Making the Right Decisions In Game

[Boise Falcon Fan 4,120]

One of the most important weapons that a HC can use is the ability to make the right in game decisions. DQ was not very good at making the right decisions in game. Kyle Shanahan, although deified on these boards, does not either. Now Matt LaFleur **** the bed last night with a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Who in the **** kicks a field goal there? Unbelievable! If you don't convert, you're still leaving them at the 8. Hold them, and then you'll get the ball back in better field position, then if you hold them after a kick off. Absolutely stupid!

So many on these boards have banged on AB for not hiring LaFleur, and although he has made a difference in GB, when the game was on the line, he made the wrong decision. That isn't what I want in a HC. It was DQ ish.  This is the exact reason why moving on from DQ, and his staff was the right thing to do. 

[Geneaut 7,222]

Well here's the question ... will LaFleur learn from it? I get making mistakes, but I want a coach that won't make them a second time. Shanahan failed that test.

[RYNE 6,100]

DQ sucked... let’s be honest. 
 

Smith couldn’t be worse 

[marvinthemartian 5,465]

Shanahan repeated the mistake he made with us in the 2016 Super Bowl again last year with the 2020 Super Bowl with the 49ers. Pride goes before a fall. 

[FalconsGM 131]

5 minutes ago, RYNE said:

DQ sucked... let’s be honest. 
 

Smith couldn’t be worse 

No he just wanted to recreate the Legion of Boom at the Falcons but it was impossible there was only one Legion of Boom he should have created his own defense as Saleh did. Because with a good defense the attack would have been better. What kills her is to have fired Sark and hired Dirk.

[JDaveG 43,826]

The thing about a coach who has a track record and identity of having a balanced offense is this -- when he's up, he WILL run the football.  That doesn't mean he'll run it every play.  But he sure isn't going to go 5 wide shotgun in field goal range with the Super Bowl on the line.

[ryanvalz 3,740]

At least those coaches you have been ****ting on have won playoff games and got to the super bowl. Falcons were 4-12

[irrevelantfalconsfan 303]

1 hour ago, RYNE said:

DQ sucked... let’s be honest. 
 

Smith couldn’t be worse 

Don't do that. Don't give me hope.

[Faithful Falcon 8,219]

1 hour ago, FalconsGM said:

No he just wanted to recreate the Legion of Boom at the Falcons but it was impossible there was only one Legion of Boom he should have created his own defense as Saleh did. Because with a good defense the attack would have been better. What kills her is to have fired Sark and hired Dirk.

I wouldn't really say that Selah created that Defense. That Defense has been good since Singletary. They just kept building onto it.

[Herr Doktor 8,713]

1 hour ago, JDaveG said:

The thing about a coach who has a track record and identity of having a balanced offense is this -- when he's up, he WILL run the football.  That doesn't mean he'll run it every play.  But he sure isn't going to go 5 wide shotgun in field goal range with the Super Bowl on the line.

Agreed.  Things like situational awareness, time management, Clock management, time out management all matter.  Playing ti your strengths, playing to the odds are equally important.

[ADAMSVILLE GYM 5,329]

1 hour ago, Boise Falcon Fan said:

One of the most important weapons that a HC can use is the ability to make the right in game decisions. DQ was not very good at making the right decisions in game. Kyle Shanahan, although deified on these boards, does not either. Now Matt LaFleur **** the bed last night with a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Who in the **** kicks a field goal there? Unbelievable! If you don't convert, you're still leaving them at the 8. Hold them, and then you'll get the ball back in better field position, then if you hold them after a kick off. Absolutely stupid!

So many on these boards have banged on AB for not hiring LaFleur, and although he has made a difference in GB, when the game was on the line, he made the wrong decision. That isn't what I want in a HC. It was DQ ish.  This is the exact reason why moving on from DQ, and his staff was the right thing to do. 

Who is the coach that has demonstrated perfection in every aspect of play calling and in game awareness? I know that there is one, just can’t put my mind to who. 
 

Anybody on here that knows, please post. Thanky!

