We have seen it for 5 years now. We watch other teams run the score up for statement wins, Why do we go to that ridiculous pistol formation and run run run? MM cannot keep his foot on the gas? Why is that?
I'm late to this thread and have not read many of the posts, so I'll confine myself to the OP and it's application to the Lions game.
Possession 1: The Packers were moving the ball on the ground with Lacy. Rodgers ran the ball down to the 12 yard line for a first down, but Bulaga was called for holding leaving 3rd. and 20. FG.
Possession 2: The Packers got a first down on 2 Lacy runs. They called up passing plays on 2nd. and 8 and 3rd. and 8. The 3rd. and 8 was an intermediate middle throw to Cobb, hardly a conservative choice, which was a little behind him but catchable. Punt.
Possession 3: The drive opened with about a 10 yard throw to Davis, right in the bread basket, which he dropped. The following two plays are the only two you could allege to be unjustifiably conservative, though I would not. A Starks run on 2nd. and 10, then the dump off to Starks for 9 yards to the Packers 34 yard line. There were 6 minutes to play, a 14 point lead, and these conservative calls put the Packers in position to punt deep into Detroit territory, which they did.
Is it too much to expect the D to hold that lead from that field position with that time remaining? It d*mn well better not be, past history notwithstanding. This is the way good teams plan to close out games.
Possesion 4: 3:44 on the clock, ball on the Packer 25, 7 point lead. Good teams seek to burn clock and make the opponent use up time outs. Incomplete passes cost you 40 seconds of clock time or the opponent saving a time out.
Lacy run, Lacy run, Rodgers does the "conservative" thing in running for a first down rather than force a pass. Those 3 "conservative" plays burned all of Detroit's first downs and ended the game.
Had the first down not been achieved, would it be too much to expect the D to keep Detroit from going 80 or so yards in 2 minutes with no time outs? I don't think so.
The bellyaching over conservative play calls down this stretch can be accounted for in a couple of ways:
1. Fans being unhappy that the Packers did not cover their bet against a 7 point spread.
2. Fans being unhappy they were deprived of some fantasy points.
3. Most importantly, fans not trusting the D to hold a lead, this last point being the most understandable given past history.
In the end, having a D that can hold a late lead is essential to winning a championship. Consider this an exercise for when it counts most, even if the Packers last possession did not put them fully to the test.
It's also instructive to note that had Cobb and Davis caught those balls, Detroit may have never gotten back into the game. It's ironic that running the ball to burn clock was not the problem in letting Detroit back in the game. It was big plays surrendered and dropped passes.
TT tried to this season. A dozen rookies and first year players. +9 second year players.
