Coaches Corner

[phenomenal_waffles]

Beat the Raiders 27-20 to open the season...in a game in which Oakland had 12 dropped passes. Don't think I've ever seen that before.

[Shaka23]

So after 2 seasons where my philosophy was to keep the Ravens as much like the Ravens as possible my coaching stint with Baltimore saw 8-8 and 7-9 records including just one brief playoff stint in Year 1... I had one magical season in Year 3.

With John Kitna and Kurt Warner limping their way through 17 pass attempts combined a game... and the 4 man running back combo of Willis McGahee, Jalen Stoudemire, Fred Taylor and Greg Jones rushing for just under 155 yards a game(each with injuries off and on)..

We started 8-0 and finished 14-2 against a lackluster schedule that saw us give up just 136 points all season. That being a defense consisting of:

DE - Calais Campbell
DT - Haloti Ngata
DE - Julius Peppers
OLB - Shawne Williams
MLB - Ray Lewis
MLB - Geno King
OLB - Terrell Suggs
CB - Ed Redd
CB - Chris McAllister
FS - Ty Barber
SS - Brian Dawkins

Losing by 3 points to the Colts in the AFC Championship game without 1,000 yard Tight End Vernon Davis and Terrell Suggs we effectively threw for just 2,200 yards, a total QB rating of 74, grounded and pounded ourself through a job saving year.

The real "kicker" of the entire thing?

Free Agent Kicker Landy Lane went 31 of 33 including 11 games in which his 2 or more Field Goals meant the difference of winning or losing.

Talk about a bad team with a solid defense making the most of their situation haha.

[Aurabolt127]

I did it. This Raiders fan has made a Broncos team. I may need therapy.

yes I know there's a dynasty area, but there are so few of us left..figured I'd follow my Broncos buddy from earlier and just summarize the start here - I may put the crunchy stuff on the dynasty page if people get curious.

So, I wanted a challenge, wanted to do a 180 on everything I've ever done with playbooks, draft, etc - and team... I went a little wild with my roster, but I tried to be fair and didn't steal stud players and still followed my GM for the draft - except when he was being stupid. Like when he asked me to draft Lex Hilliard for my precision passing, scatback squad.

So my Miraldi Tech offense and 3-2-6 defense are headed to Mile High to try to erase a few bad memories leftover from the Shanahan era.

I've always relied on strong armed passers throwing bombs to speedsters with a #1 running attack. Now, it's precision passers, screens to scatbacks, route runners, etc... and a 3-2-6 defense with lots of zone instead of fear-inducing 4-6 and 4-2-5 blitzkreigs....

So, we have the Tech Passing, with a focus on pure passer, quick/route runner receivers and receiving backs/FB and hands TE. When it came to draft and free agency, I always leaned towards the best for those attributes - namely catching and route running. All pass block specialist lineman too.

For the 3-2-6 I wanted a huge line, and fast linebackers who can cover - plus zone CBs and coverage safeties.

Coach Cotignola is ready for the challenge and living life the Rocky Mountain Way...

For starters, Coach had to remove the more troublesome characters, the most devout Shanahan flunkies, and people who just plain weren't going to fit. Since this was going to be a rebuilding year of sorts, a roster purge was necessary. However, Coach didn't want his team to think they could pack it in this year - and told the team there was no way they were going to have a losing season this year. He even promised the owner he'd finish over .500. (It's nice to have dreams, right?)

I won't get too into detail into the comings and goings, trades, signings and firings just yet, but here's a rundown:

Notable losses on Offense: everyone. Well, almost - the only 2 people to survive the roster purge was wide receiver Brandon Stokely and my RT (now RG). Stokley is not yet ancient, and he can mentor my new receivers on how to run a route, and be a clutch guy for my new QB.

