It has to be said
by jpage78 on Dec 13, 2009 6:19 PM MST
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Where was you know who?
Let me be the first to start a thread on this...but....why wasn't Hillis used on those short yardage situations? Especially after Buckhalter was injured? I was watching this with my dad, and we kept screaming at the TV "LET HILLIS RUN THE BALL"...
I had thought that whatever doghouse Peyton was in had vanished when he got to play in mop up duty last week....I guess I was wrong. He carried the ball twice....neither of which were in short yardage situations....and spent the rest of the time either on the bench or blocking on maybe 5 plays.
Im aware that Spencer Larsens injury hurt, but it seems nonsensical to me to not use an asset like Hillis when the situation would seem to cry out for it.
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Hillis wouldn't have mattered.
I think a lot of people are mistaking size for the huge advantage in short yardage situations. Moreno is clearly Denver’s most effective short-yardage back. Its vision, close-quarter elusiveness and burst that define an effective short-yardage player, and Moreno has the first two in abundance, and has more than Hillis of the later. The advantage of a Hillis type back is when the line is winning the line of scrimmage— which clearly wasn’t happening today, and he can use his power and bulk (and head of steam) to convert a manufactured 2 yard gain into 5 yards. Hillis simply would have been running into a wall of nothing most of the time, and even the likes of John Riggins and Jerome Bettis were powerless in those situations. Moreno, at least, offers the opportunity of bouncing a shut down play outside— or picking a hole and bursting through it— but the Colts dominated the edge and made it impossible to do that. The Broncos struggles had nothing to do with Moreno’s limitations.
In other words, when McD said today that they were using their best player for those situations, he was speaking the truth. No back can deal with the disruption the Colts caused today.
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 13, 2009 6:41 PM MST reply actions 6 recs
That said...
…I’m hoping KM stops with the Gerald ’I’ll tackle myself in space’ Wilhite imitations. Dude needs to chill a little at times.
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 13, 2009 6:55 PM MST up reply actions
+1
Because Montana has no professional sports, I gotta support the land of my birth.
Socrates was once executed for 'trolling'.
^Needs explaining: don't call someone asking uncomfortable, slightly antagonistic questions trolls. In all odds they probably just want to learn. It's real easy to differentiate a 'Socratic' post from a trolling one (unless you're a resident of WCG).
^Needs further explaining: I have yet to post anything on WCG, don't worry, I'm not trying to rationalize anything I've done. I've just lurked over there and man, they are the model of post-peloponnesian war Athens.
Thank you!
But we neeeeeeeed more bulk in the interior line. Makes everybody better, including Hillis. If Hillis could block, he’d play more. Can’t just use him to run only….we’re not good enough to announce the play that way.
Good Post PO
-Richee
-"If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will." - Abraham Lincoln
-Measure your performance against your best competitors and consider how you can use it to beat them the next time!
by BroncoSense72 on Dec 14, 2009 6:04 AM MST up reply actions
I take issue with one point.
Go look at tape of Hillis from last year, and you will see that he shows great vision on most of his runs. I think Hillis is very underrated for his ability to read blocks and pick the right gap. Like I said yesterday, he seems much more decisive in his cuts than does KM.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
Hillis may have decent vision...
…but Moreno is rare in that category, and if the clearly quicker Moreno lacked the burst to even gain the line of scrimmage and never had the opportunity to bounce a run, how in the world was the more ponderous Hillis going to pull that off? Hillis showed repeatedly in the preseason that he was not able to make anything happen if the defense was able to force him to turn his shoulders east-west. Its not that he doesn’t have abilities, but he cannot improvise, which makes him pretty worthless unless the line is winning the battles up front.
I think everybody is making way to much of Hillis’ work against KC. He came in and feasted on a wore out and demoralized opponent in garbage time. Last year, with Cutler, he was facing defenses that were largely keying pass. His real strength is as a receiver, not as a TB. In terms of being a pure RB, he’s the 4th best option on this team.
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 14, 2009 9:02 AM MST up reply actions
Actually.....both ran mid 4.55's.....so straight line speed is similar, and we are a one cut team....
At least Hillis does not dance in the back field.
