Killer Instinct...............?

[JDCrimson]

Bama had a great game plan and executed about 1/2 of perfectly. I thought the playcalling was great as usual in between the 20s except for the running game. But inside the 20s the playcalling and offensive strategy bordered on cowardly. Yes I said it. We have some playmakers and many of them are making plays. In my opinion, Shula stresses this young offense into poor execution with his ultra-conservative playcalling. You say this is the correct way to play but I say it is just the opposite because you better be able to execute what your are doing with a high degree of perfection to be successful. You play conservative when you have a bunch of battle tested juniors and seniors on the team and open it up more often with a younger bunch because they are going to make mistakes and put themselves in bad situations sometimes with penalties and sacks. Therefore you need a bold approach to the game to overcome these inevitable mistakes.

I also believe that many of these youngsters are also having to learn the great amount of focus and concentration it takes to execute at this level. You as a coach have to promote this development as quickly as possible. I dont think this is accomplished by these repetitive runs up the middle as it might be lulling the young OLs. I think you improve concentration with creative playcalling.

Based on my view yesterday, the whole team is lacking in toughness, attitude, killer instinct, mean streak or the general nastiness. It shows in our strategy, its shows in our offensive execution, its shows in our defense as well. The defense does not bring an attitude to the point of impact.

I want to see this staff to start instilling the intangibles into this team.

"He could take hizn and beat yourn, and he could take yourn and beat hizn"

I long for the day when we can say this about Shula.

 

[BamaSkins]

...where does killer instinct come from?
...does it just drop out of the sky one day?
...do one or two players bring it with them from high school?
...does a player wake up one morning with it?
...OR do coaches instill it in players?

IMHO, we don't seem to have it...so where do teams get it?

 

[NYBamaFan]

I am not used to the finese football yet. I still think of tough teams as teams that dominate the LOS. The thing is, I don't think that we even try to dominate the LOS anymore - on either side of the ball.

Is this a result of the coaching approach, or are we just too weak (talent) to accomplish this at this point?

 

[NBF_Bama_Cavalry]

I am not used to the finese football yet. I still think of tough teams as teams that dominate the LOS. The thing is, I don't think that we even try to dominate the LOS anymore - on either side of the ball.

Is this a result of the coaching approach, or are we just too weak (talent) to accomplish this at this point?

Get some videos of games from the '66 season. Those little boys were the smallest in the SEC, yet the senior class of '66 finessed their way to a 30-2-1 record at Alabama.

 

[NYBamaFan]

Get some videos of games from the '66 season. Those little boys were the smallest in the SEC, yet the senior class of '66 finessed their way to a 30-2-1 record at Alabama.

I am not sure what to say. I know that finese can work. I simply said that I am not used to it yet. Give me time...

 

[VirginiaTide57]

We've heard before about teams with an identity; I believe this is what this teams lacks. It doesn't fall out of the sky or happen overnight. It takes time to develop, and then it is fostered...by stability in a program, by the players who are recruited, by the coaching staff.

I think it's evident our defense is totally lacking an identity, and I was surprised, being the first time I've seen Bama this year, how much we are missing our leadership from last year. I even wonder if we will develop an identity this year.

On offense, I think it's obvious that our quarterback is a leader and has the supporting cast to develop into a great QB for the Tide.

The team will gel, but maybe not this year. I think the fans who have predicted great things for '07 are right.

Patience, patience, patience....

Roll Tide

 

[Bamabuzzard]

...where does killer instinct come from?
...does it just drop out of the sky one day?
...do one or two players bring it with them from high school?
...does a player wake up one morning with it?
...OR do coaches instill it in players?

IMHO, we don't seem to have it...so where do teams get it?

Unfortunately they don't sell the stuff at Wal-Mart. But the "killer instinct" in the players comes from (IMO) a combination of two places.

.....Coaching personalities. Strangely enough a coach can instill an "attitude" amongst his players. The old saying of "You act like who you hang around" has a lot to do with it. You tend to take on characteristics, attitudes of the ones you are around the most.

.....The player himself. We had a highschool coach that had a "neat"/"interesting" philosophy. He believed that if you have too many players that needed "motivation" and did not have above average "self motivation" the team would be mediocre at best and the coach would spend more time giving "Ra Ra" speeches than coaching the fundamentals of the game. Football is a tough sport and the successful players are the ones that have a strong inner drive and the ones that don't fade away into mediocrity.

I'll be glad when Wal Mart starts carrying the stuff.:biggrin2:

 

[bamaslammer]

"cowardly" - I would agree, that is the play calling near the goal line. I understand trying to protect your young quarterback, but you never win in the SEC by kicking field goals. I'd rather lose going for the win than lose looking like a LOSER!

 

[KanBama]

I went to the game. It was my first time in Fayetteville and let me just say that I saw some fans going to the game that bordered on Homeless looking. Their fans as a collection were the most hard-scraggle redneck looking bunch I have ever seen in this conference. Until now I thought the MSU fans were the most rugged looking bunch, not anymore.

This statement has no place on this board. BAMA has it's fair share of Scraggly looking fans going to the game. Let's not geting to fan bashing. Arkansas has one of the best fan bases for an away team to come in too. I have gone to the last 4 Bama games there and have never had bad comments or languge that I have heard after games at other venues. I have been ashamed of Bama fans for their treatment of other fans.

So lets keep the rocks in our pockets where they belong.