Coaching Philiosophy

[Mr. Scot]

So why exactly do you kick to Devin Hester?

Part of the answer is found by looking at different coaching philosophies.

Some coaches take a "know your people" approach, which means they get to know their team's strengths and weaknesses and adapt the game plans accordingly. This is primarily an adaptive philosophy, something along the lines of what former Panther coach John Fox tended to do.

Other coaches prefer to challenge their players. Essentially, they'll set out what they want to do, and challenge their players to make it work. Sometimes what they ask is a lot, and in some cases more than their players can handle. Still, the way they look at it is to say "You're professionals who get paid a lot of money, so do what I need for you to do or I'll find someone else who will."

I'll give you three guesses which school of thought I see Ron Rivera subscribing to :sosp:

Was kicking to Hester a bad idea? Yes it was, but with that said the philosophy behind it is the same kind of thinking employed by successful teams like the Patriots and Steelers. That's why they go all out to make sure they get the kind of players that can do what their system requires. Something I think you'll see the Panthers doing in future offseasons as well.

Bad result this week for sure, but despite that, I hope they keep the approach.

[countryboi]

kicking to hester was a really really bad idea.....its like they learned nothing when he returned the ball from the 108 yard line to the other side of the 50

[csx]

So why exactly do you kick to Devin Hester?

Part of the answer is found by looking at different coaching philosophies.

Some coaches take a "know your people" approach, which means they get to know their team's strengths and weaknesses and adapt the game plans accordingly. This is primarily an adaptive philosophy, something along the lines of what former Panther coach John Fox tended to do.

Other coaches prefer to challenge their players. Essentially, they'll set out what they want to do, and challenge their players to make it work. Sometimes what they ask is a lot, and in some cases more than their players can handle. Still, the way they look at it is to say "You're professionals who get paid a lot of money, so do what I need for you to do or I'll find someone else who will."

I'll give you three guesses which school of thought I see Ron Rivera subscribing to :sosp:

Was kicking to Hester a bad idea? Yes it was, but with that said the philosophy behind it is the same kind of thinking employed by successful teams like the Patriots and Steelers. That's why they go all out to make sure they get the kind of players that can do what their system requires. Something I think you'll see the Panthers doing in future offseasons as well.

Bad result this week for sure, but despite that, I hope they keep the approach.

Rivera explained it in his press conference. It was neither of those.

[Mr. Scot]

Rivera explained it in his press conference. It was neither of those.

Actually, that's where I got it.

What Rivera explained was that based on what he had seen other teams do previously, he believed it was possible to kick to Hester and contain him. that's exactly what they attempted to do, but the players didn't get it done.

He defended the choice (rather testily in fact).

[fieryprophet]

I get all the anger about kicking to Hester, but if you look at that run back you could have probably stuck Rex Ryan back there to field the punt and he would have ran it off too. Our players just need to tackle and cover player, plain and simple, and if they can't do it against the type of run Hester had they're not going to be able to do it against anyone with the ability to fall forward.

[fjblair]

Yeah he's dangerous but what's the point in playing keep away? It's gay as hell. The guys on the punt team are paid to cover. Let them do their job.

[Mr. Scot]

Yeah he's dangerous but what's the point in playing keep away? It's gay as hell. The guys on the punt team are paid to cover. Let them do their job.

I'd say that's Rivera's take as well.

It's a fair debate as to which philosophy works better though.

[Captroop]

I have a better question, why did my Mickey Mouse fantasy league suddenly stop counting return yards? I didn't start Devin Hester because he's a receiving threat! It cost me a win this week.

[Jangler]

You can plan and think and hope all you want, but the human factor changes everything. Hester changing direction at the beginning of the runback (punt)...that's why you don't kick to him.

There are always players in the NFL you just don't do 'whatever' to them. And when you do you get burned. You don't kick the ball to Hester is the current "don't do" right now.

[DaCityKats]

at first i wondered why kick it to him, that is retarded. but after listening to the press he was absolutely right. coaching is about putting your guys in position to be successful and make plays. we were in position but just couldnt make the play.(missed tackles Hester split tacklers.)

the kick was good we just didnt make the play. so coaching did not fail us, and its great that now you can listen to a presser and get some insight from the HC.

[bauss]

The plan would have been solid if it wasn't for the poor execution in football tackling 101 when hester squirted between the two would-be tacklers.

[Mr. Scot]

Worth remembering we're talking about a coach who managed to contain Peyton Manning pretty well as a DC without having a defense made up of superstars.

I think that factors in to how he's going to run this team.

[blackcatgrowl]

Your explanation is accurate.

But it still doesn't mean his Philosophy was wrong.

Taking the (now) record holder of punt returns for TDs, and asking him to beat you when your Special Teams has been a question mark is bad, bad, bad idea.

Being stubborn about it in a PC just kinda makes you look silly too. Rivera gets a ding for this in my book.

[Darth Biscuit]

at first i wondered why kick it to him, that is retarded. but after listening to the press he was absolutely right. coaching is about putting your guys in position to be successful and make plays. we were in position but just couldnt make the play.(missed tackles Hester split tacklers.)

the kick was good we just didnt make the play. so coaching did not fail us, and its great that now you can listen to a presser and get some insight from the HC.

Are you referring to the punt or the KO? The KO he returned for 73 was a good kick to the back of the endzone... the coverage just sucked.

The punt was a bad, low punt and a pitiful, no-tackle coverage...