The Rockies start the day in 3rd place in the NL West at 21-19 and only 2 games behind the leading San Francisco Giants who come to town for a 4 game set at Coors, followed by the 2nd place Arizona Diamond backs for 3 games. Following this home stand the Rockies go to San Francisco for 3 more. That is 10 games against teams in front of them. If the Rockies are going to dispel any of the spring training predictions of languishing in the basement of the NL West, then the next 10 days are more important than originally expected.
The Rockies have stated to a man that they need to "dominate" at home, and that has to include the division rivals now sitting in front of them. A few sports writers have said the Rockies need to "show well" during this stretch, but I think that is underestimating the importance of this upcoming 10 game set. Fail to dominate, and the Rockies could find themselves juggling last place with the catatonic Dodgers. Dominate, and they can keep themselves relevant in the NL West and in contention for the long run. It may not be a make or break stretch, but it could very well be a break stretch that sends the Rockies into a tail spin that a lot of national sports prognosticators have been predicting.
Two things have to happen for the Rockies to "dominate" during this upcoming home stand.
First the Offense has to find it's stride and stop the Jekyll and Hyde approach that has seen them go multiple games trying to find a runner on base, to knocking around pitchers for one game so bad that you start to feel bad for the base ball. Consistency, and ability to hit with runners in scoring position has to improve. The top of the lineup with EY Jr, and Dexter Fowler have to get on base consistently. We don't need home runs by the top of the order but we need them on base causing the pitchers to actually pitch to the meat of our order. Cargo and Tulo have to drive those runs in consistently, not going 0 for 8 in one game followed by 8 for 10 in the next game.
Secondly, the starting pitching has to keep the game close for the offense to do it's job. Putting the offense in a hole before they even get up to bat has to be avoided. And they have to limit the damage in innings to prevent games from quickly getting away from them.
This is a big stretch, and the Rockies know it. Now we'll see if the mental toughness of the team is up to the task, or has the early season success been just a mirage to tease us into a sense of accomplishment.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Rockies 2013 view at the quarter pole.
If someone was to tell me that the Rockies would be flirting with 1st place in the NL West division, and the LA Dodgers would be settling into the basement of the division at the quarter point of the season, I would have asked for the mixture that was being passed around to drink. But that is exactly where we find things sitting at the current moment.
During spring training, new Rockies manager Walt Weiss and Hitting coach Dante Bichette wanted the Rockies to "dominate" at home, and be competitive on the road, and approach hitting with a swagger harking back to the "Blake Street Bombers" of the early and mid 90s.
As of this writing the Rockies are 9-5 at home, and 8-8 on the road. Pretty much the combination that Weiss wanted to project during spring training. The Rockies offense which many expected to be able to hit, has been everything that was advertised. They lead the NL in Runs scored, hits, triples, total bases, RBI, batting AVG, OBP percentage, SLG percentage, and OPS. And remember the Rockies have played 16 road games, and only 14 home games at this point.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly so far.
THE GOOD:
The offense. Except for some serious failures with RISP lately, the Rockies offense has been dominant, both on the road and at home. The addition of Nolan Arenado at 3B has added some much needed pop at the corner position, and makes the Rockies lineup a disaster waiting to happen for any pitcher from 1-8. The disturbing issue of hitting with runners in scoring position lately needs to be addressed, but overall the offense is doing what it was expected to do.
The Bullpen. The Rockies Bullpen has been outstanding especially at the back end. If the Rockies can make the game a 7 inning game, they have a chance to hold on most times for a win.
THE BAD:
The Rockies defense has shown holes so far this year. They currently sit in the middle of the pack of the NL in fielding percentage and have committed 18 errors so far this year. Though this is one of the "absolutes" that Walt Weiss has talked about during spring training, they may have plugged the biggest hole with the call up of Nolan Arenado at 3B. 8 of the 18 errors were committed by Rockies 3B not named Arenado prior to his call up. Arenado's range and arm significantly fixes the defensive problem at 3B. Watching his range to his right has surprised Tulo at times, who now doesn't have to cover the entire left side of the diamond on defense.
THE UGLY:
Can you say pitching? Are you surprised?
The Rockies starting pitching is average at best, and utterly over matched at times at worst. Jhoulys Chacin has been both dominant and average in his 5 starts posting a 3-2 record, but has gone 100 pitches only once in that span. John Garland has been workman like posting a 4-3 record. Jorge De La Rosa has been very good in 3 of his 4 wins, but woefully inconsistent in 3 other games putting up a 4-3 record. Jorge has yet to go past 6 innings as high pitch counts continue to plague him. Juan Nicasio has been the picture of inconsistent, having only gone 6 innings only once on the way to a 4-2 record, which is a bit misleading as the offense has bailed him out of a number of games. And last but not least is Jeff Francis, who at 2-4 has been even less consistent than Nicasio. Jeff's room for mistakes is so slim you can cut it with a strong breeze, has been progressively getting worse as the season has progressed. It almost reminds you of the fatal problems of Moyer last year.
