Week 16 Gameday Chatter | Colts vs. Cowboys | 12/21/2014

[Tony D]

He's been "involved" for years. This year is distinctly different because of a change in philosophy and the discipline to stick with it. Linehan has demonstrated that discipline.



You said he was in charge. Coaches who are in charge make all in-season decisions regarding the team and control the flow of information. Garrett can't. He only hired an OC because he was told to. In fact we've seen time and again where Jerry expressed anger on his radio show and Garrett changes accordingly the very next week.

To quote Garrett: "Jerry can do what he wants, he owns the team."



It's easy to say that, but we've seen dramatic changes on this team in offensive play design and play-calling that have made for a huge change in efficiency. It makes much more sense that these changes come from a new OC than the guys who ran the show and kept calling passes when his running back was averaging 7.7 yards per carry and his team led by 21 points. Disasters vs. Detroit, GB, Denver-- that team (run by Garrett) is GONE now. What changed?

So a coach can't evolve? A coach can't get better with experience? Was the Bill Belichick that coached Cleveland the same guy that coached New England? Coaches can get better, can learn from their mistakes, especially coaches with no head coaching experience.

Jerry is a media whore. He likes to be out front. Garrett likes to coach. When practice is going on he's in charge, not Jerry. When the game is going on he's in charge.

How do you know Garrett isn't responsible for the change in philosophy on offense? Why is it the guy who called the plays for the pass happy Lions who is responsible for us running the ball more?

Do you know who said Kiffin should be demoted and Marinelli should be DC?

So what you are saying is Garrett is a figurehead? He does absolutely nothing? Think about that for a minute. It makes no sense.

 

[Jiggyfly]

He's not running Garrett's system. Smitty is just grasping at anything he can to keep his boyfriend in the light. Linehan is running his own system.

Example number 1 we never ran a pick play under Garret.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Actually the biggest difference, offensively anyway, is the OL.

Linehan was no genius in his other stops and he's running Garrett's system.

He's a better playcaller, sure. But he can do what he does because teams can't stop the run without over committing to it. Which they have been the past few weeks.

The offensive line was plenty good enough last year to do this, yet we didn't. The difference is who is now in charge of the offense.

I agree with your last paragraph.

 

[VA Cowboy]

As an aside, Murray won't break Emmitt's record. I would bet he sits next week no matter of seeding implications.

Possibly. But I could see him play the 1st quarter with the starters and then we pull many of them, like a preseason game.

 

[Jiggyfly]

As an aside, Murray won't break Emmitt's record. I would bet he sits next week no matter of seeding implications.

He only needs 30 yards, I bet he plays.

 

[Texas Ace]

They're certainly playing above where people thought they'd be, but I doubt they were considered one of the 5 worst. And certainly not "league wide".

Raiders, Jaguars, Skins, Bucs, Jets, Titans...

Did you have us below any of them before the season started? I realize our defense was looking sad, but our offense alone would keep us above bottom 5.

I had us at 6-10, but there were a handful of pundits that did have us in the bottom 5.

Some even said we were THE worst team in the league after week 1.

To say that not much was expected of us would be putting it lightly.

 

[Rev]

Yeah, the last three games Seattles schedule was brutal.

 

[Jiggyfly]

I have to sat the emergence of Beasley has been a revelation, I have yet to see any nickel back stop him om the underneath stuff.

Dude is extremely quick.

 

[Smitty]

He's not running Garrett's system. Smitty is just grasping at anything he can to keep his boyfriend in the light. Linehan is running his own system.

Uh... No, he's running Garrett's system... Which is of course the Coryell offense derivative.

 

[GShock]

I thought we'd take a step back to 6-10 or 7-9, especially once we lost Lee and then rocked by SF.

That's underselling it a bit. Lost Ware and Hatcher in the off-season. Lost Lee, and added essentially nothing in terms of FA or the draft.

 

[NoDak]

I had us at 6-10, but there were a handful of ojndits that did have us in the bottom 5.

Well now. That's a far cry from 'league wide' now, isn't it?

 

[VA Cowboy]

Uh... No, he's running Garrett's system... Which is of course the Coryell offense derivative.

Playcalling and the commitment to the run is the difference. No way Garrett would've done what Linehan has.

 

[Cotton]

Uh... No, he's running Garrett's system... Which is of course the Coryell offense derivative.

Okay.

 

[Smitty]

How do you know Garrett isn't responsible for the change in philosophy on offense? Why is it the guy who called the plays for the pass happy Lions who is responsible for us running the ball more?

They don't know. It's just easier to save face by pretending they know that's the case.

Meanwhile that theory involves the OC directly contradicting the head coach, his boss, as if Garrett is having all this happen against his will and has no ability to stop it.

Laughable.

Of course Garrett is all for the commitment to the running game. And he's be running it more himself as well this year.

Situational play calling is something that Linehan has shown an affinity for, better than Garrett, but the whole "Linehan is running the offense against Garretts wishes and Garrett has no input now" is hilarious.

 

[Genghis Khan]

I stepped away for a bit after the game ended to try and not make a fool of myself, but OH MY FUCKING GAWD! NCFE CHAMPIONS BABY!!!! YOU CANT CALL THEM LOSERS ANYMORE!

We did it our way baby! WE DID IT WE DID IT WE DID IT!

 

[Smitty]

Playcalling and the commitment to the run is the difference. No way Garrett would've done what Linehan has.

Linehan has shown to be a superior playcaller this year based on track record; though it's also undeniably easier when the threat of the run is this potent.

But we could never run like this before either.

Tough to say how much Garrett would be running it, but the last time we entered a season with an OL we knew was competent under Garrett, we ran it a hell of a lot more than 2012 or 2013.

That is pretty much an unrefutable argument that the circumstances dictated how much we were comfortable running previously.

 

[Cotton]

And, of course, only at the DCC could we clinch the division and an argument break out.

 

[Cotton]

Peace out, boys. Just remember we won. We fucking won.

 

[Tony D]

The offensive line was plenty good enough last year to do this, yet we didn't. The difference is who is now in charge of the offense.

I agree with your last paragraph.

Do what? Last year we averaged 27 ppg, this year 28ppg. It's because our defense was historically bad. Sure we run it more, control the clock, etc. But lets not go crazy here. Again, when we hired Linehan nobody was excited. You all expected him to continue to throw it around. How do we know for certain that it's all him with this change to be a run first team? How do we know Garrett didn't talk to him about it.

And yes this O line is much better than last few years. Smith, Leary and Frederick have more experience. Free is playing better than he has in years and Martin is a huge difference maker, huge. And no injuries except for Free now.

 

[Smitty]

The offensive line was plenty good enough last year to do this

It absolutely was not even close to what we've seen this year. The entire interior of the OL is significantly better (3 spots).

The difference is who is now in charge of the offense.

The difference is also that we entered a season knowing the OL was a strength, unlike last year, when it really wasn't until down the stretch.nand certainly not the years before.