Was Lawrence a difference maker in the playoffs? In the 4th quarter did Lawrence make a play to help us win vs the Rams?
We should be over spending on the best coaches available. They do not count against the salary cap and great coaches can put their average to above average players in position to make big plays. See NE’s defense vs the Rams second ranked offense.
Coaching Matters a lot. We are screwed until Garrett is gone. Also, Richards and Marinelli failed big time vs the Rams. Look what NE’s average D with great coaching did to the Rams!
Agreed on spending on coaches. Not a part of cap. Jerry and Steven have decided to go for stability and longetivity at the HC position for a long time now - and perhaps are loyal to a fault - but they aren't cheap and do make an effort to attract coaching talent. A valid concern would be whether they go for promote "yes men" - but it is tough to have the independence of a Parcells etc - without skins on the wall - and Jerry and Co are hands on types - just the way it is, and not likely to change - and I don't think Steven is THAT much different from his Father - just that Father still dominates the limelight and likes the attention and scrutiny a bit more, good or bad.
Lawrence had a bum shoulder for latter part of the year and seemed to tire out as he has a bit before (prior year the sacks ebbed too). That being said, he was still motoring and making plays in run game and applying pressure and being a positive leader - playing hard and playing hurt and not doing stupid crap off the field, while being upbeat and positive on field and sideline and locker-room. Spell him a bit more and with more solid depth and help inside, so that can be relied on consistently. AND have a game plan against a team like the Rams where a number of players DON'T say they knew exactly what the defense was going to do - and maybe the playoff production for entire defense is different. We got out-coached and out-schemed and out-prepared in the Ram's playoff game.
We like to see what NE does so well to be so consistently good without overpaying veterans and making a lot of player changes - we also know Belicheck and Brady are the two constants - no other team has those - so no other team in last decade+ has anywhere near the same success.
IMHO in a game of inches and milliseconds and where momentum and confidence also play such a key role, the fact the Rams Offense KNEW by how our guys lined up what we were doing on the Dline - changed the entire Rams playoff game. Our Young LBers got shell-shocked when, for first time in the year really, the Dline was unable to really do anything. We didn't adjust. Didn't bounce back. Woods was playing hurt too I believe. Instead of our LBers finishing plays a short distance from LOS we were chasing or hitting rb's with momentum and room/speed 5-8 yards forward. That is probably how other teams feel when Martin and our Oline open a hole for Zeke 3 yards from LOS and he has 2 more to start accelerating and finish the play falling forward..... Tough to stop. All the Ram's oline had to do was seal guys off and lever them into a position that would open a hole, since they apparently knew where our DT's and DE's were heading already...would make that a lot easier to open holes or to delay rushes/stunts, etc - enough time to throw or RB to get through line and gather speed and power.
That worries me more than the Cowboys Defensive line or players sucking all of a sudden after a SUPER solid regular season. Gregory hit a bit of a wall for me in playoffs - and that has to have a little to do with inexperience and not playing at that top level very often - and not being totally focussed or developed as a player at this point yet. Taco was sulking and not there yet. Crawford gets moved all over and seems to wear down at end of year and in playoffs also. LBers are super raw still - and no major previous playoff experience - Sean Lee rusty and recovering from injury and older and not in rhythm yet. Lots of "excuses" and reasons for D looking bad in that Ram's loss - but it is a team game and Lawrence was not only one ineffective or quiet that game, that is for sure - and any offensive line that says they "knew" what the D was doing has an ENORMOUS advantage on every play- even if they are just right a bit more than average - the Rams O and run game played with calm and confidence - our guys got shell-shocked pretty quickly and I honestly don't feel it had anything to do with talent or effort - it was prep work and scheme that we got beaten on mainly.
Just my thoughts - I like Marinelli, and think Richards brings attitude and swagger and toughness. They both can be quite stubborn in there ways as much as any other coaches - possibly why we didn't adjust our defensive play calling and "tells" in prep for a playoff game to mix it up a bit. Marinellie does a lot with often lower levels of money/picks on Dline - and a lot of "RiSky" depth - injured guys, always suspended guys, head cases, tweeners, re-treads, etc - but that might be of his own making sometimes. Richards likes guys his size/style - which means talented guys we had recently drafted might not get a shot - like Lewis - just based on measurables - a bit frustrating - but one does see Richard's and Marinelli's historic success as position coaches - they do have a lot of individual success in those roles and get a lot out of certain players. They don't always have a lot of control over the players they have on field or the ones they inherit, are signed as free-agents, or are drafted. BUT, the scheme and prep for the Rams game has to partially fall on them I think - and I hope that mistake is never repeated.