The Rockies starting pitching has kept them in some games and blown up early in others. The key to the Rockies eventual position in the standings is going to still be dictated by their starting pitching.
The other pitching ugly: Wilton Lopez. Please for the sake of my sanity, please don't let him anywhere near the mound with the game in the balance. My stomach simply can't take the stress. :)
What it all Means?:
The Rockies are playing well, and the offense is carrying the team. The defense has been average, but has been improved with the addition of Arenado at 3B. If the Rox can get the game to the back end of the bull pen with a lead they have a better than average chance to put the game away.
The starting pitching is still suspect, and the season will hinge on whether the starting pitching can keep the Rox in games long enough for the offense to do it's thing.
It is still early.... don't get too high when they are winning, and don't get too low when they lose. 162 games is a marathon. One quarter of the season doesn't decide anything.
During spring training, new Rockies manager Walt Weiss and Hitting coach Dante Bichette wanted the Rockies to "dominate" at home, and be competitive on the road, and approach hitting with a swagger harking back to the "Blake Street Bombers" of the early and mid 90s.
As of this writing the Rockies are 9-5 at home, and 8-8 on the road. Pretty much the combination that Weiss wanted to project during spring training. The Rockies offense which many expected to be able to hit, has been everything that was advertised. They lead the NL in Runs scored, hits, triples, total bases, RBI, batting AVG, OBP percentage, SLG percentage, and OPS. And remember the Rockies have played 16 road games, and only 14 home games at this point.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly so far.
THE GOOD:
The offense. Except for some serious failures with RISP lately, the Rockies offense has been dominant, both on the road and at home. The addition of Nolan Arenado at 3B has added some much needed pop at the corner position, and makes the Rockies lineup a disaster waiting to happen for any pitcher from 1-8. The disturbing issue of hitting with runners in scoring position lately needs to be addressed, but overall the offense is doing what it was expected to do.
The Bullpen. The Rockies Bullpen has been outstanding especially at the back end. If the Rockies can make the game a 7 inning game, they have a chance to hold on most times for a win.
THE BAD:
The Rockies defense has shown holes so far this year. They currently sit in the middle of the pack of the NL in fielding percentage and have committed 18 errors so far this year. Though this is one of the "absolutes" that Walt Weiss has talked about during spring training, they may have plugged the biggest hole with the call up of Nolan Arenado at 3B. 8 of the 18 errors were committed by Rockies 3B not named Arenado prior to his call up. Arenado's range and arm significantly fixes the defensive problem at 3B. Watching his range to his right has surprised Tulo at times, who now doesn't have to cover the entire left side of the diamond on defense.
THE UGLY:
Can you say pitching? Are you surprised?
The Rockies starting pitching is average at best, and utterly over matched at times at worst. Jhoulys Chacin has been both dominant and average in his 5 starts posting a 3-2 record, but has gone 100 pitches only once in that span. John Garland has been workman like posting a 4-3 record. Jorge De La Rosa has been very good in 3 of his 4 wins, but woefully inconsistent in 3 other games putting up a 4-3 record. Jorge has yet to go past 6 innings as high pitch counts continue to plague him. Juan Nicasio has been the picture of inconsistent, having only gone 6 innings only once on the way to a 4-2 record, which is a bit misleading as the offense has bailed him out of a number of games. And last but not least is Jeff Francis, who at 2-4 has been even less consistent than Nicasio. Jeff's room for mistakes is so slim you can cut it with a strong breeze, has been progressively getting worse as the season has progressed. It almost reminds you of the fatal problems of Moyer last year.
The Rockies starting pitching has kept them in some games and blown up early in others. The key to the Rockies eventual position in the standings is going to still be dictated by their starting pitching.
The other pitching ugly: Wilton Lopez. Please for the sake of my sanity, please don't let him anywhere near the mound with the game in the balance. My stomach simply can't take the stress. :)
What it all Means?:
The Rockies are playing well, and the offense is carrying the team. The defense has been average, but has been improved with the addition of Arenado at 3B. If the Rox can get the game to the back end of the bull pen with a lead they have a better than average chance to put the game away.
The starting pitching is still suspect, and the season will hinge on whether the starting pitching can keep the Rox in games long enough for the offense to do it's thing.
