I'm really KIND OF over this, and I'm just trying to come to terms with what happened here.

I'm a big believer in "rookie mistakes." You've got young guys that can play so you get them out there. But you know they're on a learning curve. They're going to make mistakes here and there. You live with that, because the good by far outweighs the bad, and the mistakes are lessons learned.

But damn. This is NOT the first time there has been a "miscommunication" back there. That shit has gone on for YEARS. So can we really attribute it to a rookie mistake? Granted, as a devil's advocate I would say that since they supposedly "simplified" the system it's happened less. In fact, it still happens, but it does seem to be significantly less often than it was. So maybe it WAS just a rookie mistake.

They always say, ONE PLAY doesn't win or lose a game, and I do believe in that. Even in OT. I mean, if Mike doesn't go into a shell and "play not to lose" in the 4th quarter, things might have been different. HOnestly, that's the biggest thing that pissed me off. I need to rewatch the game, but it just seemed that he sacrificed all the momentum we'd worked hard to build for the entire game.

It's not just the play calling. It's the way he emotionally contracts, the whole team tightens up and plays with anxiety.

But my main point for this thread is, was that just a rookie learning opportunity? Or was that the essence of who Dom is, a guy who can't get his guys on the same page? I guess I'm just putting it down to rookie inexperience.

Originally Posted by: nerdmann 

Honestly I don't mind leaving Fitz open, it was an all out blitz, they dodged, frequently somebody is open.
I do mind the zone defense because it never ever works (for us)
And if they just tackle Fitz it is just a failed blitz and a 15 yard gain for them. Bad luck but the game is not lost.

We are a finesse team, we don't hit, we don't tackle... I hate it.

Consider the Floyd TD after the deflection, did ANY of our players hit Floyd to see if they can get the ball loose? No, they just gave up, they don't hit, they don't tackle....

Originally Posted by: luigis 

Loud mouth McGinn blamed Peppers, what a fool. I didn't know what the heck happened but anyone who thinks Peppers was supposed to cover Fitz in that big of a zone is dope.

It wasn't "a missed assignment" or "miscommunication" it was an incorrect spot read. Capers said that if Fitz crosses behind Peppers then Randall was to stay with him; this presumes that if Fitz crossed Peppers' face then Randall was to let him go . Randall had to process where Fitz was going in a split second and he just got it wrong. Really tough situation to put a rookie in; but the fact he is trusted in these situations shows how amazing Randall is. This is why the rule was established that rookie CBs can never play zone in the NFL; but Randall broke the rule; the guy is a flat out stud. It was the perfect storm, Palmer wasn't sacked and he should have been; Randall blew the coverage; for some reason Dix didn't see Randall's blown coverage; and Dix and everyone else was flowing to Palmer's right because we all know you cant throw across the field, so if Fitz was open to the right or Palmer was flushed out left, it would have only been a 20-30 yard gain. And then the way Fitz weaved was part poor tackling angles, part Burnett missing a shot not only at a tackle but also just to at least slow him down and a great HOF player making a play.

Or its all scripted like the WWF 😂. Why was only 1 AZ guy in end zone for hail mary? Why didn't the coin flip? How could Oswald get off 3 shots from the school book depository? I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Originally Posted by: Barfarn 

He should have been tackled by Shields along the sideline. Horrible fucking angle taken and even worse attempt at a tackle.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 

Peppers, Randall, Shields, Clay, Burnett, Dix.... Everyone's fault!

Originally Posted by: Porforis