Your Theory on Blow-Outs

[ColtsHappy]

OK so blow outs are a fact of NFL life and certainly do happen - sooner or later to most teams it seems to me. One only has to look back at last years super bowl @ 43-8, or look at the thursday night blow outs this very season - Atlanta blew out Tampa Bay by 42, Packers over the Vikes by 32, and the Giants over the Redskins by 31. Even the Colts blanking the Bengals by 27 and then of course getting trounced on by the Steelers by 17. Who can forget the Luck led Colts getting blown out by the Jets in a 35-9 game in 2012? As a former Indiana boy living in New York, I know I haven't forgotten that game!

 

Is there a common thread with NFL teams? Players partying too hard the night before and losing focus, maybe a little hung over? Not sleeping well the night before the game and having a corresponding loss of energy? Too much good sex before the game? Not enough good sex before the game? Bad game planning? Wrong schemes? 

 

Maybe it's always the combination of one team just struggling with a bad day - we have all had them - and the other team simultaneously having a nearly perfect day? Being at home? Being on the road?

 

Not just our beloved Colts, but what is at the root of blow-outs in general? What do you think are the factors?

[TKnight24]

The root of that bent over spanking suffered Sunday in Pittsburgh was over-confidence

5 game win streak plus a shutout, got big headed. Pitt smacked us right in the chops and we deserved it. Nothing wrong with celebrating wins, but don't get big headed. Short memory, move onto the next week

[21isSuperman]

How can any of us know without actually being in the team facilities with the players and coaches?

[wesd2890]

Momentum and energy are big along with confidence. Example.. last years super bowl.. first play is a bad snap and turns into safety. Then seahawks score.. you could clearly see Peyton confidence go out the window along with the team.. all momentum energy and confidence shifts and you have a blow out.. if you ever been to a nfl game you can feel the "energy".

[ColtsHappy]

How can any of us know without actually being in the team facilities with the players and coaches?

Sorry, wasn't asking if anyone "knew" simply asking if anyone had any "theories".

[Nobody]

Vontae was out. The difference he would have made is astronomical. He blankets Brown, and all of our CBs are matched up against easier WRs.

And probably overconfidence too.

[Ryan Pelley]

- Great teams playing bad teams

- One team executing their gameplan better

- One team not being prepared enough (coaching too)

- One team absolutely dominating every aspect of the game from start to finish

- Lucky breaks

Take your pick.

[NewColtsFan]

Is there a common thread with NFL teams?  Players partying too hard the night before and losing focus, maybe a little hung over? Not sleeping well the night before the game and having a corresponding loss of energy? Too much good sex before the game? Not enough good sex before the game?

 

 

Bad game planning?  Wrong schemes? 

 

 

I think you could've started with bad game planning and wrong schemes, along with things like a team getting over confident and the other team peaking at the right time.

 

But all the "night before" stuff that I high-lited,  well,  that's all nonsense and I think you know it.    Players are in hotels the night before games.    Even home games.    And they're in meetings with position groups as well as team meetings.     There's no time for all the wild sex you're wondering about.     That kind of stuff can happen to a player here, or a player there,  but to a whole team?!?      Ahhhh.....   No!   

[HungarianColtsFan]

The root of that bent over spanking suffered Sunday in Pittsburgh was over-confidence

5 game win streak plus a shutout, got big headed. Pitt smacked us right in the chops and we deserved it. Nothing wrong with celebrating wins, but don't get big headed. Short memory, move onto the next week

 

I must partly agree with You. Over-confidence had a big role in it, but i think BigBen had a 'perfect day' when everything went his (their) favor. I had the feeling he could hit WRs even blindfolded and with tied shoelaces. He couldn't done anything wrong. 

 

I hope we've learnt the lesson and will stay focused for any game regardless whether the Jaguars or Denver is our opponent.

[Timo1]

I can't remember the coach who said it but it was somebody like bob knight or red aurbach. He said in every sport every year they are at least 1 or 2 Games that nothing a coach or team does will change the out come. Either you blow out done one or they blow out you and you can't change it once the game starts.

I always thing of that when the Colts get into a game like the last 2wks.

