Younger's defense

[Blueforlife]

We had an issue with having the opponent in 2nd and long or very long for a couple of years. I don't know what's going on but it almost seems a given that a team with 2nd and 20 will succeed.

Would be interested to see the stats on this vs. others clubs.  I think at times we remember the successful conversions and don't recall the stops.  I will hold my judgement on this take until I see the facts.  I don't have the skills or energy to dig them up but it would be very telling.

The flats are continuosly open on 2nd down, they toss for 7 yds , reciever makes  more and its 3rd and inches.
I've been harping on this but we need a proper safety back in coverage to back up secondary to all our dbs to be more aggressive

One of our weaknesses for a long time

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

This is one of my biggest beefs with Mafia & crew the last 2-ish seasons.  It really seems like they simply aren't putting in the time it takes to be a top team and beat the top teams.  You can tell SSK/HAM/MTL have been doing it.  I bet those guys (Mace, Milanovitch, et al) spent 14-hours a day in the off-season figuring out how to beat their main rivals and overcome any 2025 issues.

When Mafia spouts about the "one week at a time" mantra, I think they are telling us the truth: they only put thought & effort into each game for 1 week before that game.  No high-brain is sitting there in Feb thinking up ways to beat the SSK dink & dunk.  And that's exactly what it will take to beat it.  And so we will lose.

The coaching staff can spend 24 hrs. a day scheming and coming up with new strategies but it wouldn't help if the players can't absorb and execute their assignments on the field. How many of these players automatically bob their heads as if they understand the formation, even when they're completely lost?  Their main driver is the fear of getting cut!

That's one reason O'Shea is so wedded to his veteran players and why he often says the coach's job is to become better teachers.

[Blueforlife]

The coaching staff can spend 24 hrs. a day scheming and coming up with new strategies but it wouldn't help if the players can't absorb and execute their assignments on the field. How many of these players automatically bob their heads as if they understand the formation, even when they're completely lost?  Their main driver is the fear of getting cut!

That's one reason O'Shea is so wedded to his veteran players and why he often says the coach's job is to become better teachers.

Execution at the highest level is required to stop an on fire attack like the one we seen from Bo.  Agree with a lot of this but I don't think fear drives most.  Well written.

[Tecno]

I don't think that's true at all. In season, for the purposes of in-game execution/focus, I think it's a moment-to-moment mentality especially for the players and coordinators. I think in the off-season and even during the season for the head coach and above, there's quite a bit more self-scouting/competition scouting and scenario planning.

Oh for sure, ya, when it comes to FA/DP choices MOS/Walters are giving this stuff thought.  But not the nitty gritty X/O's.  They aren't trying to figure out how they can get WILL or SAM in passing lanes or backup Willy or whatever, to stop the T.Harris 99% completion attack.

That's my beef.  Milanovitch & Mace are doing that.  That's why they are ready for each unique team that comes their way.  They drew out the plan on how to beat that scheme in the off-season.

Heck, MOS says over and over how he doesn't do any X/O's at all.  So he should be taskmastering his OC/DC underlings to be doing this all off-season.  Or he should be high-braining some of it himself!  In any event, it's not getting done and the buck stops with him.

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Oh for sure, ya, when it comes to FA/DP choices MOS/Walters are giving this stuff thought.  But not the nitty gritty X/O's.  They aren't trying to figure out how they can get WILL or SAM in passing lanes or backup Willy or whatever, to stop the T.Harris 99% completion attack.

That's my beef.  Milanovitch & Mace are doing that.  That's why they are ready for each unique team that comes their way.  They drew out the plan on how to beat that scheme in the off-season.

Heck, MOS says over and over how he doesn't do any X/O's at all.  So he should be taskmastering his OC/DC underlings to be doing this all off-season.  Or he should be high-braining some of it himself!  In any event, it's not getting done and the buck stops with him.

I need to be honest and say I think you're just making up narratives in your head on this one. We have good coaches who do all the right things. I think the system Younger uses is terrible but he's a good enough coach and certainly no one is out coaching O'Shea in any area. Styles might be different but we're not lacking for coaching process or best practices I don't think.

[Tecno]

I need to be honest and say I think you're just making up narratives in your head on this one. We have good coaches who do all the right things.

It really looks to you like we come into each season having thought for 6 months how to beat each of the league contenders?  We really spent all off-season game-planning how to beat, say, 2026 HAM which is exactly what 2025 HAM was, just better?

If you're right, I'd really hate to see what the last game would have looked like had they spent all off-season twiddling their thumbs like I'm theorizing!!  HAM would win 100-0?

All I know is if we play SSK tomorrow, it's 50-3 and we have no chance, because Mace & co spent 2 whole off-seasons figuring out how to neuter WPG (and other top teams), and our guys only think about it for 7 days prior.

Yes, at the heart of it I'm saying our coaches/coords don't work hard enough.  They work to what their contract & schedule says, sure.  And probably very diligently.  The problem is the hungry & serious crews on some teams are working non-stop, all in-season, all off-season, all the time.

If we come out and handily beat SSK or MTL (and HAM) soon with clearly novel, creative & high-brain schemes, then I'll take that back.  But I'm pretty confident I'm right because we've seen this year after year after year after year.  At least since 2022.  Why?  Because the Mafia & crew lost the hunger after winning it all twice.

The saving grace might be Condell, who I don't think has ever won it.  Maybe his energy is a function of his hunger.  Maybe he can impart some onto the rest of the "meh, tried my best" guys.