Coaching versus Execution

[Mojouw]

So I hesitated to start a new thread and the mods can feel free to kill it, but I wasn't sure where else it fit.

This post is a great example of where the coaches game plan on offense was good, but the players execution of it was awful.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...own-highlights

I haven't found similar breakdowns posted for the defensive side of the ball. But one can assume that the coaches were not telling Cam Thomas to get blown backwards 5 yards on each play, nor were they telling Worilds to fail to set the edge.

For the fire everyone crowd, there is ample evidence that the plan is decent to above average but the execution of the plan is lacking. How to determine who bears the lion's share of that blame? Most likely not possible as a fan as we are not at practice or in the meeting room.

[dislocatedday]

Good points. I (and everyone else) do not see what goes into game planning, how the team practices, etc. I just see the team not performing well at all over the last 6 quarters of actual gameplay. I sometimes wonder if it is coaching, but when I step back and look at some of the things that have occurred (Gilbert just getting manhandled and knocked around, Cam Thomas getting repeatedly blown off the line of scrimmage, missed tackles, Mike Mitchell trying to hit someone instead of tackling much of the time, etc)............... they are not evidence of bad coaching, just bad execution or guys not physically capable of the demands of the position in that particular game. Too many guys are not winning their individual battles on this team so far early in the season.

Most of us look at Tomlin on the sidelines and see that he does not get all up in arms and start throwing tantrums after failed offensive drives or defensive stops. I think too many (myself included sometimes) look at this as him being disinterested or out of touch with the team. I don't think him screaming or running around panicked on the sideline is the best course of action either. He has always projected that demeanor whether the team is winning or losing. I don't think it is fair to hold his demeanor against him as a sign of "bad coaching".

[fansince'76]

Good thread and good points, Mojouw. Which I think also begs the question of whether or not the coaching staff is reaching the players at this point, or are they being tuned out?

[X-Terminator]

Good thread and good points, Mojouw. Which I think also begs the question of whether or not the coaching staff is reaching the players at this point, or are they being tuned out?

That is a very good question, Gary. Given that we're seeing a lot of the same mistakes and poor execution, it is entirely possible. It would be tough for me to think that they'd tune out LeBeau, Munch, Lake or Peezy, though. Which obviously leaves Tomlin and Haley...

[Mojouw]

Good points. I (and everyone else) do not see what goes into game planning, how the team practices, etc. I just see the team not performing well at all over the last 6 quarters of actual gameplay. I sometimes wonder if it is coaching, but when I step back and look at some of the things that have occurred (Gilbert just getting manhandled and knocked around, Cam Thomas getting repeatedly blown off the line of scrimmage, missed tackles, Mike Mitchell trying to hit someone instead of tackling much of the time, etc)............... they are not evidence of bad coaching, just bad execution or guys not physically capable of the demands of the position in that particular game. Too many guys are not winning their individual battles on this team so far early in the season.

Most of us look at Tomlin on the sidelines and see that he does not get all up in arms and start throwing tantrums after failed offensive drives or defensive stops. I think too many (myself included sometimes) look at this as him being disinterested or out of touch with the team. I don't think him screaming or running around panicked on the sideline is the best course of action either. He has always projected that demeanor whether the team is winning or losing. I don't think it is fair to hold his demeanor against him as a sign of "bad coaching".

That is a solid summation of what I have been trying to lay out for about a week now. Wish I could've said it that well!

I will say this about Tomlin's calm demeanor. I think that as much as it may hurt sometimes that he doesn't freak out on gameday, I also think his calm is what allows this team to never count themselves out each game and each season. Tomlin's teams have always been strangely resilient to setbacks and score deficits.