Bevell's Last Play Call

[capncrunch]

So, the one time Bevell actually was the 'smartest guy in the room' and fooled everybody and we rag on him for it?

:laugh:

Hats off to Kearse, too, for making the catch. Should have fallen down in bounds, of course, but kind of a moot point after the first down.

I like this. Remember the play where Rawls failed to get 2 yards and we had to punt.? How about the one to Lynch last week. He's succeeded on several plays like this and the game wasn't over if it failed. I was sitting there thinking "oh man dont' run it here." The frustrating thing to me is that I am thinking that. I can remember having confidence in our short yardage, power running game. I liked the call because I like Russell's chances on a play like that. Plus, I really didn't want to lose on a final series with Detroit coming down the field. We've seen games end like that too recently. Some trust in the offense to seal the win. Playing to win. Like it.

 

[HawkGA]

It was a broken play.

The end result had little to do with the play call. Which I had no problem with. But a long scramble with sideline pass was not the playcall.

I think the fact that it was a broken play just shows the risk involved. The offensive line was just getting abused all game and it happened again. If the offensive line gets abused on a running play, nothing much bad happens. It gets abused on a pass play, and a lot bad can happen.

 

[fenderbender123]

As Holmgren would say....It worked so it was a great call.

 

[NorCalSeahawk]

It worked because he has a QB that can run for his life. I'm not a big fan of the call, just for the fact if it wasn't caught it stops the clock and deep passes are 50/50 most of the time. But it worked, so good for him....... This time.

Honestly I question that play call less than I question this teams ability to find above average O-line talent that can gain 1-2 yards on the ground when needed. Unger (who is gone now) was found by a previous regime, and was solid, but was at the end of the line when he was traded (injuries, salary and age). Okung fell in their lap from that previous regime getting an extra pick in the draft that year, there wasn't one person who didn't think the team wasn't going to take him or Williams that year and both have been good to great at times, But Okung's production has been dropping the last two years, so his days may be numbered. Since then the team has been converting D-linemen and drafting guys in spots they shouldn't be drafted (Carp, Britt, Moffitt, etc). Now the team went from an average O-line to (WAY) below average line with all the poor drafts. I hope Russell and when Lynch comes back can make chicken salad out of chicken S**t the rest of the year, because this O-line needs an overhaul in the offseason and I don't see any fixes right now.

 

[bevellisthedevil]

garbage play but at least it wasn't a bubble screen or empty backfield slant to Lockette

 

[DavidSeven]

I'm pretty confident we weren't going to convert 3rd-and-2 with a run there.

We're going to pass on a lot of 3rd-and-short situations and it will usually be the right call. We don't have a blocking TE and our three interior linemen can't be trusted in power run situations. Too many are interested in losing the right way. I'd rather be put in a situation to win.

 

[justafan]

They are talking about it on KJR right now.Holmgren is coming on next.

 

[Atradees]

The called play failed. It was RW. Wasit on that play that Coleman came back and peeled the rusher off RW? That was cool.

 

[seahawks08]

I think the call was a bootleg and RW either throw or if the receiver is covered, run for as many yards to get a first down. It wasn't a run for sure. With the Oline and a rookie RB, you don't put the play on Thomas Rawls, but to put it on the play makers. The bootleg was covered I believe and thats where the scrambling began. Either way, chew the clock up, or make a 1st down.

 

[fan4life]

Letting Wilson decide where to go with the ball was the right call. If Wilson couldn't run for 2 yards, who in their right mind believes a rookie would have been able to? At least with RW, the offense had options, which it turned out they took advantage of.

That's why good QBs get paid more than any other skilled player. RW made some errors in the game, for sure. But, with the win on the line, he earned his salary (as did Kam, btw!)

 

[Hawks46]

Right before the play, I was wondering "do you have the balls to pass it here, or do you do the safe thing and run it?"

Thing is, there was still a good amount of time left, you're only up by 3, and your defense was just on the field for a good bit and gave up a long drive. You KNOW you're not going to convert it by running.

It looked like a called bootleg to me. Which is a smart play; as long as Russ doesn't fumble it, you're likely to either convert it by putting the ball in the hands of your best player who can pass or run, or you're going to waste a lot of time and then punt.

The play call fooled the Lions. I've complained about Bevell because we can't over power our out execute anyone, so you need to fool them, and Bevell has been pretty bad at fooling teams with play calls. Completion or not, I like the play call.

 

[Hawk-Lock]

I think he was told if the throw is not there, just take the sack. Basically what Eli should have done in week 1 against the Cowboys.

 

[Sports Hernia]

I hated the call.

It was a dumb call, it worked but it was a dumb call. The worst thing that could happen was an incomplete pass, stopping the clock, followed by a sack.

 

[DavidSeven]

I'm pretty sure he wasn't going to throw that pass if there was a high percentage of an incomplete pass and probably had that drilled in his head beforehand. Taking a sack really wouldn't have been much worse than failing to convert a run.

Whether or not Kearse was the first read on that play seems a little irrelevant to me. The ability of Wilson to get out of trouble and find guys scrambling open on the playside is a factor in the decision and an element of the call as well.

 

[tdlabrie]

I mean the alternative was try and run it for 2 yards when the entire game our oline couldn't be relied upon so.........................

Disagree. For the record I liked calling for a pass (whether by design or a broken play) but not that pass. The alternative to a run was to throw a quick 2-yard pass. If only we some big, talented receiver to pass to. Oh wait!

 

[brimsalabim]

I liked the play because he rolled Russ out and gave him a run pass option. The alternative was giving the ball to a rookie running back.

 

[jblaze]

I liked it. Put the ball in RW's hands to make a play in the only way that had been working all night. RW could have run for 2 if need be or throw it to an open receiver. Much better changes than running for it behind that line.

Bevell has his issues but damn, the guy can't catch a break. Run it, he gets yelled at. Pass it, he gets yelled at. Shotgun, under center, no Graham, etc, etc.

Give the dude a break...

 

[MontanaHawk05]

I think the play was a designed rollout, but not intended for Kearse. Wilson was looking towards one of his options on the right, who were well-covered. He only found Kearse much later.

 

[ivotuk]

Loved it.

Come on guys, look at it from a high level, Games on the line you need one first down. Do you A: want the game in the hands of your undrafted rookie FA making his second career start and the worst offensive line in the nfl. OR B: In the hands of RW to make a play?


Loved getting him outside of the pocket, he had the run option, Kearse (wasn't it kearse) is my only problem, throw it to anyone else but dropsy mcgee, but in his defense he did catch it....

:13: This. The best play for this offense at any time when the game is on the line, give it to Russell on a roll out to either pass or run for 2 yards. He's simply the best when it comes to scrambling and making magic happen.

Bevell basically said "I'm putting this on my best players shoulder and calling a play that will give him his best chance to make a great decision while executing."

 

[Zebulon Dak]

Good call, even better play by RW. I also liked the 3rd down pitch to Rawls on the previous drive even though we didn't convert. All the pieces were in place, blocking just wasn't so great and we ended up a couple feet short.

One call I didn't like was the end around pitch to Lockett sometime in the 3rd quarter, I believe. Not that I don't like the idea of an end around to Lockett, just that this particular play was a bit too quick to develop and didn't give the defense a chance to really bite on the fake pitch to the HB. Some way to make that play develop just a little longer might have been beneficial IMO. I'll have to look at it again but that was my initial thought.

Overall I thought Bevell called a really good game. And I thought Russell had a hell of a game with a few exceptions, but the O line sure didn't make it easy on him.