It is still early.... don't get too high when they are winning, and don't get too low when they lose. 162 games is a marathon. One quarter of the season doesn't decide anything.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Rockies Reclamation Projects Continue
So far this off season the Colorado Rockies have made three free agent pitching signings. First they re-signed Jeff Francis to a 1 year deal to fill a veteran starting pitching role for a young and erratic starting pitching rotation that absolutely has to improve significantly if the Rockies are going to have any chance at contending this year. Last year Francis pitched 113 innings for the Rockies while going 6-7 in 24 starts with an ERA of 5.58. Nothing stellar, but considering the remaining cratered starting pitching rotation, it was a breath of consistency. Which led me to believe that it would be a no brainer for Francis to be resigned in the off season.
The Rockies have said that they will go with a traditional 5 man rotation this year instead of the failed 4 man rotation they experimented with late last year. However, the starting pitchers are expected to be be limited to probably (my guess here) 100 pitches. Which means starting pitchers will be barely going 6 innings more likely 5 on a consistent basis based on starting pitching pitch counts last year. This means there are going to be "Hybrid" pitchers needed to cover the gap between the 5th/6th inning and the 8th/9th inning where the Rockies bullpen appears to be strongest.
So to fill this "Hybrid" role the Rockies have gone out into the free agent market to acquire additional arms to compete in spring training for the role. But have they gotten any established bullpen arms to come in and compete? Have they looked for younger arms that could possibly fill the gaps needed for spot starters should a starting pitcher go down?
The answer to both questions is a resounding "NO". The Rockies continue their penchant for reclamation projects to fill the gaps in their pitching.
Secondly, they signed former Rockies closer Manny Corpas. Corpas is an additional year removed from his injury which kept him from pitching at all in 2011. He pitched a total of 46.2 innings for the Cubs last year in relief going 0-2 with a 5.01 ERA and 16 BB to 28 SO. Not exactly an innings eater, and definitely not someone who could bounce into the starting rotation should the need arise. But at only $800k minor league contract, it is a low risk, signing. My problem with the signing, is it is once again a flyer on a reclamation project, rather than a solid signing to fill a particular need on the pitching staff. The Rockies are once again "hoping" to strike gold without putting anything in the pot.
Lastly, the Rockies have signed 41 year old Miguel Batista. Does anyone remember the last time we brought a 40+ pitcher into Coors Field? Yeah me too.
Last year, Batista pitched 46.2 innings for the Mets, and 6 innings for the Braves in relief with a 4.61 ERA, and 33 BB to 36 SOs. Not exactly a recipe for success in Coors Field. Granted the signing is to be to a minor league contract with an invitation to the major league club spring training, thus very low risk. I have to look at this as another flyer on a reclamation project. And definitely not a signing that I expect to fill any real need other than another arm for spring training. The Rockies are once again "hoping" to strike gold without putting anything in the pot.
At some point, if the Rockies are serious about contending in the NL West they are going to have to do something other than "hope" a reclamation project comes through. They are going to have to put some money in the pot, in the form of realistically trading for "real" starting pitching. No free agent pitcher in their right mind will sign with Rockies regardless of the salary, so the only source for outside starting pitching is going to be through trade.
The problem I have, is I'm not sure I trust the Rockies front office right now to actually know how to trade for pitching. But that is just me.
Feel free to leave a comment. And you can follow me at twitter/patrickbwayne or on facebook/patrickbwayne.
The Rockies have said that they will go with a traditional 5 man rotation this year instead of the failed 4 man rotation they experimented with late last year. However, the starting pitchers are expected to be be limited to probably (my guess here) 100 pitches. Which means starting pitchers will be barely going 6 innings more likely 5 on a consistent basis based on starting pitching pitch counts last year. This means there are going to be "Hybrid" pitchers needed to cover the gap between the 5th/6th inning and the 8th/9th inning where the Rockies bullpen appears to be strongest.
So to fill this "Hybrid" role the Rockies have gone out into the free agent market to acquire additional arms to compete in spring training for the role. But have they gotten any established bullpen arms to come in and compete? Have they looked for younger arms that could possibly fill the gaps needed for spot starters should a starting pitcher go down?
The answer to both questions is a resounding "NO". The Rockies continue their penchant for reclamation projects to fill the gaps in their pitching.
Secondly, they signed former Rockies closer Manny Corpas. Corpas is an additional year removed from his injury which kept him from pitching at all in 2011. He pitched a total of 46.2 innings for the Cubs last year in relief going 0-2 with a 5.01 ERA and 16 BB to 28 SO. Not exactly an innings eater, and definitely not someone who could bounce into the starting rotation should the need arise. But at only $800k minor league contract, it is a low risk, signing. My problem with the signing, is it is once again a flyer on a reclamation project, rather than a solid signing to fill a particular need on the pitching staff. The Rockies are once again "hoping" to strike gold without putting anything in the pot.
