As a coach, how do you prepare when you are unsure who your opponent will be?

[cardiackat88.]

Like us, for instance.

There was a possibility of playing the Eagles, 49ers, or Packers. Please correct me of that is erroneous information.

So, as a head coach, how would you prepare your team?

Personally, I think it's time to condition as hard as possible, take your week to get your team into even better shape than they were, or course you would let anyone with any injuries ice up.

Aside from conditioning, I would have film sessions galore. Analyzing with my offense, defense, and special teams specific plays in specific situations, exploiting any weaknesses the three potential teams to play may have. I would analyze the three teams at the same time after studying the three individually. Ie, it's third and short; what's team 1s favorite play to run here? Team 2? Etc.

In short, condition and work hard, plus get to know the ends and outs of all the opponents you may face. This way, you have a head start of being familiar with the team you will be playing.

Obviously being a head coach isn't this easy, but it's something different to discuss, and interesting to see what armchair coach would do.

What would you do as a head coach?

[Inimicus]

You self scout.

 

Look for tendencies that need to be weeded out, try to scheme around previously exposed weaknesses, get people healthy.

 

 

Then once that opponent is decided you'll be ready to put all of your attention into them.

[Mr. Scot]

Conditioning, skill drills, general play work...

Basically just make sure the team is the best they can be.

[propagandamachine]

I beleive they use probability based on data they have i.e theres a 70 - 30 possibility Saints win and theres a 65 - 35 greenbay wins so they split the work that way. 

 

From what i beleive i read on here a while back even Gett's is involved. Enjoy the ride. 

[panthers55]

It isn't just practicing for a specific opponent.  Many plays you run are going to work on any team so you practice what you do against anyone. Then when you know, you gameplan against an opponent.  We probably are doing more for Green Bay since we have done this already for San Francisco.

[caatfan]

Seems like this team has plenty to work on, especially on offense, no matter the opponent.

[rainwater]

Every team the Panthers had the possibility to play ran a 3-4 defense so they already knew some things.  Otherwise, they didn't focus on any team this week.  They will next week.  It isn't too complicated.  But this whole time, coaches and Gettleman have been working on scouting all 3 opponents.

[footballisasport]

Flip a coin and pray you get the team you want?! :)

[KendrickPanther]

Ron Rivera told us in a presser this week. They practiced Wednesday through Saturday. They focused on conditioning and things team have been doing against them. When you get beat by a blitz from one team, you better believe you will see it from another team down the road. So they worked on protections and run fits. Timing in the passing routes. Light practices in terms of hitting but they did work on fitness.

 

The coaching staff and Dave Gettleman's staff split into groups and put together "packages" of every team possible. The players didn't do much film work (on opponents) but the Coaches and scouts did. Ron sent his staff home early most of the week as well. So the game planning starts tonight and they go into a normal work week.

[xclr82xtc]

fix yourself.. and dont worry about your opponent.. figure out your strengths and make them stronger, and make execute.. the team your playing doesnt matter.. they have a play for every look.

[Jackofalltrades]

The good news is all three of our possible opponents employ 34 schemes, so you can run vanilla stuff against that just to acclimate to the scheme and adjust your fits.

 

However, scheme doesn't matter if you can't execute your own plays so I think the biggest value is in self scouting. Our run D got pretty soft in the last several weeks- work on that. Cam was throwing high, have him refocus on fundamentals, We have plenty of things we can work on regardless of opponent,

[caatfan]

Ron Rivera told us in a presser this week. They practiced Wednesday through Saturday. They focused on conditioning and things team have been doing against them. When you get beat by a blitz from one team, you better believe you will see it from another team down the road. So they worked on protections and run fits. Timing in the passing routes. Light practices in terms of hitting but they did work on fitness.

 

 

There you go. By playoff time you and every other team knows your weaknesses.