Recap of Spurrier with George/Sonny, 8/19

[Fitz]

Hey, the HBC is wearing a burgundy polo this week - I do believe that's the first time I've seen him in anything other than black and white.

GM: "First thing, coach - 13 penalties, 6 turnovers, you should never win a game if you have that many penalties, that many turnovers, but somehow, you did."

SS: "It was an exciting game, George. You know the first half, we just got nothing going -- I think our average starting position was about the 15 yard line, we had a penalty after a 20 yard gain to Rod Gardner, a big pass, we dropped one on third and five, and just nothing good was happening -- and sometimes you're going to get shut out when those things occur. But anyway, the penalties...yeah, they're not real obvious penalties, I don't know what's happening there, but I feel like we're playing about like we did in the first game, when we got five penalties. But I'm really proud of the guys for hanging in there, we kept firing it around, the defense got the ball back, finally got some turnovers in the fourth quarter, and somehow scored 35 points."

SJ: "Coach, the 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles -- are the quarterbacks making bad decisions -- bad decisions with the ball, or are they bad pass patterns. What is happening?"

SS: "Also what was frustrating Sonny, of our 6 turnovers, I think four of them occurred on first down, and you know on first down, you don't try to jam it in there. And uh...Shane was just trying to throw this ball away, and threw it right to a defensive lineman...and yeah, we've got to get him to..."

GM: "What was interesting is, you had said, 'Tell the folks not to go away, we're going to be better in the second half', and that's your first play of the second half."

SS: "First play of the second half -- we were trying a little 3-step, and he chose the side where it wasn't very good - the other side, he could have thrown it somewhere, thrown it away - but obviously, on first down, if it's not there, you throw it away, or dump underneath...try not to make a bad play, and we made a lot of bad ones on first down."

SJ: "Are the mistakes a combination of both decision-making by the quarterback - bad throws or bad patterns?"

SS: "Oh, just a little bit of indecision, trying to jam it in there...this, that and the other...Sage made a couple of bad audibles early, but he came back and played very well in the fourth quarter."

GM: "Is that a fumble on Sage's part?"

SS: "I think it could have been called an incomplete pass, because his arm *was* going forward. But the refs...said it was a fumble -- yeah, he checked to the wrong thing here, and he threw it right to their guy. Similar to the play in Japan, the same...he threw it behind the guy...we just had a bad play on there, hopefully we can learn not to do those things."

GM: "The touchdown pass to Chris Doering -- Shane Matthews throws a touchdown to Doering -- As we're watching it, you're saying, 'Oh no, don't throw it there,' but then Doering just goes up and gets it."

SS: "When you watch the tape, George...I don't know if Shane is just trying to throw the ball away or what, but he just threw it up in the air, and all of a sudden, here comes Chris Doering, he saw it and outleaped the defender for Pittsburgh..."

SJ: "Looked like Montana to Dwight Clark, didn't it? Same type of pattern"

SS: "Yup...Chris, back at Florida, always used to tell Danny, 'If you get in trouble, hang it deep in the corner of the end zone and I'll take a jump for it', because he is about 6'3", 6'4", so that's what happened there."

GM: "I know Chris Doering's not listed as the number 1 receiver -- but he has got to make this team. Now look, you've got 7 guys that are all there, all doing the job...Chris Doering has got to make this team, doesn't he?"

SS: "Chris Doering and Derrius Thompson have been our most productive receivers thus far. Rod Gardner's done well when he's been in there -- Darkerian (??) and Kevin Lockett have done some good things. But yeah, Chris Doering has been very productive, and -- he's got a very good chance, put it that way."

SJ: "Your plans were to play Shane Matthews the second half. Danny Wuerffel goes up to Sage Rosenfels in the third quarter and tells him, 'Don't be surprised if he puts you back in.' Why did you go back to him?"

SS: "I don't really know, Sonny. Shane got a helmet right in the face, also there in the third quarter on one of those drives, when he threw the ball in the teeth of a rush they had coming there...they had a blitz we just couldn't block...but anyway, his jaw was a little sore, and we were behind by 20 at that time, so I didn't know if he was going to get beat up, and I thought Sage maybe needed another shot to redeem himself after that second quarter. So we tossed him in there and he played well."