Lastly, the Rockies have signed 41 year old Miguel Batista. Does anyone remember the last time we brought a 40+ pitcher into Coors Field? Yeah me too.
Last year, Batista pitched 46.2 innings for the Mets, and 6 innings for the Braves in relief with a 4.61 ERA, and 33 BB to 36 SOs. Not exactly a recipe for success in Coors Field. Granted the signing is to be to a minor league contract with an invitation to the major league club spring training, thus very low risk. I have to look at this as another flyer on a reclamation project. And definitely not a signing that I expect to fill any real need other than another arm for spring training. The Rockies are once again "hoping" to strike gold without putting anything in the pot.
At some point, if the Rockies are serious about contending in the NL West they are going to have to do something other than "hope" a reclamation project comes through. They are going to have to put some money in the pot, in the form of realistically trading for "real" starting pitching. No free agent pitcher in their right mind will sign with Rockies regardless of the salary, so the only source for outside starting pitching is going to be through trade.
The problem I have, is I'm not sure I trust the Rockies front office right now to actually know how to trade for pitching. But that is just me.
Feel free to leave a comment. And you can follow me at twitter/patrickbwayne or on facebook/patrickbwayne.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Looking at Rockies pre Spring Training
That deafening silence that has been coming from 20th and Blake over the off season has been the Rockies activity in the free agent market.
So far this off season the Rockies have made a total of two free agent signings. Jeff Francis was signed for a one year deal for $1.5 million. In addition, the Rockies made the big move to sign former closer Manny Corpas to a minor league contract. That is it. End of free agent activity to date.
I for one never expected the Rockies to make any large free agent splashes. But there were some in the Denver media who advocated opening the vault to try and land big name free agent pitchers. We all know how the signing of non Coors field experienced free agent pitchers has turned out over the years now don't we?
From my perspective, the Rockies have done exactly what I thought they would do over the off season so far. First get the new Manager and coaching staff in place, then get Francis re-signed, and then go to spring training to see if any of their current starting pitching prospects can step up and show some stability and improved command over last year's debacle.
Right now the starting rotation going into spring training figures to be 1) Jorge De La Rosa, 2) Jhoulys Chacin, 3) Jeff Francis, 4) Juan Nicasio, and finally 5) Drew Pomeranz. With Christian Friedrich who has only recently started pitching again since his injury, Tyler Chatwood, and probably Josh Outman competing for the final rotation spots with Nicasio and Pomeranz. I don't see any position player trades (i.e. Fowler) for starting pitching coming to fruition prior to spring training.
Don't look for the Rockies to make any positional trades prior to spring training either. While the last half of the year was a dismal slide into the standings abyss, one thing that did come out of it, is a bevy of young positional players who appear ready and more importantly able to step up to the big stage.
With Toddfather Helton returning for what is most likely his last season at 1st base, he has fair backup in Michael Cuddyer in the 2nd year of a 3 year contract, and Jordan Pacheco who hit a more than respectable .309 last year.
Everyone has their fingers crossed that Troy Tulowitzki is fully healed and will take his usual place at short stop, but should there be a problem, Josh Rutledge proved last year that he can handle the defensive position adequately, but also provide some offense with his .274 BA, 8 home runs, 5 triples, and 20 doubles last year. We also go into spring training with Johnathan Herrera as a solid backup at SS, and 2B as well.
With Josh Rutledge's season, last year he appears to be the starting second baseman, if Troy is back at full strength, with Herrera and DJ LeMahieu as most likely next on the depth charts there. Le Mahieu showed an ability to hit consistently with a .297 average last year, and a solid defender.
Third base appears to be the corner spot with the field wide open between Pacheco, Chris Nelson, and minor league prospect Nolan Arenado.
Catcher is locked up with Wilin Rosario as the starter, and Ramon Hernandez as his backup. The question will be whether Rosario can clean up his defense enough to keep him catching.
Outfield is a pretty interesting situation going into spring training, with Carlos Gonzalez entrenched in left field, and Dexter Fowler entrenched in center field, Cuddyer as the primary right fielder when not relieving Todd at 1st base, and Tyler Colvin, EY Jr, Charlie Blackmon, and Tim Wheeler fighting for utility outfield spots (of which there will probably only be 2 at most, and 1 most likely).
The Back end of the bullpen is set with Betancourt, Belisle, and Rex Brothers expected to handle the 8 through 9th inning work with Betancourt the closer again.
The rest of the bullpen looks to be a work in progress at this point with the losers in the final starting pitching rotation battle to fill in the "hybrid" rolls, along with Edwar Cabrera, Edgmer Escalona, and Adam Ottavino.
With the NL West expected to be one of the toughest divisions this coming year, with the Dodgers spending like the Yankees of old, and the defending world champion Giants moving to improve. The Rockies are going to have their work cut out for them to have any chance at making the playoffs.
