Rivera's Blunder - Illustrated

[TheRed]

The truly sad thing is, we have seen this exact scenario play out numerous times under his watch, yet Rivera has learned nothing.

 

If you watched all the games that we have lost in this fashion, and had no knowledge of the Panthers, you would think that they were all from the same season. Nope. He's been doing it every damn year. Nothing with Rivera has changed. Is it his ego? Is he seriously that stubborn?

 

I really wanted the man to succeed here, but I've begun to lose a lot of respect for him. He's pissing this opportunity away.

[PhillyB]

Jason Avant on the last three plays:

via Joe Person

behold the mutineer

[Cary Kollins]

The truly sad thing is, we have seen this exact scenario play out numerous times under his watch, yet Rivera has learned nothing.

 

If you watched all the games that we have lost in this fashion, and had no knowledge of the Panthers, you would think that they were all from the same season. Nope. He's been doing it every damn year. Nothing with Rivera has changed. Is it his ego? Is he seriously that stubborn?

 

I really wanted the man to succeed here, but I've begun to lose a lot of respect for him. He's pissing this opportunity away.

 

 

Exactly. This is exactly what many people feared would happen. Rivera, no longer on the "hot seat", has reverted back to his conservative, defensive nature which was a good way to win games back in 1995.

 

The Riverboat persona was a mirage. We are doomed to repeat history until he is gone.

[L-TownCat]

It almost looked like the coaches/org didnt want to win.

 

/conspiracy

[CatMan72]

It's sad that we need the other team to pick a fight for us to show any emotion... but a team takes on the personality of it's head coach. 

 

Sometimes as a coach, it's your job to be the bad guy if that's what it takes to get the guys to perform. You get them so pissed off at you that they take it out on the opponent. Rivera needs to take a chapter out of the Ditka/Parcells coaching manual. 

[thefuzz]

I looked at my wife and said "if they put DWill out there, you know we are playing not to lose".

 

 

 

A couple minutes later....out trots DWill, and with plenty of time on the clock.

[Mr. Scot]

Jason Avant on the last three plays:

 

via Joe Person

 

behold the mutineer

 

Jason Avant has generally been known as nothing but a solid team player, just like Greg Olsen. 

 

Now Olsen is blowing up on the sidelines and Avant is openly questioning the coaches in the media.

 

Rivera has absolutely lost this team.

[Mr. Scot]

It's sad that we need the other team to pick a fight for us to show any emotion... but a team takes on the personality of it's head coach. 

 

Sometimes as a coach, it's your job to be the bad guy if that's what it takes to get the guys to perform. You get them so pissed off at you that they take it out on the opponent. Rivera needs to take a chapter out of the Ditka/Parcells coaching manual. 

 

Beat me to it.

 

My first question on reading the OP: Why did we need them yo piss us off?

 

[Sean Payton's Vicodin]

Excellent pics. Rivera is a special kind of stupid for not understanding football is a game of momentum and STILL not understanding time management. The falcons couldn't stop us but we just handed them the game.

[Semaj]

The players want to go down swinging. If their going to lose, they want to do it throwing a punch and not from receiving one. Ron Rivera has been a huge disappointment as a head coach and no amount of riverboat from this point forward changes my mind. He needs to go because he has a character defect as a head coach. We will never win the super bowl with him at the helm.

[caveman75]

I felt the emotion you are talking about.  And I love the commentary so far in the thread.

 

But I have to admit (and I know I will catch hell for it), I think the FG was the right call there.  As you said, the defense was on fire.  I think with the FG made, the game was won.  Unfortunately, Gano just had to miss his second ever FG in BoA at the most critical time ever.

 

Whether we agree on all that or not.  The focus I think should be on Shula's play calling on 3rd and short all second half.  Prior to the fight, I was pulling my pubic hair out (having long since gone bald from pulling it out of my head) at third and short and he sends in a very difficult pass route 4 TIME IN A ROW!  4 possessions ended on the SAME play!

 

Sure, Riverboat seemed to cash out just when the dice were heating up and I don't let him off the hook for that, but...CAN WE FIRE SHULA ALREADY???

[Hammerin'Cameron34]

Why Rivera can't be here anymore.

[fjblair]

Rowboat Ron is back.

[tiger7_88]

I felt the emotion you are talking about. And I love the commentary so far in the thread.

But I have to admit (and I know I will catch hell for it), I think the FG was the right call there. As you said, the defense was on fire. I think with the FG made, the game was won.

Couldn't disagree more.

We had taken a 17-16 lead and the HC/DC then had the defense drop into soft zones and Matt Ryan took the Falcon's down the field for the go-ahead FG without even breathing hard.

Do you think the defense that the HC/DC would have had us in with 1:30 left and a one point lead would have been any different?