time, but know it is the hardest of all the paths early on. If I remember correctly the last time I had this path I traded for Cutler as the Bears, to recreate what had just happened in real life (it has been awhile ).
Signings: I let everyone have a shot at him first but all passed so I snatched up Kirk Cousins. Our Bye week is week 5 so week 6 is the earliest I’ll consider playing him.
Adam Archuleta was also cut and he fits a need as a rover.
Josh Cribs was cut as well and he is an upgrade as a KR only.
Isiah Pead might get some play as a 3rd down back.
Re: Path to the Hall of Fame: Guts, Glory and Gangrene
2008 Week 1: 0-0 @ Miami Dolphins 0-0:
Matchup Preview *|* September 7, 2008
@
New York Jets (0-0, Away)
Miami Dolphins (0-0, Home)
Injury Report
Game Notes
Marino has triple perfect scores in THP, THA, and AWR with the right supporting cast he could contend for decades. Miami has its workhorse in Ricky Williams, who will run over or around you. The receiving core could use some work. Berrian and Wallace are speed demons with questionable hands while Irving Fryar provides consistency. Jake Long is a HOF prospect at LT and the rest of the line is solid.
The Dolphins run the Eagles D with an abundance of pass rushers. Wake and Taylor are beasts on the outside and Jordan and Porter are effective blitzers. Zach Thomas has a nose for the ball up the middle and Miami has 3 solid corners in Surtain, Vincent, and Madision.
I will try to blitz/press often to get to Marino as I don’t think we can contain the speed of their WRs. I’d rather have Ricky run wild than Marino post 400+. On offense the power run game should work against the smaller defensive line and I hope to exploit their blitzing backers by focusing play action passes and spot routes to the TE and slot receivers. I want to keep Smith in manageable situations on 3rd down and will look to run often.
Drive Summary:
4 play 20 yard drive. Punt.
Landry Pick on 3rd down.
3 and out
1st play after pick, blitz middle backers, Dolphins pick up with 7. Hitch to Berrian, breaks Revis tackle outruns safety and all else for 80 yard TD. 0-7
3 and out (3 hurries and 1 sack in first 5 pass attempts)
6 straight run attempts for 33 yards, stopped on 3rd and 1, MIA kicks 47 yard fg. 0-10
We completed a pass! 6 yard drag on 3rd and 9 to the TE. 1st down after Porter jumped offside.
Punted from the 48.
Wilson pick on 3rd and 11 returned to MIA 30! I might bump down ints in the future as I’m seeing more
than I’d like early on.
3 and out. Pass game blows . 1 run for 2 yards, 2 incomplete passes, Folk misses 44 yard attempt.
3 and out + Ferguson is injured.
Williams breaks outside run for 44 yard td. 0 – 17.
6 and out
Dolphins run the clock out.
First play of 2nd half, Harris INT, returned to 26.
Jet sweep with Cribbs for 10, next play Geno picked by Surtain at the 1!
Harris hits Williams 3 yards deep in endzone for a safety. First 2 points of the Franchise. 2-17
24 yard completion to Holmes. Then 3 and out. 52 yard FG from Folk. 5-17.
3 and out
Cribbs 85 yard Punt Return for TD! 12 – 17
3 and out
Drove down to MIA 9, 3rd and 1 stopped, 4th and 1 stopped with sneak attempt.
Williams fumbles at 22, Jets recover.
Ran for 8 yards on first down, stuffed at line, lost 6 on pitch. Kicked FG, 15-17
Miami drives to 50, punts, touchback. 5:49 left 4th Quarter
3rd and 7 from MIA 47, Smith Corner route to Coles, turns upfield and runs untouched into endzone.
