DC.COM Blog; Phillips: Vrabel TD Was A Blown Assignment...Ware's fault?

[Alexander]

"We felt like we had the right call for what it was, but we didn't execute it.

From the way Phillips sounds here and Garrett has said the very same things, we've got ourselves some perfect playcallers and just lousy players executing it.

So when does it just become a bad call?

I can appreciate the players being accountable. I think they have all tried to publicly do that. When will this staff admit that it just isn't getting it done either? When they are all fired? Both Garrett and Phillips are more than a little arrogant of their schemes and playcalling abilities IMO.

 

[Alexander]

Players are making too many mistakes...

The practiced this play and then go out and fail to execute it...

Its on the players.....they have to be accountable to know their keys...

Million dollar players have to be accountable for someting....limit your mistakes...make plays....know you role.....study film...etc.....

Ware supposely messed up....we have to limit those mistakes...

Million dollar coaches need to also be accountable if they aren't calling the right plays or "don't work on them enough". It is a two way situation.

 

[Doomsday101]

From the way Phillips sounds here and Garrett has said the very same things, we've got ourselves some perfect playcallers and just lousy players executing it.

So when does it just become a bad call?

I can appreciate the players being accountable. I think they have all tried to publicly do that. When will this staff admit that it just isn't getting it done either? When they are all fired? Both Garrett and Phillips are more than a little arrogant of their schemes and playcalling abilities IMO.

"We knew it was a pass," Wade Phillips said. "We felt like we had the right call for what it was, but we didn't execute it. And when it comes down to it we either didn't work on it enough or - you know, it's my responsibility.

As for getting fired or not I guess that depends if this staff can get this team playing good or not.

 

[theogt]

I agree with dwarecwby311 on this one.

Of course linebackers have to cover tight ends sometimes. But that's usually when they're lined up as linebackers, not as down linemen.

Look at the play. We had a five-man line, with the two safeties on the outside edges, three linebackers in the box and one cornerback following the tight end in motion.

The five eligible receivers are the two down tight ends, the tight end in motion and the two backs. You've got six guys in the defensive backfield -- three linebackers, two safeties and a cornerback. That's more than enough to have one assigned to each eligible receiver. And if you "know" Vrabel is going to get the ball, you might even have enough to double-team him. But you're going to assign one of the defensive ends to cover the tight end in the flat? (And he's your best pass-rusher?) WHY? Who are the safeties there to cover? Why not have Ware jam Vrabel, then have Watkins or Brooking cover him?

And if, for whatever reason, you're going to have your defensive end responsible for covering the tight end in the right flat (from the defense's perspective), why in the world would you shift your entire defensive line to the left and have your DE play inside the tight end, giving him an easier release to the outside? And least play him head-up, if not on his outside shoulder.

With Vrabel as the outside TE on the left, there's no one to block a rushing safety from the edge but a RB. The surprise factor of the "zone-blitz"-type play would typically give the safety an advantage over the RB. Here, if Watkins had not bit so hard on the play fake, he would have been in Cassel's face and there's possibly either a sack or a blocked pass. If Ware makes Cassel hesitate for even a second (by running the play as designed), Watkins gets to Cassell regardless of biting on the play fake and there's no TD.

As for Ware being inside the TE, I doubt anyone worried about Ware not being able to come out of his stance and keep in coverage with Vrabel due to him being shade inside. This is DeMarcus Ware after all. Ware's lineup also gives the offensive tackle the pre-snap assignment of blocking in, rather than perhaps kicking out to block Ware and when Ware pulls off, he's there ready to block Watkins.

Regardless, this discussion isn't about (or at least my point isn't) whether the play should have been designed as a "zone blitz"-type play. My point is that it's not "idiotic" that Wade would call a play leaving Vrabel wide open in the endzone. Because he didn't. He drew up a play designed specifically for this and the players didn't execute.

A perfect example of "coaches coach and players play."

 

[theogt]

"We knew it was a pass," Wade Phillips said. "We felt like we had the right call for what it was, but we didn't execute it. And when it comes down to it we either didn't work on it enough or - you know, it's my responsibility.

The guy goes out of his way to take responsibility, without throwing his star player, who's up for a huge contract, under the bus and gets railed because people aren't smart enough to actually read or listen to the ENTIRE quote.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Oh who cares whose fault it was. The play wasn't made. Simple as that. You can blame it on any one person or whatever but it doesn't matter. The fact is no one covered him. No one did their job. Period.

 

[Doomsday101]

The guy goes out of his way to take responsibility, without throwing his star player, who's up for a huge contract, under the bus and gets railed because people aren't smart enough to actually read or listen to the ENTIRE quote.

I agree. I will say it is his responsibility in the end and Wade like most coaches out there will take the heat for the player’s mistakes and if this team does not get things turned around it very well could cost him his job again like any other coach out there.

I have no issue admitting I'm pulling for Wade and this team’s success and if it things do not work out I'll support the next coach and give him the support and time to do the job. It is just the way I am with coaches because I understand it is easier to 2nd guess than to do the job.

 

[Plumfool]

The guy goes out of his way to take responsibility, without throwing his star player, who's up for a huge contract, under the bus and gets railed because people aren't smart enough to actually read or listen to the ENTIRE quote.

Same feeling I got as well. Because if watkins blitzes and ware covers like he's supposed too, chiefs have to either take a sack or it's an incomplete pass. Because they both almost got there.

A coach can draw it up can have players practice it many times but it all comes down to the players.

 

[Funxva]

I'm starting to wonder why he was let back into the game. He was knocked out. When your body goes limp, you have no business going back in with a concussion.

Completely agree with you on that one. Concussions can totally destroy your cognitive abilities especially later in life.