The Day After

by Adam T on Feb 5, 2007 8:20 AM CST in News

A not so good night of sleep later and I am ready to reflect on the game and not break out into any Colt front runner fans, granted if anybody at my work shows up with Colts gear, I reserve the right to recant that pledge.

I am going to start with out offense or our lack of offense. It is harder to look at the D, when the time of possession was 32-10 at one point, you know they were sucking wind.

Quarterback- Rex played pretty much the perfect game the first quarter based on what they asked him to do. His stats were something like 6/8, 63 yards, 1TD, 0INT for a 120.7 passer rating. Things went horribly awry in the second half and while not all of it was his fault some does lay on him. His two interception I don't know if they were his first read, but he just lobbed the ball. Berrian and two Colts secondary were just sitting there waiting for a jump off. He also hosed up two snaps.

Running Backs- I have no problem with the running backs. Benson went out early and Jones ran hard. Both Benson and Jones had a fumble.

Wide Receivers- A bit harder to say how they were. It seemed they didn't get any separation. Berrian should have been able to burn by their secondary a few times. Desmond Clark was no where in the first 3 quarters, then he shows up for a number of plays and then butterfingers a 4th down catch.

O-Line: Thomas Jones had a 100 yard game, so they blocked alright, but their misses were just at the worst times. A costly holding call, two jail breaks on Grossman on a good drive.

Ron Turner- Generally, I don't think about paying attention to play calling. I just wath the game and see what happens, but even I couldn't figure out what we were doing. Throwing on first, running on 3rd and long. Why did it take us until the 4th quarter to start finding Clark in the middle? Don't we also know that is the week spot in the Cover-2; although, I think the Colts played a lot of zone, it was still open.

One final think I want to ran on and it isn't game related. The Super Bowl is the single biggest TV event of the year. So the CBS pre game show starts off with JB doing a plug for Pizza Hut. What the hell were they thinking?

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D-line

The d-line never got off the plane in Miami. Manning had enough time to do another commercial in the pocket. That said, offensive play calling was horrible. 2nd and 1. 2nd and 1. 2nd and 1. Obvious run or play-action situation and they call neither.

Unleash your inner Grabowski.

by jrm78 on Feb 5, 2007 8:41 AM CST reply actions

D-Line

Manning had way too much time back there. They didn't do anything to him.

first the Rush...now the Bears.

by mike @ Windy City Gridiron on Feb 5, 2007 8:46 AM CST reply actions

I hate to say it

but the Bears got what they deserved by having Grossman at QB. I was cheering on the Bears all game but get another quarterback ASAP if you want to go back to the Super Bowl and actually win it.

by Chris Thorman on Feb 5, 2007 9:04 AM CST reply actions

turner really called a stinker

awful playcalling. did rex play well? no. but the game plan he was given was absolutely atrocious. we should have gone to 3 WR sets and gotten lots of underneath plays - they were there all game long. the colts were not going to let berrian beat them deep, so dink and dunk would have worked well. the 2nd and 1 call pretty much ended the game. and the d-line...our dt's were awful yesterday, whereas they were very good 2 weeks ago. no push whatsoever. given how bad they played, to not blitz until late in the game was a very poor decision by rivera. you can't give manning time in the pocket. he will kill you.

by guy incognito on Feb 5, 2007 9:21 AM CST reply actions

We

did blitz some early on to good effect. I think we stopped one of their early drives because of it. In the second quarter, we got burned on a couple blitzes. One when it seemed we had Manning but both rushers (coming up the middle) fell and Manning rolled out to his right. Another was picked up very well and Manning found Harrison over the middle for a big gain (Briggs was covering him).
Overall though, we should have blitzed more and more creatively. Tillman and Vasher were playing well (especially Tillman, he had a GREAT game).
However, my personal feeling is that we lost the game when the ColorMan (I forget his name, as he was forgettable) informed the viewing audience that Nathan Vasher wants to marry Oprah Winfrey. And it wasn't a joke.

by cookding @ Windy City Gridiron on Feb 5, 2007 9:42 AM CST reply actions

I posted my analysis of the game

in the last night's main entry -- now it's time to take on CBS.

Why a plug for Pizza Hut? Because they PAID for it! Why do you think it was there? The network sold every inch of the screen could sell.

At the very beginning of the pre-game coverage -- "Updates?" ("Yes, I'm here at the team hotel. They are eating.") Even one of these poor slobs who got this shitty assignment said, in so many words..'nothing new to report here.' What a friggin joke' that was.

Then, of course, it's the CBS pre-game team which stinks, (JB is the best of the bunch, and doesn't belong with those arrogant, full-of-themselves ex-jocks) but you couldn't get a shot of any of them with those flat-screen monitors behind them touting another sponsor. (Also, one unamed marble-mouthed member of the quartet talks WAAY too fast, and I can't even figure out what he's saying half the time. (Would he be insulted if somebody on the production team would ASK him to slow down his delivery? Just a bit?)

