Blair Roughing the Passer (NO 3rd and 9, 10-10, 6:01 to go)

This play I think was critical to the outcome of the game.

The thing that gets me about this play is not so much the penalty call (which I think is fair enough), but what was going through Blairs head as a defender when he was running towards Winston who not only was upright and immobilised (I think Wagner had him by one leg), but also had his back to his receivers and so was never even a threat of throwing. This was always going to be a sack.

As far as I am concerned, a smart/intelligent defender would have focused 100% on literally stripping the ball away from an upright, helpless paralysed QB, rather than putting on a tackle which 100% was not even necessary (I'm sure the play would have/was about to be blown dead anyway had Blair not even done anything).

I literally could imagine a defender with the right mindset stripping that ball away for a fumble/recovery etc.

Such a TERRIBLE play by Blair devoid of smarts.

He launched himself at the QB. Hitting him helmet to helmet.

3 years ago that is an obvious penalty.

This year? moronic.

I respectfully disagree it was a bs penalty. We’ve seen Russ get sacked like that many many many times. What’s everyone supposed to do? Let Winston have our defender leg hump his ankle because anyone else who touches him let alone breathes on him gets a flag?

And no what killed the game what when Pete went full geriatric mode with run run run run run run run run

If there is a penalty in pisssd about? It’s when Lattimore threw a punch at DK and instead of being tossed he got a 2nd penalty.

TwistedHusky":ritthyjt said:

He launched himself at the QB. Hitting him helmet to helmet.

3 years ago that is an obvious penalty.

This year? moronic.

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A smart defender faced with this situation would think "attack the BALL!!!", not the player!!!

What Blair saw...


QB not going to throw, going nowhere, back to receivers....


...but thinks a spear type (helmet to helmet) tackle is the best thing given the circumstances :roll:


Another perspective...clear as day that THE BALL (ie. stripping it) should have been the target/focus of ALL his energies


...but no


WTF?

Blair should have had his arms outstretched trying to rip/strip or even just grab that ball away from an upright immobile QB. I am sure the LOB would have done that with their "ball hawk" mentality.

Forget about the potential of any fumble/strip, if he just tried to strip and there was no PI call, it would have been NO ball 4th and 14 at the New Orleans 38 with 5:50 to play scores tied 10-10.

Just before the snap on the play, even the announcer said "These are the moments that require all your concentration, all your football intelligence, all of your training"...obviously Blair didn't get the memo. :34853_doh:

Cost us the game/season

Terrible play, but two missed FG lost the game

Wenhawk":25refwgx said:

Cost us the game/season

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LOL

Flyingsquad23":30ov8s0i said:

Terrible play, but two missed FG lost the game

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Two missed FGs yes but Myers didn't "decide" to miss the FGs. Game was still there to be won. Blair "decided" to spear tackle a defenceless immobile QB when he absolutely didn't have to on a 3rd down.

In theory, if penalty didn't happen, it could have been, after the NO punt, Seahawks ball at maybe the Seattle 35 with over 5min to go, scores tied 10-10. Regardless of FG misses, game still very much winnable.

After that terrible play they stopped them twice. They should have attempted a 47 yard fg into the wind but instead got an offsides on 4&5 so….we could play the what if game all night.

Two made FG and it would’ve been 16-10 forcing them to score a TD…which they didn’t

This game was absolutely frustrating for so many reasons.

Kind of fitting for tonight…reminded me of Matt’s last season

At least instead of dragging the suspense out longer now we can get a head start on scheme and roster planning for next year. And the draft, of course. Looks like we'll get a higher pick slot this year.

The playcalling COST us the game.

This did not help though.

These kinds of plays happen almost every game. A stupid, undisciplined move that does little to help the team and is more about trying to be physical than anything else.

It invariably results in a flag, and since the culprit keeps changing it is likely the result of the lack of discipline/smart play demanded by the coaches, OR defensive players so fed up with the coaching they are trying to do anything to disrupt the game to stand a chance to win.

This is all the result of Pete encouraging this stuff.

It is much less the fault of Blair than the fault of Carrol.

Bullmeister":358ocszs said:

This play I think was critical to the outcome of the game.

The thing that gets me about this play is not so much the penalty call (which I think is fair enough), but what was going through Blairs head as a defender when he was running towards Winston who not only was upright and immobilised (I think Wagner had him by one leg), but also had his back to his receivers and so was never even a threat of throwing. This was always going to be a sack.