GM: "Derrius Thompson - you mentioned, coach, that there were a couple of plays last night where it seemed like he was literally unstoppable, he was in such a groove. Here's just a couple -- I mean, back to back, every time the ball went up his way, he was simply there."

SS: "Right, that was a play, the same play Lockett scored on last week, and Derrius actually scored on it against the Niners, so that's been a pretty good play for us."

SJ: "That's a pretty good one there too, the fade down into the end zone."

SS: "Yeah, Shane (it was actually Sage) made an excellent throw right there, he had to hold it a little while, until the safety sorta covered the inside guy and he got it in there -- Derrius is a receiver that likes the ball coming his way, and he's got excellent hands, it usually hits and sticks, and he can catch over guys - so he's one you can toss it up to, and he'll go get it."

SJ: "Coach, a guy that we saw that - I guess is exciting people all over the league is Antwaan Randle El. He is a factor, isn't he - he's going to be a factor, he's a good player."

SS: "Yeah, I was talking to Marvin Lewis afterwards, he said, 'You know, it's funny, you tell your guys, 'Look for the reverse', and they run it for a touchdown.' They had a timeout right before that, and he told the defensive guys, 'Look for the reverse.' "

SJ: "They blocked it well, didn't they?"

SS: "They did block it well, or they grabbed us or something, but we couldn't get off their blocks. But anyway, they went right on in with that one."

GM: "Tee Martin throws to him in the end zone, this guy had himself a tremendous game."

SJ: "I thought the safety was a little deep in the end zone..."

SS: "Yeah, we were standing all around him, and -- one of our defenders just stood there, just didn't get a break on the ball, and he had him another touchdown."

GM: "We don't have much time, I've got to get one thing. Your play of the night, can I please run this next tape -- what play do you call this where Sage Rosenfels comes over, visits with you at the end of the game, we've got 8 seconds left in the game, and then boy, does he throw it in reverse."

SS: "Well it's sorta like the punter not kicking it - you tell everybody to block, I didn't tell him to drop 20 yards, I was hoping he'd stay at about 5 or 6 there, and maybe roll out, maybe throw the ball away or something, but that wasn't smart to move it back there, even if we're on our own 50, even if they have one last chance, but we didn't want to punt the ball and risk blocking the punt and so forth."

GM: "Destroyed the yards per average on the rushing game."

SJ: "You can go back and kneel too quickly, and they get one second, they kick a field goal."

SS: "Yeah, from back there, so we were trying to keep it on their end of the field, but we hadn't worked on that. A lot of things are happening that we haven't worked on, hopefully we can correct them as we go."

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

Originally posted by Fitzman

SS: "Chris Doering and Derrius Thompson have been our most productive receivers thus far. Rod Gardner's done well when he's been in there -- Darnerien [McCants] and Kevin Lockett have done some good things."

Ooookaaaay.... Breathing easier now. Coach actually said something nice about McCants.

If you're scoring at home (I am ), this week's Spurrier hints favor the following six receivers making the final cut:

Gardner

Doering

Thompson

McCants

Lockett

Green almost certainly would make it as well, leaving Anthony and Skaggs off the roster.

That's the way the majority of this forum sees it, but this is the first hint I've seen that Spurrier sees it this way as well. I've been nervous that old loyalty to Anthony might cause McCants to get the axe.

Fitz: thanks for the huge favor transcribing the interview.

[bulldog]

it appears Spurrier has that 'cornerback' quality of forgetting a bad play and moving on to the next play, ie not having a long memory for the bad stuff

that is part of why he is successful.

you can tell that some coaches like Marty Schottenheimer or Ray Rhodes brood over busted plays in games years ago or how they were treated by a media personality or a fan or a front office guy somewhere down the line.

they become negative and that wears down the entire team.

