Why isn't the media destroying Marlon McCree

[Alaska Darin]

Worse. It was Ernest Wilford. I don't think that play would have pissed off half as much if hadn't been caught by a third tier WR.

You're wrong. The play everyone is alluding to was 4th and 14. Jimmy Smith and Nate each went up for the catch and Smith came down with the ball. All Nate had to do was knock it down, instead he gave up a 45 yarder to our 21 yard line. That led to Wilford catching the TD over Reese because Reese was too stupid to turn his damn head. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

[Kelly the Dog]

I played DB pretty much my whole life. With the exception of "Hail Mary's", I don't remember ever being told not to go for an interception when the ball was going to hit me in the stomach.

 

There was well over 6 minutes left in the game. Him not knocking the ball down didn't cost them the game.

4th down you always knock the ball down, especially in the middle of the field, unless it's some kind of jumping the route where there is a clear path to the endzone. Especially in that circumstance, late in the game, in your territory. It's 100 out of 100 times you should knock the ball down.

[Alaska Darin]

4th down you always knock the ball down, especially in the middle of the field, unless it's some kind of jumping the route where there is a clear path to the endzone. Especially in that circumstance, late in the game, in your territory. It's 100 out of 100 times you should knock the ball down.

You're wrong.

[Kelly the Dog]

You're wrong.

Up by 8 points at home in a playoff game with 6:25 left at your own 31 yard line on 4th and 5 in the middle of the field with 8 players on the other team in front of you, you knock the ball down every single time. You're dead wrong on this one.

[SACUSE]

Players instincts take over. Good bad or indifferent. I would not blame McCree for the loss as mush as I would not giving the ball to LT every other play.

[KD in CA]

Players instincts take over. Good bad or indifferent. I would not blame McCree for the loss as mush as I would not giving the ball to LT every other play.

 

 

I don't fault him catching the ball...that's instinct. I fault him running without securing the ball and allowing an opposing player to get a whack at it. Players make clinching INTs and immediately fall to the ground or run out of bounds all the time. The future head coach should have been a little smarter.

[I 90]

That is the same instinct that compels the Leon Letts of the world to make an idiot of themselves because they can't recognize the situation. Or a toddler reaching for a hard boiled egg from the pot. It can't be defended.

.

[reddogblitz]

I played DB pretty much my whole life. With the exception of "Hail Mary's", I don't remember ever being told not to go for an interception when the ball was going to hit me in the stomach.

 

There was well over 6 minutes left in the game. Him not knocking the ball down didn't cost them the game.

 

My brother played cb in 8th grade football. In the parachial school city championship game the bad guys went for it on 4th down and threw a pass in his general direction. Instead of intercepting it, he knocked it down.

 

DBs say they instinictively catch the pick because that's what they do. It baffles a fan like me as to why when a team goes for it on fourth down, why isn't one of the first things a db thinks is, don't intercept it, know it down. Sort of like a baseball player does and decides what he's gonna do with the ball if it's hit to him in whatever the situation is. You know theres one out and a guy on first, so I'll go for the double play and throw it to first if it's hit to me.

 

I don't get it.

[Albany,n.y.]

I don't buy the instinct excuse. These guys are professionals. This guy in particular was singled out by Nantz & Simms as being smarter than the average Bear. He has a brain, he should use it. True students of the game understand the circumstances involved in every down and every situation. Teams that allow player to rely strictly on instincts are poorly coached. Part of coaching at that level is to have your players prepared for different situations. They have playbooks, meetings and film review because they are supposed to be able to use their minds & not rely on instincts. I bet if you asked any member of the Patriots or any above average coached team, they wouldn't defend their choice, even if they had made the mistake of catching it. Well coached teams are told when circumstances preclude playing on instinct alone.

 

An example of using your mind over instincts is that playing strictly on instincts, a QB tries to make a play every time. The QB who uses his mind knows there are times to ditch the instincts & throw the ball away rather than throw it somewhere where the coverage gives the D a better chance of making the play than his receiver.

[Albany,n.y.]

check out TMQ today--he rips McCree!!

 

Thanks, this is the best writeup on the situation:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...mp;lid=tab1pos1

 

And I ask anyone to explain where the San Diego coaching staff was with the Bolts leading 21-13 and New England facing fourth-and-5 with 6:25 remaining. Marlon McCree of San Diego intercepted the ball, then committed the aforementioned fumble. On fourth down you knock down the pass! Had McCree simply slapped the ball to the ground, the Bolts would have taken possession on their 41 with the clock winding down, the league's best running back and an eight-point lead.

