I'm sure everyone is aware of the uproar around here when Marvin Lewis stated in response to a question that "Halftime Adjustments" are "Journalistic Jargon". I wondered at the time how many of the folks acting outraged ever read his entire quote, as I read it word for word and had zero problems with it.

As I recall, paraphrasing of course, he stated that the media uses that phrase under the idea that you go into the locker room and tear up the game plan, then make a new one for the second half. He followed that you make adjustments after each and every drive, and that if you wait until halftime to adapt to what the opponent is doing, you have no chance of winning.

Well it seems that Peyton Manning, on the most recent Manning Cast, called "Halftime Adjustments" the biggest myth in football (and I think that was the exact phrase). Eli agreed, and they went on to essentially say the same thing that Marvin stated in his presser all those years ago.

So I am curious. Now that 2 HOF QBs with 4 SB rings on 6 SB appearances between them have publicly said the same thing as our former HC, does anyone who criticized his statement care to ammend their opinions?

They may not be extensive but the Zac Taylor Bengal make adjustments at half

https://theathletic.com/3862559/2022/11/15/bengals-halftime-nfl-zac-taylor/

Quote:Taylor: What we do is (offensive line assistant) Derek Frazier covers protections and adjustments we need to make or confirmations of what we are doing. He can prepare that during the half. We got the iPads. While he’s doing that, as coaches, we are listing our runs and passes. Imagine a two-sided dry-erase board. On one side he’s projecting protections. On the other side of that dry-erase board, we are writing runs and passes that are going to come up in the second half. (Offensive line coach Frank Pollack) is going through the runs and we are sitting there going through passes.

Quote:Anarumo: I’ll have a bunch of things compiled for me that (senior defensive assistant Mark Duffner) gives me. ‘Hey, here’s what this is, here’s what that is.’ Again, he does it during the series, but it’s nice to see it. Then we show the guys, ‘Hey, these are the runs we are having trouble with. These are the passes to look for and what other adjustments for the second half.’

Quote:Defensive lineman D.J. Reader: Halftime adjustments are a big deal. It’s the only time the people up top and the people down — they get to communicate on the headsets — but they talk through what they just saw, why they saw it, when they saw it.

Maybe Brad can add that apology to his letter to Collinsworth and cc Merv on it. Two birds.

Were four days away from playing the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Playoffs for a chance to appear in our second consecutive AFC Championship game. We are also riding a nine game winning streak and have all the momentum in the world...

...... And.......


We're talking about Marvin 'Freakin Lewis!?!?

I loved the way Lewis giggled at stupid questions from the press. I know that galled a lot of people because those were the stupid questions that they would have asked themselves but they were nevertheless stupid.

I doubt that the half-time adjustments fans will accept the death of their sacred cow at this point. Lou Anarumo has been touted as a master of it and I'm sure that's been pointed out as proof of the truth of it.

I think the Lewis/Manning version is the truth of it, but I think the half-time break adds a little more time to coach and discuss those adjustments. So sometimes those adjustments click and really start to work after the break and that gives more of the sense of a major change during halftime.

This is the modern approach to society nowadays.

"I found someone that agrees with me on something! So there! Whataya think of that?"

And QBs don't deal with much adjustments . . . EVERYTHING that they deal with is on timing and repetition . . . Defense? . . . Almost everything is reactionary.

I've said it a hundred times. I liked Marvin as the coach during the week . . . it was gamedays where I wished he was somewhere else.

(01-18-2023, 08:09 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: I'm sure everyone is aware of the uproar around here when Marvin Lewis stated in response to a question that "Halftime Adjustments" are "Journalistic Jargon".  I wondered at the time how many of the folks acting outraged ever read his entire quote, as I read it word for word and had zero problems with it.

As I recall, paraphrasing of course, he stated that the media uses that phrase under the idea that you go into the locker room and tear up the game plan, then make a new one for the second half.  He followed that you make adjustments after each and every drive, and that if you wait until halftime to adapt to what the opponent is doing, you have no chance of winning.

Well it seems that Peyton Manning, on the most recent Manning Cast, called "Halftime Adjustments" the biggest myth in football (and I think that was the exact phrase).  Eli agreed, and they went on to essentially say the same thing that Marvin stated in his presser all those years ago.

So I am curious.  Now that 2 HOF QBs with 4 SB rings on 6 SB appearances between them have publicly said the same thing as our former HC, does anyone who criticized his statement care to ammend their opinions?

Payton Manning is lying out of his teeth, then. Or he's gone senile.

2015 Week 16, the Broncos had the gameplan of playing against AJ McCarron in man coverage. He absolutely shredded the hell out of them in the first half (3 drives, 2 TD and a missed 45 yard FG). Then after halftime they came out and switched to exclusively playing zone defense and absolutely exposed and dominated McCarron forcing the Bengals offense to punt on 4 straight drives out of the half.

