The myth of "halftime adjustments"

[feltdizz]

Yinz are implying it's like they draw up new plays at halftime as the adjustments but it can be something as simple as 'hey, we're gonna run more on first downs '. The same plays just called in different sequence.

but we like to talk about it like the team is sitting down in front of white boards and scheming up a second half.

I think its ongoing during the game and not really done at halftime like we want to believe.

[WindyCitySteel]

Yinz are implying it's like they draw up new plays at halftime as the adjustments but it can be something as simple as 'hey, we're gonna run more on first downs '. The same plays just called in different sequence.

That's a good point, it was kind of a strawman assuming HA meant new gameplan.

[T.Ferguson]

It's almost like fans forget the last Steeler game they saw. The Steelers went from scoring 20 points in one half to essentially 3 points the following half at home. Did the team just execute poorly in the second half? Or maybe Tomlin wanted to slow the game down and in the process screwed over his team. I think the Mannings are talking about something different, I mean teams clearly adjust throughout a game including at halftime.

[NorthCoast]

No adjustments at half time;

Scoring defense ranks pts/gm (rank)

	1st_Half	2nd_Half
Steelers	14.3 (29th)	10.1 (15th)
Bengals	13.3 (27th)	7.9 (4th)

Bengals shut down KC twice last season after the half, limiting them to a FG.

Some big changes for 'just executing better'.

[feltdizz]

It's almost like fans forget the last Steeler game they saw. The Steelers went from scoring 20 points in one half to essentially 3 points the following half at home. Did the team just execute poorly in the second half? Or maybe Tomlin wanted to slow the game down and in the process screwed over his team. I think the Mannings are talking about something different, I mean teams clearly adjust throughout a game including at halftime.

3 and out.. first series was a waste.

2nd series Sims catches a punt inside the 5. Big mistake.

We had nice field position on the next drive I think but a sack for -10 yards doesn’t help things.

Next series we have a hold and a false start. We need 25 yards for a first down after a nice gain.

I think it was mental errors and more pressure by the Bengals and we didn’t handle it well.

[Steel Maniac]

No adjustments at half time;

Scoring defense ranks pts/gm (rank)

	1st_Half	2nd_Half
Steelers	14.3 (29th)	10.1 (15th)
Bengals	13.3 (27th)	7.9 (4th)

Bengals shut down KC twice last season after the half, limiting them to a FG.

Some big changes for 'just executing better'.

Bingo!!! Money post!

[T.Ferguson]

3 and out.. first series was a waste.

2nd series Sims catches a punt inside the 5. Big mistake.

We had nice field position on the next drive I think but a sack for -10 yards doesn’t help things.

Next series we have a hold and a false start. We need 25 yards for a first down after a nice gain.

I think it was mental errors and more pressure by the Bengals and we didn’t handle it well.

Can you just admit the coaches didn't do a good job in the second half of that game? It's ok to say there were some mental mistakes (as always with this team it seems like) as well as saying the coaches didn't do a good job of putting the players in positions to succeed.

[feltdizz]

Can you just admit the coaches didn't do a good job in the second half of that game? It's ok to say there were some mental mistakes (as always with this team it seems like) as well as saying the coaches didn't do a good job of putting the players in positions to succeed.

sure.. the mental mistakes are part
of coaching.

Also not a fan of some of the way we defended Higgins.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Best half time adjustments. Limit mistakes and execute better.

[feltdizz]

No adjustments at half time;

Scoring defense ranks pts/gm (rank)

	1st_Half	2nd_Half
Steelers	14.3 (29th)	10.1 (15th)
Bengals	13.3 (27th)	7.9 (4th)

Bengals shut down KC twice last season after the half, limiting them to a FG.

Some big changes for 'just executing better'.

I don’t think the Bengals made “halftime adjustments” but moreso they followed the gameplan others used last year to frustrate Mahommes. They rushed 4 in the first half. In the second half they rushed 3 and used the 4th guy as a spy..

I think it was execution.

Why couldn’t the Bengals make halftime adjustments vs the Browns a few weeks ago? Maybe the key to beating the Bengals is to run the ball effectively instead of trying to win a shootout?

[BURGH86STEEL]

I don’t think the Bengals made “halftime adjustments” but moreso they followed the gameplan others used last year to frustrate Mahommes. They rushed 4 in the first half. In the second half they rushed 3 and used the 4th guy as a spy..

I think it was execution.

Why couldn’t the Bengals make halftime adjustments vs the Browns a few weeks ago? Maybe the key to beating the Bengals is to run the ball effectively instead of trying to win a shootout?

Let's consider this football thing or sports thing from a simple approach. Different teams have different players, employ different strategies, and formulas to win games.

How would you approach this situation as a HC of a team that has limited time to deal with the various oppositions from week to week, the players, schemes (I don't think "schemes" fool NFL coaches and players on offense or defense). Certain play calls at a certain time can fool the opposition on both sides of the ball.

I think the "guessing" work by coaches is more essential to a team's success than SCHEMES.

When coaches call certain plays to "fool" the opposition then sometimes it works and some times it doesn't work. I will guess that the large majority of times the "fooling" doesn't work. When the "fooling" works then it probably means that players didn't pay attention in the film room or didn't execute on what was taught by the coaches.