The Turtle!

[Steeler Owl]

Orlovsky was asked about Andy Reid's coaching yesterday and said something like - NFL coaches preach to go for the moment but when the moment comes they "shell up". With the 4th and 1 pass Reid went for the moment.

At Stillers we used to criticize Cowher for turtling with a lead. Now we have a coach who opts for the "shell up" while down two scores in the 4thQ of a playoff game.

Job for life.

[jeemie]

Watching that play over and over the best part is all the optionality that was built into it...including calling it off if Henne never got a defensive look that he liked.

That’s what I like to call smart aggression...go for it, but also minimize the odds of the aggressive move failing (or choosing to be aggressive when failure is not a terrible option).

The bigger failure by the Browns on that last drive, however, was an earlier third down conversion where the Browns got sucked into a defensive look that left Williams completely uncovered coming out of the backfield. I need to see that play again to see if Reid did sucker them into that defensive look. They did have three defenders covering only two targets on the other side of the field, though.

[blu]

Orlovsky was asked about Andy Reid's coaching yesterday and said something like - NFL coaches preach to go for the moment but when the moment comes they "shell up". With the 4th and 1 pass Reid went for the moment.

At Stillers we used to criticize Cowher for turtling with a lead. Now we have a coach who opts for the "shell up" while down two scores in the 4thQ of a playoff game.

Job for life.

We've gone from Field Goal Bill Cowher but who was able totally change his approach to win the Superbowl to One & Done Mike Tomlin who believes the system is the system with no concern of the predictability of his team's play.

[the-other-burg]

Orlovsky was asked about Andy Reid's coaching yesterday and said something like - NFL coaches preach to go for the moment but when the moment comes they "shell up". With the 4th and 1 pass Reid went for the moment.

At Stillers we used to criticize Cowher for turtling with a lead. Now we have a coach who opts for the "shell up" while down two scores in the 4thQ of a playoff game.

Job for life.

As infuriating as it was, Cowher's teams had notoriously solid D and mediocre (at best) QB play for most of his years, so at least there was logic behind his approach. Tomlin's is a pure head scratcher.

[Steeler Owl]

As crappy as that FG call was at least the Steelers cut the Pats lead from 14 to 11. Dont get me wrong it was, for me, the worst call in all of my decades of Steeler fandom until you know.

[Thrillsseeker]

Orlovsky was asked about Andy Reid's coaching yesterday and said something like - NFL coaches preach to go for the moment but when the moment comes they "shell up". With the 4th and 1 pass Reid went for the moment.

At Stillers we used to criticize Cowher for turtling with a lead. Now we have a coach who opts for the "shell up" while down two scores in the 4thQ of a playoff game.

Job for life.

As infuriating as it was, Cowher's teams had notoriously solid D and mediocre (at best) QB play for most of his years, so at least there was logic behind his approach. Tomlin's is a pure head scratcher.

This.

Mike Tomlin needs to move on. Sadly as we say here he is literally safer than the pope!

Can someone start a movement and start Tweeting all social media and name him Raphael or Donatello or some shit. Maybe dub a turtle shell on Mikes back or something.

[Kodiak]

That’s what I like to call smart aggression...go for it, but also minimize the odds of the aggressive move failing (or choosing to be aggressive when failure is not a terrible option).

It really was brilliant. Multiple options without relying on gimmicks or trickery. High degree of success on the options, and even higher in total with the way you set everything up.

It would be unfair to say in 14 years I've never seen anything like that from Tomlin, because I've maybe not seen a play like that the 30+ years I've been watching the NFL.

[jeemie]

As crappy as that FG call was at least the Steelers cut the Pats lead from 14 to 11. Dont get me wrong it was, for me, the worst call in all of my decades of Steeler fandom until you know.

Cowher eschewed one play from the two to get a touchdown now, burying the Pats at their own goal line should it fail, for HAVING to go one play from the two to get two points just to tie.

Win probability went DOWN when he did that...and you could feel the energy drain out of Heinz Field as well.

Worse, you could see the Patriots’ sideline get animated again...the Steelers’ comeback was starting to make them very nervous.

Tom Brady would later say when the Pats saw the FG unit go out “That’s when we knew we had them”.

Indeed...the Pats went on two long drives for a FG and a TD (a short drive that ended with a Ben INT was sandwiched in between them) to make it 41-20 with just over two minutes left and that was the ballgame.

[Steeler Owl]

My h.s. coach would always say that if you kick a FG when down by more than 3 in the 2nd half, you are putting up your own tombstone.

Jeemie. I presented your argument at Stillers right after the FG. Even then FGB had his passionate defenders.