Are we using Rivera as a scapegoat?

[Darvinsun]

Everyone has a part in losses. Players on the field make mistakes some caused by others and some not. Cam had a terrible game yesterday from what I have read on here. I didn't watch bc I knew we would loose and I went and did some things with my family. You have to make some tough decisions being a coach or being in any manager position. That's what they pay you for to be smart enough to know what to do bc you have the knowledge of what should be done. Ron has repeatedly displayed that in a tight situation he has no clue as to what to do. It' like he just flips a coin and doesnt think it thru. Yes players screwed up and that' to be expected its part of the game, but its never part of a game for management to continue to make bad decisions. In the corporate world Ron would have been fired a long time ago.

[Malt Liquor]

1 hour ago, uncfan888 said:

To stand there in transition glasses with his arms folded and challenge plays he has no chance of winning

Ron says the lenses are called ''photo grey'' and they are badass. They give you a mean look. Like 1985 Chicago Bears mean.

[OneBadCat]

Here's another one. Barner fumbled his return catch two times yesterday. Why the hell didn't he put someone else in there? That was a disaster waiting to happen.  DJ or Samuel could have taken the fair catch.

[gorillamilitia13]

5 minutes ago, OneBadCat said:

Here's another one. Barner fumbled his return catch two times yesterday. Why the hell didn't put someone else in there? That was a disaster waiting to happen.  DJ or Samuel could have taken the fair catch.

Yep, was thinking the same thing yesterday.

[trueblade]

59 minutes ago, Anybodyhome said:

"...several missed kicks by Gano..."

Gano missed 2 FGs this season. He's 14/16 on the year.

"... a couple missed throws by #1..."

Cam threw twice as many picks yesterday than Gano has missed FGs the entire season.

And even if Gano makes the kick in the Seattle game, we go to overtime.

[trueblade]

1 minute ago, leoslayer said:

Not necessarily. We would have kicked off putting them on the 25 instead of the 42. That could have been the difference.

They had to run time off the clock because they got down there so fast. It wouldn't have mattered.

[mwright350]

I don't think scapegoating is the right word.  Blaming him?  Sure.  

But blaming him unfairly?  Nope.  Yeah there have been player issues that hurt us throughout the year but the overall themes that made those worse (Washington remaining in full control of the defense until this week, failure to use some of our talent properly / at all, still sticking with this score a few TDs and sit on the lead mentality, etc etc etc) are all his fault.  We shouldn't be in a position where we're looking at a few missed kicks (there aren't that many even though they stand out and make us want to punch babies) and a few errant throws in a very good QB year and blaming those.

He deserves the blame he's getting.

[Eazy-E]

His god awful use of timeouts and clock management has cost us games this season and seasons past. You would think he would learn after 7 years but he still does the same dumb poo week after week.

That alone is enough for me to want him gone.

[Jon Snow]

Scapegoat?  He's the main culprit for what you see on the field.  Unprepared and unmotivated team is solely on the coach.   

[outlaw4]

He's the head coach. Fair or not, he's ultimately responsible for the product on the field.

However, I do hold that fanbases give players too many outs with the "it's the coaching" excuse and overestimates a team's talent. 

[Anybodyhome]

1 hour ago, panthers55 said:

Is everyone scapegoating Rivera? Absolutely. But it is the nature of the job. The buck stops with the head coach and he is responsible for wins and losses. 

And it's not really scapegoating if you're at the top of the ladder. Rivera actually scapegoated the coaches who were fired, essentially blaming them for carrying out his coaching philosophy.

You hire assistant coaches based not only on their X's & O's, but on their working relationship with the HC and their ability to carry forth the coaching philosophy of their boss. That's why the family tress of NFL head coaches look like something from backwoods incestual Mississippi- they all know each other and often come from the same place, which also accounts for the constant retreading of coaches.    

[RumHam]

2 hours ago, gorillamilitia13 said:

Before I begin, I want to say I think Rivera should be gone. Is he a terrible coach? Not by any means, but I think we have seen his best days here and both parties could use a change of direction.

Its been the sexy thing around here to blame all of our failures and shortcoming this season on Ron, but lets think about it. If it wasn’t for several missed kicks by Gano, some god awful coverage by Corn and Captain, and, I hate to say this because I love Cam more than anyone, a couple missed throws by #1, we’d have a lot better of a record right now. I can’t really blame those things on Ron.

I will also say however, he is also accountable for choosing to not fire Eric Washington and sticking with Gano.

What do you guys think? Do you guys really think replacing Ron will fix our problems?

Sounds to me you're blaming Hurney. Those sound all like personnel decisions. To trade a kicker and overpay the current one, to go into this season with this secondary. It's Hurney but Ron's decision making this season has earned him the boot. It sucks b/c I do like him as a person and he does have a smart mind. He will probably win a Super Bowl somewhere else with a competent GM and organization. 

[rhyslloyd]

Holding the Head Coach accountable for the repeated poor performance of his team doesn't seem like scapegoating to me.

[stankowalski]

Honestly I think most of the people on this board overrate the talent we have.  Outside of Cam and McCaffrey on offense everybody else is average at best.  Moore and Samuel have a legit chance to be on Cam and McCaffrey's level but right now they are not (mainly because we haven't used them enough I think).  On defense Luke is really the only player I'd rate above average.  Peppers is way past his prime, Short appears to have fallen off greatly and TD (as much as I love the guy) is a shell of his former self.  

So outside of Cam, McCaffrey and Luke you have an average team...hence our average record.  I've said all year our ceiling is a wildcard berth.  We need a lot of changes next year.