The 2-Minute Drill

[Mobtown]

I haven't seen anyone else really dig into this...

It really burns me that each and every year we seem to find some new way to look like morons in the last two minutes.

Billick would have you believe that last nights embarassing waste of 3 points was the fault of the officials. I disagree. The poorly executed drill falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff and Steve McNair.

1. Steve should know better. He is a vet and he should have spiked the ball on 3rd down. Also, I know it's pre-season, but you better have a damn good reason for calling time outs so early in the game.

2. WTF is our coaching staff thinking? A between the tackles run on 3rd down with only 16 seconds on the clock? Disgusting. Hearing Billick blame the officials disgusts me. It is insulting to Ravens fans who have watched the drill be mis-managed time and time again.

Coach: Don't put your team in the position of having a drive decided by the clock OR the officials. This is coaching 101 and you should be ashamed.

I am going to be watching Billick and Co. closely this year to see if they have made any effort to improve their decision making. The first time that they cost us a game because of BS like we saw last night, I will be calling for their collective heads.

[Losac]

I agree Mob. I was surprised to hear him try to blame the officials too. It was piss-poor clock management. They stood around for a good 15 seconds as if they had no idea what the play was before that stupid running play on 3rd down.

[FellsPointRaven]

Same as the end of the half last week. Our clock management continues to suck. The calling of a run down the middle defied belief, to the point where I was sitting there thinking I'd missed something. Listening to the radio on the way home from the game, they said they 'wanted to try it'? Why? Surely ANY right thinking person throws the ball in that situation, either into the endzone or a quick pass out to the sidelines to gain a few more yards for the FG unit.

Even though I am a big Billick supporter, the one constant of his reign has been abysmal play calling and clock management during the final two minutes of a half. It would seem that he simply panics and the nervousness of the crowd is tangible anytime we get the ball back with 60 yards and a buck 40 to go.

The one benefit I can think of from last night is that play will teach them that a) it sucks and b) you can't trust the officials to be timely and efficient when time is expiring. I would hope we learn from that and don't do it again.

[Mobtown]

The one benefit I can think of from last night is that play will teach them that a) it sucks and b) you can't trust the officials to be timely and efficient when time is expiring. I would hope we learn from that and don't do it again.

Isn't that the crux of the problem though? They keep making mistakes and we keep thinking they will learn from them.

An NFL caliber HC should NEVER give the officials the opportunity to decide a game.

[FellsPointRaven]

Isn't that the crux of the problem though? They keep making mistakes and we keep thinking they will learn from them.

I said hope, Mobtown, I don't think they will.

I agree with your sentiments entirely.

[Bez513]

Calling a running play on 3rd down was a very bad call. But the refs also wasted about 10 seconds exchanging the game ball with the kicking one.

[Mista T]

Same ol' Billick piss-poor coaching two-minute panic. The only worse two-minute coaching in the NFL was Mike Holmgren's SB 40 fiasco. I believe that Billick panics, losing his cool and therefore control. How many times have we seen the gun go off with unused TOs on the board?

[GreenWave52]

Originally Posted by Mista T

Same ol' Billick piss-poor coaching two-minute panic. The only worse two-minute coaching in the NFL was Mike Holmgren's SB 40 fiasco. I believe that Billick panics, losing his cool and therefore control. How many times have we seen the gun go off with unused TOs on the board?

As bad as that was it doesn't top the weekly exploits of Herm Edwards and crew. That coaching staff was brutal in NY and I suspect will be shaky in KC as well.

[Losac]

Originally Posted by GreenWave52

As bad as that was it doesn't top the weekly exploits of Herm Edwards and crew. That coaching staff was brutal in NY and I suspect will be shaky in KC as well.

Agreed. I remember the last road game we won was at the Meadowlands and Herm's poor clock management inside 2 minutes was blamed by all the Jets fans.

[Irishraven]

Originally Posted by losac

Agreed. I remember the last road game we won was at the Meadowlands and Herm's poor clock management inside 2 minutes was blamed by all the Jets fans.