Notable gains on Offense: everyone. Again, following my self-imposed rule for accuracy, receiving and route running, and pass blocking... here's what happened:

Starting with the line, I took Clady at 12. LT is too important, and though I secretly wanted a corner, luckily my GM is a wise man.
Then, with the 42nd pick (round 2) I couldn't believe Duane Brown was still there. He's a 90 draft rating and I have never seen him close to this low. I took him and moved him to RT.

So, real fast, my draft (and yes a couple might be high, but I had to have those guys for my rebuiding, and my GM doesn't quite understand..LOL)

r1 Clady (LT)
r2 Duane Brown (LT moving to RT)
r3 Earl Bennett (over 80 catch and route running)
r3 Steve Slaton (quick, receiving back)
r3 Tavares Gooden (MLB with speed)
r4 Gary Barnidge (TE, +++ for route running)
r4 John David Booty (qb, +++ accuracy, only a 78 pot for me but ok)
r5 P Hillis (receiving ++ fullback)
r7 D tribble (good zone corner)
UDFA
D Hale (LG ++ pass block)
R Little (RB ++ receiving, + returns)
D Bryant (WR over 80 receive and route running, 5 learning is scary)
J Harper (WR +++ route running)
G Schwartz (RT ++ pass block)

I skipped anyone on D who had negative "-"'s for zone coverage, anyone on offense who had negatives for receiving, route running, etc. too. Had to pass on a few people that would have been sweet in a different system, but I'm sticking to my philosophy.)

After some moves and cuts (sorry Schwartz, Little, Hillis, Harper, etc) here's a quick peek at my opening day roster:

QB - Ken Dorsey (77 pot, super high accuracy), John David Booty and Chris Redman

RB - Lorenzo Booker, Slaton, Garrett Wolfe, Anthony Aldridge (all fast, can catch, under 200 pounds (just preference for this dynasty)

FB - Hall. First, I cut him, drafted Hillis who proved to be a failure at life, then resigned him. He'll be an ok receiving fullback for how little I'll need him. Can get to an 80 potential at least, I'm good with that.

WR - Earl Bennett and Bobby Wade start, Stokely at 3, Bryant at 4, Jaymar Johnson at 5. All but JJ are over 80 catch and route running, and JJ is close at RR (77) Bryant's learning scares me as does Jaymar's hands, but I think one of them will develop, maybe both. I'm not going to kneejerk cut anyone after one year unless they really suck, there are many players who develop after a year or two and I want to mimic that a little. If I need a 6th wideout, any of my backs can step in. I wanted to keep Harper, but he had 7 drops in preseason and 0 catches. If there was a practice squad, he'd be on it, but since there isn't - it's the curb for him.

TE - Kris Wilson is starting, he has good catch and high route running. Barnidge is 2 and Teyo Johnson is 3. (a favorite Raider of mine, I had to give him a job, he seems to be on all my teams...which isn't unbalancing or anything, since he's like a 58)

OL - Clady and Brown at tackle, Jean-Giles at C, I forget my guards (sorry guys I'm at work.. LOL)

Again, I hit my personal goals of the best players I could for the 3 key requirements I set on myself. You can see, no studs there, I didn't sneak in any Woodsons or Sernas or Rubins - but studs someday I hope. (except Clady, but he was a stud from day 1 and he was drafted by the GM)

Skill position starters are

QB Dorsey
RB Booker
WR Bennett and Wade
TE Wilson

I'll do defense later today before I play the Raiders - hopefully I'll be able to pull a victory out like Waffles did.