I knew we were dead in water when Moreno did that from get go. Go look at film. He plays best when ran off tackle, misdirection, toss and sweep. He is NOT good between tackles….people keep saying that but it is not evident.
Running KN as an every dwon back limits his effectiveness….example, yesterday.
Anyone with a slight knowledge of the game can see that.
I am thinking that McD has something against Hillis…its the only explanation.
Subbing Hillis into the game more would have been better for the team, the run game, Moreno and Hillis…..and yeah, I dont run a Pro Team and I am not a football coach, but I know what I see.
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.
by boydy2669 on Dec 14, 2009 9:28 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
They might have similar straight line speed...
…but Moreno seems quicker, is more elusive, and at least has the burst to make something happen when circumstances require him to turn his shoulders.
That said, I thought Moreno regressed a little yesterday. He became tentative and reverted to tackling himself way too often. Sometimes— IMO— he and Marshall would be better off just heading downhill rather than trying to go all Barry Sanders.
My point on Hillis is that I don’t think that his skill set gave him much of a chance in yesterdays game. If Moreno was getting stoned at the LoS, thats one thing. But if your back is getting mauled from the edges by his first real step with the ball, nobody can make much happen. Hillis’ size and power would have meant nothing, because he wouldn’t have ever had the chance to get started to use it. In a woulda-coulda-shoulda world, it would have been nice to have Buckhalter’s speed to open up the run game play book. Maybe they could have run more stretch plays with Larsen. I don’t know….
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 14, 2009 9:53 AM MST up reply actions
Yep..good points...what bummed me is that by NOT using Hillis it limited the effectiveness of Moreno, Hillis and the whole team!
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.
I don't think Moreno was ready for Indy's speed...
…he looked a lot like he did early in the season, when he was trying to adjust to normal NFL speed. He seems to panic and to overestimate his elusiveness. He gets his body in front of his feet. He tries cuts his weight can’t handle. He’ll learn.
On Hillis as a whole, I don’t understand why they haven’t found a role. He showed some very clear talent and heart last year. McD said a few weeks ago (when Hillis missed practice and people were speculating that he’d been waived) that he has a long and bright future with this team. It makes me wonder if he’s not just picking things up and hasn’t gained the confidence yet. It makes sense, as he might as be a rookie again…learning a brand new and completely different system just his second NFL year. Unlike Moreno, he probably doesn’t have the pure talent to overcome the learning problems. I still think he will be a key player on this offense in the future.
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 14, 2009 10:26 AM MST up reply actions
We don't agree on Hillis' skill set.
I have looked at as much of his game footage from last year as I can, and the skills are clearly there. It doesn’t matter if Moreno “seems” quicker, he was not getting the job done at all yesterday. The bottom line to me is this: Even if Moreno was playing up to par…which he was not…the whole world could see him gasping and limping. He looked overworked halfway through the third quarter. At that point, if you have a backup RB who proved last year (and last week) that he is at least a serviceable backup, why not give him a few carries? If for no other reason than to give KM a breather?
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
I totally agree
McD should at least have given Hillis a try in the 3rd quarter. He couldn’t have been any worse than Moreno was.
We will now discuss in a little more detail the Struggle for Existence.
Charles Darwin. (The Origin Of Species)
by bradley on Dec 14, 2009 2:27 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree with the breather part...
…and am as perplexed by that lack of faith in him. All I can come up with is that he hasn’t learned the system well enough to gain the staff’s confidence and earn a role.
My only point is that just because Moreno is smaller, it doesn’t mean he’s less effective. The problem wasn’t so much Moreno yesterday, as it was that Moreno rarely had a chance to get started. If Moreno can’t get started, then Hillis doesn’t solve that problem. Nor does Adrian Peterson. Nor does Barry Sanders, etc.
Moreno might be smaller, be he runs with anger and power, and is amazingly elusive in closed quarters. He will, IMO, be of very good short yardage back over the long haul.
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 14, 2009 2:30 PM MST up reply actions
The difference is
that Mareno was juking around, looking for a hole, against a speed defense. Hillis would have made the hole.