Don't look for much more in the way of trades or free agent signings though. The Rockies are going with what they have. The pitching is going to have to get tremendously better than last year, and the offense is going to have to out slug the opponents especially at home. It looks to be an interesting spring training as new manager Walt Weiss and new hitting coach Dante Bichette try and instill a little of the old Blake Street Bomber's swagger back into this young club.
Feel free to leave a comment. And you can follow me at twitter/patrickbwayne or on facebook/patrickbwayne.
So far this off season the Rockies have made a total of two free agent signings. Jeff Francis was signed for a one year deal for $1.5 million. In addition, the Rockies made the big move to sign former closer Manny Corpas to a minor league contract. That is it. End of free agent activity to date.
I for one never expected the Rockies to make any large free agent splashes. But there were some in the Denver media who advocated opening the vault to try and land big name free agent pitchers. We all know how the signing of non Coors field experienced free agent pitchers has turned out over the years now don't we?
From my perspective, the Rockies have done exactly what I thought they would do over the off season so far. First get the new Manager and coaching staff in place, then get Francis re-signed, and then go to spring training to see if any of their current starting pitching prospects can step up and show some stability and improved command over last year's debacle.
Right now the starting rotation going into spring training figures to be 1) Jorge De La Rosa, 2) Jhoulys Chacin, 3) Jeff Francis, 4) Juan Nicasio, and finally 5) Drew Pomeranz. With Christian Friedrich who has only recently started pitching again since his injury, Tyler Chatwood, and probably Josh Outman competing for the final rotation spots with Nicasio and Pomeranz. I don't see any position player trades (i.e. Fowler) for starting pitching coming to fruition prior to spring training.
Don't look for the Rockies to make any positional trades prior to spring training either. While the last half of the year was a dismal slide into the standings abyss, one thing that did come out of it, is a bevy of young positional players who appear ready and more importantly able to step up to the big stage.
With Toddfather Helton returning for what is most likely his last season at 1st base, he has fair backup in Michael Cuddyer in the 2nd year of a 3 year contract, and Jordan Pacheco who hit a more than respectable .309 last year.
Everyone has their fingers crossed that Troy Tulowitzki is fully healed and will take his usual place at short stop, but should there be a problem, Josh Rutledge proved last year that he can handle the defensive position adequately, but also provide some offense with his .274 BA, 8 home runs, 5 triples, and 20 doubles last year. We also go into spring training with Johnathan Herrera as a solid backup at SS, and 2B as well.
With Josh Rutledge's season, last year he appears to be the starting second baseman, if Troy is back at full strength, with Herrera and DJ LeMahieu as most likely next on the depth charts there. Le Mahieu showed an ability to hit consistently with a .297 average last year, and a solid defender.
Third base appears to be the corner spot with the field wide open between Pacheco, Chris Nelson, and minor league prospect Nolan Arenado.
Catcher is locked up with Wilin Rosario as the starter, and Ramon Hernandez as his backup. The question will be whether Rosario can clean up his defense enough to keep him catching.
Outfield is a pretty interesting situation going into spring training, with Carlos Gonzalez entrenched in left field, and Dexter Fowler entrenched in center field, Cuddyer as the primary right fielder when not relieving Todd at 1st base, and Tyler Colvin, EY Jr, Charlie Blackmon, and Tim Wheeler fighting for utility outfield spots (of which there will probably only be 2 at most, and 1 most likely).
The Back end of the bullpen is set with Betancourt, Belisle, and Rex Brothers expected to handle the 8 through 9th inning work with Betancourt the closer again.
The rest of the bullpen looks to be a work in progress at this point with the losers in the final starting pitching rotation battle to fill in the "hybrid" rolls, along with Edwar Cabrera, Edgmer Escalona, and Adam Ottavino.
With the NL West expected to be one of the toughest divisions this coming year, with the Dodgers spending like the Yankees of old, and the defending world champion Giants moving to improve. The Rockies are going to have their work cut out for them to have any chance at making the playoffs.
Don't look for much more in the way of trades or free agent signings though. The Rockies are going with what they have. The pitching is going to have to get tremendously better than last year, and the offense is going to have to out slug the opponents especially at home. It looks to be an interesting spring training as new manager Walt Weiss and new hitting coach Dante Bichette try and instill a little of the old Blake Street Bomber's swagger back into this young club.
Feel free to leave a comment. And you can follow me at twitter/patrickbwayne or on facebook/patrickbwayne.
Monday, January 14, 2013
A tale of 31 seconds
Last night the Atlanta Falcons squandered a 20 point lead to the determined and gutsy Seattle Seahawks and fell behind 28-27 with only 31 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter with one time out.
