The Worst Decision, For Now
Thank you and welcome to the award ceremony for "The Worst Coaching Decision of the Football Weekend Prior". It's a wordy title for an less than coveted trophy, I know. But not everyone can win an ESPY. I hold in my hands an envelope which will reveal the winner of the Norv Turner shaped award. First, let me read the list of nominees:
1. Mike Smith going for 4th & 1 on the road twice while in field goal range
2. Dick LeBeau refusing to make overtime adjustments to his defense
3. Les Miles refusing to change to his other quarterback
The sports world is filled with second guessing. Debates of the unknowable are driving forces for rivalries and condescending generational hubris. There's plenty of air to fill with the errant passes of mindless Monday morning quarterbacks. So perhaps I should refrain from pressing too hard on matters which I find repellant when discussed on 24-hour news cycles.
I am not a coach. You are not a coach. The majority of sports media opinion shouters are not, nor have ever been, coaches. However, there are some decisions that cannot be justified by experience. It doesn't take decades of accumulated first-hand knowledge to ascertain that adjustments need to be made. Despite that, some very good coaches are susceptible to sticking to insufficient gameplans.
Dick LeBeau is a hall of fame player and one of the most innovative coordinators in football history. His plan to stop Tim Tebow from escaping the pocket was well intentioned. It required stacking the line, limiting some blitz opportunities, and playing without normal safety protection over the top. The logical conclusion that LeBeau, and many other coaches, had was that Tebow could not complete longer passes with regularity. It wasn't a bad design. The flaw in LeBeau's strategy was the lack of a correction after Tebow made it very evident that completing 50-yard passes was not a difficult task. By halftime the Steelers were down 20-6 and Tim Tebow had completed two passes over 50 yards, another for 31, and another for 40. Three of those four passes led to scoring drives.
At half time the hall of famer seemed to make adjustments which halted the young quarterback's production. However upon reaching overtime, Pittsburgh resumed man coverage with limited safety help. In one quick play Tebow's Broncos capitalized on the mistake. Why would anyone go back to a defense that had been shredded for 20 points in the first half?
Les Miles has a BCS National Championship. Outside of an EA Sports game I do not own a trophy with those words on it. I'm sure I could purchase one (Pete Carroll did) as players' rings tend to resurface on eBay. Regardless, I was one of millions wondering on Monday night why Jarrett Lee remained on the bench while LSU's offense displayed extreme ineptitude. For much of the night the Tigers were one big play away from rejoining the game. Jordan Jefferson may have offered a different type of threat than his contemporary, but his struggles to move the chains were clearly evident.
Lee had his worst game of the year in LSU's prior encounter with Alabama. That fact may have clouded Miles' mind during the BCS Championship. From that standpoint it's justified that the Tigers' coach went with Jefferson to start. But how many short drives does it take Les Miles to realize a change is needed? Lee is not an inexperienced passer, he's been the superior performer both this season and over the careers of himself and Jefferson. Jarrett led LSU to victory against Orange Bowl winners West Virgina and Rose Bowl winners Oregon. Maybe a change would have proven meaningless against the enveloping Alabama defense. We'll never know, and the SEC Champions fell to their division rivals in the only game that mattered.
Mike Smith ranks third among active coaches with a .672 winning percentage. Still, his playoff resume remains lacking. There is no guarantee that two field goals would have helped the Falcons close the gap on the dominant Giants. However, there is no doubt that the failure on two 4th and 1's contributed to the demise of Atlanta's confidence. If we are all to assume, as I generally do, that the top caliber of professional athletes have largely the same level of talent, than it is only confidence and work ethic that pushes one group to succeed over another.
Whether it was Smith's decision to not elect for 6 points or Matt Ryan's inability to copy Drew Brees' over-the-pile reach, the Falcons lost their third playoff game in as many attempts. Though it was not in a title game, or a more winnable game, Smith's miscalculations may follow him the longest. Dick LeBeau has coached two Super Bowl Championship defenses, Les Miles has coached a BCS National Champion, Smith has to prove to a city and organization that he can win when it matters. The NFC is getting tougher and every successive failure will pile more weight on top of the head coach, each decision colored with the mistakes of the past.