Let’s ask this question – how much of McD’s sticking with an obviously failing Moreno is because he was McD’s number one pick?
We will now discuss in a little more detail the Struggle for Existence.
Charles Darwin. (The Origin Of Species)
I doubt McD (or any coach) is that narcissistic.
I haven’t watched the game again, but my initial reaction is that on top of everything else, Moreno didn’t play very well yesterday. However, in his previous four games, he was averaging better than 5.5 yards a clip and converted nearly every short-yardage situation presented to him. That includes an 18 rumble against KC and a handful of goal line TD’s.
If you mean Moreno is failing in short-yardage, I respectfully disagree. If you mean Moreno is failing all together, I wonder if we’re watching different players in totally different games.
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 14, 2009 2:37 PM MST up reply actions
Wouldn't you agree though
That Moreno danced A LOT yesterday? To me, he looked tentative…and I hesitate to say, almost looked like he was “running scared.” Get to the hole and…stop. Or take step back. Or one left, one right, one back.
Hillis is my favorite player on the roster, if only because of the heart and spark he provided last year. But if coach doesn’t have enough trust in him to at least use him to provide a breather for a back who is obviously gassed, then I would prefer to see coach cut him loose and put someone in there who he does trust to give our primary back a breather. I’d hate to see Hillis cut, but maybe he could catch on elsewhere. Meanwhile, without subbing for KM when he is worn out and hurt, we are hurting the team and we are risking a bigger injury to KM.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
I was referring to yesterday's game
If you mean Moreno is failing in short-yardage, I respectfully disagree. If you mean Moreno is failing all together, I wonder if we’re watching different players in totally different games.
We will now discuss in a little more detail the Struggle for Existence.
Charles Darwin. (The Origin Of Species)
Yeah
I agree with both of you that Moreno regressed some yesterday. My theory is that he was totally unprepared for Indy’s speed, as he looked very similar to his first couple of games where he was tentative and tackling himself with too many moves.
My whole argument is that nobody would have looked good yesterday because the job didn’t get done up front.
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 14, 2009 3:18 PM MST up reply actions
Understood
And my argument is still that, by halfway through the third quarter, we knew he wasn’t having a good game. We also knew he was tired and hurting, and at one point barely made it back to the huddle under his own power. There’s a fresh back standing on the sideline. I’m not going to say I know Hillis would have looked good, but he may have. Why not give him more than one late carry? Would he have been so much worse than KM that day?
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
I was thinking the same thing.
When we lost Larsen and his ability to block and Moreno could not even come close to pushing the pile ,why not Hillis ? It seems there were tools left in the shed, and this game was winable.
Where did the "Hillis is a great short yardage back" myth come from?
He’s bigger yes, he seems to be difficult to tackle yes, but when your offensive line is getting pushed backwards on short yardage plays, nobody is getting a first down. Our O-line is weak when it comes to overpowing others which is necessary for success in running on short yardage. Hillis would not have made a difference. I like what Hillis did last year too but those few games don’t make him a great back and they don’t make him the best back on this team. If we want to be a good short yardage team, we’re going ot have to replace Weigman and Hochstein with bigger stronger guys.
by T.Dot_Bronco on Dec 13, 2009 6:53 PM MST reply actions 2 recs
He can drive one or two people back...
But Hillis would have had to push 7 back, and that’s just a physical impossibility.
So why the hell do we keep unsuccessfully running it up the middle on 3rd and 4th and short. How dumb is our coach? Dude, it has not worked all season and it won’t work. Try something else already.
This is my favorite website.
No argument there
I’m not making any excuses I’m just saying that Zeus wouldn’t have been able to convert those runs behind this line. I’d like to see some pitches or toss plays around the goal line, maybe a little play action or quick slants. My whole point is why all the calls for Hillis? Is he going to run over 7 guys?
by T.Dot_Bronco on Dec 13, 2009 7:45 PM MST up reply actions
I don’t get the Hillis worship. Hillis is not the answer. The answer is anything other than running between the tackles on 3rd or 4th and short.
We’ve tried that dozens of times and failed almost every occasion.
This is my favorite website.
Then again, it was difficult to get to the tackles, too, because of inside penetration.