Spurrier, like Gibbs, has positive energy and that makes guys want to play and do well for him

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

More props for Thompson, Doering and McCants from Spurrier:

''I was really proud of Derrius Thompson and Darnerien McCants and Chris Doering and the second offensive line. They protected well in the third and fourth quarters and Chris caught everything that came his way. He's a reliable guy. Derrius had a big-time game. There's a good chance Derrius could start [against Tampa Bay].''

WR Derrius Thompson on possibly starting: ''I won't sleep all week. I'm excited to show what I can do against guys who are starters.''

Source: CPND game quotes

Glad to see more comments about McCants. I was afraid he was lost in the shuffle. If he makes the team, I'm sure he'll make an impact over time. (I'm also thrilled about Thompson and Doering -- those three have been my favorites since Osaka.)

[PCS]

Thanks Fitz! Who said S.S. doesn't pay all that much attention to the defense?

[Fitz]

The only thing McCants might worry about is that Spurrier hasn't quite memorized his name - that "Darkerian" wasn't a typo :laugh: Oh well, I guess as long as he remembers that number 85 is doing good things out there, Darnerian will be OK.

[GatorRob]

Goodbye, Reidel...The job was yours to lose, and you lost it. You better be Jerry Rice in Tampa Bay and New England, or you will be watching football on TV.

HTTR!

[Tommy-the-Greek]

Reidel dropped that 3rd and 5 right in front of Spurrier. You could tell that really pissed Spurrier off.

[Thinking Skins]

I thought it was really acquard that Sage was calling audiables every play. At first it as cool when he was getting completions, but then he threw the pic and fumbled and I was just wondering if he had called the wrong plays. I hope SS isnt too pissed about this and Sage still makes the team.

[Thinking Skins]

woah, I'm a starter....

[Larry]

Yup...Chris [Doering], back at Florida, always used to tell Danny, 'If you get in trouble, hang it deep in the corner of the end zone and I'll take a jump for it'

Why does it not suprise me that:

• SS actually works on an "abort proceedure", for what to do when things go wrong in the pocket, and
  
• The proceedure is one which at least has a chance for 7.
  

(Granted, I keep seeing QBs, on first and goal, drop back, look, look again, scramble, look again, and when people start grabbing at him, try to force the ball in and get picked off. I've been wondering for years how hard it is to teach: If it's first and goal, you've been back for 5 seconds, and nobody's open, then put it in the third row of the bleachers, and try again).

[redman]

Originally posted by Larry

Why does it not suprise me that:

• SS actually works on an "abort proceedure", for what to do when things go wrong in the pocket, and
  
• The proceedure is one which at least has a chance for 7.
  

Walsh did the very same thing regarding that play to Dwight Clark that resulted in The Catch. I've heard Montana interviewed on it. They practiced that play a bunch of times in training camp, which Montana described as a roll out to his right that resulted in him throwing it off balance and high into the back of the end zone for the crossing TE to catch. Failing that, the ball is supposed to go out the back of the end zone incomplete.

Montana recalls that they ran this play something like seven times in a row in training camp, and the pass was incomplete every single time. And all the players were looking at each other wondering WTF is up with this stupid play. They then fail to run it all year long, and then lo and behold it ends up sending them to the Super Bowl after the only time they successfully run it, in the Championship Game no less! Good story.

But it shows that good thorough coaches have a trick up their sleeve for every situation.

[Om]

Quick thoughts:

- When you look in the phrase dictionary under "glad-hander" and "Hail fellow, well met," it says, "see George Michael. The man is an institution I'll grant you, but starting to wear thin with me. Wait 'til the first time he interrupts SS with a stupid question on the Monday after a tough loss. Almost worth it to hear what SS might say in response.

- "Darkerian?" Not very PC, Coach.

- Not real thrilled to hear that Randal El's TD on the reverse came AFTER Marvin had warned his troops to watch out for it during a time out. Either Pittsburgh held like mofos, or our guys were seriously not tuned in to what was going on. Grumble.

- Fitzman, what you're doing here is a very cool thing. For all my complaining about him, I hate missing George's segment. Having you take the time to produce a transcript is an unexpected and very welcome treat.

Take a case of Killian's from petty cash. You've earned it.