[Sanchez_Mareno]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shaka23

So after 2 seasons where my philosophy was to keep the Ravens as much like the Ravens as possible my coaching stint with Baltimore saw 8-8 and 7-9 records including just one brief playoff stint in Year 1... I had one magical season in Year 3. With John Kitna and Kurt Warner limping their way through 17 pass attempts combined a game... and the 4 man running back combo of Willis McGahee, Jalen Stoudemire, Fred Taylor and Greg Jones rushing for just under 155 yards a game(each with injuries off and on).. We started 8-0 and finished 14-2 against a lackluster schedule that saw us give up just 136 points all season. That being a defense consisting of: DE - Calais Campbell DT - Haloti Ngata DE - Julius Peppers OLB - Shawne Williams MLB - Ray Lewis MLB - Geno King OLB - Terrell Suggs CB - Ed Redd CB - Chris McAllister FS - Ty Barber SS - Brian Dawkins Losing by 3 points to the Colts in the AFC Championship game without 1,000 yard Tight End Vernon Davis and Terrell Suggs we effectively threw for just 2,200 yards, a total QB rating of 74, grounded and pounded ourself through a job saving year. The real "kicker" of the entire thing? Free Agent Kicker Landy Lane went 31 of 33 including 11 games in which his 2 or more Field Goals meant the difference of winning or losing. Talk about a bad team with a solid defense making the most of their situation haha.

under statement of the year

[phenomenal_waffles]

That's cool how you've devoted yourself specifically to those exact schemes. I took a more generic approach and picked the Eagles offensive and Jaguars defensive playbooks, both of which I've never used.

I'm 2-3 so far. I seem to be turning the ball over an insane amount compared to coaching as Shanahan, as my all-star class of halfbacks all with overall ratings of below 70 (Mike Hart, Jamaal Buckingham, Xavier Omon) struggle to protect the ball, along with Selvin Young and his 65 carry rating. And Cutler has thrown 13 INTs in 5 games, 6 of which have been returned for TDs which has directly cost me games, such as my last game against Tampa in a defensive struggle that became out of hand after he threw two pick-sixes that put the game out of reach. And in an earlier game against San Diego, the Chargers got 21 of their points off of Cutler pick-sixes en route to a 38-24 win. My backs have coughed up the ball 8 times combined, so right now nothing I do on offense is playing it safe.

But losing games and actually being in a dogfight for the division is very fun.

I also enjoy the fact that I have to shell out some cash to re-sign aging veterans like Tom Nalen and John Lynch, because I can't count on the draft as a sure thing to replace them. Speaking of which, the jury's still out on my draft class but so far it hasn't looked pretty. Clady has given up 6 sacks in five games despite having an easier job than my right tackle because of how weird offensive line play is in this game. Quentin Groves starts but he seems to get hurt every game. Marcus Smith was a complete bust with a sub-70 potential and only sees the field in 5-wide sets, while Harry Douglas, despite dropping 5 potentially crucial passes in a 20-13 loss to Tampa, looks to develop into a solid wide-out. Mike Hart and Durant Brooks start, as well does UDFA David Vobora but besides that, everyone else is just roster depth at the moment. But I have no complaints, not everything should go the rookie head coach's way.

[Aurabolt127]

That's crazy with the turnovers, but I'm guessing it'll get better as your guys develop and also learn the playbook. 2-3 isn't that bad - I mean, it wouldn't but fun if you went 16-0 your first year...

Guess a little more time, or next season, will be better for your draft class. How's Mike Hart doing? Maybe Smith just doesn't fit your philosophy... It's definitely more fun to swing and miss sometimes either way -

Good luck...

[phenomenal_waffles]

Well I just got the injury report after a win vs. Jacksonville, and Mike Hart ruptured his spleen and is out for 3 months.

That's how he's doing.

[Aurabolt127]

Quote: Originally Posted by phenomenal_waffles

Well I just got the injury report after a win vs. Jacksonville, and Mike Hart ruptured his spleen and is out for 3 months. That's how he's doing.

So...I guess I won't ask how the rest of your team is doing? LOL!

Who's your backs after him?

[phenomenal_waffles]

Jamaal Buckingham, Xavier Omon, and Selvin Young. So practically nothing.

[Aurabolt127]

Well, week one is in the books... man am I frustrated!

But first, a quick D rundown...

