Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan's last-millisecond timeout, which canceled a 4th-and-1 play where his defense stuffed a Tom Brady QB sneak, which in turn would have ended New England's undefeated season, is the last straw for me. The NFL has got to get rid of the sideline timeout.
The sideline timeout simply causes too much chaos. I was surprised last night to see that the head coach doesn't even have to be the guy to call the timeout. Who on the sidelines CAN'T call a timeout? The waterboy? The cheerleaders? These last-second timeouts from the sidelines create confusion not only on the field, but highly importantly, in the stands and wherever fans are watching TV. We see a 4th-and-1 play run to completion, then find out it doesn't count because the last-millisecond timeout came and they couldn't stop the play in time. We see a game-winning FG get kicked, then find out it doesn't count. They couldn't stop the play in time because a timeout came in from the sideline at the last second. (I think Mike Martz, as Rams HC, was a lobbying force for changing the rule, but I don't want to discredit him where it's not due.)
It used to be only the team captain on the field could call timeout. Specialization made that difficult, especially on defense, so the rule changed to let any player on the field call timeout. Apparently unskilled enough to coach their players to avoid a Chris Webber scenario, coaches wanted to be able to call timeouts from the sidelines, so they didn't have to worry about miscommunications or the players making dumb mistakes like calling TO's they don't have.
Then last week, Joe Gibbs makes the dumb mistake of calling timeouts back-to-back while trying to call cutesy timeouts to freeze Buffalo kicker Rian Lindell.
That didn't work, and neither do sideline timeouts. They only create confusion for the fans watching the game. They should be eliminated posthaste. Timeouts should be called only by players on the field of play, where everybody can see what's going on.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
12-0, still whining
Of all the gall...
I'm tuned in to the Monday night post-game press conference last night, and there's Tom Brady, complaining about the officiating in New England's skin-of-its-ass 27-24 win at Baltimore. Whining that his receivers were getting grabbed downfield.
Hey, buddy, that's how you got your FIRST Super Bowl ring!
No Patriot player, fan, or writer has any business complaining about last night's officiating. The benefit of the doubt ALWAYS went to the Patriots. Rex Ryan's STUPID last-second timeout got called in time. More on that in a bit. That saved Brady getting stuffed on 4th-and-1. Another 4th-and-1 play failed, but was called back, properly by rule, by a false start. The refs then bailed Brady out again on 4th-and-6 by making a defensive holding call that's in the dictionary next to "ticky-tack". Jabar Gaffney's TD catch was close enough to call either way; naturally, New England got the call. The officials flagged Baltimore THIRTEEN times for 100 yards, New England? just 4 times for 30.
New England LOST that game THREE times but all three times got the referees' gracious permission to try again. The timeout was a correct call, the holding flag was cheesy. Five of New England's first downs came via penalty. And instead of being thankful that his team's lucky enough to remain undefeated, Brady instead is whining about the very officials who made his latest win possible.
Just shut the hell up.
I'm tuned in to the Monday night post-game press conference last night, and there's Tom Brady, complaining about the officiating in New England's skin-of-its-ass 27-24 win at Baltimore. Whining that his receivers were getting grabbed downfield.
Hey, buddy, that's how you got your FIRST Super Bowl ring!
No Patriot player, fan, or writer has any business complaining about last night's officiating. The benefit of the doubt ALWAYS went to the Patriots. Rex Ryan's STUPID last-second timeout got called in time. More on that in a bit. That saved Brady getting stuffed on 4th-and-1. Another 4th-and-1 play failed, but was called back, properly by rule, by a false start. The refs then bailed Brady out again on 4th-and-6 by making a defensive holding call that's in the dictionary next to "ticky-tack". Jabar Gaffney's TD catch was close enough to call either way; naturally, New England got the call. The officials flagged Baltimore THIRTEEN times for 100 yards, New England? just 4 times for 30.
New England LOST that game THREE times but all three times got the referees' gracious permission to try again. The timeout was a correct call, the holding flag was cheesy. Five of New England's first downs came via penalty. And instead of being thankful that his team's lucky enough to remain undefeated, Brady instead is whining about the very officials who made his latest win possible.
Just shut the hell up.
QB emergency!
Berlin at QB?