That was some come back though! The interception by Ed Reed won us that game or the piss poor throw by the running back to the end zone!!!

Was that the last time Moore scored?

[Losac]

Originally Posted by Irishraven

That was some come back though! The interception by Ed Reed won us that game or the piss poor throw by the running back to the end zone!!!

Was that the last time Moore scored?

Yeah, the Reed interception was the turning point in that game. I think we were getting our asses kicked up to that point. And I think Moore had not 1, but 2 touchdowns from Boller.

[PurpleRulz]

In Billick's defense, he was responding to a question that was asked by the Rave TV Announcers. He kind of did not understand their question at first, but said, well it is preseason for the refs. Billick did follow that with, "but we made our share of mistakes."

Second, if Jim Fassel is "running the offense," shouldn't he get some scrutiny? Our offense just seemed lost at the end of that first half as if they did not know what they were doing. Hopefully, the 2 minute drill is the first thing we work on when we get back to "the Palace."

[highwater]

Originally Posted by Bez513

Calling a running play on 3rd down was a very bad call. But the refs also wasted about 10 seconds exchanging the game ball with the kicking one.

I agree with the both of the above points. I'm not defending our historically bad clock management, but the refs screwed up on that one. Even Stover was pissed.

[StingerNLG]

Were there timeouts left T? If there was, why didn't Matt Stover call it if he thought the ball was taking too long to spot? Couldn't he look up and see the clock ticking down? That is as much on Stover as anyone else.

Second, if Jim Fassel is "running the offense," shouldn't he get some scrutiny? Our offense just seemed lost at the end of that first half as if they did not know what they were doing. Hopefully, the 2 minute drill is the first thing we work on when we get back to "the Palace."

Absolutely. Running Musa Smith up the middle during a 2 minute drill? And where was McNair to throw out and to the sidelines during all this? The whole team needs to work on that before next week.

[Losac]

No Stinger, there were no timeouts left. They ran a running play right up the middle on 3rd down with 16 seconds left, and then tried to rush the field goal team in immediately after. It was stupid. The running play was essentially a waste. Either have McNair spike it, or a quick throw to the sidelines or a shot at the endzone.

The officials were too slow in spotting the ball, but that should be a non-issue. Whoever called that running play on 3rd down, Billick or Fassel, should be horse-whipped.

[Mobtown]

Second, if Jim Fassel is "running the offense," shouldn't he get some scrutiny?

Yes, definately. I tried not to lay it at Billick's feet, but instead used terms like "coaching staff".

Yes, the officials screwed up but...

Isn't blaming the officials sort of like being mad because you lost to a last second field goal? If your team had played well enough to keep the game from being that close, then you wouldn't be faced with a last second loss.

Had the coashing staff not tried to get all fancy and just spiked the ball or had taken a shot at the end zone, then the officials would not have become a factor.

Blaming the officials is just a poor attempt at distracting us from the real problem, shitty 2-minute dicision making.

[Mobtown]

Originally Posted by losac

No Stinger, there were no timeouts left. They ran a running play right up the middle on 3rd down with 16 seconds left, and then tried to rush the field goal team in immediately after. It was stupid. The running play was essentially a waste. Either have McNair spike it, or a quick throw to the sidelines or a shot at the endzone.

The officials were too slow in spotting the ball, but that should be a non-issue. Whoever called that running play on 3rd down, Billick or Fassel, should be horse-whipped.

exactly, you beat me to it.

[Losac]

Billick seems completely unapologetic about it though. His attitude is "We practiced this. We had plenty of time. The officials screwed up", and that scares me. I know Billick is stubborn, but at least admit you're wrong and change your ways once in awhile.

[Mobtown]

Billick seems completely unapologetic about it though.

I think this is what pisses me off the most. Had this been a one time deal, or if our 2-minute hadn't sucked since forever then I could go along with the "officials screwed us" argument, but we have seen this from Billick and his crew sooo many times that it has become predictable.

[StingerNLG]

No Stinger, there were no timeouts left.

Ok, thanks for clearing up. I couldn't remember because they had called a TO well earlier and I lost count.