elitefts™ Sunday edition

5 Things I Learned Last Week

Anyone who knows me personally is aware that I’m a life-long fan of the NY Giants. Therefore, I’m pleasantly surprised – read: ecstatic – that they’re going to another Super Bowl. After every game since they beat the Jets, I’ve been saying the same thing: that this season was supposed to be a total wash, and that they made this year fun just by even making it a possibility that they’d make the playoffs. So, honestly, this is just gravy. I’m sure I’ll start hating the Patriots in about a week or so, but right now, I couldn’t care less whether they win the Super Bowl or not.

As a coach, however, there is a lot to take away from a game like that. Here’s what I think I learned last week.

1. Physical Preparation Matters

I was cringing the entire game because the Niners were quite obviously the better team physically. All night, Eli Manning looked like Sigfried and Roy trying to hold off a lion with a chair. I don’t think I’ve seen linebackers who could close on the ball like Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman in years, and midway through the third quarter, the Giants’ offensive line could barely even stay in front of the Niners d-line. I read an article last week about how the Niners’ strength and conditioning coach is a big advocate of getting guys stronger DURING the year, and several players were talking about how effective his programming was. I can’t speak to the efficacy of what they do, but the physical discrepancy was obvious to me throughout the game.

2. Constant Pressure Matters

Did the “superior” team win? No. Did the team that got the best-timed “lucky” breaks win? Absolutely. But how does a team get breaks like that? They press, and they keep pressing. The referees missed the call when the punt hit the guy’s knee? No problem, because everyone’s head was in the game. The same guy fumbles because guys were still fighting and trying to strip the ball like it was the first quarter. If you press your opponent, and keep pressing, and stay in his face and make yourself a nightmare that he can’t wake up from, he’s eventually going to make a mistake and you can capitalize. That’s something we constantly try to get across to the kids on the high school level. Bill Parcells calls it “chopping wood.” If you keep chopping wood, good shit happens.

3. Leave No Stone Unturned

Among other things, the Giants’ special teams won that game for them. How many clutch punts (and the hold on the winning field goal) did Steve Weatherford have last night? If they’d kept trying to develop Matt Dodge and cut Weatherford in training camp, would they still be playing in the Super Bowl in two weeks? I’d bet the house they wouldn’t be, but did anyone besides the coaching staff (and hardcore fans) think this was a big deal coming out of training camp?

4. Everything Matters

This feeds directly from No. 3, and it’s something I’ve had to learn the hard way as a coach. Did it really matter who the Giants’ punter was? Did anyone notice? Yeah, last night they did, the same way it matters that your kids are toeing lines and obeying your “Down!” commands in unison in the middle of August. Every little f-ing thing matters, even when you think it doesn’t. Every drill you run, every play you run on scout team, every meeting you have – it ALL leads to something, and if shit goes unchecked, it becomes HUGE in moments where it matters, like last night. Simply put, the team that pays attention to all those little details and gets them right, wins. I used to think head coaches were assholes for stopping my drills to yell at kids for not having their mouthpieces in or not toeing lines. I don’t anymore.

5. Even In the Big Time, It has to be Fun

Back in high school, I played basketball, and one of the things that soured me on the sport was how seriously everyone took it. It just wasn’t as much fun as football. I remember a play in high school that struck me as completely illogical. I don’t remember exactly what happened – I think the ball went off someone’s head and went in, or I threw a pass that ended up going in – but whatever it was, I ran back down the court laughing, because the shit was funny. Everyone was laughing. One of my assistant coaches (the “hardass” of the staff) called timeout, pulled me off the court and started screaming in my face asking me what the f–k I found so funny – because, of course, playing a f-ing high school sport is no laughing matter. It’s obviously supposed to be devoid of any and all possible enjoyment, right? That’s why we play sports! That, more than any other experience playing high school sports, ruined basketball for me. I didn’t want to play a sport where I was being coached by some asshole who was actually telling me I couldn’t smile or laugh during a game. Seriously? As an adult, I realize that dude must have had a GREAT marriage going.

Well, I may have been seeing things last night, but from the camera angles I saw on both sidelines right before overtime and the guys on the Giants actually looked like they were having fun. You saw guys laughing and smiling and enjoying the moment. Meanwhile, on the other side, the Niners, looked as tight as a drum. Who knows if that was the case? However, Fox captured some shots that, if they actually did match the tone on each sideline, were definitely telling. It didn’t look like the 49ers were having any fun – at all. When a sport is fun, it generates interest. When athletes are interested, they try harder. When they try harder, they play better. It’s that simple. Practice doesn’t have to be fun. It can royally suck. But if the GAMES aren’t fun, what’s the point? To me, the Giants proved that point last night.

Finally, when your offensive line is tired, RUN THE DAMNED BALL. I’ve always found it easier, when I’m shot, to move forward than to be asked to pass protect. There were several plays when I was begging for the Giants to just run the damn ball, but aside from that, there was a lot of good that came out of last week.

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