OK, the Rams' injury woes have now graduated from the ridiculous to the absurd. Marc Bulger AND Gus Frerotte may be out for the Cincinnati game. Frerotte is out for sure with a shoulder injury. Bulger can't be cleared to play in light of his concussion until he can pass the neuropsyche test. Can we all help him study?
Because without Bulger, your starting quarterback against the Bengals will be one Brock Berlin. Ironically, Ryan Fitzpatrick will be watching from the other sideline.
Desperately seeking a backup, the Rams are going to sign Todd Bouman, who has all the qualifications to play QB here. Which means he's played for Linehan, and in Bouman's case, Jim Haslett, too.
RamView is in a rare position here. Thanks to my annual participation in the Preseason Challenge, I've actually gotten to see Todd Bouman play. And he's awful. You want an interception every other throw, Bouman's your guy. Frankly, I don't know why Haslett even let him through the door at Rams Park. Wasn't he watching when Todd chucked one INT after another every preseason? I guess not.
True, you're not going to find many veteran QBs this time of the season, but Bouman is just a poor QB. I'd sooner bring back Tony Banks. A little research shows Jared Zabransky, the rookie FA from Boise State, is available. I'd sooner go with him. Capable college QB, played in a complex passing offense, good athlete, quick release, fast and can run. Why not use the opportunity to bring in a young guy and see if you can turn him into something special instead of falling back on an old retread, an incompetent one at that?
OK, the Rams' injury woes have now graduated from the ridiculous to the absurd. Marc Bulger AND Gus Frerotte may be out for the Cincinnati game. Frerotte is out for sure with a shoulder injury. Bulger can't be cleared to play in light of his concussion until he can pass the neuropsyche test. Can we all help him study?
Because without Bulger, your starting quarterback against the Bengals will be one Brock Berlin. Ironically, Ryan Fitzpatrick will be watching from the other sideline.
Desperately seeking a backup, the Rams are going to sign Todd Bouman, who has all the qualifications to play QB here. Which means he's played for Linehan, and in Bouman's case, Jim Haslett, too.
RamView is in a rare position here. Thanks to my annual participation in the Preseason Challenge, I've actually gotten to see Todd Bouman play. And he's awful. You want an interception every other throw, Bouman's your guy. Frankly, I don't know why Haslett even let him through the door at Rams Park. Wasn't he watching when Todd chucked one INT after another every preseason? I guess not.
True, you're not going to find many veteran QBs this time of the season, but Bouman is just a poor QB. I'd sooner bring back Tony Banks. A little research shows Jared Zabransky, the rookie FA from Boise State, is available. I'd sooner go with him. Capable college QB, played in a complex passing offense, good athlete, quick release, fast and can run. Why not use the opportunity to bring in a young guy and see if you can turn him into something special instead of falling back on an old retread, an incompetent one at that?
The second half blues
Third-down success falls in second half
All five of the 2nd-half 3rd-down plays mentioned in the article were pass plays, even though THREE of the downs were third-and-two. I tried to put some of the second-half problems against Atlanta on Linehan getting too conservative right away after halftime, then trying to "turn the switch" back on.
What we see here is the Rams' coach, probably correctly, can't trust his running game to convert a 3rd-and-2 when they have to, at a time of the game they should be taking over the line of scrimmage and Jackson should be running it down the defense's throat. This is starting to develop as a theme of the Rams' second-half offensive failures.
More reason to improve the offensive line and line depth this offseason, and make sure it stays improved.
All five of the 2nd-half 3rd-down plays mentioned in the article were pass plays, even though THREE of the downs were third-and-two. I tried to put some of the second-half problems against Atlanta on Linehan getting too conservative right away after halftime, then trying to "turn the switch" back on.
What we see here is the Rams' coach, probably correctly, can't trust his running game to convert a 3rd-and-2 when they have to, at a time of the game they should be taking over the line of scrimmage and Jackson should be running it down the defense's throat. This is starting to develop as a theme of the Rams' second-half offensive failures.
More reason to improve the offensive line and line depth this offseason, and make sure it stays improved.
