erod
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Yesterday's fashion of losing defines this franchise for the past 15 years, regardless of its coach, its quarterback, or its coordinators. Miscalculated arrogance and lack of refined discipline creates an aura of toxic chaos, which shows its backside in critical moments.
It may work in the oil field, where a 4-4 record will make you the most successful oil man in history, but not in the business of football. Perhaps such inbred experience explains Jerry's content with 8-8 and eeking into "the tournament" to face San Fran or Seattle in the wild card. Maybe he's used to long odds.
Not me, as I watched my 11-5 prediction melt past 10-6 into single digits, and my frustration reach a boiling point. That's three games now - precious opportunities - that this team has failed to close very winnable games. Five measly points separate this team from being 7-1.
We saw a crystal-clear capsulization of why these collapses occur in the final two minutes, with a hodgepodge of panicked stupidity. Among the multiple mental mistakes...
Does Kyle Bosworth not know that the clock stops after the tackle on a kickoff and he need not run out of bounds? Did it not occur to him that pitching it back to the leading kickoff specialist in the league just might be a good idea? Did it not occur to 90 percent of this forum was thinking that Stafford might sneak the ball instead of spiking it? Why didn't it occur to Jason Hatcher, who just stood there when he got to the line, not even looking at Stafford? Do offensive lineman not understand that penalties stop the clock, and that a tackle for loss was inconsequential? Did Dez not understand the goal of running the clock in the end while he waving his arms like crazy because he had one-on-one coverage? Did it not occur the coaches to take a timeout when Johnson was tackled at the one? Did it not occur to them, or Romo, to take a knee on third down, punt it high into the end zone, and leave Detroit wih 20 seconds and no timeouts?
I could go on.
And there he was, Jerry's favorite pet, throwing gasoline all over the sideline amidst the haze of battle. Dez showed the world why, in fact, he isn't in the class of Calvin Johnson. (Can you imagine Megatron acting like that on the sideline?) Dez called it "passion", but players who refuse to be part of the planning for the final play aren't passionate. They're selfish, or in the case, embarassed for getting shown up on TV. (I still don't understand why he thought he offended CJ last week, because what he said to the media was fine.) His run-on fit didn't make sense, and it served no good.
It's hard to focus in a tight game with a wild hyena constantly running loose and terrorizing your entire sideline. Leaders are the ones calmest when the bullets are flying. Somebody tell Dez that today, please.
I understand that 3/4 of the secondary was missing late. I know that missing Ware and Murray and Waters, etc, do make matters difficult. I know the Lions can play, and that road games are darn tough to win in the NFL. But this is a roster that needs to band together and overcome these obstacles, not fall apart at the seams.
Coaches can't make the plays for these guys. In KC, Bruce Carter needs to finish the pick-six and Dez needs to catch the perfectly thrown TD pass. Romo and the offense need to complete that final drive against Denver. And the comedy of errors yesterday are on Tyron, Hatcher, and a defense that somehow managed four turnovers while allowing 623 yards of offense. What a weird defense we have.
Here's the midpoint and 4-4. The Vikings and Saints next hint of 5-5. Then there's a six-game opportunity to get this thing to 10-6 still. Infinitely doable, even for these knuckleheads.
But now - and I mean today - the first thing they've got to is calm it down, both coaches and players. Harness the emotion. Circle the wagons. Talk it out. Make an apology or two if needed. Remember the long journey a season is.
Gather. Temper. Heal. Bond. Poise, perspective, and professionalism are the only way out of this vortex of mediocrity.
It may work in the oil field, where a 4-4 record will make you the most successful oil man in history, but not in the business of football. Perhaps such inbred experience explains Jerry's content with 8-8 and eeking into "the tournament" to face San Fran or Seattle in the wild card. Maybe he's used to long odds.
Not me, as I watched my 11-5 prediction melt past 10-6 into single digits, and my frustration reach a boiling point. That's three games now - precious opportunities - that this team has failed to close very winnable games. Five measly points separate this team from being 7-1.
We saw a crystal-clear capsulization of why these collapses occur in the final two minutes, with a hodgepodge of panicked stupidity. Among the multiple mental mistakes...
Does Kyle Bosworth not know that the clock stops after the tackle on a kickoff and he need not run out of bounds? Did it not occur to him that pitching it back to the leading kickoff specialist in the league just might be a good idea? Did it not occur to 90 percent of this forum was thinking that Stafford might sneak the ball instead of spiking it? Why didn't it occur to Jason Hatcher, who just stood there when he got to the line, not even looking at Stafford? Do offensive lineman not understand that penalties stop the clock, and that a tackle for loss was inconsequential? Did Dez not understand the goal of running the clock in the end while he waving his arms like crazy because he had one-on-one coverage? Did it not occur the coaches to take a timeout when Johnson was tackled at the one? Did it not occur to them, or Romo, to take a knee on third down, punt it high into the end zone, and leave Detroit wih 20 seconds and no timeouts?
I could go on.
And there he was, Jerry's favorite pet, throwing gasoline all over the sideline amidst the haze of battle. Dez showed the world why, in fact, he isn't in the class of Calvin Johnson. (Can you imagine Megatron acting like that on the sideline?) Dez called it "passion", but players who refuse to be part of the planning for the final play aren't passionate. They're selfish, or in the case, embarassed for getting shown up on TV. (I still don't understand why he thought he offended CJ last week, because what he said to the media was fine.) His run-on fit didn't make sense, and it served no good.
It's hard to focus in a tight game with a wild hyena constantly running loose and terrorizing your entire sideline. Leaders are the ones calmest when the bullets are flying. Somebody tell Dez that today, please.
I understand that 3/4 of the secondary was missing late. I know that missing Ware and Murray and Waters, etc, do make matters difficult. I know the Lions can play, and that road games are darn tough to win in the NFL. But this is a roster that needs to band together and overcome these obstacles, not fall apart at the seams.
Coaches can't make the plays for these guys. In KC, Bruce Carter needs to finish the pick-six and Dez needs to catch the perfectly thrown TD pass. Romo and the offense need to complete that final drive against Denver. And the comedy of errors yesterday are on Tyron, Hatcher, and a defense that somehow managed four turnovers while allowing 623 yards of offense. What a weird defense we have.
Here's the midpoint and 4-4. The Vikings and Saints next hint of 5-5. Then there's a six-game opportunity to get this thing to 10-6 still. Infinitely doable, even for these knuckleheads.
But now - and I mean today - the first thing they've got to is calm it down, both coaches and players. Harness the emotion. Circle the wagons. Talk it out. Make an apology or two if needed. Remember the long journey a season is.
Gather. Temper. Heal. Bond. Poise, perspective, and professionalism are the only way out of this vortex of mediocrity.