 

On fourth down it is the responsibility of the coaching staff to remind defenders not to intercept! Before a key fourth down in our middle-school flag league this fall, I screamed to my players: "Knock it down! Do not intercept!" My 11-year-old, Spenser, had a perfect bead on a pick and instead slapped the ball to the ground. After the game he said, "Dad, I really wanted the interception, but I knew you knock it down on fourth down." Why didn't San Diego's professionals know this? Why didn't the highly paid San Diego coaches remind them? Before a fourth-down snap by the opponent, coaches are supposed to scream, "FOURTH DOWN! KNOCK IT DOWN!" Knocking the ball down on fourth down not only gives your team possession at the original line of scrimmage, which is usually a better spot than an interception spot, but prevents the intercept-then-fumble scenario. McCree said after the game that he made the pick because he thought he would score a touchdown -- another reason why defenders must be coached to knock it down on fourth down! Defenders always fantasize about touchdowns. McCree would have been lucky to get back to the original line of scrimmage. All San Diego had to do on this season-killer snap was exhibit a standard well-coached response to a favorable situation, and the Chargers might now be preparing to host the conference championship. Instead, San Diego screwed up something several of my 11-year-olds got right on several occasions this fall. And note that neither CBS announcer so much as noticed that slapping the ball down would have saved San Diego's day. Endlessly it amazes me that television football pundits who are well-paid to do nothing all year but yak about sports seem unaware of the basics of what's happening on the field.

[Alaska Darin]

So the TMQ guy is smart this week? Gotcha. I'd bring up some of his past gems, but everyone here with a clue knows that guy is full of crap at least as often as he's correct.

 

The worst thing that happened because of that play was MS was forced to make a decision. That decision ended with him taking a critical timeout that ended up costing the Chargers at least one more play at the end of the game.

 

I'm never going to fault a player for trying to make a play when there's that much time left on the clock against an opponent that's known for executing when the game is on the line who still has 2 timeouts remaining. Inside 2 minutes? Another story completely.

[Rico]

You're wrong. The play everyone is alluding to was 4th and 14. Jimmy Smith and Nate each went up for the catch and Smith came down with the ball. All Nate had to do was knock it down, instead he gave up a 45 yarder to our 21 yard line. That led to Wilford catching the TD over Reese because Reese was too stupid to turn his damn head. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

Izell Friggin' Reese.

[dave mcbride]

So the TMQ guy is smart this week? Gotcha. I'd bring up some of his past gems, but everyone here with a clue knows that guy is full of crap at least as often as he's correct.

 

The worst thing that happened because of that play was MS was forced to make a decision. That decision ended with him taking a critical timeout that ended up costing the Chargers at least one more play at the end of the game.

 

I'm never going to fault a player for trying to make a play when there's that much time left on the clock against an opponent that's known for executing when the game is on the line who still has 2 timeouts remaining. Inside 2 minutes? Another story completely.

you're so right -- there's not a DB in the NFL who doesn't make that pick.

[Simon]

I catch that ball every time and so should have McCree.

[Gary M]

So the TMQ guy is smart this week? Gotcha. I'd bring up some of his past gems, but everyone here with a clue knows that guy is full of crap at least as often as he's correct.

 

The worst thing that happened because of that play was MS was forced to make a decision. That decision ended with him taking a critical timeout that ended up costing the Chargers at least one more play at the end of the game.

 

I'm never going to fault a player for trying to make a play when there's that much time left on the clock against an opponent that's known for executing when the game is on the line who still has 2 timeouts remaining. Inside 2 minutes? Another story completely.

 

He could have made the play, By knocking the ball down.

 

Or he could have fallen to the ground like jackson did last night.

 

Every one always talks about field position, and an interception on 4th always means worse field position for your team.

 

McCree was only thinking about making a INT and TD for him, not his team.

[Ramius]

McCree still should have knocked it down. The player needs to recognize the situation. Its kind of like a ballplayer knowing when NOT to catch the long foul ball, because the runner on 3rd will tag up.

[MadBuffaloDisease]

Instincts tell McCree to intercept the ball. Smarts and savvy should have told him to bat it down.

[Simon]

You guys are wrong and I blame Tom Jackson for you being disinformed.

You know how Mularkey used to outsmart himself at times by trying to prove just how smart he was? That's what y'all are doing.

There are indeed times when you knock the ball down. However when you've jumped a route and can make a clean catch on a ball and in stride just 10yrds from teh LOS with some lanes in front of you and it's a one-score game with 6:00 left is NOT one of those times.

You knock it down on the hail mary.

You knock it down on 4thdown if the throw is down the field.

You knock it down if there's one minute left.

But you do NOT knock it down when you have an opportunity to make a play for your team in a tight game with plenty of clock left in the 4th.

[MadBuffaloDisease]

Okay, how about this? You either knock it down OR if you INT it, you DON'T fumble it back to the other team and give them a fresh set of downs 9 yards closer.

[Simon]

Okay, how about this? You either knock it down OR if you INT it, you DON'T fumble it back to the other team and give them a fresh set of downs 9 yards closer.

Well of course you don't fumble it.

If y'all want to give him teh business for poor ball security in a playoff game, then fire away because he deserves it. But taking the ball away and trying to move it upfield for a potential score was the right play; he just did a shoddy job of executing it.