Without that win the Broncos go from the #1 seed to losing their division to the Chiefs (and the Bengals become the #1 seed).

That was the year Peyton Manning got carried by his halftime adjusting defense to win his second Super Bowl while he threw 9 TD and 15 INT.


....unless I am remembering this COMPLETELY wrong. I feel pretty good about remembering it correctly, though. Also whatever changes Lou Anarumo does at halftime seems to work.

I refuse to talk about Marvin Lewis one because we are in the playoffs and 2 he was exactly who he was. A good coach, but not a great one. I dont see the need to pile up on him. No one heres believes he was a bad coach. He got us to the playoffs 5 times. No one here believes he was a great coach. We lost all 5 times even though we were favored in like most of those matchups

(01-18-2023, 08:09 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: I'm sure everyone is aware of the uproar around here when Marvin Lewis stated in response to a question that "Halftime Adjustments" are "Journalistic Jargon".  I wondered at the time how many of the folks acting outraged ever read his entire quote, as I read it word for word and had zero problems with it.

As I recall, paraphrasing of course, he stated that the media uses that phrase under the idea that you go into the locker room and tear up the game plan, then make a new one for the second half.  He followed that you make adjustments after each and every drive, and that if you wait until halftime to adapt to what the opponent is doing, you have no chance of winning.

Well it seems that Peyton Manning, on the most recent Manning Cast, called "Halftime Adjustments" the biggest myth in football (and I think that was the exact phrase).  Eli agreed, and they went on to essentially say the same thing that Marvin stated in his presser all those years ago.

So I am curious.  Now that 2 HOF QBs with 4 SB rings on 6 SB appearances between them have publicly said the same thing as our former HC, does anyone who criticized his statement care to ammend their opinions?

no

Halftime adjustments are often severely overstated by fans, so I can understand the eyerolls when complaints about lack of adjustments pour in.

Still, the claim that they don't *exist* is just demonstrably untrue.

(01-18-2023, 08:39 PM)Housh Wrote: I refuse to talk about Marvin Lewis one because we are in the playoffs and 2 he was exactly who he was. A good coach, but not a great one. I dont see the need to pile up on him. No one heres believes he was a bad coach. He got us to the playoffs 5 times. No one here believes he was a great coach. We lost all 5 times even though we were favored in like most of those matchups

7 times. 

(01-18-2023, 08:09 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: I'm sure everyone is aware of the uproar around here when Marvin Lewis stated in response to a question that "Halftime Adjustments" are "Journalistic Jargon".  I wondered at the time how many of the folks acting outraged ever read his entire quote, as I read it word for word and had zero problems with it.

As I recall, paraphrasing of course, he stated that the media uses that phrase under the idea that you go into the locker room and tear up the game plan, then make a new one for the second half.  He followed that you make adjustments after each and every drive, and that if you wait until halftime to adapt to what the opponent is doing, you have no chance of winning.

Well it seems that Peyton Manning, on the most recent Manning Cast, called "Halftime Adjustments" the biggest myth in football (and I think that was the exact phrase).  Eli agreed, and they went on to essentially say the same thing that Marvin stated in his presser all those years ago.

So I am curious.  Now that 2 HOF QBs with 4 SB rings on 6 SB appearances between them have publicly said the same thing as our former HC, does anyone who criticized his statement care to ammend their opinions?

"I don't know if I ever made a halftime adjustment in my entire 18-year career. I think that's the biggest myth in football- the halftime adjustments. You go in, you use the restroom, you eat a couple of oranges, and then the head coach says, 'Alright, let's go!" - Peyton Manning

Notice that he says 'he' didn't make any. Since players aren't the ones tweaking the game plan at halftime, I guess he's technically right.

(01-18-2023, 08:20 PM)pally Wrote: They may not be extensive but the Zac Taylor Bengal make adjustments at half

https://theathletic.com/3862559/2022/11/15/bengals-halftime-nfl-zac-taylor/

Great quotes, Pally.

The fact that you have exact quotes and the OP has summaries that are for readers "third-party summaries" is not a small deal. Without a transcript of Marvin's statements, and a transcript of the Mannings' statements, it's hard to assess how much the Mannings' statements align with that of Marvin. Perhaps they do align. And perhaps for Marvin's teams, and the Mannings' teams, half-time adjustments were not important. But the statements that you provide, Pally, make it clear the importance of half-time adjustments for the present-day Bengals.

(01-18-2023, 08:35 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Payton Manning is lying out of his teeth, then. Or he's gone senile.