[Malachore 9,514]

1 hour ago, FalconsGM said:

No he just wanted to recreate the Legion of Boom at the Falcons but it was impossible there was only one Legion of Boom he should have created his own defense as Saleh did. Because with a good defense the attack would have been better. What kills her is to have fired Sark and hired Dirk.

Pretty sure Saleh didn't. He tried cover 3 and it was bad so they brought in new guys and installed a wide 9.

[Killing Floor 1,029]

Nobody is perfect. Everyone has the opportunity to learn and improve. Right?  Because Titans didn’t see the Ravens D coming. 
 

What concerns me is on-field decision making.  I’d like to see that addressed. 
 

A great comparison that comes up in a lot of threads is Mahomes and EB and Reid. But one of the most remarkable separations is how Mahomes reacts to unexpected situations.  Not the fastest, not the best passer. But I can’t name many defenses who can break him. That’s not the OC. That’s leadership and awareness. 
 

I’m happy Smith is our guy. But some uncomfortable conversations need to be had. 

[dodge_birds_fan 1,941]

19 minutes ago, ryanblink said:

At least those coaches you have been ****ting on have won playoff games and got to the super bowl. Falcons were 4-12

Man....I bet you're the life at parties

[marvinthemartian 5,465]

5 minutes ago, dodge_birds_fan said:

Man....I bet you're the life at parties

LOL I was kinda thinking the same thing

[kenn.junior 910]

But what gave you the confidence that Rodgers was gonna score he crap the bed 3 straight times. Twice when they couldnt move the ball after 2 picks and then not scoring after 3 tries in the redzone and made a brain dead decision in not running for a wide open TD, if the defense gets a stop all they have to do is win with a TD the packer's defense was carrying the Rodgers in the 2nd half.

[dodge_birds_fan 1,941]

3 minutes ago, marvinthemartian said:

LOL I was kinda thinking the same thing

Every punch bowl needs one turd...amirite 

[Jesus 26,732]

If you read a lot of the post game stuff it's all about next gen analytics. It's really easy for coaches to get caught up in that. His decision didn't make a lot of sense with analytics or with gut feelings. I always wonder why coaches settle for field goals when they need touchdowns. Even after kicking the FG they still need to score a TD, which is a lot harder to do. 

So many coaches play it safe. Who was it a few weeks ago? Tennessee who punted from the opponents 45 in the fourth quarter? They fear getting fired for making the tough decision.

[falcndave 4,880]

2 hours ago, Boise Falcon Fan said:

One of the most important weapons that a HC can use is the ability to make the right in game decisions. DQ was not very good at making the right decisions in game. Kyle Shanahan, although deified on these boards, does not either. Now Matt LaFleur **** the bed last night with a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Who in the **** kicks a field goal there? Unbelievable! If you don't convert, you're still leaving them at the 8. Hold them, and then you'll get the ball back in better field position, then if you hold them after a kick off. Absolutely stupid!

So many on these boards have banged on AB for not hiring LaFleur, and although he has made a difference in GB, when the game was on the line, he made the wrong decision. That isn't what I want in a HC. It was DQ ish.  This is the exact reason why moving on from DQ, and his staff was the right thing to do. 

How do you judge if a decision was correct. It's it mainly a function of the outcome (if it works, it was the right call)? Is it mainly function of analytics (historical outcome percentages in similar situations)? Is intuition and "gut" involved? If you went with gut over analytics and failed, does it mean going with analytics would have changed the outcome?

As I've written in another thread, I really do wonder if history influenced LaFleur. He has been a part of a team that potentially lost a championship based on ill-timed aggression. On top of that, maybe it was correct. The decision he made contributed a portion of the points required for a win. GB's redzone success rate in the playoffs has been below what it was in the regular season. That happens when the level of opponent rises. If you swing back to analytics, the chances of winning following the successful FG were greater than the chances of winning if they had went for it and failed. Even if you go for it and make it, the chances are not that much better because you still need to breach the endzone twice.