The previous afternoon/evening, the Denver Broncos squandered a 7 point lead to a determined Baltimore Ravens team and were tied 35-35 with only 31 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter with two time outs.
A tale of 31 seconds and the mentality of needing to play to win separated the Falcons and Broncos and determined that the Falcons would advance to the NFC championship game, and that the Broncos would be packing their lockers and going home instead of playing in the AFC championship game.
The Falcons playing to win used the 31 seconds to drive to a game winning 49 yard FG with only 8 seconds remaining in regulation to hold off the Seahawks and advance to the championship game.
The Broncos playing not to lose squandered the 31 seconds and two timeouts to take a knee and let the game go to overtime where they would eventually lose 38-35 on a Raven's FG in the second overtime.
There is an old saying in Baseball that Jim Tracy used to remind us about during his tenure as Rockies manager. "Play to win in 9 innings". Which translated means you take all the shots you can to win the game during regulation, because in extra innings or in this case over time, anything can happen.
The Broncos, having one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and an experienced accurate field goal kicker in Praeter, decided to take a knee and not be aggressive with their 31 seconds of regulation. And they payed for it.
In the end the outcome very well might have been the same. But to not take the opportunity with a future hall of fame quarterback and one of the best kickers in football, speaks volumes about the mentality of the Broncos coaching staff. "Play it safe". During the Broncos 11 game winning streak they were never challenged except during the San Diego comeback, and they played aggressive offensive football during the second half of that game. When it came time to need to play aggressive again in the playoffs, the Broncos coaching staff turned into a turtle and hid in a shell.
Maybe the Broncos needed Jim Tracy on the sideline Saturday instead of John Fox.
Feel free to leave a comment. And you can follow me at twitter/patrickbwayne or on facebook/patrickbwayne.
The previous afternoon/evening, the Denver Broncos squandered a 7 point lead to a determined Baltimore Ravens team and were tied 35-35 with only 31 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter with two time outs.
A tale of 31 seconds and the mentality of needing to play to win separated the Falcons and Broncos and determined that the Falcons would advance to the NFC championship game, and that the Broncos would be packing their lockers and going home instead of playing in the AFC championship game.
The Falcons playing to win used the 31 seconds to drive to a game winning 49 yard FG with only 8 seconds remaining in regulation to hold off the Seahawks and advance to the championship game.
The Broncos playing not to lose squandered the 31 seconds and two timeouts to take a knee and let the game go to overtime where they would eventually lose 38-35 on a Raven's FG in the second overtime.
There is an old saying in Baseball that Jim Tracy used to remind us about during his tenure as Rockies manager. "Play to win in 9 innings". Which translated means you take all the shots you can to win the game during regulation, because in extra innings or in this case over time, anything can happen.
The Broncos, having one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and an experienced accurate field goal kicker in Praeter, decided to take a knee and not be aggressive with their 31 seconds of regulation. And they payed for it.
In the end the outcome very well might have been the same. But to not take the opportunity with a future hall of fame quarterback and one of the best kickers in football, speaks volumes about the mentality of the Broncos coaching staff. "Play it safe". During the Broncos 11 game winning streak they were never challenged except during the San Diego comeback, and they played aggressive offensive football during the second half of that game. When it came time to need to play aggressive again in the playoffs, the Broncos coaching staff turned into a turtle and hid in a shell.
Maybe the Broncos needed Jim Tracy on the sideline Saturday instead of John Fox.
Feel free to leave a comment. And you can follow me at twitter/patrickbwayne or on facebook/patrickbwayne.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Broncos lose in 2OT 38-35 Out of Playoffs
The Broncos may have officially lost their AFC Divisional playoff game on a FG by Tucker in the second overtime, but the game was lost long before that kick.
The Broncos defense simply could not pressure Flacco during the entire game. The only sack of the game came in OT.
The Broncos failed to adjust to the torching of Champ Bailey by Torrey Smith. A match up that Baltimore was determined to take advantage of, and did frequently. Smith had 2 TDs against Bailey and should have had 3 if Flacco had not overthrown a wide open Smith on another play.
The Broncos after the half played tight on offense. As the game got closer to the end of regulation, the tighter the Broncos played offensively. When they needed just one more first down to ice the game, the Broncos acted like they still had Tim Tebow as QB instead of Payton Manning, and simply ran the ball three times up the middle and punted, playing offense not to lose instead of playing to win.
Even after the Ravens succeeded in going 74 yards on a Hail Mary pass that Rahim Moore completely misplayed and tied the game. The Broncos had 31 seconds and two timeouts, and rather than give Manning any opportunity to try and pull the win out in regulation, simply had him take a knee and go to overtime.
The Ravens and Flacco played loose and took chances to try and win. The Broncos played tight, and played not to lose.
