the season, if you're going to talk about it's not what happens.
It's how you respond.
Then you better be ready to live it, I guess and they lived
it. Whenever pointed a finger,
everybody competed the best. They could
this is this is the tough side of things and that from
the beginning of training camp to. Now
that we've built something really special and we're
building something really special on the guys in that
locker room have made it special
and that they should cherish this season with one another.
Because it was special and that we accomplished a lot. We're
not in the tournament, which is disappointing,
but there was far more that we accomplished together than not.
It's about feeling completely bad feeling knowing that,
you know, we were
in control being in control of our destiny,
last two weeks and we just couldn't get it done.
All right, little who's to blame as we do the post-mortem
on the 2021 regular season for the 18 teams that aren't
advancing Colts lose their final two. Raiders in
the Jaguars and missed the playoffs. Who's to blame for
that one? Shireen.
I'm going to go Frank Reich. This is a team with seven pro
bowlers. Mike. You've looked over the last two years. This
just dawned on me there two and two against Jacksonville.
That's just
that's a fireable offense offense, almost in itself. But
he's the one who wanted Carson wins. He's the one who said
I can win with him. He went to bat for him. And now he's
non-committal as he should be on wences future with the team
after the
season. It just didn't work out and they gave up too much for
him to Mike. So I'm putting it on Frank Wright.
They just didn't get it done. They needed to win what one of
their last two games and couldn't do that.
Yeah, they started the 2020 season with a trip to
Jacksonville and lost and Jacksonville went on to lose
their next 15 games and five or so into the next season. And
then they cap this season with a trip to Jacksonville on clown
out day with a
jaguars had just gotten trounced by the New England
Patriots. Gave up 50 points. It's amazing that Frank Reich
did not have his team
ready to go to Jacksonville and take care of business.
I think there was just an arrogance there. They thought
all they had to do was show up and they were going to win and
it failed. I agree with you. Design, right? The talent is
there
and I would have been far more inclined to bet on Jim irsay,
firing Frank, Reich this morning,
then Stephen Ross, firing
Brian Flores Chargers lose three, other final, four games.
They blow the opportunity to tie last night's game with
an untimely timeout. They missed the playoffs. Who's to blame
there.
Well, I'm sure that real football, people will know that
Brian Staley is not to blame for that, but I am putting it
all on him at the risk of being a, not a real football person.
Mike, but you just look at, look at the call. He
made there on fourth down. I mean, I don't even know
the analytics. People agree with that, the fourth and one at
their own 18 with the 2-yard loss. They ended up. They just
gave up a field goal for that. We're very fortunate, but they
went for of 18 on third down
six of seven, on fourth down, if they Just be better on third
down. They wouldn't have to go for it on fourth down, all
the all the time. But you go back to that Chiefs game. Some of
the decisions he made in that game. He just strictly uses
analytics and doesn't and sometimes doesn't even look
that analytics just decides. We're going for it on fourth
down. And
I just think some of the times that it was Reckless and
I think it cost them playoff spot
that explanation for calling the timeout. He said we didn't
have the right Personnel in their, our best Personnel to
stop the run. Well, they need better Personnel to stop
the run if that's the best, they have because they gave up nine
yards on that play. Play, but that timeout,
operated as a reset button. It punctured
the reality that was creeping in inevitably
and almost certainly that this thing was just going to be
a tie in both teams. We're going to get in. He was moving in
that direction and the contrast I made earlier today and I want
to write about this at some point tonight.
The fact that
Bill Belichick's Super Bowl 49. Remember, when the clock was
ticking from Seahawks and everybody, thought he should
call a timeout and his instincts based. All those
years of coaching his instincts told him
not to
and and, and this is the problem and I analytics Mafia
is going to come after us, but I don't care. I'll gladly sleep
with the fishes on this one.
You lose that instinct. You lose that gut feel when all of
your decisions are driven by formulas and, and calculations
and objective factors.
You lose that thing that may whisper to you.
Don't, don't do that thing.
That a cold, hard, objective analysis would, maybe suggest
you should do
Dean peas. Was trying to articulate that last week, but
I think that's the contrast belcheck in Super Bowl 49. Not
calling the timeout, Brandon Stanley last night calling
the timeout and ruining the moment
that would have delivered a playoff berth for both teams.
Yeah, and you have to have that gut instinct, my kin to me. It
just seems like in some of these situations. He doesn't
have it. He strictly looking at what analytics, tell him, and
you've got to have that gut feeling.
And, you know, Bill Belichick kind of pupus analytics, but we
all know he uses them. But he also uses his gut and he's just
got a great feel for the game and brain. Its daily. Maybe
he's capable of
finding that but he just can't purely rely on analytics every
single time.
Who's to blame for the Ravens, losing the final six games of
the season and missing the Playoffs? Who's to blame there?
If anyone?
Yeah, I don't think anyone's to blame their Mike. It's
injuries. They had of a, who's, who list of those who were
injured, 17 players and I are, and we know the Lamar Jackson
wasn't on IR. But missed the last four games with that ankle
injury.
They lost their entire running backs room. It was just one
injury after another for that football team. Some some years.
It just seems like it's not your year. This just wasn't
the Ravens year and what a coaching job. I believe
that John Harbaugh all did just to get them where they were.
I think this one just falls into the stuff happens
or another word that starts with s but has one fewer letter
happens category.
Some years. It's just it really isn't your year and it doesn't
mean you give up. They didn't give up. They had those two
games that came down to two point conversion attempts,
that failed. One was so close to being
a completed pass.
Just off the glove of Mark Andrews.
The other one if Tyler Huntley rolling to the right. They,
you know, someone
it was explained to me that if they just would have
Started that play against the Packers on the left. Hash mark
Huntley would have had more space to roll to the right. And
maybe spot that Marquis Brown was streaking across the back
of the end zone wide open. They wouldn't one of those games.
Maybe it's, you know,
it's a different vibe yesterday. They win that game,
they get to the playoffs. So, I just think it's, it's sometimes
can be attributed to
too much crap happened for anyone
to overcome.