NightLink: Bears Looking For Closers
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Oct 12, 2009 4:30 PM CDT
16 comments
Brad Biggs of the Sun Times has a nice piece about the Bears looking to improve at closing out games. With this being Atlanta week (who will ever forget the final 11 seconds last year?) it seems like a perfect time to discuss the Bears second half game-planning, and their ability to close out on their opponents.
Here's the link to the Biggs article, right here. Last year many fans called into question the inability of Lovie Smith and his staff to close out games from an X's and O's standpoint. Were they failing at the halftime adjustments?
They squandered double-digit second-half leads in two of the first three weeks in losses to Carolina and Tampa Bay, and they went to Houston in the season finale knowing a victory would put them in the postseason. The Bears led the Texans 10-0 before crumbling.
The most stunning of all was the Week 6 meltdown with 11 seconds to play at Atlanta. The Bears had rallied for a one-point lead on a 17-yard pass from Kyle Orton to Rashied Davis in the Georgia Dome against the upstart Falcons. A bad Robbie Gould squib kick, a bad defensive call combined with poor execution and a 48-yard Jason Elam field goal later, they left stunned losers 22-20.
On thing that surprised me was Smith's overall record when leading after 3 quarters, the last couple years not so good, but before that, stellar.
The Bears were 26-1 under Smith in his first three seasons when they led after the third quarter. Since 2007, they are 12-6, including the lead they squandered at Green Bay to open the season.
When protecting a lead late, much of the onus falls on a good pass rush, something the Bears lacked the last two years, but this season...
With 14 sacks through the first four games, they're at half their total from 2008 and on pace for 56, the most since the Bears had 70 in the 15-game season of 1987. It's far easier to rush the passer with a lead late in the game, and the improved play by ends Alex Brownand Adewale Ogunleye has been encouraging.
In case you missed it, last week on chicagobears.com, Larry Mayer wrote about the Bears offense doing some self evaluation, and this interesting stat caught my eye.
Although the Bears have been outscored 31-7 in the first quarter, they've outscored their opponents 68-27 in the second half.
I know the Packer game slipped through the cracks, but so far I've been impressed with some of the 2nd half adjustments by the coaching staff.
I think it's just a matter of time before the Bears start to find some early momentum. Last year they seemed to get points on so many opening drives, but this year the offense has so many new parts so I'm not surprised by the slow starts. They'll get it rolling soon enough.
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That's why they keep drafting DEs every year.
They want pass rushers… that’s how you make plays on 3rd down, and that’s how you close a game on defense.
Unfortunately, they keep drafting the wrong guys…
Jarron Gilbert - has only been active for one game, but we’ll reserve judgment.
Henry Melton – injured reserve
Ervin Baldwin – practice squadder
Dan Bazuin – total bust, who’s out of the NFL entirely
Mark Anderson – the one good pick they made
Claude Harriott – has never played a down in the NFL, and probably never will
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
by SackMan on Oct 12, 2009 4:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Were they failing at the halftime adjustments?
Halftime adjustments are largely a myth in the NFL.
Phil Simms played some 15 seasons in the NFL and has been a broadcaster for another 15 seasons.
In his EXCELLENT book (Sunday Morning Quarterback) Simms states that in his entire NFL career, he was part of maybe TWO halftime adjustments. TWO!
15 seasons. A handful of ‘Half-Time’ adjustments. You do the math.
Dirk Koetter, the OC in Jacksonville (and formerly the HC of the Arizona State SunDevils) recently said that unlike the college game, in the NFL you have to adjust on the fly after almost EVERY series.
At halftime in the NFL (according to Koetter) you barely have enough time to get a drink of water.
He’s enjoying the NFL and the battle of wits between coaches and players. In college, Koetter said, it might take until halftime for a defense to adjust. In the NFL, things change from possession to possession. Forget waiting until halftime, because it lasts only 12 minutes anyway.
“You barely have time to get a drink of water,” Koetter said
Closing games (at the NFL level) is about MENTAL TOUGHNESS (both for coaches and players).
Period.
by GeoMak on Oct 12, 2009 5:12 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Myth or not, adjustments are still made
The Lions game had 2 critical ones…
Tillman going man to man on Johnson and the call on the kick return was directly related to what they saw in the 1st half. Bowman couldn’t stick with Megatron and the kick off coverage of Detroit had aggressive overpursuit
I agree that you do need to adjust on the fly, but the coaches still brainstorm every halftime at every level.
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Oct 13, 2009 8:49 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Changes will be made...
But, for the most part, key adjustments are being made during the game… from possession to possession. That’s why they’re studying polaroids on the sidelines… and that’s why our lineman will frequently come up to Marinelli on the sideline and say, “They’re doing this to us, how do we counter it?”
The adjustments are often noticable from possession to possession. On offense, you might suddenly see new help in pass protection, or screens and misdirection plays to counter a team that is pressuring you successfully. On defense, you might see the Bears finish a series where they didn’t get any pressure and allowed a drive… then, on the next series they come away with a pressure, a sack, and a 3 and out. An adjustment was made on the front 4.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
by SackMan on Oct 13, 2009 10:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
Those position group meetings after every series is so important, on every level of football. No where more so than on the lines.