As far as I am concerned, a smart/intelligent defender would have focused 100% on literally stripping the ball away from an upright, helpless paralysed QB, rather than putting on a tackle which 100% was not even necessary (I'm sure the play would have/was about to be blown dead anyway had Blair not even done anything).

I literally could imagine a defender with the right mindset stripping that ball away for a fumble/recovery etc.

Such a TERRIBLE play by Blair devoid of smarts.

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You are correct it probably wasn't a smart play to come in that hard in that situation but if he had just landed a little lower to avoid a penalty that would of been totally fine.

It was literally a few inches from being a totally clean hit.

Honestly if a QB is still upright, I don't care if he has a guy hanging on his ankle with our secondary he could of easily flicked it to some wide open guy haha.

Bullmeister":2t6zdapu said:

TwistedHusky":2t6zdapu said:

He launched himself at the QB. Hitting him helmet to helmet.

3 years ago that is an obvious penalty.

This year? moronic.

Click to expand...

A smart defender faced with this situation would think "attack the BALL!!!", not the player!!!

What Blair saw...


QB not going to throw, going nowhere, back to receivers....


...but thinks a spear type (helmet to helmet) tackle is the best thing given the circumstances :roll:


Another perspective...clear as day that THE BALL (ie. stripping it) should have been the target/focus of ALL his energies


...but no


WTF?

Blair should have had his arms outstretched trying to rip/strip or even just grab that ball away from an upright immobile QB. I am sure the LOB would have done that with their "ball hawk" mentality.

Forget about the potential of any fumble/strip, if he just tried to strip and there was no PI call, it would have been NO ball 4th and 14 at the New Orleans 38 with 5:50 to play scores tied 10-10.

Just before the snap on the play, even the announcer said "These are the moments that require all your concentration, all your football intelligence, all of your training"...obviously Blair didn't get the memo. :34853_doh:

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Excellent post. :2thumbs:

I don't know, I'm not going to complain about this play. It's the least of our worries realistically.

I never played high level football but if I did...

I would run FAST and hit HARD on defense.

It's not like our defenders are playing from a position where they feel like they can afford to "play smart" or to play with "finesse".

If we were 5-1 going into this game maybe he would have played that smart. But I'm sure in our desperate situation with our team dive bombing into mediocrity he didn't even think anything more than make the hit.

Tokadub":1cdmr1ls said:

I don't know, I'm not going to complain about this play. It's the least of our worries realistically.

I never played high level football but if I did...

I would run FAST and hit HARD on defense.

It's not like our defenders are playing from a position where they feel like they can afford to "play smart" or to play with "finesse".

If we were 5-1 going into this game maybe he would have played that smart. But I'm sure in our desperate situation with our team dive bombing into mediocrity he didn't even think anything more than make the hit.

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It may be a lack of proper situational coaching on defense that led Blair to needlessly charge the QB like that in the first place. The Legion of Boom made a name for themselves with their "ball hawk" mentality where they would always be teaming up to strip the ball away. They would combine on tackles so that one defender kept the ball carrier upright, while another would strip the ball. I could easily see/imagine a Chancellor or Thomas or Maxwell or Sherman literally just trying to tear that ball away from the QB rather than execute a totally pointless tackle like Blair did.

This was a bang bang play of aggression and I am not worried about it, if we are making plays on offense and more stops on defense you can absorb plays of this nature, when your not these kinds of plays stand out.

Blair was merely inches away from making a great play there (along with Wagner). That sack could have easily swung this game in our favor. I won't fault a player for playing hard and making plays. He obviously wasn't trying to go for the head. It's football, things happen quickly. Not only do I not blame Blair, but I commend him and want to see more of him on the field.

There's lots of blame to go around, I mean the bad luck of Blair's play was preceded by another bit of bad luck when Woods (I think) got his hands up and the ball went up in the air at the LOS, balls like that are often easy INTs, but we didn't have anyone in the right place at the right time. Get that pick and the next play doesn't happen.

Make either one of the two field goals we missed and we at the very least go into overtime.

This list is nearly endless.

Suffice it to say, I'm a huge Blair fan and have been for awhile now. I like his style of play and I'll take the occasional bad luck flag like the one he got last night, even if I didn't like the outcome.

kidhawk":1uima01i said:

Blair was merely inches away from making a great play there (along with Wagner). That sack could have easily swung this game in our favor.

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What do you mean "Blair was merely inches away from making a great play"? What "great play" were you thinking he was going to make? It already was a great play by the D and Wagner, at least a sack for loss on 3rd down. The ONLY thing that could have made it any better would be to strip the ball from the QB and cause a TO.

