kansasCowboy said:
Subcanis said:
Here's the thing: a winning coach doesn't change the gameplan from what is working to something that is not. And vice versa. Period.
We threw it half as many times as we did in the first half! We ran more, and we were getting stopped. If anything he changed it for the better compared to most of these arguments, and you all still bitch. We had 24 passes in the first half to 13 in the second half. How is this abandoning what was working? Please people come on!
The ONLY difference and the TRUE game changer: We could not complete ANY passes in the second half.
Be mad all you want, but at least use logic.
This.
Our offense looked great in the first half. It was so good that our defense didn't have to do anything (but still gave up 2 big plays). There was ZERO need to make any adjustments whatsoever apart from responsibilities on defense. Everyone gripes about DC not making halftime adjustments, so tell me what you would have CHANGED from a complete offensive domination on our part in the first half.
Our offense did look great in the first half. I completely agree. What would you do to change. Remember weather became a factor.
What I saw was us come out do do exactly what worked in the first half, Our rushing attack. I quite honestly was impressed because you have only so many running plays from our spread formation. You would think a D would catch on, but somehow we were able to keep them guessing. Then we had one medium catch that went for 18 yards. Then. Our receivers and RB's hands froze up. That's when the game changed. RB dump screen, 8 yard pass, bounces off his hands. RB screen out to the flat, high and bounced off his hands. Bubble screen quick hit to McNeill, 5 yard pass, McNeill fumbles with the ball and can't hold on. And so on. The D notices this and begins to creep up on us to the point we eventually have the majority of their D in the box and our average yard per carry goes WAY down. Even the QB sneaks and draws were going for little to no gain. Now the Cowboys are one dimensional. How do you make changes? Remember, you only have a handful of running plays from our spread formation. So what do you do.
Well, if I was in DC's situation I would be doing the same thing he did. Keep going run first. Trying to get somewhat of a passing attack to resurrect itself by trying for short easy pitch and catch passes. In this scenario you are kind of in a double whammy. You have the D making adjustments to your run and the weather has made you lose one of your biggest options (passing).
AFA obviously made the right adjustments because the things that worked for us before half were no longer working. You can talk about in-game adjustments and how we failed at it all you want but there was nothing to change at halftime, period.