[ColtsHappy]

I can't remember the coach who said it but it was somebody like bob knight or red aurbach. He said in every sport every year they are at least 1 or 2 Games that nothing a coach or team does will change the out come. Either you blow out done one or they blow out you and you can't change it once the game starts.

I always thing of that when the Colts get into a game like the last 2wks.

Great post - I kept thinking during the super bowl last year - and also in the Pittsburgh game - "geeeeez, no one could beat these guys today - their team is just playing perfectly, almost magically"

[ColtsHappy]

I think you could've started with bad game planning and wrong schemes, along with things like a team getting over confident and the other team peaking at the right time.

 

But all the "night before" stuff that I high-lited,  well,  that's all nonsense and I think you know it.    Players are in hotels the night before games.    Even home games.    And they're in meetings with position groups as well as team meetings.     There's no time for all the wild sex you're wondering about.     That kind of stuff can happen to a player here, or a player there,  but to a whole team?!?      Ahhhh.....   No!   

Wow so sorry, that the format of my post and the order I chose to "pose the questions" didn't suit you.  I wasn't presenting any theories, I was simply posing a question: "Your Theory on Blow-Outs". Thanks for yours.

 

By the way, what you call nonsense - no I don't know it - but I am sure it ALL goes on at times in the NFL - I am also pretty sure that kind of behavior DOES NOT go on with the Colts. This was never intended to be all about the Colts I was asking about the league and I believe I was specific about that:

 

Not just our beloved Colts, but what is at the root of blow-outs in general? What do you think are the factors?

[Valpo2004]

I would say momentum.  A team that's really just never able to shift the momentem back their way for one reason or another might be blown out.  

 

Could be luck too, the old saying that it's better to be lucky then good can be true in some instances. . . A team which has a whole game where things just never go their way could get blown out.

 

Could be lack of focus as well for one reason or another.

 

Could be a coaching or matchup issue.  Some teams will just matchup to your team better then others.  Or if one coordinator can sort of get into the opposing coordinator's head to the point that the opposing coordinator can't seem to do anything to surprise him or throw something new at him.  Honestly this seemed to happen somewhat against the Steelers.  For some reason the Steelers where prepared for every single blitz we threw at them.  It's not like Ben just threw the ball quick and got it out of his hands to avoid the Blitz. . . No every time we blitzed he had a man there to pick it up.  Don't know how either Ben or Haley knew we where Blitzing but somehow they seemed to know every single time.  

 

Could be they caught the opposing team at the wrong time when they where sort of "in the zone" and playing their best possible football.  

 

I doubt it's something like partying or sex.  If it was partying it would have to be most of the team or all of the team and I just don't see the coaches and team captains having or even permitting a huge late night party right before a game.  You think Pagano or even Luck/Wayne/D. Jackson/Mathis/Redding are going to be cool with the team partying til 4 am right before a game or something? 

 

Sex affecting performance I think they looked into that and it's more rumor then fact.  And besides it would again require all of the team or most of the team to be having the same amount of sex right before a game and that just doesn't make sense.  

[CR91]

I think you need a good spanking once and awhile to get things into prospective and understand the demeanor of your players

[Coffeedrinker]

It's not complicated.  The other team gets paid to and they study their opponent each week and most teams, when developing a game plan will look at the last 5 weeks of games.  So, if a team does something at it's successful they will keep doing it.  So if a team studies and sees that in situation A the team does this, they develop specific plays to exploit that. 

 

That is why coaches and coordinators are more important and more responsible for wins and losses than a lot of fans want to give them credit.  A good coordinator will not only develop a game plan based on film study but has to (HAS TO) develop his game plan based on what he thinks his opposite counter part is going to do.

 

For example, Manusky looks at a 2 WR, 2 TE formation on 2 and 10, so he developed a play where he sends DQ up the middle on a blitz.  When he should say, okay on the 2 WR, 2 TE formation on 2nd and 10, when the OC thinks a blitz is coming he has kept both TEs in to max protect, so now there is 5 defenders against 7 blockers, the QB will have all day to throw, so we should show blitz then drop the LBers into the short and middle zones, the safeties in the middle to deep zones and the CBs man on man.  Now the QB may have all day to throw but the there are two WRs and a RB that have to find an open spot between 7 or 8 defenders.