You need to ask yourself, what more was Blair trying to achieve with his spear like tackle?

A fumble? If he actually thought he was trying to do that, then he definitely went about it the wrong way. He was not focused on the ball, but on the player.

A sack? Well all he had to do was just finish the play, open out his arms and literally bear hug the QB (the minimum tackle), avoiding any chance of a Roughing the Passer penalty.

Injure the QB? A dumb thing to try that results in a penalty anyways and would have sustained the NO drive.

But Blair did not make the best decision based on the opportunity/situation in front of him. That has nothing do with luck.

I won't fault a player for playing hard and making plays. He obviously wasn't trying to go for the head. It's football, things happen quickly. Not only do I not blame Blair, but I commend him and want to see more of him on the field.

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I too want players to be monsters, but apart from being "hard", what "play" was Blair trying to make that couldn't have otherwise been made if he just bear hugged the QB and made a sack?

..the bad luck of Blair's play....

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I can't see how you can call Blair's play "bad luck". The "bad luck" you refer to is the decision Blair made to dive in to the QB inviting a Roughing the Passer penalty, which for me is not bad luck, but just a dumb unnecessary play made by a defender at a critical point in the game.

Suffice it to say, I'm a huge Blair fan and have been for awhile now. I like his style of play..

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It does seem like you are defending his "play" more than you should. Who the player is in this discussion is irrelevant. Assessment on whether they made the right decision in the best interests of their team is what is being discussed.

...and I'll take the occasional bad luck flag like the one he got last night, even if I didn't like the outcome.

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:177692: No! That was not bad luck and no I will never accept "dumb" penalties by players making a pointless hard play, on a play that was as good as over (as a certain sack).

PS: I'm not singling Blair out for any other reason but to highlight how dumb pointless plays that result in penalties at the wrong point in a game can greatly influence a game (just like what the announcers said just before the snap).

Don’t worry dude, you won’t be able to criticize him the rest of the year. Seems to have a patellar issue and fractured knee cap.

Bullmeister":5zwxvhzm said:

kidhawk":5zwxvhzm said:

Blair was merely inches away from making a great play there (along with Wagner). That sack could have easily swung this game in our favor.

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What do you mean "Blair was merely inches away from making a great play"? What "great play" were you thinking he was going to make? It already was a great play by the D and Wagner, at least a sack for loss on 3rd down. The ONLY thing that could have made it any better would be to strip the ball from the QB and cause a TO.

You need to ask yourself, what more was Blair trying to achieve with his spear like tackle?

A fumble? If he actually thought he was trying to do that, then he definitely went about it the wrong way? He was not focused on the ball, but on the player.

A sack? Well all he had to do was just finish the play, open out his arms and literally bear hug the QB (the minimum tackle), avoiding any chance of a Roughing the Passer penalty.

Injure the QB? A dumb thing to try that results in a penalty anyways and would have sustained the NO drive.

But Blair did not make the best decision based on the opportunity/situation in front of him. That has nothing do with luck.

I won't fault a player for playing hard and making plays. He obviously wasn't trying to go for the head. It's football, things happen quickly. Not only do I not blame Blair, but I commend him and want to see more of him on the field.

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I too want players to be monsters, but apart from being "hard", what "play" as Blair trying to make?

..the bad luck of Blair's play....

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I can't see how you can call Blair's play "bad luck". The "bad luck" you refer to is the decision Blair made to dive in to the QB inviting a Roughing the Passer penalty, which for me is not bad luck, but just a dumb unnecessary play made by a defender at a critical point in the game.

Suffice it to say, I'm a huge Blair fan and have been for awhile now. I like his style of play..

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It does seem like you are defending his "play" more than you should. Who the player is in this discussion is irrelevant. Assessment on whether they made the right decision in the best interests of their team is what is being discussed.

...and I'll take the occasional bad luck flag like the one he got last night, even if I didn't like the outcome.

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:177692: No! That was not bad luck and no I will never accept "dumb" penalties by players making a pointless hard play, on a play that was as good as over (as a certain sack).

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It's obvious from the repetitiveness of your reply that you won't believe that Blair was just making a bang bang play in the moment. The way you make it sound like he was head hunting or some dumb thing like that. He was making a play. I've watched way too much of Russel Wilson and other young athletic quarterbacks enough to know that if they aren't down yet and are only being tackled down low, then there's still a chance for them to get out of it. I would much rather our guys go in and finish a play like this then to stop playing before the whistle. Hitting the helmet was definitely bad luck as he was going for the chest/ball area, and Winston started going down just as he was about to make contact.