i have never said it's ok to lose. It's not ok to lose. Ever. If that was interpreted from what I've written elsewhere, before, it was a misfire on communication. Not ok to lose - ever.
let me change tactics here, and let me put it this way - I'd be a hell of a lot more pissed off, if we sat on the ball, let the clock run down, a minute or so on that 3rd and long situation and punted.
Because iin doing that, the whole frigging team mentality would be upside down from where it's supposed to be moving forward.
This team, this program has made a change from the defensive posture standpoint, to the aggressive posture standpoint. We're doing it in everything from recruiting to the way the game is played on the field.
Wait - here it comes, your'e going love this - all we need to do is go out and.....EXECUTE!
Seriously.
Got to put the players in position to make the plays, and let them go do it. We need a QB that's going to make plays. I guarantee that when each of these players looked at the game film, they realized that they were in position to make plays happen, and could have made plays happen.
As for the discussion at hand.
You can't handcuff your quarterback with a mentality about playing the game a certain way, and then expect the position to be productive under pressure.
You can't recruit for a position like quarterback, if you aren't going to be doing what a QB wants to do on the field.
Let me state again, NO WHERE in any of that what I just wrote, am I saying it's ok to lose, or that decsions made are going to be made in such a way to cost a team a win, and I'm ok with any line of thinking like that.
Throwing the ball on 3rd and 8 in a single possesion game in the fourth quarter - ON THE ROAD? Against a stacked defense against the run?
That play call is not what cost this team this game people, and it was, in my mind, one of many, clear indicators, that we're heading in the right direction. Sitting on the ball in that scenario, yes - in the past, is saying that I trust my defense to win this game.
That is no longer the mentality though. The mentality now is to go out there and kick ass on every down regardless of circumstance. This is an aggressive game, and the teams that win te most, play aggressively.
My only problem coming out of this game, is that I have no idea where this quarterback competition stands and what the decision making process is around it moving forward, I suppose what happens on Friday will be a great indicator as to where it is.
it's not my place to know those things, but I do know that the best way to see if a QB is running an offense well is to look at point production in the form of touchdowns, and trick shot Johnny has yet to put the guys over the goal line when he's out there, and he's a lot more opportunity than the others.
Hell, the kid, had one 3 down series, in those 3 plays, made a decision and acted on it and got a legit shot at putting that ball over the goal line.
I've got questions, yes I do. I hope for answers on Friday.