So, are we going to resort to passing on every down?
If Taylor Swift were to try and tackle me, I'd let her.
Girl, you don't need to be a 10, as long as you have a good smile and smell like bacon.
by Troy Hufford on Dec 13, 2009 8:00 PM MST up reply actions
I’m not dumb enough to try something that repeatedly fails.
Our short yardage running game between the tackles is broken and has been all season.
ANYTHING else would make me feel better that we learned from our failures instread of repeated them over and over and over and over.
This is my favorite website.
That's all well and good, but there is no telling if doing something different would have changed the outcome of the game.
If we start getting into a tussle about what might have happened if “we” did something different, we are wasting our time and typing in vain. It doesn’t do us any good. Sure, maybe if we pass it on third and short instead of running it, we might get a first down. But if we had a pick six instead, you would be screaming “WHY DIDN’T WE RUN IT?”
The fact of the matter is that being a Monday Morning (or even sunday night) Quarterback, just doesn’t do any of us any good. Shoulda woulda coulda’s cannot be what we focus on. Just because you wish something was done differently doesn’t mean that your wish would have been successful, anyways. There is no way of knowing whether or not it would have helped.
If Taylor Swift were to try and tackle me, I'd let her.
Girl, you don't need to be a 10, as long as you have a good smile and smell like bacon.
by Troy Hufford on Dec 13, 2009 8:24 PM MST up reply actions
I was happy when we had false start penalties that took us from 2rd and 1 to 3rd and 6 as I knew we had to pass it and we had way more chance of picking it up then running it. Tells you all you need to know!
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.
I agree. I'm with you. I found myself joyful for the same reasons, as sick as that sounds.
We are much better on first and second downs than we are on third downs.
If Taylor Swift were to try and tackle me, I'd let her.
Girl, you don't need to be a 10, as long as you have a good smile and smell like bacon.
by Troy Hufford on Dec 13, 2009 8:34 PM MST up reply actions
Sad but true, boydy
"All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses." Friedrich Nietzsche
He stands a better chance of doing that than does KM.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
With who playing FB as Larsen was out...
There was too much penetration on those plays…when you have contact 2 yards in the backfield, it is usually not good.
Hillis would be in more and get the ball more if he took advantage of his chances… every time i see him in there he is blowing a block.
But running backwards
…and doing the start-stop dance doesn’t help much. KM was doing way too much of that yesterday, where Hillis has not shown himself to be a dancer. He will cut and run straight line, giving him at least a better chance to gain a yard, or at least not lose as many. That’s why I say Hillis had a better chance than KM of breaking a tackle or two.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
And...
KM has blown a block or two this season, no? I think that’s the main point of all these “Why isn’t Hillis getting some playing time” posts. Six weeks ago, it was because of his one fumble. KM put it on the ground several times, with no reduction in playing time. Now it’s about missed blocks, and KM appears guilty of that too (I say “appears” because you and I don’t really know who is blowing a block, because we don’t know the scheme with 100% certainty). Yet one player gets an increased workload…even if he doesn’t seem ready for it…and the other gets buried a little deeper on the bench.
If Coach has no intention of letting the guy see the field…whether because Hillis is blowing blocks, fumbling, Coach feels he doesn’t have the talent, Coach just doesn’t like him, whatever….why keep the guy on the active roster? I think that’s what everyone is really trying to ask.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
It has been said already, just to let you know.
If Taylor Swift were to try and tackle me, I'd let her.
Girl, you don't need to be a 10, as long as you have a good smile and smell like bacon.
What I don’t get is why the fans think they know something the coach doesn’t — he is around the players every day and knows what he has. He isn’t going to risk the game because he doesn’t like someone. He is going to put the best people out there with a goal of winning.
We like Hillis’s effort. We don’t see practice.
A truth can only be expressed and enveloped in words if it is one-sided. Everything that is thought and expressed in words is one-sided, only half the truth; it all lacks totality, completeness, unity.
If McDaniels knew his players as well as you think he does, would he really keep running up the middle unsuccessfully again and again and again and again and again.
Our short yardage running game has been broken all season vs even medicore D’s. It’s beyond dumb that McDaniels keeps on calling these runs.
