__ and 1...

This just about sums up all of our problems this year.

Without the injuries, we could throw it to Finley, run it with Grant, or distract D's with Finley, leaving any of our other 4 WR's to get open downfield.

With better playcalling, maybe we throw a screen pass or a short slant, or something quicker to get that one yard.

With a better offensive line, we get the push and run up the middle with ANY of our RBs.

With better ST play, we don't give up momentum after scoring a tying or go-ahead TD.

What else am I missing? From what I've seen on these boards it looks like these are the main problems we have this year. What can we do to fix them? Personally, I think that these short downs show that we need to start with the offensive line and our play calling. Having our playmakers back will mask these issues, but they'll still be there.

Right now, if I were MM, I would spend all week devising ways to get that last yard. I would be running drills, seeing how to work around those problems.

Plus, another stats indicative of coaching:
5 losses, 4 of them by 3 points, 1 by four points.

You can't win close games? That's coaching.

Agreed. I go to Purdue and mostly everyone wants his head, but others want to give the injury excuse. (both of my football teams have been killed by injuries) But it's just like MM, playing calling is subjective and other things, but the main stat is Danny Hope is 2-7 at Purdue with games by 3 points and we normally fold when having a lead in the 4th quarter.

To me winning/losing close games is one of the most telling stats of a coach.

What this really shows me is that our offense right now is entirely based on the element of surprise. When push comes to shove, we can't overpower anyone and get that extra yard.

Unfortunately, since this is the case, either MM is too dumb to outsmart anyone or he's trying too hard and outcoaching himself, instead of calling those plays that are needed in these situations.

He is. He's really taking a page out of Schottenheimer's philosophy.

He's staying with some stupid "coaching rules" that you can't be predictable, that you need the element of surprise.

That's why he used to call tosses to kuhn, and shotgun draws to kuhn, and power plays to Jackson, despite each of their characteristics and strenghts.

He continues to run to set up playaction, even when the run is not working, and the playaction is not working because the D isn't being fooled.

MM is outthinking himself yet again. Instead of going to the basics, of playing the matchups, and calling plays that we run well, like the pass-run option, the quick slants, he continues to try to outsmart the DC, and keeps outsmarting himself.

Bottom line, we have an elite QB and elite receivers.

The Jets game was the same deal. There were HUGE mismatches with Jennings in the middle, as Cromartie and Revis only play wide. Yet there were only a handfull of plays where he called it.

The Patriots are doing it consistantly, they're exploiting mismatches, and when they set up the pass, they're able to run.

Heck, even we were able to run moderatedly decent with draws out of the shotgun, once the pass worked a little bit.

In the last few games, truth be told, MM was able to adjust in the second half. But in this game, he didn't have the time, as Rodgers was out.

But he shouldn't need the time. He should be able to recognize from the get go what is the identity of his team.

But he can't.