Throwing over the middle of the field

There may be some truth to this.

But it's also true that there was no way to coach the offense we had post Ben to be able to win in shoot outs with teams like KC or the Bills. We had little to no business being in the playoffs with any of the post-Ben teams. But the ultra-boring system we ran let other teams beat themselves and we squeaked our way in.

This was Tomlin doing the thing he was hired to do. Focus exclusively on the now. Don't worry about the medium term. Get to the playoffs. Or at least don't play meaningless regular season games.

We've been pretty "meh" for a pretty long time now. But at least seasons were still enjoyable. Imagine being a team in Ohio, where it's the norm to be out of the playoff hunt by the bye.

I'd rather we try to rebuild. But the guy that owns the team seems to hate the idea.

 

Also some truth in what you wrote. But while we may not be able to win in a shoot out with KC or Buffalo without a star QB, I think you owe it to the players to go into those games with something a little different than the regular season playing not-to-lose strategy. Without Ben, we haven't been able to put up more than 17 points in a wildcard playoff game. Wilson and Rodgers should be able to put up 21+ in the right offense.

And when you have the highest paid defense in the league and a head coach who is supposed to specialize in defense, you should be able to hold a wildcard playoff team to under 30 points in more than 1 of your past 6 appearances.

And finally, while Rooney might hate the idea of rebuilding, it's now happening regardless. This will be Rodgers last hurrah and we have a head coach who's capable of developing a young QB. We will soon be very much rebuilt since Ben left us.

 

I think you're right about Rodgers re: should have been able to score more points. And think we probably would have scored more if we didn't draw a team with an elite D. In 2025, Houston had the lowest yards allowed, 6th lowest passing yards allowed, 4th lowest rushing yards allowed, 2nd lowest ppg. If he was in his prime, this is a different game IMO. But that's years in the rear view for Rodgers.

I think you're wrong about expecting more from Wilson. Wilson played his best post-Seahawks football when he was with the Steelers. Which was OK, but not great. Really only good at one thing (moon ball). But could also complete the dink and dunk stuff. I think he went down hill pretty hard with us after the fumble in Baltimore. Would have liked to have seen Fields at the end of the regular season into the playoffs because he at least had a thing that would make defenses worry. Had 3 starts after he left the Steelers...all losses. Then got benched. Then retired. Basically: Payton thought he was trash and got rid of him. Thought he was so bad that he was hoping to play against him. Tomlin was thankful to get him after Mitch/Kenny/Mason and got him to play OK, then Daboll benched him after less than a month.

I agree that the D hasn't played up to expectations in the playoffs recently, but I think using points isn't a great way to show it (but it's the thing the talking heads talk about because they only look at the top line). It's important to remember that our offense has scored a lot of points for the other team in recent playoff games: e.g. the D only gave up 16 points against HOU. The offense also couldn't stay on the field in several of these games (either can't get first downs or have large number of turnovers...probably both in some cases).

Aside from the HOU game (where the D played well enough to win...giving up 16 points and generating 2 turnovers), these were total team losses IMO. With the O scoring for the wrong team several times.

 

What you did in college has no bearing on what you can do in the NFL.
Are You trying to tell me we never threw to the middle of the field when Ben was in his prime, or we never had a top 10, hell a top 3 scoring offense while Tomlin was the HC??
Hell Trubisky threw to the middle of the field all the time when he was here, and he also had almost every int was into the middle of the field. Its cool to love what we maybe doing this year, but people don't have to act like we never did those things before

 

All it is is people that don't know what the hell they are seeing hearing others say it, and it fits what they want to believe so they repeat it.

 

In 2024 and 2025 season games, with Wilson and Rodgers.... the play-by-play analysts would post a chart on where the balls were thrown on the field. I'd say about 90% of the throws by Wilson and Rodgers were outside the numbers. This is fact. Charts don't lie.

 

Are You high, or did you forget how many games Rodgers won the 3 years before he came here, or the fact that Wilson lost his job as soon as he left here, so why didn't those coaches get more out of them??

 

So the chart that is showing above is a lie??

 

No... most passes by Wilson and Rodgers were outside the numbers painted on the field. Which means... mostly sideline area throws, nowhere near the middle of the field.

 

LoL. Nobody throws to the middle of the field more than they do outside. Nobody.
I tell you what show me a real passing chart of the whole season of any NFL team that has more middle of the field past 10 yards throws than outside.
Nobody has said that our offense hasn't been great, but to act like in the History of Tomlin we have never thrown to the middle of three field, or had a top 10, even top 3 scoring offense is literally not true.

 

Brady, Stafford, Burrow, BEN, throw/threw sh!t tons of passes to the middle of the field.

 

Yes Ben did . I already said that.

 

JEH literally posted the 2025 chart for Rodgers on page 1 of this very thread!

When you look at it, you should be able to see that your premise that 90% of Rodgers' passes were outside the numbers is incorrect. As you say, chart's don't lie.

I'll post it here too since you seem to have missed it. A lot of passes behind the line - I'd imaging a lot of these are Gainwell (and Warren). And a lot of routes that are likely quick in-breaking routes that get the WR in the first 3-5 yards...before they cross over the middle.



Edited to add: My guess is that the chart for Wilson for 2024 would look more like you are describing with a lot of the outside moon balls. And not much over the middle (I think he was kind of known for not throwing over the middle because he's 5'11" (or that's what he's listed at, which probably means he's shorter than that).

 

Looks like a sh!t ton of passes outside the numbers to me.

 

and below 5 yards and even below the blue line!

 

Further to the ETA above...here's Wilson's chart from 2024. I assume this is his full season with us because the attempts / completions numbers at the bottom of the image are the same as what PFR says for his whole season.

 

Yes

I remember someone posting clickbait and many posters just ran with it

Tell lies get elected

 

Nowhere near 90% outside the numbers.

Again...the big take away from that chart is so many passes behind the LoS or within the first 5-10 yards IMO.

Hard to know for sure without seeing data from across the league, but I bet we had some of the fewest attempted and completed air yards. I think this is at least partly a consequence of having an old QB who didn't trust his protection (especially early in the year). Especially because that QB is still very good at pre-snap reads so he knows where to get the ball early and puts it there.

Ben was like this late in his career too. And it was crazy to see Ben go from Prime Ben to Alex Smith-like.

 

To go with the **** ton inside the numbers

 

We really should have a sad face emojii.

Of course the statement "tell lies, lose election" is also 100% true. Because anytime any of them is speaking, we can be pretty sure they are lying.

 

People don't want truth they want feelings. The truth burns them.

 

They don't want truth.

 

Not many pass over 10 yards in the middle of the field,who is my biggest complain

 

Like the belief that Tomlin is somehow, some way a better coach than McVay.

 

Particularly when compared to the common perception.

Thanks for posting this. Like many, I assumed there would be fewer passes inside the hashes too.