This is my favorite website.
perhaps he thinks that Hillis is bound to block the closest to guy instead of the outside guy — I saw at least twice that Hillis took the outside blocker instead of the inside, causing the guy closer to the RB to get to the RB before he had a chance to even hit the line.
A truth can only be expressed and enveloped in words if it is one-sided. Everything that is thought and expressed in words is one-sided, only half the truth; it all lacks totality, completeness, unity.
But do you know for a fact that was Hillis' assignment?
And not a breakdown by someone else?
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
Hillis IS a stronger, bigger back who gives Denver a better chance...
ESPECIALLY when our line isn’t opening holes the way have been. Hillis is a tweener in this system as compared to Shanahans. He unfortunately won’t be around next year, and someone will pick him up. He will shine! We’ll be the loser when that happens. How could anyone viewing last year, not see the brusing talent he displayed? So for those saying that “you just don’t get it” when it comes to Hillis, you weren’t paying attention!
"Attitude reflects Leadership" Hogblog...aka KSM
by Hogblog on Dec 13, 2009 8:43 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Agreed Hog,,,but you knew this...Hillis picks up 50% of those plays today in my opinion.
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.
by boydy2669 on Dec 13, 2009 9:06 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
It didn't matter if it was short yardage or 1st and 10
we just needed a punishing style runner in there to counter KM’s style. The injury to Buck hurt us a lot. The Indy linebackers seemed to be swarming around KM all day. His studer steps at the line seemed to give the defense all the time they needed to stop him for (repeated) losses.
correct me if I'm wrong
but didn’t our running game improve greatly with larsen in there and with using a full back on running plays the last couple games?
With the speed their linebackers were closing up the gaps I don’t think any running back would’ve gotten more than an extra inch in the short yardage plays today. As well, KM is more well rounded in blocking than Hillis is which can let the offense run different plays out of the same set.
Agreed
Losing Larsen seemed to be a killer, and the TE’s were flat out awful protecting the edges. I’m not even sure this one is on the interior line, as most of the damage came from defenders knifing in and collapsing down from outside.
I think Larsen hurt and Denver wasn’t prepared for Indy’s speed on quickness on D. I know I was impressed.
The selfish, they're all standing in line
Faithing and hoping to buy themselves time
Me, I figure as each breath goes by
I only own my mind-- Pearl Jam, "I am Mine"
by PredominantlyOrange on Dec 13, 2009 9:38 PM MST up reply actions
Losing Larsen was the biggest thing...
But Moreno missed a TONNE of blocks too…..whiffing on Brackett at a key time 3rd and 6 was a killer to our team. Moreno can be good…no doubt…but he was not yesterday due to himself and shoddy coaching.
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.
by boydy2669 on Dec 14, 2009 9:31 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
What I'm saying is...
KM is not a short yardage back…never has been. His tendency to tackle himself is getting quite disturbing. So once you lose Larsen…then Buck….you wear down KM (its very clear he was quite worn down by the 4th quarter) why NOT use Peyton.
Also, to dispel the “missing blocking assignments” arguments against Hillis….come on. KM missed SEVERAL key blitz blocks. All of which were worse than the few plays that Peyton was actually in the game. Clearly Knowshon is forgiven more quickly than Peyton. It’s a double standard.
Why not try it at least once on third and short. Remember that 4th down run against Cleveland last year? Tell me again why he couldn’t get that tough yard….
by jpage78 on Dec 13, 2009 10:59 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
agree with you to a point jpage
but you might want to look at Moreno’s work a little more closely.
He’s had his number called 16 times in 3rd/4th & 1 or 2. He’s converted 10 of those into first downs. Not great numbers, but by the same token, 63% isn’t all that bad either.
"Never give up! Never surrender!" Captain Peter Quincy Taggert in "Galaxy Quest"
"The best defense is a good offense. Or is it the other way around." Wolverine
Pray for the best, prepare for the worst, and know you will come down somewhere between the two.