Short pass attempt for 2 fails 21 – 17. (I dismissed the playcall ughhhhhhhh no need for 2)
Ricky Williams takes a 2nd and 5 dive left, bowls over Harris and Lowry in succession, takes it 75 for the TD. 21-24. 3:08 left
Powell takes a pitch right, breaks Jordan’s tackle, 59 yards later TD. 28-24. 2:27 left
3rd and 9 Marino drills a slant to Fryar to MIA 46 (1:43), nails fade to Berrian to NYJ 36 (1:23), 4th and 4 60 seconds left, Marino hits Fryar on crossing route to the 9, I swear the ball traveled in-between 2 defenders (:47). Williams runs for 2, injured, timeout. Incomplete pass, 3rd and goal. Screen pass right to Berrian, stopped at 4. Marino flag route to Wallace in corner of endzone, Kyle Wilson knocks it out of his hands!
Jets win 28 – 24.
I did not expect to win this game at all. Williams killed us and we were lucky he got hurt, I’m sure they would have pounded it in. Marino was disappointing throwing 3 picks, but the arm talent is there. If he gets an elite WR or TE he’ll dominate. Dion Jordan and Jason Taylor were all over the place on outside runs catching our rbs from behind. Williams will miss 1-2 weeks.
Smith came through when it counted, completed 50% of passes for 157 on 20 attempts. Powell burst the big run, but Ivory was consistent finishing with 88 on 20 carries. Coles was the only WR of note, no one had more than 2 catches. Harris was MVP 10 tackles, 7 for a loss, 1 int, safety. Pass rush was disappointing. Kyle Wilson was huge with an int and broke up a potential game ending TD. Cribbs was well worth the pickup! I am going to bump INTs down to 20 a piece. Ferguson won’t practice but will play in week 2. In some ways I actually would have rather lost at the last second. This team is not competing for a playoff spot and I risk not having my choice of players in the draft next year.
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
Sep 7, 2008
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
New York Jets (0-0)
0
0
12
16
28
Miami Dolphins (0-0)
10
7
0
7
24
Team Stats Comparison
NYJ
MIA
Total Offense
323
496
Rushing Yards
175
207
Passing Yards
148
289
First Downs
11
14
Punt Return Yards
101
37
Kick Return Yards
151
76
Total Yards
575
609
Turnovers
1
4
3rd Down Converstion
5-15
3-12
4th Down Conversion
0-1
0-0
2-Point Conversion
0-1
0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
0-3
0-2
Penalties
2-10
5-25
Posession Time
32:09
27:45
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING
NYJ
MIA
(MIA) B. Berrian, 80 yd pass from D. Marino
0
7
(MIA) C. Sturgis, 47 yd FG
0
10
SECOND QUARTER SCORING
NYJ
MIA
(MIA) R. Williams, 44 yd run
0
17
THIRD QUARTER SCORING
NYJ
MIA
(NYJ) Saftey, D. Harris tackle
2
17
(NYJ) N. Folk, 52 yd FG
5
17
(NYJ) J. Cribbs, 85 yd punt return
12
17
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
NYJ
MIA
(NYJ) N. Folk, 36 yd FG
15
17
(NYJ) L. Coles, 47 yd pass from G. Smith (2pt fail)
Re: Path to the Hall of Fame: Guts, Glory and Gangrene
Matchup Preview *|* September 15, 2008
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New England Patriots (1-0, Away)
New York Jets (1-0, Home)
Game Notes
Brady and Bellichek are the cornerstones of the New England Franchise. You can change the cast around them but these 2 pieces give you enough power to be in title contention. The Pats are weak comparably at RB with Stevan Ridley, although, he has the classic build of a successful head coach back. At WR it is all about route running. Welker and Driver won’t stretch the field but will find the gaps in the defense for Brady to expose. Gronkowski is one of the top TEs in the game and is a stud in the red zone area. Every OL is rated between 87-91, solid but won’t dominate.
The Patriots run multiple formations but have a base 3-4. Richard Seymour is perhaps the top 5 technique DE in the game. Warren and Wilfork add beef on the line making it tough to run against NE. The Pats have one of the best LB crews in the game. Vrabel, Mayo, Bruschi, and Thomas are versatile smart players. Samuel and Law are a solid CB duo with Milloy cleaning up mistakes at SS.
