ESPN disses Henning and our game plan!! My random beer influenced thoughts.

Here's a few nice quotes after the game in case you were at the game and missed it...... although leaving by the 3rd qtr, you should've been home in time to catch them.

This game was an embarrassment for our offense. I know that we played with our 3rd string QB, our RT with a shoulder injury, our 3rd string LG, our 3rd string C, and a FA rookie WR replacing Marshall..... but that was a pathetically called game coupled with a QB who had zero command of the offense.

I blame out entire organization for this one- from Ireland on down..... everyone but Nolan and our defense that should've deserved a win for their performance. I blame this organization for ignoring offensive needs during our offseasons (Marshall was not enough)..... and I blame them for being complacent about our Special Teams. This was a 6 pt game at halftime and we gave our RBs ONLY 4 carries. Someone needs to get their head(s) checked. Putting this game on Thiggy?! WTF!! Henning is such a bad, washed-up OC that he just brutally outsmarted himself. Pathetic!!!

If we had any kind of threat on the field during punt returns, it's possible that we could've taken one back for a TD and relieved some pressure from the offense.... but we all know that's NEVER going to happen with Bess.

If we ACTUALLY thought about what would happen if Marshall got injured, we wouldn't be stuck with Bess, a 2nd year inconsistent Hartline, and 2 rookie FA WRs. How the hell is ANY team supposed to come back from a 2 score deficit with that lineup? We've ignored playmakers on offense/special teams for the past 3 drafts. To think that we can make due without them is beyond ridiculous.

If we actually gave a crap about the receiving aspect of the TE position, maybe we'd have a #2 who can threaten the entire field or make a bigger difference when trailing.

If we had any speed (and playmakers outside Marshall) at WR, RB, or TE, maybe we'd have a chance at winning a game when trailing by 2 TDs..... or picking up more chunk yardage to ease the pressure of a #3 QB.

If we kept Groves at least through the season, maybe we wouldn't have looked as decimated across our Oline.

I get the feeling that we're the laughing stock of the league during our idiotic, continued use of play-action 3rd and long or when trailing late in the game.

I get the feeling we're the laughing stock of the league when we're running a 3rd and 15 with as many RBs on the field as WRs.

The philosophy we have is for crap!! It only works if the defense is lights out, special teams plays well, AND the offense actually scores enough points to secure and hold a lead..... but when playing from a deficit with a man short, it's about as good as throwing in the towel. Anyone with any common sense would understand that it's probably the most difficult philosophy to instill on an extremely young team that, as such, is expected to make mistakes.

If you want to take a group of veterans and ask them to play perfect-execution, mistake free ball, then I could possibly understand our offensive mentality..... but CMON now, that's the antithesis of what we are!! We should've known 3 years ago that this would be a team stocked full of youth that would need some playmakers to help pull this offense through tough times-- playmakers who would allow us a few periodic, quick strikes rather than relying on a YOUNG team to play mistake-free against VETERAN defenses who have already taken their lumps. If Henning isn't fired (or forced to retire) after this season, I'll be a Patriots fan next year. At least they do it right. And if Sparano thinks running a team in this manner is OK, then he needs to go to. There's more to coaching than just motivating players.

Last thing---- Are people FINALLY done with throwing Henne under the bus? He's NOT OUR DAMN PROBLEM!!! Are the few of you Thigpen slash Penny-loving slash Henne-bashing fans happy that you got to see Thiggy take us to the promise land? Anyone want Henne back? I know I do! Just sayin. That's my rant for the week..... I rarely do them, so this is my mulligan.

 

Now the only question is: who is available to replace him? Seriously, if I'm Ross and I'm approached in my office and Sparano & Ireland tell me they want an OC (Lee) who has zero NFL experience who coached for 3 years behind the bum we just fired, then I'd probably throw a stapler at them!!!

We need an assertive Mike Nolan equivalent running our offense IMO rather than this pansy, passive crap. If ownership wants to draw fans, then they better bring in someone who wants to put up some points while stomping on teams when we have a lead. Our defense has the capability of destroying teams if our offense/special teams can play with a 2 score lead. Wake would be an even bigger beast than he is now.

 

I never thought we should put the ball in Thiggy's hands..... especially not to that extent. It's not like we were being snuffed out on the run. Ronnie had 3 carries. IMO That's not enough attempts to say he wouldn't have been effective.

 

How many screens did we run during this embarrassment?

 

I think we had a "Price is Right" type wheel on the sideline with all of our plays on it.

 

Yes, I'd rather spend some time attacking their strength with our #1 RB than our #3 QB and no Marshall. I'm not saying to run it to death; I'm saying to balance it out a little more. Could it have been ANY worse? lol.

 

I was watching Urlacher when I remembered too.... and he didn't budge from it. I think he actually pointed and laughed on one occasion while he was dropping in coverage.

 

Well, actually, if Lithuania has as much of an opportunity to be like an "America", then I do blame part of it on their war strategy. I'm blaming everyone but our defense. I'm blaming our organization as a whole for putting ourselves in this position in the first place.... which means that Henning is still at fault, as is Sparano and Ireland IMO.

They've set us up to not be capable of scoring points in a hurry or when we desperately need to. We're not set up to gain chunk yardage..... and we're not set up to take an early lead so that our defense can apply the pressure that it's capable of..... and we're not set up to win the field position battle. I'm sorry, but that's not on the team; that's on the organization and coaches IMO.

 

so passing on 3rd and 15 with only 2 WRs on the field isn't on Henning? How about the continued use of play action 3rd and long? I'm sure Henning has had something to do with offensive personnel to some degree, so he deserves some blame in that as well. How many screens did we run with all the pressure they were putting on Thiggy? How many draws?