 

Obviously that is an a bit of an oversimplification but it's a big reason why when people talk about Manusky and Pep, my biggest complaint about them is they seem more reactive than proactive in their game plans.  They base their game plans on what the other team has done in the past and either don't try or bad at figuring out what adjustments they other team will make during their game planning sessions.

[tomloge]

Well, looking at what the Steelers did to the Colts I would say the Steelers did an excellent job preparing for the Colts and they executed their game plan very well.  

[Gavin]

Theory on Blowouts: Deliver them don't take them

[NewColtsFan]

Wow so sorry, that the format of my post and the order I chose to "pose the questions" didn't suit you.  I wasn't presenting any theories, I was simply posing a question: "Your Theory on Blow-Outs". Thanks for yours.

 

By the way, what you call nonsense - no I don't know it - but I am sure it ALL goes on at times in the NFL - I am also pretty sure that kind of behavior DOES NOT go on with the Colts. This was never intended to be all about the Colts I was asking about the league and I believe I was specific about that:

 

Not just our beloved Colts, but what is at the root of blow-outs in general? What do you think are the factors?

 

I answered the factors question with my very first sentence,  I'll cut and paste it here for you...

 

 

I think you could've started with bad game planning and wrong schemes, along with things like a team getting over confident and the other team peaking at the right time.

 

 

I think that's how blow-outs happen when they're not expected....

 

As to all the rest,  "the nonsense"....   I'm sorry if it felt like I was giving you a hard time....   not my intention.   My poor wording...  but when you're asking why a TEAM has a bad game (blow-out)  and you ask over and over and over about distractions -- including sex --  I simply wasn't sure how serious you were?     I've never seen anyone ask it that way.     So, I wasn't sure if you were kidding or serious. 

 

But, what are the odds of a team -- any team -- being distracted like that,  whether it's too much sex, or not enough sex,  or not enough sleep....   we're talking about 53 men?!?  

 

The answers to complex questions like that tend to be found in the simplest ways,  not the most complicated.

 

And the simplest way is a combination of bad planning by the coaches,  over-confidence from the players,  and the other team putting things together precisely.      A perfect storm of circumstances.

 

I hope this is a better answer for you.....

[21isSuperman]

Sorry, wasn't asking if anyone "knew" simply asking if anyone had any "theories".

Yeah, but it could be a thousand different things.  Maybe the coaches were feeling so confident, they didn't do as much film review.  Maybe the players didn't pay attention in meetings.  Maybe the coffee machine was broken, so everyone was tired and couldn't focus.  Maybe not having Reggie's leadership hurt.  Maybe the DL and OLB didn't do much pass rush work in practice due to overconfidence.  Maybe Vontae's injury was the reason.  It could be a thousand different things that contribute and it usually will be multiple factors, not just one thing.

[B~Town]

Either one team is way better and plays like it or a team plays above there ability while the other falls apart . It happens every year in every sport you can blame it on a lot of things but it's just one of those things .

[ProblChld32]

My "Theory" One team out played the other....Simple!

[ColtsHoosiersBB]

My theory is that if you give the opposing QB all day in the pocket,

then you will get blown the F#%K out. Last Sunday still p!$$e$ me off!!! :nono2:

 

We better put pressure on Manning this weekend or I'm gonna flip!

[ColtsHappy]

Just my opinion, I could be wrong - but I felt a connection to these comments:

 

"Did you see the tape? How many guys did they keep in there?" defensive end Cory Redding said when asked about the Colts' lack of a pass rush. Indianapolis had 13 sacks in the three games prior to Pittsburgh but had none against the Steelers.

 

"When you keep seven at home to block four, you're fighting double teams. And when he didn't have the 7-man protection, the ball was coming out quick. So, what do you do? They game planned us, schemed us."

 

Kudos to those who suggested "game planned us, schemed us" or a similar theory.

[OLD FAN MAN]

poor talent level on defense and o-line

[ColtsHoosiersBB]

Just my opinion, I could be wrong - but I felt a connection to these comments:

 

"Did you see the tape? How many guys did they keep in there?" defensive end Cory Redding said when asked about the Colts' lack of a pass rush. Indianapolis had 13 sacks in the three games prior to Pittsburgh but had none against the Steelers.

 

"When you keep seven at home to block four, you're fighting double teams. And when he didn't have the 7-man protection, the ball was coming out quick. So, what do you do? They game planned us, schemed us."