Game Plan:
For the Pats I will employ a similar approach I used against Miami. I will use more Rover as I am not afraid of Ridley killing us. I will blitz less hoping our front 4 can pressure Brady because I’m not worried about being burned deep by Welker or Driver.
Offensively I just don’t know. I’ll play conservatively and hope I can win the field position game. I don’t think my WRs can consistently beat their corners. Thomas is a beast in coverage and should handle Jolly. I’ll try to use some 2 TE sets and get Keller involved and take at least 1 shot downfield to Hill a half.
**Signings – Red Bryant and Tyson Jackson were released and no one is picking them up. I wont hold onto them but depth is wonderful. (They’ll sit until week 3 at least)**
Drive Summary:
Pats win toss
Brady completed 48 yard fade to Welker against Revis on 3rd and 3, followed by a 15 yard curl for a TD. 0-7.
3 and out, 2 runs into the line, dropped pass from Jolly
Pats drive stall at NYJ 31 missed 47 yd fg
Drove to NE 38 off of 2 big 3rd down completions to Holmes, 4th and 2 attempt, hb slam, loss of 2
Ridley 7 yard dive left. 0-14
Ivory fumbled a pitch left, forced by Thomas, Church returns for TD. 0-21.
Ivory fumbled the next play, benched, Church recovers at NYJ 43.
3 and out, punt out of bounds at NYJ 16
3 and out
Pats punt from NYJ 34 after Coples sack pushes them out of range, touchback
Milloy picks of Geno on 3rd and 16 attempt to Keller. Returned to NYJ 12
3 incompletions, Gostkowski kicks 28 yard FG 0-24
Samuel pick 6 on comeback route to Hill, Smith pulled from game. 0-31
Jets run out the clock
3 and out
Pats drove down the field, Brady throw a bullet to Welker who made a one handed grab for a 28 yard
TD. 0-38
*Gholston injured for game
Decent drive ended in a Mayo pick at NE 36, Sanchez’s first
Pats pull starters
Mallet throws bomb off play action to Troy Brown 65 yard TD. 0-45
Drive stalls at NE 39
Pats drove couldn’t be stopped.Blount 2 yd run. 0-52
Another drive stalls out first time ever will be shut out
The game was a disaster. I’ve blown teams out before, lost by multiple scores, but haven never been completely stomped like this. We couldn’t stop their offense or move the ball consistently. Turnovers killed us. I feel slightly better about the 2nd half as I was calling all unlearned players and not really focusing on the scenario. Either way it shows what an elite coaching staff and HOF roster can produce. The Chargers will be an interesting test next week Monday Night as it will be the first time not facing a HOF QB.
Re: Path to the Hall of Fame: Guts, Glory and Gangrene
Matchup Preview *|* September 22, 2008
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New York Jets (1-1, Away)
San Diego Chargers (0-2, Home)
Game Notes
The Chargers run a version of the Steelers playbook utilizing west coast heavy pass tendencies. San Diego has a great QB in Philip Rivers. The NC State grad has elite size, accuracy and intangibles and when supported by the right cast he can really produce. Ladainian Tomlinson is perhaps the best overall back in the game. He’s fast, smart, strong, and can catch the ball out of the backfield. The Chargers utilize big WRs on the outside with Allen and Floyd. Neither is elite, although Allen could be on his way despite a lack of top end speed. At TE Antonio Gates presents a giant matchup problem. He is bigger than most linebackers and as fast as elite safety with #1 WR skills. The O-Line is led by Marcus McNeill a 6’7” monster left tackle with the strength to be an elite run blocker and agility and footwork to be an elite blind side protector.
