The Halftime Adjustment Myth

[Kelly the Dog]

I expect this to get a lot of conflicting comments because there are all kinds of theories and conflicting examples of it. But it's a pet peeve of mine when announcers and analysts and fans automatically say a coach or team made great halftime adjustments which turned the game around in the second half.

 

A perfect example of this was the Bills offense yesterday. I was arguing with friends that I didn't see any halftime adjustments in the second half. We ran the same kinds of plays with the same kinds of alignments. Yeah, we did a few things a little teeny bit differently but that wasn't necessarily an adjustment. We ran close to the same percentage of runs versus passes if I'm not mistaken (I haven't looked it up).

 

After the game, Fitz was asked in his press conference exactly that question, what adjustments did you make at halftime that allowed you to do what you did in the second half. He said we didn't make any adjustments.

 

My point is that there are minor and sometimes major adjustments going on after every series. They adjust all game long, not halftime. Sure they have a little more time at halftime to discuss it amongst all their coaches, and surely sometimes they say ___ is not working so in the next half we're going to do ___. But often, they think their game plan was sound, and they just need to execute better or stop shooting themselves in the foot. That's what happened in the Bills games yesterday. They really didn't make any halftime adjustments on offense. And I didn't see much difference on defense either.

 

Adjustments are made throughout the game, and just as likely in the second quarter as the third (halftime) or the fourth. And sometimes major adjustments never need to be made. Just some different play calls or tweaks.

 

Watch the Fitz press conference. He said flat out we didn't make any adjustments.

[TPS]

I expect this to get a lot of conflicting comments because there are all kinds of theories and conflicting examples of it. But it's a pet peeve of mine when announcers and analysts and fans automatically say a coach or team made great halftime adjustments which turned the game around in the second half.

 

A perfect example of this was the Bills offense yesterday. I was arguing with friends that I didn't see any halftime adjustments in the second half. We ran the same kinds of plays with the same kinds of alignments. Yeah, we did a few things a little teeny bit differently but that wasn't necessarily an adjustment. We ran close to the same percentage of runs versus passes if I'm not mistaken (I haven't looked it up).

 

After the game, Fitz was asked in his press conference exactly that question, what adjustments did you make at halftime that allowed you to do what you did in the second half. He said we didn't make any adjustments.

 

My point is that there are minor and sometimes major adjustments going on after every series. They adjust all game long, not halftime. Sure they have a little more time at halftime to discuss it amongst all their coaches, and surely sometimes they say ___ is not working so in the next half we're going to do ___. But often, they think their game plan was sound, and they just need to execute better or stop shooting themselves in the foot. That's what happened in the Bills games yesterday. They really didn't make any halftime adjustments on offense. And I didn't see much difference on defense either.

 

Adjustments are made throughout the game, and just as likely in the second quarter as the third (halftime) or the fourth. And sometimes major adjustments never need to be made. Just some different play calls or tweaks.

 

Watch the Fitz press conference. He said flat out we didn't make any adjustments.

I agree with you. But, maybe I disagree too.

[nucci]

I expect this to get a lot of conflicting comments because there are all kinds of theories and conflicting examples of it. But it's a pet peeve of mine when announcers and analysts and fans automatically say a coach or team made great halftime adjustments which turned the game around in the second half.

 

A perfect example of this was the Bills offense yesterday. I was arguing with friends that I didn't see any halftime adjustments in the second half. We ran the same kinds of plays with the same kinds of alignments. Yeah, we did a few things a little teeny bit differently but that wasn't necessarily an adjustment. We ran close to the same percentage of runs versus passes if I'm not mistaken (I haven't looked it up).

 

After the game, Fitz was asked in his press conference exactly that question, what adjustments did you make at halftime that allowed you to do what you did in the second half. He said we didn't make any adjustments.

 

My point is that there are minor and sometimes major adjustments going on after every series. They adjust all game long, not halftime. Sure they have a little more time at halftime to discuss it amongst all their coaches, and surely sometimes they say ___ is not working so in the next half we're going to do ___. But often, they think their game plan was sound, and they just need to execute better or stop shooting themselves in the foot. That's what happened in the Bills games yesterday. They really didn't make any halftime adjustments on offense. And I didn't see much difference on defense either.

 

Adjustments are made throughout the game, and just as likely in the second quarter as the third (halftime) or the fourth. And sometimes major adjustments never need to be made. Just some different play calls or tweaks.

 

Watch the Fitz press conference. He said flat out we didn't make any adjustments.

I've always believed this. How can you make adjustments when you're in the locker room for about 8-9 minutes? How many times do you see players and coaches looking at photos after each series? It's an ongoing thing.

[thebug]

I think the biggest adjustment made at halftime is the attitude adjustment. Not so sure you can plan it though.

[SDS]

I agreed with you for the 1st three paragraphs and then I changed my mind.