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Oct 13, 2009 10:57 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nobody is saying that adjustments aren't made
All I am saying is this:
A) You have a SB winning QB (not ME) saying that they are largely a myth. Don’t you think that if they happened all the time, that a guy like Simms would know about it?
I sure do. I’m pretty sure they weren’t keeping him in the dark about it. I mean, even he he wasn’t sitting around listening to the ‘halftime adjustment’ I’m pretty sure that he would notice it in the 3rd quarter.
B) Dirk Koetter clearly states that UNLIKE college, adjustments are made after every series. They don’t wait until halftime in the NFL.
There’s this perception that teams go in at halftime and brainstorm. Make all these adjustments for the second half.
If one listens to two guys that have actually BEEN there, and speak about it publicly, then it’s clear that that is largely myth.
Do coaches make adjustments THROUGHOUT the game? Yes.
Do they make all these big adjustments at halftime? Not really, at least accroding to Simms and Koetter. They might make some, but it’s not a time that’s dedicated for adjustments.
Why on Earh would any blogger here think that they know more about football at the NFL level than Simms and Koetter?
by GeoMak on Oct 13, 2009 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
2 guys say it's a myth so it's a myth?
Then here’s two that say it isn’t a myth…
here’s an article about adjustments made in the Steelers locker room at the half
Here’s one about the Broncos making adjustments
12 minutes is not much time for info to trickle down from position coaches to coordinators to head coaches to players, but the coaches make adjustments, and impliment changes in the 3rd qtr
Every team is different, and yes making changes on the fly is critical to success, but these coaches do gameplan at halftime. They do run certain plays in the 1st half to see how their opposition reacts with the sole intent to run something in the 2nd half.
And here’s a funny article about the Steve Spurrier Redskins being late out of the locker room at the half
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Oct 14, 2009 9:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep.
Thing is, in-game adjustments are made after each possession (small blocking scheme changes, who picks up a blitz, etc.) all the time.
But halftime adjustments are about game plans. You go into the first half with a game plan, make adjustments as you go along, then reevaluate at the half. Sometimes at the half, you switch to plan B if plan A hasn’t worked.
It’s not a hard concept to understand. Granted, I’ve never played in the NFL, but I was QB in high school and college (3rd stringer) , and I know game plan changes happen at the half at those levels.
Be nice. Flag comments that you think are offensive. Use the "reply" button. Drink plenty of water. Compliment others. Rec (wreck) comments and posts you like. Don't call people names. If you don't like someone's comment, attack the comment and not the commentor. Learn the difference in your/you're, then/than, to/too. Exercise. Relax. Stretch often. Find good in the world.
Just because it can be done on Madden NFL does not automatically make it a viable option in real life.
by Dane Noble on Oct 14, 2009 9:20 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly wilt
Who’s the BEST player on the Lions? Not the best WR, but their single BEST player?
The one who has the BEST (only) chance of beating you?
Answer? Calvin Johnson. One of the three best WR’s in the NFL (alongside Andre Johnson & Larry Fitzgerald).
And you (Lovie Smith) need to go til HALFTIME to start getting serious about finally covering the guy (with Tillman)?
That’s not a ‘halftime adjustment.’
That’s an almost TWO QUARTER, TOO LATE adjustment!
Case closed! Really. That move speaks not of some ‘divine inspriation’ at halftime, but more of some defensive defeciency from the start of the game.
BTW: I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but when playing a weak team, I’m not waiting until the SECOND half to take out their best player. I’m doing that from the get-go!
by GeoMak on Oct 13, 2009 6:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe if simms made more than two halftime adjustments
he wouldn’t have been replaced by Hofstetter.
Camp ifuwanna, we hold you in our heart...
by ifuwannacrownem on Oct 13, 2009 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Actually, the adjustments would've been made
the coaches, not the QB.
Nice try.
by GeoMak on Oct 13, 2009 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
that was sarcasm
Camp ifuwanna, we hold you in our heart...
by ifuwannacrownem on Oct 14, 2009 9:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think this team hasn't hit it's ceiling yet
I want to see this sunday if the Bears can jump out to a fast start and never look back. I have no doubt that this team is capable of going out their and dominating through all 4 quarters.
by NiqueBears on Oct 12, 2009 11:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I HOPE
they can do it.
I’m still a bit nervous about that o-line improving (and consequently, the running game).
When I see the Bears COMPLETELY take over a game with the running attack and grind the clock out to preserve the lead, THEN I’ll be happy (or at least less worried).
In the Atlanta game, I’m worried about Tony G. taking advantage of mismatches with our shaky secondary.
by Amishbear on Oct 13, 2009 9:24 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
How many teams in the NFL DOMINATE
for 4 quarters?
Answer? Not very many.
by GeoMak on Oct 13, 2009 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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