Peyton Manning has now lost his 1st start of a postseason for the 8th time. No other starting QB in the Super Bowl Era has done that more than 4 times. But this loss isn't just on Peyton. The whole club played tight, and it showed in the end.
The Ravens wanted to win more than the Broncos didn't want to lose.
The Broncos defense simply could not pressure Flacco during the entire game. The only sack of the game came in OT.
The Broncos failed to adjust to the torching of Champ Bailey by Torrey Smith. A match up that Baltimore was determined to take advantage of, and did frequently. Smith had 2 TDs against Bailey and should have had 3 if Flacco had not overthrown a wide open Smith on another play.
The Broncos after the half played tight on offense. As the game got closer to the end of regulation, the tighter the Broncos played offensively. When they needed just one more first down to ice the game, the Broncos acted like they still had Tim Tebow as QB instead of Payton Manning, and simply ran the ball three times up the middle and punted, playing offense not to lose instead of playing to win.
Even after the Ravens succeeded in going 74 yards on a Hail Mary pass that Rahim Moore completely misplayed and tied the game. The Broncos had 31 seconds and two timeouts, and rather than give Manning any opportunity to try and pull the win out in regulation, simply had him take a knee and go to overtime.
The Ravens and Flacco played loose and took chances to try and win. The Broncos played tight, and played not to lose.
Peyton Manning has now lost his 1st start of a postseason for the 8th time. No other starting QB in the Super Bowl Era has done that more than 4 times. But this loss isn't just on Peyton. The whole club played tight, and it showed in the end.
The Ravens wanted to win more than the Broncos didn't want to lose.
Friday, January 11, 2013
First of the Year Ramblings for 2013
Hope everyone had a safe and satisfying new year.
Time for the old grump to get back to writing some things and letting a little steam off on some subjects that have either bothered me or annoyed me the last few months.
First a little Tebow ranting:
I can think of no other sports figure that has been subjected to such vile hatred by the sports media establishment as Tim Tebow. Merril Hoge recently ran amok at the mouth contending that Tebow was nothing more than a fraud and miscreant based on "anonymous" sources who said he "opted out" of the wildcat package in the Jet's next to last regular season game. Hoge even went so far as to explain that Denver was much better off with Peyton Manning than they would have been with Tebow. OMG.... who would in their right mind compares a 3rd year player to a sixteen year first round HOF NFL quarterback? Of course Denver is better off this year. But last year the Broncos wouldn't have even sniffed the playoffs without Tebow taking over the offense and getting them past the first round. Oh wait, I forget actual playing success is irrelevant when talking about Tebow.
I still have no idea where all the outright hatred of Tebow comes from. Is he a prototypical drop back passer with unerring accuracy? Absolutely not. But then there are only a handful of QBs in the NFL who are. Does he have a hitch in his throwing motion that makes him take a tic longer to get rid of the ball than other quarterbacks? Absolutely. But then have you seen Philip River's throwing motion? or Blane Gabbert's? Only three current quarterbacks have "perfect" throwing motions and two of them are going to the NFL HOF when they are done playing, and the other is just a rookie.
When Tebow was drafted all the NFL experts said the "read option" would not succeed in the NFL and that no team would design their entire offense around a "running" quarterback. Has anyone happened to notice what has been going on in Washington, Seattle, and Carolina this year? And two of those teams made the playoffs. Can we get a reset from the brilliant NFL experts?
Will Tebow be a HOF quarterback? Probably not. Can he be a manageable NFL quarterback? Possibly. But to be given the chance is the key. Someone has to quit listening to all the NFL media experts and judge his capacity to play based off of his ability and performance. And last I looked that was 8-5 as a starting quarterback with a playoff win.
Rockies search for Starting Pitching:
So far we have a new manager in Walt Weiss, and a new hitting coach in Dante Bichette. Two team mates from the old "Blake Street Bombers" of the early 1990's Rockies. But the front office while continually saying that starting pitching needs to improve have done relatively little if anything to bolster the starting rotation. The signing of Jeff Francis to a one year deal was expected and he will probably solidify the 4th or 5th position in the rotation. But, other than that, there has been nothing done to fix a starting rotation that was abysmal at best last year.
Rumors have circulated that the Rockies would trade Dexter Fowler, but the price would be too high for teams to bite. My problem is I don't have faith in the Rockies front office to get any kind of starting pitching that would be viable at Denver for the loss of one of our young key position players.
I fully expect the Rockies to head to spring training with the starting pitching they currently have in place with possibly one or two veteran "rebuilding" projects thrown into the low risk signing bucket.
Did something happen in Hockey?
