Smash Articles
14
Playoff Teams
Rule Changes
17 Game
Season
Low Lights
-
-
-
-
-
-
| |
2-Point Conversion
There may have been numerous turning
points in the game played versus the Lions yesterday that lost this Vikings
franchise the game, however there are key decisions that must be made by
coaches, at the end of games, that would have significantly
influence the outcome of this game and numerous other games.
Take for example the end of the Colts contest yesterday. If it were the
Vikings, it would be in their history to run the ball to kill the clock.
Well they might have been a running team in the past but how often did we look
at a 2nd & 9
or a 2nd & 8 after getting stacked up at the line with Adrian Peterson.
Yesterday the Colts provided a
blue print to close out the game that was unstoppable. It is a mistake to
think that you have to run the ball for the sole purpose of keeping the clock
running. In fact it is this thought alone that tends to blind coaching a
coaching staff to what should be the overall objective. The only overall objective is to secure a first
down or to secure successive first downs. If a ball is caught in bounds,
and the receiver is tackled in bounds, the clock runs. Today coaches are paralyzed
with fear that they cannot pass to kill the clock
because one of their highly paid players might drop the ball refusing to
understand that if they do ... that receiver is going to end up on the
bench.
Why was the Colts blueprint of passing to kill the clock so effective? Well it is for numerous
reason. First, the defense is pre-occupied & pre-disposed with filling gaps first &
foremost ... falling for play action ... which opens up passing lanes, In
short the blueprint attacks weaknesses & ignores the objections of the press
that we must lose with dignity. It
is also because you have three passing opportunities to secure that first down.
Imagine the-heart-stab-to-the-defense after securing a 2nd & 3 or 2nd &
4 after passing the ball on first down. To
be direct, there is no difference between three completed passes that fail to
secure a 1st down & 3 stacked up runs, however the odds of securing the 1st
down are much greater if you pass the ball in this situation. So, what it comes down
to is ... did you
execute or didn't you. On the other hand, if you have three straight
incomplete passes, the press is going to eat that coach alive, which is their
job, as there are 31 other franchises that deserve the title in the minds of
these ravaging dogs they call the press, Somehow, our coaches have to get past this
fear & paralysis. One other point to consider is I'd rather learn
of the shortcomings of a receiver or my quarterback failing to execute in a
regular season game rather than in the playoffs or in the worlds biggest
game.
So there's 23 seconds on the clock. Blair Walsh missed an extra point
& had a field goal blocked. Really ... these failures were in fact
gifts handed to Mike Zimmer. With these two obvious failures he could have
called on his offense for a 2-point conversion ... but he didn't. He
allowed this obvious opportunity to pass him by like a thief in the night.
Instead,
he enabled his kicker, to get him back on track instead of sending a message to
everyone on this squad. If my kicker cannot be relied upon then we'll have
to have everyone else pick up the slack to get the job done. This is
exactly what they teach you in basic training which sends a clear message that
everyone has to do their part and if they can't then someone else is going to
have to do double duty. The mistake Zimmer made had nothing to do with Blair
Walsh having to face the press. Blair Walsh had to face his peers unprotected,
for his inability to execute, which in allot of
ways is worse than missing any kick. In Walsh's mind he must be made to
think, "These guys had to cover for me". There's a distinct
difference here.
So what if Zimmer's offense didn't convert the 2 point conversion. We'll
there is one thing for certain, with only a 2-point lead with 23 seconds left,
there is no question that Zimmer would have to rely on what got his team where
it was at that moment. His defense wouldn't be playing a prevent 3-man
line defense but would in fact be playing the best hand that it had.
PRESSURE DEFENSE. There was almost an entire decade of football played
where the Prevent Defense was used where the only thing that it did is prevent
your team from winning. On the other hand, with 23 seconds left, if the
Vikings had converted the 2-point conversion, it would have taken nothing short
of a miracle to lose the game with a 4 point lead with Detroit having no time
outs.
Did Coach Zimmer make a mistake not going for the 2-point conversion? Well
in my opinion only ... he did, because he failed to make a key influential
decision rather than doing what he thinks everyone else would do. What I
understand, without question, is that Mike is still new at being a head coach
where the experience of this loss will teach him that when you have the
opportunity of breaking the knife off, in someone's belly, YOU DO IT.
Instead he nursed a 3-point lead, against a very capable quarterback, with
numerous receiving threats, knowing that the opposing team had a kicker that
hold the NFL record for the longest field goal in history. Personally, I
like when a coach takes responsibility for losing because it is usually followed
by, "but I'll never make that mistake again". In short, "We
aren't going to die like everyone wants us to ... how everyone expects us
to. We are going to die on our terms ... not yours".
Charles Johnson is probably the nicest kid in the world but there are several
notes of interest. You snatched him off the practice squad of Cleveland
and more importantly he'd not producing on the field. It's time to give
our number 1 pick his opportunity. There is one axiom that applies here
... you never know unless you give it a try. -
The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: November 7, 2016
|