It's not the freaking turf or the weather or Jackson or the Oline. We lost these games by 3 points each because of one or two plays that didn't go our way. Quite honestly I think you can put more on our pass offense for not clicking the way it should have been in the first three losses. This last one with both teams so close in talent it was the one goal line turnover that did us in.
"warhawk" wrote:
Agreed.. that no one element controlled this game or any game for that matter. However to ignore the combination of the individual elements impact on games isn't prudent either.
We lost the game on a football play or a number of them.
That said.. you control what you can control.. you play situational football to give you the best chance of winning in your mind possible.
And if you put yourself in multiple short yardage situations where you lack the confidence to be able to convert with all elements at your disposal, you tip your hand to the opposition and decrease you odds of winning the battle.
Think they haven't scouted us to know that 3& short we will either pass or sneak it because we are scared to run the freaking ball. The defense now watches the tells of the OLineman.. and then cheat on the sneak or back off and play the pass.. because we simply are too chickenshit to run the ball for a yard.
We have become too predictable IMO.. because we lack the commitment from the coaching staff to establish the run all season long.
We didn't go into Sunday and just realize we can't convert short yardage effectively. That to me.. is a coaching issue.. hence why I bang on it consistently.. when you have a problem and stick your head in the sand.. the problem isn't going to be fixed.
Address the freaking problem, commit to the run early each season, stick with the run throughout the season, so when you need to run, you have some confidence that you can run the damn ball. Find the combination's in players and plays that become effective early.. run them often enough to become confident in them, and drive them home through repetitions across the entire season. You don't become good at something without time after time, practicing them and utilizing them.
If you find that the issue is a personnel problem.. find someone that can do the damn job.
This isn't a single game problem.. this is a long term pattern of issues.. basically, the MO, stop the run early on the Packers and they will abandon it.. and watching it for several years.. it is spot on.
Great teams find a way.. good teams accept their shortcomings and play for the next time. Again.. look at our close game record.. what we are doing isn't working.. at least not for me.
And this much I know.. Rodgers and the passing game is not the problem.. that is a damn fine unit and Aaron himself is one hell of a QB.. he is a much better QB than his record indicates at this point.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"