Anyway, we should return to the ceremony.
The envelope please...
1. Mike Smith going for 4th & 1 on the road twice while in field goal range
2. Dick LeBeau refusing to make overtime adjustments to his defense
3. Les Miles refusing to change to his other quarterback
The sports world is filled with second guessing. Debates of the unknowable are driving forces for rivalries and condescending generational hubris. There's plenty of air to fill with the errant passes of mindless Monday morning quarterbacks. So perhaps I should refrain from pressing too hard on matters which I find repellant when discussed on 24-hour news cycles.
I am not a coach. You are not a coach. The majority of sports media opinion shouters are not, nor have ever been, coaches. However, there are some decisions that cannot be justified by experience. It doesn't take decades of accumulated first-hand knowledge to ascertain that adjustments need to be made. Despite that, some very good coaches are susceptible to sticking to insufficient gameplans.
Dick LeBeau is a hall of fame player and one of the most innovative coordinators in football history. His plan to stop Tim Tebow from escaping the pocket was well intentioned. It required stacking the line, limiting some blitz opportunities, and playing without normal safety protection over the top. The logical conclusion that LeBeau, and many other coaches, had was that Tebow could not complete longer passes with regularity. It wasn't a bad design. The flaw in LeBeau's strategy was the lack of a correction after Tebow made it very evident that completing 50-yard passes was not a difficult task. By halftime the Steelers were down 20-6 and Tim Tebow had completed two passes over 50 yards, another for 31, and another for 40. Three of those four passes led to scoring drives.
At half time the hall of famer seemed to make adjustments which halted the young quarterback's production. However upon reaching overtime, Pittsburgh resumed man coverage with limited safety help. In one quick play Tebow's Broncos capitalized on the mistake. Why would anyone go back to a defense that had been shredded for 20 points in the first half?
Les Miles has a BCS National Championship. Outside of an EA Sports game I do not own a trophy with those words on it. I'm sure I could purchase one (Pete Carroll did) as players' rings tend to resurface on eBay. Regardless, I was one of millions wondering on Monday night why Jarrett Lee remained on the bench while LSU's offense displayed extreme ineptitude. For much of the night the Tigers were one big play away from rejoining the game. Jordan Jefferson may have offered a different type of threat than his contemporary, but his struggles to move the chains were clearly evident.
Lee had his worst game of the year in LSU's prior encounter with Alabama. That fact may have clouded Miles' mind during the BCS Championship. From that standpoint it's justified that the Tigers' coach went with Jefferson to start. But how many short drives does it take Les Miles to realize a change is needed? Lee is not an inexperienced passer, he's been the superior performer both this season and over the careers of himself and Jefferson. Jarrett led LSU to victory against Orange Bowl winners West Virgina and Rose Bowl winners Oregon. Maybe a change would have proven meaningless against the enveloping Alabama defense. We'll never know, and the SEC Champions fell to their division rivals in the only game that mattered.
Mike Smith ranks third among active coaches with a .672 winning percentage. Still, his playoff resume remains lacking. There is no guarantee that two field goals would have helped the Falcons close the gap on the dominant Giants. However, there is no doubt that the failure on two 4th and 1's contributed to the demise of Atlanta's confidence. If we are all to assume, as I generally do, that the top caliber of professional athletes have largely the same level of talent, than it is only confidence and work ethic that pushes one group to succeed over another.
Whether it was Smith's decision to not elect for 6 points or Matt Ryan's inability to copy Drew Brees' over-the-pile reach, the Falcons lost their third playoff game in as many attempts. Though it was not in a title game, or a more winnable game, Smith's miscalculations may follow him the longest. Dick LeBeau has coached two Super Bowl Championship defenses, Les Miles has coached a BCS National Champion, Smith has to prove to a city and organization that he can win when it matters. The NFC is getting tougher and every successive failure will pile more weight on top of the head coach, each decision colored with the mistakes of the past.
Anyway, we should return to the ceremony.
The envelope please...
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