On defense the Chargers play a base 3-4 generating pass rush primarily from blitzing backers. Their DL averages 306 and is powerful. Castillo and Olshansky don’t offer a variety of finesse moves but can bull rush and disrupt the run. Jamaal Williams is one of the best nose tackles in the game. The back 7 is the strength of the Chargers defense. They have 2 elite pass rushing OLBs in Phillips and Merriman and 2 run stuffing MLBs in Junior Seau and Manti Te’o. Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie are athletic, physical, man coverage corners.. Weddle is smart free safety best utilized in zone coverage and Rodney Harrison is a big hitting SS with enough coverage skills to earn him pro bowl consideration.
Going into the season I would have been a little more confident, but after Ricky Williams burst open a 200 yard game I am worried LT will run all over us. I am not worried about the deep ball as Rivers doesn’t have a powerful arm and the WRs aren’t burners. Gates is an issue and I will look to double him often in 3rd and medium situations.
Defensively the Chargers present an issue as their powerful line should stuff out our power running attack. I’ll need to keep at least 1 back as extra protection from the blitzing OLBs. My best hope for big plays is to isolate Jolly on an OLB or catch Harrison napping on Play Action and throw deep. SD is 0-2 so far losing to Carolina and Denver. It is a winnable game, but not likely.
Jets win Toss
3 and out on 3 broken plays ughhhh
Chargers drove down to the 5 we stopped them 3 consecutive plays. Pass Rush is just missing Rivers. 0-3
PA Streaks first play, begging Smith to throw to Jolly, he stares down Coles, Weddle reads it the whole way, pick 6. 0-10
Cribbs starts off left jukes by 3 defenders, crosses the field right turns upfield at 40 untouched rest of the way for a 99 yd TD. I just realized this team is the 07-08 era Bears with a worse defense and offense. (I might start supersimming ST plays just not realistic). 7-10
3 and out. Gates jumped off on first down forced Chargers into Shotgun every play
3 and out. Geno is sooooo indecisive, sacked twice
SD drove down the field. Im getting killed on 3rd and medium 8 yr pickups in the flats. Naane catches 7 yard pass while doubled in endzone. 7-17
3 and out. Hill steps out of bounds on leaping spinning catch, 7 yard pitch, lost on on RB slam
3 and out, pass d has been solid
Drove down the field after get good field position. Smith completed 2 passes for 37 yards and ran for 9.
Powell Maryland I sweep left from 2 yard line for TD. 14-17
Rivers moved the ball well in the two minute drill, but Revis can’t tackle. He has now given up 4 TDs in 10 quarters. Allen ran a curl route right, broke Revis’ tackle took it 45 for the TD. 14-24.
3 and out. I took a shot down the field, Jolly slipped nearly picked. 2 runs went nowhere
Sproles big 24 yard return sets up Chargers at NYJ 35 with 38 seconds left. 2 Gates completions, Novak 28 yd fg. 14-27.
Called a hailmary with 3 seconds left, picked by Jammer. Half Ends.
3rd down conversions again are killer. Tomlinson pounds it in from 3 on 3rd down. 14-34.
3 and out, 2 sacks
Revis pick 6 off Rivers from NYJ 17. 21-34.
10 play drive end in FG for SD. 21-37, I’ve been calling all unlearned plays so not too concerned.
Drove to SD 25, Jolly fumbles, recovered by Phillips.
3 and out
1st and goal from 7, Powell fumbles recovered by Olshansky
Chargers run the clock out.
14/21 points came from returns for touchdowns. 2 fumbles in redzone a frustrating game. While we shouldn’t have won it should have been closer. Smith clearly isn’t the answer and I’m going to look for options via trade. The run game struggled again and neither Jolly or Hill are making plays. Defensively we could improve but its not as bad as the point allowed look. If we can cut 3rd down percentages to 40% we can be successful.
