scutterhawk":212g2q54 said:
olyfan63":212g2q54 said:
Why hate on Jeff Fisher for his *SUCCESSFUL* trick plays against the Seahawks?
Isn't that what opponents are supposed to do, strengthen and sharpen us through the competition?
I guarantee all that got the attention of our special teams guys, and will most likely help us in "BIGGER" games when an opponent attempts trickery against us.
The deceptive punt return TD pointed out huge issues in punt coverage to fix.
The fake field goal TD showed Carroll a part of the rule book that we won't be asleep on any more.
A well-executed and successful trick play is a thing of beauty, to be admired.
Have we all forgotten about the 2012 season and TD passes from Sidney Rice, Golden Tate, and Marshawn Lynch?
That'd be just fine & dandy if he wasn't/doesn't/don't have his guys playing dirty Football.
What's their W/L record this Season?, that's what I'm talking about.
If you're resorting to dirty plays, and you still have that many losses, you are a shit-bag Coach.
And Y'all can do the "Admiration" gig if ya want, Me? I'd just feel dirty for doing it.
253hawk":212g2q54 said:
Just a reminder, here's what Fisher let happen in week 17 last year in our house:
E.Sims, Unnecessary Roughness
C.Reynolds, Unnecessary Roughness
R.Armstrong, Unnecessary Roughness
J.Laurinaitis, Taunting
A.Ogletree, Unnecessary Roughness
A.Ogletree, Unsportsmanlike Conduct
K.Langford, Disqualification
K.Langford, Unsportsmanlike Conduct
R.Armstrong, Unsportsmanlike Conduct (verbal abuse of an official)
D.Stewart, Unsportsmanlike Conduct
I really wish Goodell would stop being a hypocrite about player safety when Fisher hasn't been held accountable for this crap in forever. He didn't even look like he cared and just let it snowball. F the Rams defense, seriously. Their offense is cool though.
I'm specifically addressing Fisher's love of, and success with, trick plays. The dirty play we experienced, especially in last year's finale in the CLink, is a whole different issue. 253Hawk framed the dirty play issue nicely in his post. Fisher IS absolutely a scumbag for appearing to allow/condone that from his players.
It seems to me that that a lot of people are taking those strong emotions about the Rams cheap shots and applying them to the trick plays issue. As I said, I view a well-executed trick play as a thing of beauty. Think Boise State vs. Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Fisher's trick play cumulative successes against us damn near rise to that level. The punt return TD this year was especially an embarrassment for our Special Teams. Here's how I differentiate between the two topics:
1) Fisher's Rams DIRTY PLAYS: Injure our players, potentially trigger retaliations, risk of suspensions. SUCK IT FISHER!
2) Fisher's Rams TRICK PLAYS: Force our Special Teams players and coaches to pay attention at all times. Prepare our Special Teams units for nearly any wacky things we might see in "BIG" games, i.e., playoff settings. Make it way less likely trick plays will succeed against us in big game settings. BRING IT ON, FISHER!
Fisher's trick plays have netted the Rams 2 wins against the Seahawks in 4 years. The win in 2012 on the fake FG TD pass from Johnny Hekker to a fake "subbing out" WR still in the play; and this year, the "Return Left--no, Right!" punt return TD that was the margin of victory for the Rams in St. Louis. Fisher knows his team is outgunned vs. Seattle and that he will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to have any shot at winning. It's been so long since Seattle had a good successful trick play... I think we tried a flea-flicker vs. the Chiefs, but unsuccessful. Our closest thing to a trick play has been those cross-field screens to Marshawn for TDs vs. the 49ers. I sorta remember someone throwing a pass to Russell Wilson that was the same play he scored a receiving TD on in college, but the opponents limited it to a modest gain. That may have been last season. (Anyone recall what game that was?)
In fact, really, trick plays are not really that far out of the norm of the overall chess match mental game the opposing coaches play. Some examples favoring the Seahawks mental agility and response to game situations:
1) Russell Wilson seeing the man-to-man coverage on Luke Willson by AZ's Foote and immediately deciding to loft a pass for Willson to run under; 2x during the game, for 2 TD's. Bevell + Wilson scheming for for the Cardinals' blitzes, Russell and Luke recognizing the right situation on the same page, and instantly going right after what they see.
2) Punt block by DeShawn Shead in 1st Cardinals game. He saw he would be unblocked and went for it and got it. That was the Cooper Helfet WWE bodyslam play.
3) 2013 NFCCG, 4th and 7, Russell Wilson entices 49ers D to jump, all 3 Seahawks WR's notice this and instantly adjust their routes to "Go" routes, Wilson throws a 40-yard bomb to Jermaine Kearse for the game-winning score. Nice article here:
http://mmqb.si.com/2014/01/20/seattle-s ... ouchdown/# In fact, the NFCCG TD to Kearse really was a "trick play" by Seattle, because Wilson explicitly used a trick snap count to try to draw the 49ers offside, and did so successfully, which really set up the whole play. So, now we know, Seattle got to the Super Bowl last year on a trick play.
I would absolutely love to see Seattle run a successful trick play on the Rams on Sunday.