I was hoping Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long would stop by and interrupt this pitiful performance. (I can't believe I'm actually saying this.)

How did Jim Nance jump to the top of the heap of CBS sportscasters? He's competent in College Basketball, but he was pretty damn boring yesterday, as was Phil Simms. (Did they Give Greg Gumbel the weekend off? Why wasn't he calling the game?)

I was actually pining for a Fox telecast -- perhaps that would pumped some life into this bland, whitebread coverage.

Even the overblown Al Michaels and John Madden would have been a relief.

The commercials sucked. Every friggin' one of them -- and I can't even count the K-Fed spot for Nationwide, because the damn spot had been aired all week. Only the CBS promo, (not a commercial) for Letterman with Oprah was clever, original, and funny) If I'm Coca-Cola, I FIRE my ad agency today. God, did those spots stink. Budweiser wasn't much more creative. (Perhaps the Clydesdale spot was their only shining moment)

And isn't it telling when we humanize a 'machine' that works the assembly line. Hey, Ford -- I remember when actual HUMANS worked those lines, and made good money and were a part of the American middle class. I'll bet the viewers in Flint, Michigan thought that spot was a knockout.
Good luck with that 92 billion dollar loss this year.

In my view, this was the worst TV coverage of a Super Bowl in the game's history. (Even had the Bears WON, I'd have the same opinion.) Right down to the dated theme music, CBS Sports thinks it's 1987.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Feb 5, 2007 10:57 AM CST reply actions

NO

I don't care who paid, you don't open with a plug. Give us a run down do a little analysis and then when you come back from the first break you do the plug.

by Adam T on Feb 5, 2007 11:11 AM CST up reply actions

ironic

I saw much irony in the 'production line robot loses its job' ad. Mechanization of the assembly line has cost many, many people their jobs (amongst other factors, of course).

Unleash your inner Grabowski.

by jrm78 on Feb 5, 2007 1:59 PM CST up reply actions

I thought it was a PSA

for Jobs in america, I really did.

Visit The Cub Reporter (mvn.com/mlb-cubs)

by thecubreporter on Feb 5, 2007 5:37 PM CST up reply actions

Not if that's what the Sales Dept tells you

to do -- that's what Pizza Hut paid for, that specific placement. Please don't think the broadcast talent has ANY say in this, because they do not. Aim your frustration at CBS sales, not JB -- he just reads the copy. I work in the industry. These friggin' salespeople have NO shame, and will suck up to any sponsor at any time to get a buy.

As I said earlier, the omnipresent monitors behind every one of the talking heads was visually distracting, and annoying. (That, was worse, to my taste because there was no way to avoid looking at the sponsor) Damn CBS might have well have sold a continious sponsor 'crawl' at the bottom of the screen:

"It's xx minutes to kick off...this a service of Ford......It's xx minutes and 30 seconds to kick off....brought to you by Snickers....and on and on and on...."

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Feb 5, 2007 11:32 AM CST reply actions

Boot Grossman and Lovie

Boot them both.

If Grossman is the future forget it. Same with Lovie.

With that much talent Bears can't depend on these two.
Turner is no bargin either.

Reinsdorf did it with Collins and the Bulls started winning championships.

by stic on Feb 5, 2007 12:11 PM CST reply actions

h.......

a, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha
ha.

by cookding @ Windy City Gridiron on Feb 5, 2007 12:21 PM CST up reply actions

Replacements

Who are you replacements in this scenario?

first the Rush...now the Bears.

by mike @ Windy City Gridiron on Feb 5, 2007 1:12 PM CST up reply actions

You are ignorant...

Collins lost the team. there was a point at which the entire team ignored him and hated him. that is why he was fired. Since they all seemed to respect Phil Jackson, he was put in as coach.

These players admire and respect Lovie. If he loses the team then you can let him go, until then, he's the coach.

by Chad @ Windy City Gridiron on Feb 5, 2007 1:13 PM CST up reply actions

I don't know what the future holds

for Grossman, but Lovie isn't going anywhere.

by Adam T on Feb 5, 2007 1:16 PM CST up reply actions

I'm with you

Lovie's as responsible as anyone for this debacle. If he insists on playing that worthless Grossman, then I say get rid of him too. And what good does it do if the players like him if they play like they played last night!

If any of you don't like it then piss on you!

by Bear z Fan on Feb 5, 2007 2:53 PM CST up reply actions

Yea...

Seriously...what good does it get you to get to the Super Bowl...

Lovie Smith must be a pathetic coach that he lost in the Super Bowl.

visit the mindful mission.

by big_lowitzki on Feb 5, 2007 3:46 PM CST up reply actions

Question

I'm going to ask you the same thing I asked the other guy.

Replacements
Who are you replacements in this scenario?

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing. I'm just assuming that if you want Lovie run out of town along with Rex, you have alternatives in mind and I am curious as to who they are.

first the Rush...now the Bears.

by mike @ Windy City Gridiron on Feb 5, 2007 4:21 PM CST up reply actions