I knew

[3wt]

(10-14-2018, 09:47 PM)GodFather Wrote: Hindsight is 20-20. The bigger problem is why couldn't this defense step up? All they had to do was hold them.

The offense did their job, it's not on them. They marched down the field and scored, the defense had to do their part and didn't.

No, this is on the QB and the coaches - ultimately the coaches.  Dalton's got a mic in his helmet.

We knew our defense has had trouble stopping these types of drives, we're down half the defensive backfield, Tez is playing poorly and he's totally winded.  

We knew the D was not up to this, and everyone in the daggone stadium knew how much time was on the clock.   As Fouts said, the primary focus is scoring - but you can let the time on the clock get down to within 3-8 seconds and grind the clock down before snapping the ball and take Ben out of the game.  That should not take away from the focus on getting the plays executed and the defense still does not know the exact snap count.

What do we pay all these guys millions of dollars to do?   Is there no contingency planning for what happens in almost EVERY NFL football game????

The D was the D - minus Vigil, Williams and Dennard, with Dre and WJIII being carted on and off the field on stretchers (obvious hyperbole).  Counting on them was total folly.

This is on the head coach for sure, and on Lazor maybe (depends on his level of autonomy)

Couple this with the failure to attempt a first down on a 4th and 1 on the Pittsburgh 40 something and I chalk this all up to a coaching failure in a significant way.

Those guys played their hearts out and overcame a lot of adversity to get us in position to win.  But the coaches ignored an integral part of finishing games.

If I'm Lazor and Dalton, I'm making a plan that leaves no doubt as to what to do the next time this situation rolls around.  Because it will.  And probably within at least two weeks.