 

Kudos to those who suggested "game planned us, schemed us" or a similar theory.

Outcoached then, either way it was an ugly played game.

[ruksak]

Never allow your tire tread to wear down bare. This certainly presents an ideal situation for a blowout to occur, and puts yourself and the other drivers on the road at risk. 

[Gavin]

When dealing with blowouts make sure you have the right TP and not the rapidly dissolving kind......Don't want to have to play beat the clock

[ColtsHoosiersBB]

poor talent level on defense and o-line

It's getting better but needs tweaking next season. Much improvement from last season.

[ColtsHappy]

So now we have the Miami Dolphins blowing out the Chargers (who would have predicted that? I mean, shut out!) and I know it is still early but it sure looks to me like the Broncos are well on their way to being blown out as well.

 

This is a big part of the intrigue with the NFL, of course.....

 

Any given sunday and all of that.....

 

New theories anyone?

[HOZER]

The snowball effect?

Hard to really pinpoint one thing, so many factors involved...key players missing, game planning, in game injuries, overconfidence, so many variables.

[cmgww]

I'll let you all debate the rest, but as for the partying stuff...I'd have to say in today's age it probably doesn't go on that much, if at all. Maybe if a team gets in early (like for London or the Super Bowl) they might go out, guys have gotten in trouble before for it. But in a regular game week I just can't see much of it going on any more.

Now as for the past...those guys were pretty nuts. Read "The Last Headbangers." Great book about the 60s-80s of the NFL. The Raiders in particular played hungover all the time, and won (back when the Raiders were really good). They'd develop ways to sneak out of the rooms after bed check, or ways to get back in without getting caught. They smoked cigarettes at halftime. It was a totally different era for sure. They played hard and lived hard, especially the Raiders.

[ColtsFanMikeC]

I think you could've started with bad game planning and wrong schemes, along with things like a team getting over confident and the other team peaking at the right time.

 

But all the "night before" stuff that I high-lited,  well,  that's all nonsense and I think you know it.    Players are in hotels the night before games.    Even home games.    And they're in meetings with position groups as well as team meetings.     There's no time for all the wild sex you're wondering about.     That kind of stuff can happen to a player here, or a player there,  but to a whole team?!?      Ahhhh.....   No!   

 

I agree -- and I don't think many of these guys are out the night before a game -- I think when they go out is the night after a game because they generally have the next day off (see Da'Rick Rogers from earlier this season).  And I think you're correct, that maybe there are a couple guys that go out the night before a game, but I highly doubt it is a significant portion of the team.

 

I'll let you all debate the rest, but as for the partying stuff...I'd have to say in today's age it probably doesn't go on that much, if at all. Maybe if a team gets in early (like for London or the Super Bowl) they might go out, guys have gotten in trouble before for it. But in a regular game week I just can't see much of it going on any more.

Now as for the past...those guys were pretty nuts. Read "The Last Headbangers." Great book about the 60s-80s of the NFL. The Raiders in particular played hungover all the time, and won (back when the Raiders were really good). They'd develop ways to sneak out of the rooms after bed check, or ways to get back in without getting caught. They smoked cigarettes at halftime. It was a totally different era for sure. They played hard and lived hard, especially the Raiders.

 

I remember an interview with Lawrence Taylor from a while back where he said the night before a game he'd have booze, drugs, and escorts sent to the room of opposing running backs all night long to try to make them come to the game in rough shape (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1672120 -- that's not the interview, but it briefly mentions what I'm talking about).  I agree, I highly doubt this stuff happens the night before a game -- if anything, I'd think it's the night after a game.  In today's age where the media scrutinizes everything and stuff can be tracked and found out so easily, I highly doubt this is common place any more, though I wouldn't be shocked if some of these guys still sneak escorts or women into their rooms on nights before the game.  I cannot see the boozing being an issue though, especially on the road when these guys don't have their own cars and most of them would be spotted if they went out and people would be posting stuff to facebook or twitter, etc.  I always thought that Taylor strategy was a thing of genius, though.