[Dr. K]

I'm with the OP. The Bills, on the last two drives of the first half, went the length of the field to try those two field goals. Granted, they didn't find the end zone those two times. But they had established that they could move the ball (and did earlier, too, on the drive that stalled when they took a 15-yard penalty).

 

The last seven drives all long ones, resulting in FG, blocked FG, Touchdown Touchdown Touchdown Touchdown, and Touchdown. The second half was a continuation of the late first, with a little better defense for the 3rd quarter and fewer mistakes and dorpped passes (though freakin' Ruvel Martin dropped at least three passes in the second half).

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

A perfect example of this was the Bills offense yesterday. I was arguing with friends that I didn't see any halftime adjustments in the second half. We ran the same kinds of plays with the same kinds of alignments. Yeah, we did a few things a little teeny bit differently but that wasn't necessarily an adjustment. We ran close to the same percentage of runs versus passes if I'm not mistaken (I haven't looked it up).

 

I posted the same thing yesterday in a thread praising Chan's prowess.

 

I really liked the offense in the first half; they just didn't execute due to a turnover, a few ill-times penalties (e.g., Jones chop block), and a couple of drops.

 

Once the execution improved, the offense was unstoppable.

[Wayne Cubed]

I agreed with you for the 1st three paragraphs and then I changed my mind.

 

So what you're trying to say is you made an adjusment...

Edited September 19, 2011 by Wayne333

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

But but but... Pat Kirwan says they speak volumes: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8226208d/article/gailey-proving-to-be-big-reason-why-bills-are-part-of-20-club

Halftime adjustments speak volumes. Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Green Bay all went to the locker room trailing and each rallied to win. The Packers scored 16 points in the third quarter in what amounted to a wakeup call against the Panthers. The Bills couldn't stop Oakland's run game in the first half, allowing 80 yards and three touchdowns, but tightened up in the second half, allowing just 51 yards and no touchdowns. The Bucs were asleep early against Minnesota and trailed 17-0 before Josh Freeman led them to 24 second-half points. Teams become dangerous when they learn how to make a few adjustments. These three teams got it done.

 

[LynchMob23]

But but but... Pat Kirwan says they speak volumes: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8226208d/article/gailey-proving-to-be-big-reason-why-bills-are-part-of-20-club

To be fair to the spirit of the original post, the offense didn't make changes, the defense may have!

[TPS]

On a serious note, I think there was also a quote in the B-News (maybe by baby face Nelson) that the goal is to get the play call in quick so Fitz can get to the line, see the defense match-up, then go after the weakness.

[ACor58]

I second this. It is apparent that the Defense did not make any adjustments at halftime.

[HalftimeAdjustment]

I had no choice but to comment on this. I suspect any "adjustments" made at halftime, in most cases, are just decisions to pick or not pick certain plays from the previously established game plan. For example, the coaches might decide to use more of package X instead of Y, but both packages were already in the plan - after all, it is not likely that you'd try something you didn't practice ahead of time. That doesn't mean it is not an adjustment, but for the most part the differences between first and second halves are usually more about attitude than anything else. After all, did they "adjust" to stop dropping so many passes?

[Jauronimo]

Is "stop sucking" an adjustment? Cause we made that adjustment brialliantly.

[Dr. K]

Is "stop sucking" an adjustment? Cause we made that adjustment brialliantly.

 

+1

[Kelly the Dog]

Is "stop sucking" an adjustment? Cause we made that adjustment brialliantly.

How great would it be if Coach Gailey called the whole team over right before they went back on the field and said, "Listen, men. Here's what I want you to do: Stop sucking!"

 

When it comes to advice for men, it's a sound theory. As advice for women, not so much.

[The Big Cat]

How great would it be if Coach Gailey called the whole team over right before they went back on the field and said, "Listen, men. Here's what I want you to do: Stop sucking!"

 

When it comes to advice for men, it's a sound theory. As advice for women, not so much.

 

Hahaha, a message that would ring loud and clear in my male ears, yet a message that would carry so many potential undertones, subtle, shadowed, hidden (read: non-existent) meanings, it would make the female head explode.

 

But enough about Mars and Venus...Fitz said the EXACT SAME THING last year after the Cincy comeback.

 

"We believed we had the right game plan, we just hadn't executed it. We didn't see a need to change it, and in the second half we just went out there and made the plays we had practiced all week."

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

To be fair to the spirit of the original post, the offense didn't make changes, the defense may have!

 

The defense's adjustments were easy--don't get killed on halfback draws and screens. They did better in the second half, notwithstanding the swing pass to a wide open McFadden on the TD (though I heard Davis was picked on the play).

[eme123]

Aside from the score i didn't think the Bills were that far off in the first half. They dropped some balls and missed some opportunities early in drives. The combination of that and a dog fight with the Raiders incredible running attack kept our offense off the field. I really wasn't that worried going into the second half. I just felt that the Bills offense needed to get on the field.

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

It helped that they got all 8 of their penalties in the 2nd half, and many of them were of the 'automatic first down' variety