- Joined
- May 25, 2013
- Messages
- 1,294
Going into an essential late season game against a clearly inferior opponent, I believe it's disingenuous to recognize it as anything otherwise. This idea that anything can happen is obviously true, but rarely motivating which is why upsets occur all the time.
To me, the more transparent mindset would be that we expect to be better, but that's broken down to a more granular approach. If we are a better team, we should win every rep. As a player, I should win every rep. I only care about the next rep. That rep only wins if I'm more mentally focused on this play than my opponent. I've already visualized this play and it's possibilities...I'm ready....go!
What differentiates this team from previous iterations, in my opinion, is an improved consistency in execution. Other players and teams get their wins too, and coaches as well as players make bone-headed decisions which are inevitable. Sean started it by morphing his system into one that has more effective solutions to the problems defenses can present. Raheem took Staley's defensive base and outperformed its creator in developing other layers that incorporate the principles of other defensive concepts. Stafford, Shelton, Williams, Kupp, Donald, Jones, and Lake were prepared to implement the plan before the season started and it filtered to the others as well as the season progressed. I celebrated the fun of this team and though I believe it's important and something they should lean on in the playoffs, for this one game alone...I don't want celebrations. I would want focus on the next play.
Nobody on the team knows me so I'm just a fan hundreds of miles away. But I'm still looking for this focus and consistency to grow.
To me, the more transparent mindset would be that we expect to be better, but that's broken down to a more granular approach. If we are a better team, we should win every rep. As a player, I should win every rep. I only care about the next rep. That rep only wins if I'm more mentally focused on this play than my opponent. I've already visualized this play and it's possibilities...I'm ready....go!
What differentiates this team from previous iterations, in my opinion, is an improved consistency in execution. Other players and teams get their wins too, and coaches as well as players make bone-headed decisions which are inevitable. Sean started it by morphing his system into one that has more effective solutions to the problems defenses can present. Raheem took Staley's defensive base and outperformed its creator in developing other layers that incorporate the principles of other defensive concepts. Stafford, Shelton, Williams, Kupp, Donald, Jones, and Lake were prepared to implement the plan before the season started and it filtered to the others as well as the season progressed. I celebrated the fun of this team and though I believe it's important and something they should lean on in the playoffs, for this one game alone...I don't want celebrations. I would want focus on the next play.
Nobody on the team knows me so I'm just a fan hundreds of miles away. But I'm still looking for this focus and consistency to grow.