About the only thing the Mayans were right about ending in 2012 was the death of the NHL. Once again the one sport that can't afford to lose fans, managed to kill itself with self inflicted wounds. When a report says 95% of Canadians didn't care if there was a NHL season or not, you aren't in a position to take a year off.
The problem with the LA Lakers:
The Lakers are 15-20 and on their second coach of the year, and people can't figure out what the problem is with them. It is simple folks. The Lakers are old and slow and can't play defense. Don't look for the Lakers to make the playoffs this year.
Broncos division playoff prediction:
The Broncos should win the game against the Ravens if two things happen. First the Broncos have to contain the Raven's running game like they did in the last meeting. Second, they need to get ahead early and simply not turn over the ball. Game time temperature expected to be around 20 degrees and a little breezy. Ball control is going to be the key. Broncos 24 Ravens 17.
Well that is it for this first installment of the new year. Feel free to leave a comment. And you can follow me at twitter/patrickbwayne or on facebook/patrickbwayne.
Time for the old grump to get back to writing some things and letting a little steam off on some subjects that have either bothered me or annoyed me the last few months.
First a little Tebow ranting:
I can think of no other sports figure that has been subjected to such vile hatred by the sports media establishment as Tim Tebow. Merril Hoge recently ran amok at the mouth contending that Tebow was nothing more than a fraud and miscreant based on "anonymous" sources who said he "opted out" of the wildcat package in the Jet's next to last regular season game. Hoge even went so far as to explain that Denver was much better off with Peyton Manning than they would have been with Tebow. OMG.... who would in their right mind compares a 3rd year player to a sixteen year first round HOF NFL quarterback? Of course Denver is better off this year. But last year the Broncos wouldn't have even sniffed the playoffs without Tebow taking over the offense and getting them past the first round. Oh wait, I forget actual playing success is irrelevant when talking about Tebow.
I still have no idea where all the outright hatred of Tebow comes from. Is he a prototypical drop back passer with unerring accuracy? Absolutely not. But then there are only a handful of QBs in the NFL who are. Does he have a hitch in his throwing motion that makes him take a tic longer to get rid of the ball than other quarterbacks? Absolutely. But then have you seen Philip River's throwing motion? or Blane Gabbert's? Only three current quarterbacks have "perfect" throwing motions and two of them are going to the NFL HOF when they are done playing, and the other is just a rookie.
When Tebow was drafted all the NFL experts said the "read option" would not succeed in the NFL and that no team would design their entire offense around a "running" quarterback. Has anyone happened to notice what has been going on in Washington, Seattle, and Carolina this year? And two of those teams made the playoffs. Can we get a reset from the brilliant NFL experts?
Will Tebow be a HOF quarterback? Probably not. Can he be a manageable NFL quarterback? Possibly. But to be given the chance is the key. Someone has to quit listening to all the NFL media experts and judge his capacity to play based off of his ability and performance. And last I looked that was 8-5 as a starting quarterback with a playoff win.
Rockies search for Starting Pitching:
So far we have a new manager in Walt Weiss, and a new hitting coach in Dante Bichette. Two team mates from the old "Blake Street Bombers" of the early 1990's Rockies. But the front office while continually saying that starting pitching needs to improve have done relatively little if anything to bolster the starting rotation. The signing of Jeff Francis to a one year deal was expected and he will probably solidify the 4th or 5th position in the rotation. But, other than that, there has been nothing done to fix a starting rotation that was abysmal at best last year.
Rumors have circulated that the Rockies would trade Dexter Fowler, but the price would be too high for teams to bite. My problem is I don't have faith in the Rockies front office to get any kind of starting pitching that would be viable at Denver for the loss of one of our young key position players.
I fully expect the Rockies to head to spring training with the starting pitching they currently have in place with possibly one or two veteran "rebuilding" projects thrown into the low risk signing bucket.
Did something happen in Hockey?
About the only thing the Mayans were right about ending in 2012 was the death of the NHL. Once again the one sport that can't afford to lose fans, managed to kill itself with self inflicted wounds. When a report says 95% of Canadians didn't care if there was a NHL season or not, you aren't in a position to take a year off.
The problem with the LA Lakers:
The Lakers are 15-20 and on their second coach of the year, and people can't figure out what the problem is with them. It is simple folks. The Lakers are old and slow and can't play defense. Don't look for the Lakers to make the playoffs this year.
Broncos division playoff prediction:
The Broncos should win the game against the Ravens if two things happen. First the Broncos have to contain the Raven's running game like they did in the last meeting. Second, they need to get ahead early and simply not turn over the ball. Game time temperature expected to be around 20 degrees and a little breezy. Ball control is going to be the key. Broncos 24 Ravens 17.
Well that is it for this first installment of the new year. Feel free to leave a comment. And you can follow me at twitter/patrickbwayne or on facebook/patrickbwayne.
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