I'm so done with Fitzpatrick and Gailey. We can't stretch the field with the "Keeper of the Fetus Arm" as my friends and I have taken to calling him. Did anyone catch that 5 yard pass on either our first or second drive over the middle he threw GROSSLY behind the receiver? If a QB can't even make that throw, how is he expected to throw deep outs, dig routs, post corners, even short outs? In order to throw with any velocity he needs to just about throw his back out to do it. It's so horrible and unnatural. The decision making is mostly better than whatever we've had in the past decade, but that's not hard considering some of the brain-dead morons we've started in the position over that time period. Saying he makes better decisions than JP Losman is like saying sleeping on an air mattress on a floor is better than a bed of nails.
I completely disagree that this line is a problem. Perhaps this week with a whole gaggle of undrafted rookies doing the duty, OK, but the starters and even the first group of backups are all quality lineman. They play really good heads up against the run and realistically do a very good job protecting a QB to get through is first couple reads. Too often Fitz takes too long to make his decision and eventually the blocking breaks down. I didn't see many jailbreaks this week despite the rookies.
If you put a top-tier quarterback on this team they would have made the playoffs. No doubt in my mind. The rest of the supporting cast is good enough. A run to the superbowl? I doubt it, but the playoff drought would have been broken.
And Chan needs to get out of his own way. He over-thinks things WAY too much, and his game management is abysmal. How CJ only has 7 carries, I have NO idea. Especially when he averages 6 yards a carry. I don't care if they put the entire GD defense on the line... Go pop-warner on them and run it anyway. He's your best player and it's inexcusable to not put the ball in his hands. And for Christ sake, he's a PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE. He's not WINDED after a 12 yard run! Keep him in the GD game. If he runs half the field, OK you can spell him for a play, but it should be HIS call, not the head coach's.
And Chan's game management is ridiculous. He's like a lost puppy in end-of-time and big-game scenarios. This week alone, why did we kick a fieldgoal at the end of the first half on 3rd town leaving time still on the clock? why not run the clock down so you don't have to risk kicking off afterwards? Does no-one remember 1999!?!??!?!? And why in the name of all that is Holy is Lindell on the team? If you don't trust him to kick a 52 yard field goal when there is virtually no wind in the stadium, just cut him and start doing tryouts. Moreover, don't send out the kicking team on 4th and 3, have a brain fart, realize you don't want that, call a timeout and then PUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here's a thought, you're in the basement of your division with nothing to loose. GO FOR IT. What do you have to loose? Oh and that timeout you wasted? That could have been great at the end of the game allowing you to throw over the middle some more to get into fieldgoal range. Infuriating. Week after week I'm loosing my mind at his late game and bit-moment decisions.
