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Deadpool
1. For a coaching staff/ front office that had enough respect for having a solid offensive line that they brought in Whit and Sully, only to let Saffold go, turn over the OC duties to a late round draft pick in Allen and not finding an upgrade for Blythe. I know hindsight is what it is, but even without the regression of the OTs, this interior OL was not going to be good.
2. Not having a better plan in place for an obviously injured Todd Gurley. They had a plan to lower his snap count or touches or either/both. He went from 22 touches per game last year to a tad under 15. So they have cut a 1/3 of his touches, but there is no real flow to how they are going about it. Like they don't know how not to ride Gurley so they just randomly yank him and then forget about him for quarters of time. Its so odd.
3. McVay realizing after the SB that he would need to evolve his offense to avoid what the NEs and Chicagos of the NFL did to him. Then almost literally doing nothing. Its still mostly 11 personnel and working out of playaction. Never handing the ball off out of shotgun, and even when Cooks goes down, not implementing more 2 TE sets.
4. The draft. Again, hindsight, but man. You know you need a LG, an upgrade at RG and I'm sorry, but you know you can upgrade your OC. So what do you do? Trade back and back and draft a 3rd S. I get it, I love Rapp, loved him all the way back in 2017 and have the posts to prove it, but with the #2 and #3 OCs on the board, Daulton Risner on the board, OL might not have been a bad option. BTW #2 OC is the 2nd ranked OC by PFF for the Saints, Risner has yet to give up a sack as a RG for Denver and #3 OC is a LG for GB and has yet to yield a sack or a QB pressure. I love the Evans/Edwards picks, but they were never the finished products Risner, McCoy or Jenkins were. The other headscratcher, Henderson, I like the pick and his tape is good, but I'm guessing the Rams had a very good idea what was wrong with Gurley at the time. So why not aim towards a more all around back like Montgomery or Mattison (who is thriving in Minn behind a OZS line as a backup to Cook). I'm not gonna hammer on Greg Gaines, but if Phillips real plan is to play the run on the way to the QB, then why get a 34 NT with absolutely no juice to get to the QB? And on top of that, overdraft him by at least a round. IDK, I'm probably being to harsh, but when you keep trading away 1st and 2nd round picks, you need to not waste 3rd and 4th rounders.
So it seems like a bunch of stuff to me that could have been avoided. These are all self inflicted wounds. I get no one saw Havs and Whit regressing, but regardless there were things that could have been done to weather that storm. but believing an IL with an unproven Noteboom, unproven Allen and a poor Blythe seems like an avoidable mistake. Now with all the injuries, Goof could get beaten into David Carr. Same with how to manage Gurley's snaps and or touches better so he doesn't go an entire 4th quarter without getting the ball. Same with adjusting the offense. Don't set your players up to fail just to prove you can do it your way.
Agree whole heartedly on the Gurley usage - its not how much - its when - very strange indeed. Save him for the 2nd half if they are limiting him - they could still rest him a series if the knee acts up - but let the other two guys soften up the D - if they went two mins offense a lot they could wear down the D and not get Goff killed. Play to the team you are playing, this is going to be a low scoring affair and probably come down to TO's and last guy with ball can win it. Dont make it easier on the Bears by running out the same offense.
Also agree on not revising the offense - that's all on McVay - they saw this line springing leaks from day one - yet the offense hasn't changed much - better change this week - or like you said get Goff the living will.
On the draft they did draft some linemen so I give them that - Rapp is on his way to being a really good player - they identified that and got him. As for Gaines, my bet is they didn't think Day was going to win the job and they reacted maybe too soon.
