Thoughts and concerns

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(12-18-2023, 03:10 PM)NUGDUKWE Wrote: I don't intend this to be a negative thread. I just wanted to bring up a couple of things and I thought we could put positive or negative things we've noticed.

But a common criticism I have had of Zac is his situational football. I think trick plays and short yardage gimmick plays fall under that umbrella. Taylor deserves a ton of credit for the team rallying around Browning and has silenced many of the doubters myself included. But these last few games while great we still have bad situational football. I keep hoping we will improve in this regard but it doesn't seem to be happening. The trick plays against Jax were bad and they've been talked about. But again in this game we come up with another bad trick play that could've cost us the game. Maybe like all plays you can say if it works your a genius if it doesn't your dumb. But the trick play came at the end of a solid 1st drive in a time when most teams have scripted plays on a 3rd and 1 when the offense had been moving effectively. I mean the list goes on and on why that was not a good time to run a play like that. Another play I didn't like was the tush push. I felt not only were we running well but it was not a play we should be trying in a time when we absolutely need it. Luckily Mixon bailed us out. But I think that tends to happen with failed situational football if you win it doesn't matter and if you lose there were more reasons for the loss. It's just something I think we need to address in the future as so many games come down to a field goal.

I missed the 1st 3 qtrs live and have since rewatched the game and I do want to say that it was probably one of the most exciting 4th qtrs I've seen in what feels like a while. But I also feel like we didn't scheme this game as much for Browning as we did in the 2 other games. Again the coaches deserve a ton of credit but in this game I think it was the players that really bailed us out.

They might have gotten caught out thinking themselves against Minny with its stout run defense. Otherwise, I thought it was a good enough game. There were two Tee Higgins drops that changed the course a little bit, and that bad INT. The first Higgins drop was the first play of the game. It's a big gainer, and maybe a tuddy if he makes someone miss. That's a big momentum gainer out of the gate. The other one would've at least set up 3 points. The interception obviously killed a drive. 

That all being said, the two guys with the critical errors early, ultimately won the game for them. Mentally tough players are key. This team doesn't panic, and it doesn't quit. With, or without QB9. There's a lot to be said for that quality.