Re: Path to the Hall of Fame: Guts, Glory and Gangrene
Matchup Preview *|* September 28, 2008
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Arizona Cardinals (2-1, Away)
New York Jets (1-2, Home)
Game Notes
Tony Romo moved west after being jettisoned from Dallas and finally found a franchise that appreciates him. Romo has a 116 QB rating through 3 games and has not been below 100 all year. He is a fast learner, extremely athletic, and pinpoint accurate. In Head Coach Romo is an elite QB. The Cardinals run a version of the Colts offense that incorporates more of a power run game. At RB they have 2 dozer type options in Richardson and Mendenhall. They are similar players, Mendenhall is faster, but Richardson is strong and has won the job. At WR Arizona has 2 elite options in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Fitzgerald is big, strong, and can jump over you to come down with the ball. He along with Brandon Marshall are the prototypical successful HC WR. Boldin won’t run past you but will run over you. He is a good route runner and excels in catching the ball in traffic. Leonard Davis is the lynchpin of the line at LG and Jonathan Cooper is an upcoming star at RG.
The Cardinals run a physical defense relying on man coverage. Calais Campbell is a force at LE and Darnell Dockett continues to be one of the most underrated players in the league. Dansby, Marcus Washington, and Daryl Washington are active backers. They are fast, good tacklers, and good in coverage. Patrick Peterson and Aneas Williams are one of the league’s top CB duos. They have high catch ratings, high press ratings, and are elite in man coverage. Carnell Lake was release by Pittsburgh and landed here. He doesn’t perfectly fit their scheme but he’s smart and has a 78 catch rating. Finally, Adrian Wilson is one of the top safeties in the game. He has it all. Coverage skills, learning, size, and can really come up in the box and cause issues.
On Defense we need to be able to get some pass rush and convert them into sacks. We only have 1 sack on the season, but do have 17 hurries. We can’t let Bolding and Fitzgerald beat us. I’ll look to double wides often as AZ doesn’t have a reliable TE or a good pass catching back. If we can contain their WRs we’ll have a shot. I’ll use move rover and see if Archuleta is the answer. Additionally, Red Bryant will be used move in the DL rotation.
This D will be tough and on talent alone rivals New England who stomped us two weeks ago. Not much changes on this of the ball. We have to be able to run successfully and limit turnovers. Cousins will be the #2 this week.
Arizona won the toss and will receive the ball.
Drive by Drive was too time consuming. A condensed version is listed below.
Romo has killed us earlier on with scrambling ability.
Jet sweep might be our best play
Finally some pressure caused a duck throw from Romo, Rhodes pick 6.
Romo shaken up as Leinart is in for the series
Missed 44 yd FG wide right, pass game showing signs of life
Romo is back. Post pattern for 30 to Fitzgerald was a thing of beauty.
Rhodes forced fumble from Richardson recovered at NYJ 39.
Smith made an awful attempt at throwing a fade to Hill, picked off by LB Marcus Washington returned 57 yards for TD.
Folk had a 55 yd fg hit the post
Pass D is looking really good so far
Maryland I HB slam, Ivory found a role, wasn’t even touched
A Sack!, Harris gets Romo for a loss of 5 off play action
Remainder of 3rd quarter teams traded off stalled drives
Folk finally makes the FG. 17-14.
Stopped AZ at NYJ 35 and they punt.
3 and out AZ gets ball down 3 with 1:55 left. Returned punt to NYJ 29.
3 and out for AZ, Feely makes 45 yd fg. 17-17.
Smith throws a pick on the first play of last drive right to M. Washington. Returned to NYJ 26.
Feely kicks FG as time expires. 17-20.
A really tough loss. We held Romo to 115 passing and still couldn’t win. Smith threw away the game and has lost his starting job. The running game had 1 big play which inflates our YPC but overall is still disappointing. The pass rush and coverage really picked it up. Romo was hurried 5 times and sacked 3. I am hoping a new QB can inject some life into the pass game as we have a better chance scoring returning kicks and ints.
01-31-2014, 06:39 PM