Carriker, Chillar, Eric Moore
An everywhere guy
Chillar's stock rises
More from Moore
I thought Adam Carriker was the defensive MVP against Atlanta. His sack moved ATL out of long FG range; the next play was a turnover. His TFL of Norwood forced ATL into long-yardage downs and they ended up settling for a FG. And the biggest play was the pass knockdown (second? I thought he had two) with Atlanta inside the 10, trailing 21-16. They ended up turning the ball over on downs. It's not a stretch to say Adam saved the Rams 14 points. Huge, clutch game.
I agree that this has been Brandon Chillar's best season, the last 4 to 6 weeks in particular. But I see little to no chance he'll return next season. The Rams already have a lot of money tied up in Will's and Pisa's contracts, and Chris Draft is already here to step into the starting role in 2008. Brandon's worth a nice contract. I just think he'll get it from another team.
Chillar's stock rises
More from Moore
I thought Adam Carriker was the defensive MVP against Atlanta. His sack moved ATL out of long FG range; the next play was a turnover. His TFL of Norwood forced ATL into long-yardage downs and they ended up settling for a FG. And the biggest play was the pass knockdown (second? I thought he had two) with Atlanta inside the 10, trailing 21-16. They ended up turning the ball over on downs. It's not a stretch to say Adam saved the Rams 14 points. Huge, clutch game.
I agree that this has been Brandon Chillar's best season, the last 4 to 6 weeks in particular. But I see little to no chance he'll return next season. The Rams already have a lot of money tied up in Will's and Pisa's contracts, and Chris Draft is already here to step into the starting role in 2008. Brandon's worth a nice contract. I just think he'll get it from another team.
Wade illegal touch penalty
Jonathan, when the referee asks you if you committed an infraction, you say no! Humorous...
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
In an impressive hustle play, Rams cornerback Jonathan Wade downed a Donnie Jones punt at the Atlanta 5 on the final play of the third quarter. The teams switched sides, walking all the way to the other end of the field. The Falcons offense huddled for the next play. Meanwhile, the officials huddled, and huddles some more. Although there was no flag thrown after the play, referee Peter Morelli then explained that Wade would be penalized for illegal touching. (He had gone out of bounds and then came back in to down the punt, which is a penalty.)
So why didn't the flag come out earlier?
"During the break, apparently one of the officials asked Wade if he'd gone out of bounds, and apparently he told them that he had," Linehan said. "So they changed the call after the commercial break."
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
In an impressive hustle play, Rams cornerback Jonathan Wade downed a Donnie Jones punt at the Atlanta 5 on the final play of the third quarter. The teams switched sides, walking all the way to the other end of the field. The Falcons offense huddled for the next play. Meanwhile, the officials huddled, and huddles some more. Although there was no flag thrown after the play, referee Peter Morelli then explained that Wade would be penalized for illegal touching. (He had gone out of bounds and then came back in to down the punt, which is a penalty.)
So why didn't the flag come out earlier?
"During the break, apparently one of the officials asked Wade if he'd gone out of bounds, and apparently he told them that he had," Linehan said. "So they changed the call after the commercial break."
Rams 28, Falcons 16
Rams earn first home win of 2007
I misheard the announced attendance; the Rams claimed 62,000, not 52,000. That's right where I would have expected them to announce, given the 3,000 tickets that went unsold. It's also nowhere close to the actual attendance, which I'd put at 40-45K.
Jackson's dash is exclamation point
The game-clinching run is part of the video highlights at nfl.com. It looks like Steven got it all on his own at first blush, but keep an eye out for blocks by Klopfenstein and Owens. Klop basically seals three guys in at the corner.
NFL GameCenter/video highlights
Frerotte comes back strong vs. Falcons
Rams finally get it done in the Dome
Rams rediscover longer passes
RamView
I misheard the announced attendance; the Rams claimed 62,000, not 52,000. That's right where I would have expected them to announce, given the 3,000 tickets that went unsold. It's also nowhere close to the actual attendance, which I'd put at 40-45K.
Jackson's dash is exclamation point
The game-clinching run is part of the video highlights at nfl.com. It looks like Steven got it all on his own at first blush, but keep an eye out for blocks by Klopfenstein and Owens. Klop basically seals three guys in at the corner.
NFL GameCenter/video highlights
Frerotte comes back strong vs. Falcons
Rams finally get it done in the Dome
Rams rediscover longer passes
RamView
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