I ended up with a ton of Samoans on my D line - literally. I took Marcus Thomas, a 21 year old DT who the Broncos drafted the year before the game and moved him to end. I traded for/signed DT Ma'ake Kemoeatue, Paul Solai and Jesse Mahelona as DTs. Isaac Sopoaga as the other end with Domata Peklo, Shaun Nua and Sione Pouha backing them up. As you can see, we're 7/8ths samoan! LOL! Even though it has no effect in the game, it's fun to be able to line up over a half ton Defensive Line - with only 3 guys! I try to rotate my guys through the line and keep them fresh - they are the key to my Defense and I don't want to see anyone hurt. Man, Haloti Ngata would have been a beast on my line, but it seemed cheap to trade for him - you wouldn't sacrifice your draft in a rebuilding year for one guy. I'll be watching Ngata's contract situation though...who knows?

DJ Williams is still my MLB, and Gooden and another rookie start on the outsides. I needed quick zone corners so Reeves and Buchanan start, with Bly and Tribble behind them. Earl Thomas, my only real FA move has my FS and Kelin Johnson is my SS. He had the best coverage I could find at SS in FA... we'll see what happens. SS will probably be one of my key upgrades next season.

Anyhow...


I knew there'd be some bumps as I got used to the new style of offense and defense as a player...and my players learning new playbooks - but the 3rd quarter curse (as I call it) spelled doom for the Broncos.

The game started well, both sides of the ball were rolling, and except for my starting Center getting taken out of the game on the first drive, I was happy. We went into the half up 21-7. Dorsey had 2 TDs and no picks...which I was worried about because the Raiders D with Chris Long and Burgess coupled with Asomugha and Hall scared me. As they say, pressure forces picks and coverage forces sacks.

Then, the 3rd quarter curse hit. Not sure who else gets this but I swear every time I play, regardless of the score - the Comp seems to always drive down for a TD on their first possession. It's eery and today it hit with a vengeance. Over the course of the 3rd quarter into the first say 3 minutes of the 4th - Dorsey throws 3 picks, my starting LE and starting LOLB go out on the same drive, and the Andrew Walter plays like Johnny Unitas and the Raiders go up 28-21.

We get the ball back after that and it goes back and forth with punts but we manage to tie it on a sweet Dorsey to Wade 19 yard TD. There's only 40 seconds left. I'm thinking OT. Nope. First play from scrimmage, Walter tosses an 11 yard pass to their 4th WR, rookie Kenneth Moore, and he runs like Bo Jackson through 2 of my corners and my SS and scores a 62 yard TD.

I drive down again, and with just seconds left from the Raiders 15, Ken Dorsey takes a sack. I swear, I was soo frustrated.

So, a quick stat rundown:

Dorsey was 21/39 for 319. 3 TD and 3 picks he hit 8 different receivers, so I was happy with the way the ball was spread.
Booker carried 13 for 47 and a TD
Bennett had 3 catches for 121 and 2 TDs
Wade had 5-72-1.
We got 3 sacks and 3 picks.

The Raiders:

Walter was 15-31 for 261 3-3
Fargas has 52 yards rushing a 2 TDs
Long had 4 sacks, Burgess had 2 and Asomugha had 3 picks.

Luckily, the 3 injuries were nothing - my LE broke his thumb and is going to miss next week - that sissy - but the other two are already back. My LE's backup, Peko, had 1 of my 3 sacks, so I'm not too worried about missing Sopoaga for a week. (My nickel back, 31 year old Dre Bly, had the other two)

No roster moves need to be made, we just have to go to San Diego prepared. LDT has me worried, no doubt, but I learned a lot I think about what I want to do in the 3-2-6. And if you haven't used it - the base 3-2-6 playbook has the 3-2-6 formation and the goalline and that's it.

Oh, and F the designers for giving the computer audibles and not the player. I hate that every time they went run heavy and I went goal line, they'd audible to a 5 wide set...

Hopefully I can get the San Diego game in tomorrow. I want to play them all, so we'll see when I can fit them in.