Yes the line sucks. Half the league’s line sucks. Yes Howell holds on to the ball too long. He’s basically a rookie and EB is calling plays that take too long to develop. Yes the receivers aren’t getting open. EB has Howell throwing 40+ times each game. A good playcaller runs plays that maximize his current roster. We should be calling quick hitters, RPOs, and establishing the run with play action. The defenders can just peel their ears back and come for the qb. DCs can call blitzes knowing they have no threat of an effective counter attack. EB can mitigate our lack of talent but he chooses not to.
I get what you’re saying but when the argument is “EB is not effectively managing the OLines awful pass blocking and the QBs greatest weakness” by definition he’s not the main reason? If any of those three units/people were doing better, we wouldn’t be talking about sacks at all
I think it’s all three things (EB, line, Howell). EB’s play calling is the one that’s most maddening, though, because it’s by far the easiest one to fix.
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The line probably won’t get better until we have better personnel next year – the fact that we’re looking to salvation in the form of Tyler Larsen speaks to the futility of the situation (but I do hope that playing him helps).
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Howell has shown some ability to learn and adapt, but he’s drinking from a firehose in terms of learning all of the things being thrown at him. It’s unrealistic to expect that process to be fast.
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EB, though, is standing on the sidelines looking down at a clipboard that has better plays on it right now. All he has to do is read calls for runs, screens, rollouts, slants, and quick outs into Sam’s ear instead of reading calls for slow-developing downfield pass plays. He can do that at any moment, and it should be obvious to him that he should. He hasn’t, and it’s fucking frustrating.
Yea I’m nervous for him though. Second OC in 2 seasons, possibly a third if EB is let go. That would mean a third playbook to learn, a third system to adapt too, new HC to earn the trust of. If I was GM I’m going LT first round, RT second round.
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Scott Turner used to do the same, which is why it’s disappointing. Too busy trying to show he can play call and have inventive play design, using long drawn out plays, instead actually winning and getting the best out of the team.
The reason it’s frustrating is because we were hoping it’s what we already had. He’s more eloquent and might run better practices, but the on field product is equally bad. Now with less run game and less productivity to our (arguably great) receiving corps.
Could it be the players than, now that we’ve seen them with two and next year three coordinators?
I love how people on this subreddit downplay the gravity of losing to a team like the giants. Wink martindale has historically lived and died by the blitz, even got fired for it with the ravens. With 1 week of preparation and EB even knowing wink martindalea defense, reporters constantly asking coaching staff how they will adjust and prepare for their blitz go 0/10+ 3 and out and muster 7 points and you are telling me oh its a collective failure….stop im tired of blaming the entire team this is on the coaching staff and especially on EB. People give him a pass for what? Multiple games, statistics, eye test shows he is not a good play caller. No run game, no pick plays, no RPO, no motions to get smaller recievers to get open against man (i know its rocket science), then he is suprised our O-line who is already one of league worst to hold up 40+ drop backs give me a break.
You have to think is EB just stubborn because you would think he has to have the awareness of a professional to know what needs to be changed. He may have too much confidence that he’s here long term. He’s like “I’m not changing sh** the OL and Sam need to play to my approach, this is what it takes to be champions”
He thought he could hit copy & paste of the Chiefs offense and is quickly finding out without a hall of fame QB and TE it doesn’t just work.
He needs to adapt, mold, be creative, and ultimately prove he has the skills to be successful on his own.
I think my sentiment is getting confused. The O Line is hot trash. Howell does hold the ball too long. We can’t fix the O Line personnel until the off-season. Howell isn’t going to magically make quicker decisions soon enough to make a difference in the upcoming weeks. EB can make changes today. He can scheme better and call plays that get the ball out quicker and utilize the run game more effectively. For whatever reason I don’t understand he refuses to do so.
EB thinking Howell is Mahommes.
There have been plenty of crossing routes and the RB waiting it the flat, Howell is just too stupid to look for them.
Lies lies lies
Alright enough. I get and got frustrated with EB too in the last couple games with the lack of serious effort to establish the run game.
But, this is too much piling on to EB. I am far from giving up on EB here, and you’re just being reactionary if you are.
He’s got a young QB and a bad O-line, and he’s figuring out how to play with them. Still, up until last week, the Offense was clearly the better side of the ball, and had improved pretty vastly from last year. They looked aggressive, they attacked the deep part of the field, and they made good halftime adjustments. We havent been able to say that since K. Shanahan was here.
In half a season of work, they went from absolute rock bottom in the league, to at least being average. They were taking clear steps forward, and youd have to be blind not to see that.
Last week was really the first game that I think the offense cost us the game. Up until then, its been the defense shitting the bed, while the offense kept us in games.
So chill. Lets hope last week was an anomaly. head coach, and EB is actually our best coach.
We have 4 losses on the season. Lets analyze this season and try to give an objective assessment of EB instead of frankly just crying like babies over 1 bad loss.
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Season opener won: EB looked good, Sam Howell looked good, people singing EB’s praises. EB-1 EB Haters -0
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Buffalo bad loss. Buffalo is just a far better team than us and jumped us from the start, and Sam just was overwhelmed by a great defense that was basically built to beat EB’s offense (AFC squad and they built their team to beat the Chiefs offense, which EB helped design). It happens, Id like to give EB a pass, but lets stay objective – EB-1 EB Haters --1
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We played Philly close and had a good chance to win, thanks to SAM HOWELL AND EB putting together a good offensive attack on a very good Eagles defense. We lost cause…cause Ron. I dont have expand on that. EB --2 EB Haters–1
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Denver loss was totally on the defense. They let Justin Fields and DJ jump on top of us quickly, and just when we were mounting a comeback, thanks to EB and Howell, the defense again forgot to cover a guy that already was having a career day. How is that EB’s fault??? So, no grade for EB on this game. Didnt do enough to win obviously, but the loss wasnt his fault. EB – 2 EB haters – 1
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Then we won against Atlanta, and people were back to singing Howell praise and EBs praise. Got an early lead, were moving the ball, and then Ron went ultraconservative and almost lost us the game. EB did enough for us to win, DESPITE Ron. EB – 3 EB Haters --1
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Then last week. On EB, Totally. First game since Buffalo he was clearly outcoached. EB --3 EB Hater --2
So. All in all, EB is above .500 in terms of good games v.s bad games. Ron Rivera is single handedly responsible for 2 losses. Under a good head coach and EB as O Coordinator, we are likely around 4-2, which is basically like and 11-6 season pace. Pretty damn good.
So he definitely deserves a little patience as O coordinator. I dont know if he is head coach material. In my perfect universe, we would have fired Ron Rivera, made EB the head coach as trial for the rest of the season. But that ship has sailed.
40 sacks my guy
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