dave mcbride Posted November 22, 2005 Share Posted November 22, 2005 Buck-Buck-Brawckkkkkkk: Trailing 35-10 in the second half, the Bills faced fourth-and-13 on the San Diego 40. Boom sounds the punt, and TMQ barely had time to write the words game over in his notebook before the Chargers scored going the other way. Punting inside opposition territory when down by 25 is "coaching scared" -- Mike Mularkey seemed afraid of his own shadow. When the count was San Diego 48, Buffalo 10 at the two-minute warning and it could not possibly have made the slightest difference whether the Bills went for the first, punted or started square dancing, then Mularkey went for it on fourth-and-11. Contrast to Atlanta: Trailing 13-0, Mora the Younger had the Falcons go for it on fourth-and-8 in Tampa Bay territory. Atlanta went on to lose a nail-biter, but the bold play ignited the Falcons; from the point at which Jim Mora went for it on fourth-and-long, Atlanta rallied from 0-13 to a 27-20 lead. When a coach goes for it with his team trailing, he is challenging his players to win. When a coach shrugs and punts, he sends the message he has quit on the game; so why shouldn't his players quit, too? As this column has documented, Buffalo has punted in opposition territory a truly shocking amount in the past five years. During that period, the Bills have been led by two gentlemen -- Mularkey and the tastefully named Gregg Williams -- who had no head coaching experience at any level before assuming the post. Both have played to avoid criticism rather than playing to win, consistently taking the timid way out and then shrugging their shoulders after defeat. Is there any mystery about why the Bills have not made the playoffs in the period during which their head coaches regularly quit on games? Is there one chance in a million Bill Belichick, trailing 35-10, punts in opposition territory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted November 22, 2005 Share Posted November 22, 2005 Thanks for the post. As always - no b*lls, no glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 There is no excuse for the call to punt. None. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 There is no excuse for the call to punt. None. 510679[/snapback] Didn't Gregg-o do the same thing during his final year? Punt from... oh hell I can't remember... like the 40? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Well nothing you can do when your line absolutely freakin sux. Now is there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Didn't Gregg-o do the same thing during his final year? Punt from... oh hell I can't remember... like the 40? 510759[/snapback] "wasn't it was inside the 40?" "forget it- he's rolling." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark VI Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Easterbrook is a Buffalo guy who's writing from the heart. I agree with his view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin in Va Beach Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 This is the part that should be highlighted and sent to Jerry Gray... What if the 2005 Bears defense is the new 1985 Bears defense? Pat Kirwan first raised this possibility last week. Come Sunday, the Bears held the high-scoring Panthers to three points. Chicago is allowing 11 points per game, best in the NFL, and also has allowed the least yardage. Yes, the Bears have faced some weak offenses: Hasn't Chicago played the Lions six times already this season? But the Bears defense looks stout and is doing it the old-fashioned way, with conservative position-oriented schemes, not by excessive blitzing. Chicago has a favorable schedule down the stretch. Damn, I meant to predict the Bears would be good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodnarb Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 you can't argue with it cuz it's 100% true. easterbrook is rarely wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1billsfan Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 This team is one big giant vanilla softie. Seems like TD missed again on hiring us the next great Bills coach. If I were a player I'd have pulled a Blutarsky and start fake coughing at Malarkey..."cough cough P*ssy! cough cough P*ssy!" after that call. Then again, the coaches could have pulled the same prank every time the players came trotting back to the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Didn't Gregg-o do the same thing during his final year? Punt from... oh hell I can't remember... like the 40? 510759[/snapback] I believe it was the 32. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Even if we had gone for the 4th down, we would have thrown a 2 yard pass to Moulds...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 There is no excuse for the call to punt. None. 510679[/snapback] Yeah and I was also surprised no one here gave the heat to MM the way we did to GW when he punted friom the NE 36 yard line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDG Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 you can't argue with it cuz it's 100% true. easterbrook is rarely wrong. 510865[/snapback] Hahahahaaaa! Easterbrook is perhaps the most consistently wrong NFL writer out there. I'll never forget him chastising the Denver Broncos for running the ball outside, rather than up the middle after Junior Seau - one of the game's all-time best middle linebackers - had left the game with an injury. Only problem - San Diego had moved Seau to the OLB that season.... The stopped watch got this one right - but he is very consistently wrong. JDG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nodnarb Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Hahahahaaaa! Easterbrook is perhaps the most consistently wrong NFL writer out there. I'll never forget him chastising the Denver Broncos for running the ball outside, rather than up the middle after Junior Seau - one of the game's all-time best middle linebackers - had left the game with an injury. Only problem - San Diego had moved Seau to the OLB that season.... The stopped watch got this one right - but he is very consistently wrong. JDG 510996[/snapback] You name one old example and claim he's the most wrong nfl writer? pleeease. He writes better than anyone at ESPN, and if you argue with his approach to the game then you argue with common sense. Prove it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDG Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 1) Easterbrook errors of the week #1: "Seven-man blitz, each Eagle handing out cards that say, 'Please score an easy touchdown.'" Right, the fact that big blitzes are such a bad idea explains why Pittsburgh consistently has one of the worst defenses in the League. 2) Easterbrook errors of the week #2: "David Carr heave-hoes into triple coverage," Uhhh.... has anyone ever seen an NFL defense order "triple coverage" - on a *sideline route*? How *does* that work, exactly? 3) Easterbrook errors of the week #3: Trailing the defending champions 24-17, the United States Saints had second-and-10 on the New England 22 with 15 seconds remaining, no timeouts. On both of the game's final snaps, Aaron Brooks heave-hoed into the end zone, incomplete. But the end zone is where the Patriots expected the Saints to throw -- there were a half-dozen defenders in the end zone on both plays. Throw underneath and give somebody a chance to run it in! I can't believe that Easterbrook was even stupid enough to write this. 4) Easterbrook error of the week #4: Preposterous Punt Bonus: Trailing 9-0, Nick Saban ordered a punt from the Cleveland 33. Game scoreless, Jim Haslett ordered a punt from the New England 32. The Bills, Dolphins and Saints all punt in opposition territory, and let's see how this daring strategy works out -- hmm, the teams are a combined 9-21. Well, let's see, on the opening drive of the game, the Saints have 4th and 13 from the NE 32. They can either go for it, attempt a 50 yard FG into the wind, or punt. The Saints punt and down the ball on the 2. *Right Call*. Down 9-0 in the 1st quarter, the Fish face 4th and 20 from the Cleveland 38. They can either go for it, attempt a 56 yard FG, or punt. They punt, and it goes out of bounds at the 10. *Right Call.* Anyhow, I'm bored. Debunking Easterbrook is like shooting fish in a barrel.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 You name one old example and claim he's the most wrong nfl writer? pleeease. He writes better than anyone at ESPN, and if you argue with his approach to the game then you argue with common sense. Prove it. 511023[/snapback] His TMQs are a must read, but he consistently "stretches" facts to support his rants. Don't get me wrong, he's got great rants, but in his rush to get the voluminous story out by Tuesday, he doesn't have the time to check the factoids provided by some junior toady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billzfan23 Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 "wasn't it was inside the 40?" "forget it- he's rolling." 510781[/snapback] I thought it was against New England in a game we really needed to win - we were leading the division and I think he punted from the 32. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hornell Kid Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 There is no excuse for the call to punt. None. 510679[/snapback] MM should have called a suprise punt on 2nd down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd Posted November 23, 2005 Share Posted November 23, 2005 If that's the case, explain the 4th and whatever against the chiefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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