The Big Picture

[THE PISTONS]

For those that harbor illusions that IF Dalton was healthy 2 years ago we win a Super Bowl...this thread is for you.

This is what, the 2nd huge 1st half lead we've blown this year to good teams.

This team finds a way to lose. Mix in a little bad officiating with dropped passes, 3 guys on defense refusing to tackle, critical PI calls, allowing receivers to be wide open, untimely play calling.

The team couldn't have looked better in the 1st half...until they allowed a long FG drive with under a minute to go. Then in the 2nd half it was like a totally different team that came out. The offense was stagnant. Suddenly the defense couldn't get stops. We could be ran on. The momentum was gone.

This team basically needs to play perfectly to beat good teams. There is no margin of error.

This wasn't isolated. It's been our pattern in primetime games against good teams and in the playoffs.

The fixes? Not so easy. AJ Green suddenly couldn't catch a pass. The entire coaching staff needs fired. No doubt. Anyone associated with this team needs to go.

But, management stays. The same management who hasn't won a playoff game in 26+ years. That albatross hangs around the players necks and pulls them down when they start to win...like a riptide in the ocean.

[Big Boss]

This team simply grows complacent when they have a lead. That's all there is to it. The offense shuts down completely, the defense goes into pitiful prevent mode. The creative and productive play-calling from the first half all but vanishes into thin air in the second half. That's no accident. It goes back to what we've been saying about Marvin for years. He doesn't play to win. He plays to not lose. And he's not even good at that.

[Fan_in_Kettering]

The Bengals initiated prevent defense in the second BLEEPING quarter.

[Interceptor]

(12-05-2017, 11:04 AM)Big Boss Wrote: This team simply grows complacent when they have a lead.  That's all there is to it.  The offense shuts down completely, the defense goes into pitiful prevent mode.  The creative and productive play-calling from the first half all but vanishes into thin air in the second half.  That's no accident.  It goes back to what we've been saying about Marvin for years.  He doesn't play to win.  He plays to not lose.  And he's not even good at that.

By halftime the good teams will smell blood and will actually pour salt over that wound. 

[THE PISTONS]

(12-05-2017, 11:04 AM)Big Boss Wrote: This team simply grows complacent when they have a lead.  That's all there is to it.  The offense shuts down completely, the defense goes into pitiful prevent mode.  The creative and productive play-calling from the first half all but vanishes into thin air in the second half.  That's no accident.  It goes back to what we've been saying about Marvin for years.  He doesn't play to win.  He plays to not lose.  And he's not even good at that.

So I was thinking it was complacency for a long time, but I think it's more that when the other team gets chewed out at halftime and comes out fired up and gives their A Game effort that we wilt.

We get punched in the mouth and can't handle it.

[*ochocincos*]

(12-05-2017, 10:57 AM)THE PISTONS Wrote: For those that harbor illusions that IF Dalton was healthy 2 years ago we win a Super Bowl...this thread is for you.

This is what, the 2nd huge 1st half lead we've blown this year to good teams.

This team finds a way to lose. Mix in a little bad officiating with dropped passes, 3 guys on defense refusing to tackle, critical PI calls, allowing receivers to be wide open, untimely play calling.

The team couldn't have looked better in the 1st half...until they allowed a long FG drive with under a minute to go. Then in the 2nd half it was like a totally different team that came out. The offense was stagnant. Suddenly the defense couldn't get stops. We could be ran on. The momentum was gone.

This team basically needs to play perfectly to beat good teams. There is no margin of error.

This wasn't isolated. It's been our pattern in primetime games against good teams and in the playoffs.

The fixes? Not so easy. AJ Green suddenly couldn't catch a pass. The entire coaching staff needs fired. No doubt. Anyone associated with this team needs to go.

But, management stays. The same management who hasn't won a playoff game in 26+ years. That albatross hangs around the players necks and pulls them down when they start to win...like a riptide in the ocean.

Marvin seems to always have his team take the foot off the gas once they get up by 14 and then struggles to put the foot back on the gas if the team catches up.

[SunsetBengal]

(12-05-2017, 11:04 AM)Big Boss Wrote: This team simply grows complacent when they have a lead.  That's all there is to it.  The offense shuts down completely, the defense goes into pitiful prevent mode.  The creative and productive play-calling from the first half all but vanishes into thin air in the second half.  That's no accident.  It goes back to what we've been saying about Marvin for years.  He doesn't play to win.  He plays to not lose.  And he's not even good at that.

To bolded, you're absolutely right.  Marvin is too nice of a guy to keep his foot on the gas, and bury an opponent.  The players are so used to going on cruise control once they have a lead, that they cannot muster the momentum to pick things up again when they need to.

[Big Boss]

Yep. It's a mental thing. The coaches take their foot off the gas when they have a lead, and that sort of mindset will inevitably trickle down to the players. It's unavoidable.

[muskiesfan]

I don't feel like taking the time right now, but years ago I'm pretty sure that Marvin had said he doesn't believe in running up the score. Something about it being disrespectful. Which further explains why he has the team go conservative with any type of lead. It's ridiculous and a big part of the reason the team does not have a killer instinct.