 

As far as my theories of blow-outs goes -- they happen. A lot of it, I think, is to do with the game plan/scheme/preparation, and a lot of it I think has to do with momentum and execution of the scheme.  Last year's super bowl for example -- we have no idea what the Broncos game plan was, but I imagine it changed pretty drastically after the bad snap and safety on the first play -- I imagine they had a very good game plan for their first drive and had intentions to put points on the board early, which then has some influence over how Seattle would have to play for the rest of the game (playing Peyton when he is winning is much more difficult than playing against him when you've got the lead, IMO).  However, they found themselves in an early hole and never could dig their way out of it.  That play shifted momentum drastically, and a momentum shift can have really big impacts by getting the other team more amped up and perhaps more so by getting down on yourself.  What I like about this Colts team is that they don't seem to give up or get down on themselves, they still had a shot up until Luck threw that pick with a little over 4 minutes left last week.  However, many teams/players just don't have the resiliency to bounce back from bad swings of momentum which may be caused by poor execution or pure luck.

[NewColtsFan]

I agree -- and I don't think many of these guys are out the night before a game -- I think when they go out is the night after a game because they generally have the next day off (see Da'Rick Rogers from earlier this season).  And I think you're correct, that maybe there are a couple guys that go out the night before a game, but I highly doubt it is a significant portion of the team.

 

 

I remember an interview with Lawrence Taylor from a while back where he said the night before a game he'd have booze, drugs, and escorts sent to the room of opposing running backs all night long to try to make them come to the game in rough shape (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1672120 -- that's not the interview, but it briefly mentions what I'm talking about).  I agree, I highly doubt this stuff happens the night before a game -- if anything, I'd think it's the night after a game.  In today's age where the media scrutinizes everything and stuff can be tracked and found out so easily, I highly doubt this is common place any more, though I wouldn't be shocked if some of these guys still sneak escorts or women into their rooms on nights before the game.  I cannot see the boozing being an issue though, especially on the road when these guys don't have their own cars and most of them would be spotted if they went out and people would be posting stuff to facebook or twitter, etc.  I always thought that Taylor strategy was a thing of genius, though.

 

As far as my theories of blow-outs goes -- they happen. A lot of it, I think, is to do with the game plan/scheme/preparation, and a lot of it I think has to do with momentum and execution of the scheme.  Last year's super bowl for example -- we have no idea what the Broncos game plan was, but I imagine it changed pretty drastically after the bad snap and safety on the first play -- I imagine they had a very good game plan for their first drive and had intentions to put points on the board early, which then has some influence over how Seattle would have to play for the rest of the game (playing Peyton when he is winning is much more difficult than playing against him when you've got the lead, IMO).  However, they found themselves in an early hole and never could dig their way out of it.  That play shifted momentum drastically, and a momentum shift can have really big impacts by getting the other team more amped up and perhaps more so by getting down on yourself.  What I like about this Colts team is that they don't seem to give up or get down on themselves, they still had a shot up until Luck threw that pick with a little over 4 minutes left last week.  However, many teams/players just don't have the resiliency to bounce back from bad swings of momentum which may be caused by poor execution or pure luck.

 

Honestly,  the players don't go out the night before the game.   Almost every minute is accounted for in some type of team meeting.     There might be a short time allowed to be with family and/or friends,  but we're talking an hour -- max.

 

The players who get themselves into trouble the night before the game typically do so by inviting some company up to their hotel room.    The company shows up late -- after the meetings -- and the players have a little R&R before turning in for some sleep.

 

I don't think this type of thing happens much,   but when it does,   this is typically the way it happens.   At least,  that's the way it was when I was covering the Rams and Raiders and from what my media friends tell me these days.....

[Synthetic]

 

Blow outs happen in all sports. it's going to happen regardless every now and then.

[PeterBowman]

Most of the time it's pretty simple actually when it comes to the NFL,  where the overall talent level is usually very close. One team plays the best they can while at the same time, the other team plays the worst they can.

[King Colt]

"Blowouts" Why does a player in baseball go 0-18 then go 15 for 18?. Why does a pitcher get knocked out the second inning then throw a no-hitter next? Why does an average bowler throw a 300 followed by a 231? Why does a Charger team walk on to the field and get squashed by an better than average team? Why did you forget the name of the person you just met but remember the color of your fist bike you got at age 4? It is in the brain so it will never be resolved until we manufacture and sell brains.