Quote:
Originally Posted by Nconroe
well, for this year, I think the three AFC south losses were last second plays where players didn't execute, not really coaching decisions.
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I get this but at some point a continual failure to execute has to fall to the coaches as well for two reasons. One, your job isn't merely to call the plays, it's also to get the players to execute, particularly at the most critical times. This may mean practicing it 40 times, or simulating crowd noise during practice, or whatever else it may take. I understand that the coaches aren't on the field and can't guarantee execution, but I can't shake the belief that good coaches somehow manage to get better execution out of their players than mediocre ones. As a quick example, the Cowboys preparation and execution in Parcells' first year was 180 degrees from what it had been the year before with (I believe) Campo. Teams that are well prepared by their coaches during the week tend to execute better.
Secondly, even if you do believe execution is solely on the players, these are the players Kubiak wanted. Make no mistake, this is his team. If he put together a team with a bunch of guys who can't execute at crunch time (even assuming he is providing the best coaching this side of Lombardi), well that's still his fault for bringing in a bunch of guys who can't perform despite his excellent tutalege.