2015 Week 16, the Broncos had the gameplan of playing against AJ McCarron in man coverage. He absolutely shredded the hell out of them in the first half (3 drives, 2 TD and a missed 45 yard FG). Then after halftime they came out and switched to exclusively playing zone defense and absolutely exposed and dominated McCarron forcing the Bengals offense to punt on 4 straight drives out of the half.

Without that win the Broncos go from the #1 seed to losing their division to the Chiefs (and the Bengals become the #1 seed).

That was the year Peyton Manning got carried by his halftime adjusting defense to win his second Super Bowl while he threw 9 TD and 15 INT.


....unless I am remembering this COMPLETELY wrong. I feel pretty good about remembering it correctly, though. Also whatever changes Lou Anarumo does at halftime seems to work.

I think it depends on the team and players, honestly. The former college coach I am friends with has told me that halftime adjustments are a myth and they never did them, but that was just from his experience. Both Peyton and Eli have both said they are myths. J.T. O'Sullivan has confirmed that there are things that happen, but said that they are minor. I've heard another player, I can't remember who, said they don't exist because guys are running to the bathroom, getting a snack/changing clothes etc. It was a defensive linemen. I think Aaron Rodgers has talked about some things he has worked on with receivers at halftime. 

I would be curious to see how the Bengals defense ends the 2nd quarter and how it correlates to the second half performances. Coaches are adjusting throughout the game obviously. It may be less of a "halftime" thing and more of a "2nd quarter" thing. 

EDIT - Sean Payton and Brian Billick have also dismissed the idea, saying that they aren't really a thing. For the defensive linemen I mentioned earlier, it was Jason Pierre-Paul.

I respect, like, and thank Marvin for all he has done for the Bengals over the years.

But think he has more to apologize for than I do personally.

(01-18-2023, 08:09 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: I'm sure everyone is aware of the uproar around here when Marvin Lewis stated in response to a question that "Halftime Adjustments" are "Journalistic Jargon". I wondered at the time how many of the folks acting outraged ever read his entire quote, as I read it word for word and had zero problems with it.

As I recall, paraphrasing of course, he stated that the media uses that phrase under the idea that you go into the locker room and tear up the game plan, then make a new one for the second half. He followed that you make adjustments after each and every drive, and that if you wait until halftime to adapt to what the opponent is doing, you have no chance of winning.

Well it seems that Peyton Manning, on the most recent Manning Cast, called "Halftime Adjustments" the biggest myth in football (and I think that was the exact phrase). Eli agreed, and they went on to essentially say the same thing that Marvin stated in his presser all those years ago.

So I am curious. Now that 2 HOF QBs with 4 SB rings on 6 SB appearances between them have publicly said the same thing as our former HC, does anyone who criticized his statement care to ammend their opinions?

In a sense halftime adjustments are way overrated. I saw their Manning Cast. There’s not much time. But they do get some things corrected and discuss strategy amongst the coaches. But what you didn’t mention nor did Marvin or the Manning’s. Most defensive staffs have another game plan ready if they totally miss the mark. The team has worked on it. But that happens in college more particularly a bowl game. Georgia almost lost to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Rose Bowl and were down 31-17 at half. Kirby Smart did 100% ditch their game plan and they went to their scheme they do if nothings working.

What about the 2nd half of the AFC championship vs KC, last year? Didn't the Bengals play a completely different defensive alignment in the 2nd half?

(01-18-2023, 10:11 PM)Tomkat Wrote: What about the 2nd half of the AFC championship vs KC, last year?  Didn't the Bengals play a completely different defensive alignment in the 2nd half?

Nope. It's a complete myth-tery as to why the Bengals confused Mahomes. Don't let your eyes and common sense fool you, no adjustments ever happen at halftime, OK?

Someone on Reddit said it best: of course you don't do half time adjustments when you're up by 30 most games.

Just because Manning didn't do it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

(01-18-2023, 08:35 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Payton Manning is lying out of his teeth, then. Or he's gone senile.

2015 Week 16, the Broncos had the gameplan of playing against AJ McCarron in man coverage. He absolutely shredded the hell out of them in the first half (3 drives, 2 TD and a missed 45 yard FG). Then after halftime they came out and switched to exclusively playing zone defense and absolutely exposed and dominated McCarron forcing the Bengals offense to punt on 4 straight drives out of the half.

Without that win the Broncos go from the #1 seed to losing their division to the Chiefs (and the Bengals become the #1 seed).

That was the year Peyton Manning got carried by his halftime adjusting defense to win his second Super Bowl while he threw 9 TD and 15 INT.


....unless I am remembering this COMPLETELY wrong. I feel pretty good about remembering it correctly, though. Also whatever changes Lou Anarumo does at halftime seems to work.

In fairness, Peyton wasn't playing that game. I don't know if he was even in the locker room. I remember it well because I was there. And it was cold af lol