[BostonCard]

[quote author=Boston Card link=topic=13045.msg132759#msg132759 date=1444020413]

Asked after the game whether there had been any surprises, Arizona Coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters, “Nope.”

Sometimes unpredictability is overrated.

It is indeed.
However, there is rarely much reason to take a coach at his word - even if it is the other guys'.

[And however again, we were rather vanilla vs Arizona.]
[/quote]

I suppose it is true that if Rich Rod had been unprepared for what we sent him, he'd be loathe to admit it.  However, as you pointed out, we were fairly vanilla against Arizona.  Perhaps the only play that might qualify as a surprise would be having your back-up QB run as a lead blocker [pretty sure the poor DB that got Catoused wasn't expecting it], especially when your starter has a gimpy ankle.  Then again, the game was out of hand by then already.

I doubt Rich Rod was surprised by our playcalling.  We ran first, and with few exceptions only passed in clear passing situations (third and long).  What might have surprised him was how effective it was.  But I've said it several times and I will again, I'll take well-executed boring and predictable over poorly executed surprise any time.

BC

[BostonCard]

[quote author=Boston Card link=topic=13045.msg132759#msg132759 date=1444020413]

Asked after the game whether there had been any surprises, Arizona Coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters, “Nope.”

Sometimes unpredictability is overrated.

It is indeed.
However, there is rarely much reason to take a coach at his word - even if it is the other guys'.

[And however again, we were rather vanilla vs Arizona.]
[/quote]

I suppose it is true that if Rich Rod had been unprepared for what we sent him, he'd be loathe to admit it.  However, as you pointed out, we were fairly vanilla against Arizona.  Perhaps the only play that might qualify as a surprise would be having your back-up QB run as a lead blocker [pretty sure the poor DB that got Catoused wasn't expecting it], especially when your starter has a gimpy ankle.  Then again, the game was out of hand by then already.

I doubt Rich Rod was surprised by our playcalling.  We ran first, and with few exceptions only passed in clear passing situations (third and long).  What might have surprised him was how effective it was.  But I've said it several times and I will again, I'll take well-executed boring and predictable over poorly executed surprise any time.

BC