best analysis of rivera's history of close losses

[rayzor]

from grantland....screw espn and nfl and SI....grantland/bill barnwell is what you should be reading.

 

excerpt:

The Definition of Madness

Ron Rivera did it again. After passing on an opportunity to convert a fourth-and-1 to beat the Falcons last year, a move that ended up turning a near-certain win into a loss, Rivera faced another tough situation Sunday and chose the most conservative option available despite the nature of his team. And let's be clear: That's the biggest problem with Rivera's decision-making at the end of close games. It's not that he's making decisions that go against the numbers, nor is it that he's choosing the most tentative, risk-averse option available to him. It's that he refuses to recognize his team's strengths and adapt his decision-making to incorporate them. This isn't Thank You For Not Coaching; it's Thank You For Not Learning.

In short, Rivera passed up another fourth-and-1 game-sealer to put his defense in a situation where it needed to produce a stop to win. With 1:42 left, the Panthers were up three on the Bills, who were out of timeouts. Carolina was facing a fourth-and-1 on Buffalo's 21-yard line with two clear options. The aggressive choice was to go for it, a move that would have allowed the Panthers to kneel three times and end the game, with the downside of allowing the Bills to tie the game if they stuffed the Panthers and drove for a field goal (or lose if the Bills scored a touchdown.)³

The conservative option was to kick a field goal and force the Bills to drive down the field and score a touchdown, at which point they would (barring a failed extra point) win the game.

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Literally, if the Panthers had to sit down and write a résumé, the first strength they would mention is their effectiveness in short yardage. And yet, Rivera turned down another opportunity to use that strength to seal a victory.

Rivera turned to his defense and — yet again — it failed him. The strength of the Carolina pass defense is its pass rush, which isn't always quite as noticeable in the fourth quarter after a full day of chasing after players. Its weakness is the secondary, which is exactly what shows up when the other team is trying to throw the ball to make plays downfield on every single snap. And sure enough, just like Haruki Nakamura got beat for a big play by Matt Ryan last season, the secondary failed Carolina when it needed it most on Sunday.

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The problem is that Rivera is running his team by remaining obstinate and without properly adjusting his process to account for the players he has available. That's an essential part of the job, and it's Rivera's biggest failing as a head coach. It's also the biggest reason why Carolina is so dreadfully bad in close games — it's now 2-14 in games decided by seven points or fewer under Rivera, a historically dismal performance. Some of that is bad luck, but a fair amount of it is Rivera putting his team in situations to lose. If Rivera continues to coach his team like he's never actually seen it play, he's not going to be a head coach much longer.

 

rivera, at the end of games, puts this team in a situation that is a proven losing strategy...at least here it is. he sets them up to lose. to fail.

 

and then he blames execution.

 

yah.

[CarolinaAllDay]

I watched this implosion live. Buffalo fans were LEAVINg the damn stadium during that drive. Shows they had no faith in their team, meanwhile me and my dad had a deep feeling that the td would happen... I drove 10 hours to watch rivera poo the bed.

[Zod]

 I drove 10 hours to watch rivera shit the bed.

 

Good lord I suddenly feel a little better about my Sunday.

[panther4life]

The sad thing is fans universally recognize this but yet this fuging idiot can't seem to get a grip on it.

[The Huddler]

I'm sure its a great read Rayzor, but i aint trying to read that. I dont need to read that article to understand what Rivera puts me through on a weekly basis!

 

 

 

 

This sucks, but i honestly feel like this is an opportunity to truly fix this team. I knew trying to tape over Hurney's broken foundations wasn't going to work. I was hopeful, and supported Rivera's regime, but its clear as day now that he does not know how to win games.

 

 

JR put the control of this team in a genuine football guy, who is very passionate about his job and proving his worth in this league. If we do flop this year, he now have full opportunity to get rid of Hurney's aftermath.

 

Patient and Hopefull. Whatever it takes to get a ring. Time, Money, Effort, ill do my part. 

[FootballMaestro]

Rivera also had no intention of even going for a TD on that last drive. He was simply trying to run down the clock, while simultaneously handicapping his offense. 

 

That's why he didn't go for. He never had any intention to (despite his horrendous defense). 

 

The guy is just one of the all time worst coaches in the NFL. And I been saying this from his first year. 

 

The players are a reflection of their Head Coach. And this is why, the Panthers can play well for most of a game, then piss it away towards the end. It's because if their HC is scared and confused in the closing minutes, why wouldn't they be as well?

 

It only makes sense. 

[TheRumGone]

from grantland....screw espn and nfl and SI....grantland/bill barnwell is what you should be reading.

 

excerpt:

rivera, at the end of games, puts this team in a situation that is a proven losing strategy...at least here it is. he sets them up to lose. to fail.

 

and then he blames execution.

 

screw you rivera.

 

It's like he forgets who our personnel are when it matters most. He doesn't get ebb and flows of the game.

 

if i'm Rivera I tell Shula, put the ball in Cam's hands, he is the leader of our team and he is our best player. It's on him. And Cam wants it that way. 16 of 18 conversions. This is absolute madness.

[CRA]

We are what we are

[Zaximus]

I had NO doubt in my mind Buffalo was going to come back and win after we didn't go for it.  NO DOUBT.  I laughed when I heard Bills fans were leaving.  Obviously they didn't do their homework on this team lol.  That is the saddest thing, that I have 0% faith in this team to close a game, I know in my heart we're going to lose, and I'm not even surprised to give up a lead.

[NanceUSMC]

In fairness, if Rivera goes for it on 4th and 1, and the team fails to move the chains.....................  The majority would be saying he should be fired for not taking the points...

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as fed up as everyone else, but, it's much easier for us to coach a game Monday morning, than it is to coach one on Sunday afternoon...

[rayzor]

oh...and for anyone who pulls out the usual "lol, people sitting on their couches complaining about decisions made by people who do this for a living r dumb."

 

i'm not a mechanic, but i can sure tell when a mechanic does a bad job.

 

i'm not a plumber, but i can sure tell when a plumber does a bad job.

 

i'm not an accountant, but i can sure tell when an accountant does a bad job.

 

i'm not a coach, but i can sure tell when a coach does a bad job.

 

the evidence for all of it is in the finished product.

[Zod]

In fairness, if Rivera goes for it on 4th and 1, and the team fails to move the chains.....................  The majority would be saying he should be fired for not taking the points...

 

 

Why? Because the game may have went to overtime?

[TheRumGone]

In fairness, if Rivera goes for it on 4th and 1, and the team fails to move the chains.....................  The majority would be saying he should be fired for not taking the points...

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as fed up as everyone else, but, it's much easier for us to coach a game Monday morning, than it is to coach one on Sunday afternoon...

 

I would have defended it because of our history.

 

Bills would then have played for a FG.

[Leeroy Jenkins PhD]

In fairness, if Rivera goes for it on 4th and 1, and the team fails to move the chains.....................  The majority would be saying he should be fired for not taking the points...

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as fed up as everyone else, but, it's much easier for us to coach a game Monday morning, than it is to coach one on Sunday afternoon...

 

I disagree wholeheartedly