"... you can ... tell what I'm going to do."

[DarthMonk]

After watching us mostly stop ourselves the entire first half of the game (and the season for that matter) it was very distressing to see our use of the last 3 minutes of the first half. Unfortunately, it harkened back to my issures with time management last week. Most disturbing was this quote from our head coach, a man I love, by the way. "I'm a big believer and you can pretty much tell what I'm going to do," Gibbs said. "If it's a momentum-swing possibility, I'm not doing it." So instead of simply running our offense from near midfield with 2:40 to go in the half with a 10-3 lead for "fear of swinging the momentum" we crawl into a time management induced coma, call a run, watch it tick to two minutes and then burn our final timeout after the clock is stopped anyway. By the way, we only had 2 to begin with because we called one after an incomplete, a mistake we repeated (and paid for) in the 2nd half. Say it ain't so, Joe.

When the games are this close we need to improve in any phase we can. I won't say this 2:40 cost us the game but doing this sort of thing all year hurts a lot more than it helps. And yeah, I know we indeed gotta field goal with 12 seconds left. Too bad we just didn't run our offense for that 2:40 and the 30:00 that came a little later.

[REDEEMEDSKIN]

If you're willing to go beyond dwelling on the point you're trying to prove, you might also look at the reason WHY he does this, as he went on to explain.

Joe explained that he wants his team to be the last one to control the ball at the half. You want to score points on the last drive of the half, and not give the other team a chance to try to bomb their way back. By keeping the ball in our hands we elimintate the momentum shifts, as Gibbs explained.

[Redskin in Canada]

It is called CLOCK MANAGEMENT.

It is a strategy proven time and time again throughoput the history of the NFL. This is a game of momentum. You want to keep it. You do not want others to take it away (such as a fumble or a score ).

I wonder sometimes if people watch the ENTIRE interviews or not.

[DarthMonk]

I guess we've both heard it all before - you having heard my type of objection and me hearing Joe offereing his explanation.

I got no problem wanting to be the last team with the ball. It is good solid conservative strategy and helps win games. I agree with this desire.

But there is a way to do that without COMPLETELY shutting your offense down - and I'm NOT asking for Air Corryell (sp?).

Why not be the last team to hold the ball at then end of the half by simply running your offense for 2 minutes and saving the timeouts for the last few plays? Timeouts are valuable assets that should, at the very least, not be burned when the CLOCK IS STOPPED ANYWAY and it happened 3 TIMES in this game alone.

(We really looked like a disappointed unit during that time. Watch the tape. Our attitude as a team completely changed. It was outwardly visible.)

Sorry. I'd love to see it change so I can stop pointing it out. Gibbs, my all-time favorite coach, (well him and Lombardi) is not immune to criticism (though I sometimes act like I am).

Let's out-marty Marty somehow this Sunday.

Go 'Skins!

[Redskins Rule]

He tried to score on that drive. Thrash pulled a hammy on that play and dropped the pass. He went to someone who almost never drops passes trying to get that touchdown. He did his clock management thing to score and if Thrash hadn't of hurt himself we probably would have scored.

If you want to question Gibbs on something question him on going deep to Taylor Jacobs for the whole game. That guy can't beat man coverage to save his life.

[REDEEMEDSKIN]

Let's out-marty Marty somehow this Sunday.

Marty coaches himself outta big games. This is a big game for us. We do not want to see Gibbs outcoach himself out of this won. So, let's not be more like Marty than Marty.....please.

We already out-"Norved" Norv. Let's not make it 2 in a row.

[skinz74]

This game is probably the most important of the remaining six. We win, we carry momentum into St. Louis, who will be without Bulger. Arizona is one of our easiest remaining games (not saying it's a cakewalk.)

With solid play and a little luck, we're looking at 8-5, with nothing but division rival home games and a wounded duck away game. I really like our chances.

The key is the Bolts game. IF Taylor can shut down Gates and assist with Keenan, Griffin/and co are able to get good pressure on Brees and contain LT, the offense will have no choice but to perform. It should be a fun game to watch. I for one will be on the edge of my chair w/beer...watching how we either re-enter the playoff race, or begin our swan-dive.

Prediction:
Redskins 31
Bolts 24

[DarthMonk]

Let's out-marty Marty somehow this Sunday.

Marty coaches himself outta big games. This is a big game for us. We do not want to see Gibbs outcoach himself out of this won. So, let's not be more like Marty than Marty.....please.

We already out-"Norved" Norv. Let's not make it 2 in a row.

I'm with you. Thanks for getting my backhanded joke.

[DarthMonk]

It is called CLOCK MANAGEMENT.

It is a strategy proven time and time again throughoput the history of the NFL. This is a game of momentum. You want to keep it. You do not want others to take it away (such as a fumble or a score ).

I wonder sometimes if people watch the ENTIRE interviews or not.

Ironically, in an attempt to avoid a momentum shift, Gibbs caused one. We lost it. We went from being the aggressors Oakland really couldn't stop (we kept stopping ourselves) to the pacifists who were afraid of makig mistakes.

I saw the entire interview here. It was very similar to many others I've seen. We all (on this site I would hope) know Gibbs' phiilosophy. I'm trying to go a step deeper. I am questioning his philosophy and offering my answers.

Do we agree with his philosophy at all times?

Does he ever misapply his philosophy at different times?

Does he need to tweak his philosophy in certain down and distance/timeouts left/score/field position situations?

Is Gibbs the too over-ultra-conservative to Norv's going-too-far-the-other-way swashbuckling?

I am a conservative coach. I think Joe over does it sometimes.

... and I agree with you on the Taylor Jacobs gig. He simply could not seperate and we kept going to that well. Good lord!

The Chargers (as all other teams have been) are beatable. I sure hope we take care of 'em.