With 4 timeouts remaining, it was a defensible call. He was one very late PI call from it potentially working out. By my analysis, the only thing that makes the call bad is that it didn't work out. I realize opinions may vary and that a great deal of subjectivity is involved...both for the coaches and us armchair analyst. 

[slider 1,567]

2 hours ago, Geneaut said:

Well here's the question ... will LaFleur learn from it? I get making mistakes, but I want a coach that won't make them a second time. Shanahan failed that test.

DQ would tell you (as he did) that he intended to keep making those mistakes. Lets see how LaFleur handles it. I understand his thinking however. Kick the field goal and with 3 time outs, if I get the ball back I can win with a TD. If I go for it and miss, even if I get the ball back I still need a TD and 2pt. conversion just to tie. The one good outcome is the 4th down play results in a TD and he still needs a 2pt. conversion. I would've probably gone for it because my defense was sucking but otherwise it really wasn't a no brainer decision as most folks are making it out to be.

Edited January 25 by slider

[niels petersen 330]

2 hours ago, Boise Falcon Fan said:

One of the most important weapons that a HC can use is the ability to make the right in game decisions. DQ was not very good at making the right decisions in game. Kyle Shanahan, although deified on these boards, does not either. Now Matt LaFleur **** the bed last night with a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Who in the **** kicks a field goal there? Unbelievable! If you don't convert, you're still leaving them at the 8. Hold them, and then you'll get the ball back in better field position, then if you hold them after a kick off. Absolutely stupid!

So many on these boards have banged on AB for not hiring LaFleur, and although he has made a difference in GB, when the game was on the line, he made the wrong decision. That isn't what I want in a HC. It was DQ ish.  This is the exact reason why moving on from DQ, and his staff was the right thing to do. 

I agree with you. But I think these are the types of mistakes that younger coaches make when a lot is on the line. They can tighten up and abandon their principles a bit, when the stakes at high. Guys like Andy Reid on the other hand have seen everything and prepared for everything. He does not doubt going for it on 4th and 3 with his backup QB to win the game. He has prepared for it, and does not waver. That comes from experience, preparation and confidence in those situations. The question is, if LaFleur will learn from it, because there is potential learning from this game, which can make him a better coach.

To be honest, we cannot expect that Arthur won't be making these kinds of mistakes either. He is young and inexperienced. I can't expect him to be perfect from the get go. I just hope - and I believe - that he will be able to learn from it when he does make mistakes. Reid obviously has. Hopefully AS will too.

[Geneaut 7,222]

56 minutes ago, slider said:

DQ would tell you (as he did) that he intended to keep making those mistakes. Lets see how LaFleur handles it. I understand his thinking however. Kick the field goal and with 3 time outs, if I get the ball back I can win with a TD. If I go for it and miss, even if I get the ball back I still need a TD and 2pt. conversion just to tie. The one good outcome is the 4th down play results in a TD and he still needs a 2pt. conversion. I would've probably gone for it because my defense was sucking but otherwise it really wasn't a no brainer decision as most folks are making it out to be.

At a certain point you are left between two really low percentage choices sometimes so I don't freak out quite as bad about some of those. Eventually you get put in those situations and you try your best. You are already behind the 8 ball at that point.

Now self-inflicted bad choices with leads that will chap my butt a lot. I'm looking at Shanahan and Quinn in SB51 here.

Edited January 25 by Geneaut

[marvinthemartian 5,465]

52 minutes ago, dodge_birds_fan said:

Every punch bowl needs one turd...amirite 

Can I get an amen?????

[FalconsGM 131]

1 hour ago, Faithful Falcon said:

I wouldn't really say that Selah created that Defense. That Defense has been good since Singletary. They just kept building onto it.

No it's true he wasn't alone, but he adapted his defense to his players and not the other way around. That's what a coach should always do. Not use a scheme just because it worked in another team.

Edited January 25 by FalconsGM

[FalconsGM 131]

1 hour ago, Malachore said:

Pretty sure Saleh didn't. He tried cover 3 and it was bad so they brought in new guys and installed a wide 9.

Yes, so he understood that cover 3 was no longer working in NFL. That's why he brings in other coaches to build a defense based on the players he has.