Livin' in La La Land and Lovin' It
by Brian Shrout on Dec 13, 2009 11:17 PM MST up reply actions
I've seen those numbers....but
within the context of this game, that was out the window. Considering that Moreno is a speed back, the loss of Buckhalter (who wasn’t too great on third and short either) meant that KM was being used far more than he was used to. He was quite worn down midway through the third quarter.
There again…that proves my point. You have a fresh back. Why not use him?
Also, I agree with those who say the play calling was a bit….interesting. It was like McD was trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If you weren’t going to use Hillis or try a run to the outside…then call a pass play. Spread the defense.
Actualy B...they are terrible numbers for a 1st round running back...I did not know it was that bad. Not all on him, but he never looks close to converting against TOP teams!
Those that cant coach, compete!
Failing to plan is planning to fail.
All I want is 53 Rod Smiths. Is that asking too much????
"Peyton Hillis didn’t rip the sleeves off his jersey, they flew off out of fear."
Calijoefornia.
Not to mention
earlier this year we had Jordan being used for short yardage. I still think your chances are better with a bigger back like Hillis in those situations. After all, isn’t the Power game dependent upon bulk? We have 3 TE’s and even though Hochstein was starting and Laresen was hurt, there has got to be another big body that can run in front of a RB on the team. Hell, put the last choice for the active list on there.
Character may be manifested in the great moments but it is made in the small ones -- Philip Brooks
by KaptainKirk on Dec 14, 2009 10:45 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Contributions to today's outcome in my opinion
Our running game was crippled by the following:
1. Our best blocker out of the backfield Larsen, got injured in the beginning of the game. Without him, our backs were running 1-5 yards less on each carry.
2. CBuck spraining his ankle hurt us because we missed his speed and made the Colts’ job easier. It also wore out Moreno a bit; he seemed tired by the end of the 3rd quarter.
3. This has been a major pet peeve of mine this year: the man-blocking scheme. It doesn’t work, especially against a fast defense. No, we did not use it exclusively in the game, but it was ineffective against two of the better defenses we faced last month, the Ravens and Steelers. The results here were similar, as Moreno would run into his linemen, try to bounce to the outside, cut back, then get tackled for no gain or a loss. I do not like how against more talented opponents, this coaching staff is not using the strength of this team. I hope these kinds of performances will not get Rick Dennison fired in the offseason.
4. Trying to run up the gut after it had been stuffed several times was foolish play-calling. Not even Hillis could have gotten first down yardage with each gap being taken up by defenders. Either a screen pass or a run away from the middle should have been used. 3rd and short situations are turning into nightmares for us this season.
As far as the rest of the factors that contributed to this loss:
1. A few times in the 1st Qtr, Mike Nolan surprisingly used the risky corner blitz and sure enough, it backfired. Against most QBs in the league, you should be able to get away with it, but why try it with this guy. He put our D in a bad position and only aided their scoring drives. I’ll give him credit for making the proper adjustments after the 1st Qtr, but by then, we were playing from behind, 21-0.
2. We were not blitzing the middle of their O-line and it allowed Manning to move around the pocket too often. I called it before the game and by the time I saw our D actually going to it, we were down by 3 scores.
3. The refs called 2 penalties that were unfair. DJ was going for the loose football (I thought it was a fumble) and our D should not have been penalized 15 yards. That was hard to accept. On another play, Goodman stripped the football from the receiver’s hands, Holliday or another defender fell on the ball, and the refs ruled it an incomplete pass. Yet another stab in our heart. I was getting vocal at this point.
4. The power and accuracy of Prater’s leg decided to take a day off. A few touchbacks and that 1 extra field goal would have been nice.
"All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses." Friedrich Nietzsche
by Horsepower on Dec 13, 2009 11:23 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Don't forget deferring the opening kick
And giving Peyton freaking Manning first crack at putting points on the board, thereby putting the offense in catch up mode right off the bat.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
by ncm42 on Dec 14, 2009 8:38 AM MST up reply actions 1 recs
Not sure if i agree with that one...
Our offense is notoriously slow starting, so a 3 and out, would be the same difference with the additionally negative of kicking off in the second half. I can see the rationale, especially if they thought they had some defensive plan which would get to Peyton…however the Colts executed a few nice drives before the D adjusted.
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