What follows are some of the questions and answers from Bill Cowher's press conference earlier this week. From the looks of things, the Stillers may be about to embark on a long, dark journey, which could ultimately end up with a fourth missed trip to the playoffs in five seasons. I say this not because I think our team is not talented enough to make the post-season. I think they proved last season that they are. No, I say that because I don't think Cowher is going to be able to lead them there. Read the Q&A below. Cowher repeatedly says that NOTHING is going to change this week. Not the lineup, not the philosophy, not the schemes. NOTHING. Now, unless old FG Bill is trying to blow smoke up the collective asses of the entire NFL (which seems unlikely to me, as I just don't think he is capable of being that devious) then it looks like we will continue to play his sorry game-plans week after week. And if that is the case, we will NOT, even with our soft schedule, be visiting the post-season this year. Hell, we will be lucky to break .500 if something doesn't change drastically very soon (HINT: meaning this friggin' weekend).
Note: Reporters questions are in blue. The important parts of Bill's answers are in red. My comments on those answers are in brackets []. Some of the questions and answers have been omitted because they did not pertain to the subject of this article (that being Cowher's plans for righting the ship before it takes on too much water and sinks under the weight of his stubborn refusal to pull his head out of his arse.) The questions that were omitted were primarily discussions of the Browns and how well they are doing, and Cowher's relationship with Butch Davis (in other words, fluffy, creampuff questions tossed out by certain front-office-shill reporters whose sole mission in life seems to be to try to make Cowher look like he has both a brain and a sense of humor.) Other than omitting these useless questions, none of Bill's answers have been changed in any way.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Players said they have big heads - was that a problem?
No. When you lose, everyone is looking for answers. Everyone is looking to say - this is what happened and that is what happened.
You can look at one of two things in my mind - when you turn the ball over 10 times in two games, you are not going to win football games. You don�t get off the field on third down and 10 and you lose that situation and start turning the ball over 10 times in two games, you are not going to win football games. [He does have a point here. As Steel Phantom's excellent stat breakout shows, teams that lose the turnover battle rarely win ballgames. To date this season, teams that are -2 or worse in turnovers are 2-18. As for the D not getting off the field on third and long, notice how, throughout the whole press conference, he avoids even glancing in the direction of WHY we haven't been able to do that?] You don�t get off the field on third down and 10 and you lose those situations and start turning the ball over 10 times, you are not going to win football games. We shortened our possessions by turning it over, and on defense by not getting off the field on third down. You can look at everything else, but if you do those things, you are not going to win football games. It is really that simple. [Yes, Bill, we know that. The reporters know that. The announcers know that. Hell, a head of cabbage in the frozen tundra of Siberia knows that. The real question is, what are YOU going to do about it?]Do you have to do anything drastically different defensively against the spread?
We are going to have to stop it.
[Damn, what a good idea! Why the hell didn't they think of that earlier?] That is the one thing that we have proven that we have not been able to do. We have worked on it. It comes down to execution and putting ourselves in situations where you do win in first and second down that you have to finish it off and we just are not finishing things right now. We will see what the approach is and go in and getting back to some of the basics of being able to tackle, having an awareness of down and distance situations [Back to basics??? WTF?!? You are only 2 games into the season and ALREADY you are talking about back to basics? Isn't that the kind of off-season talk we usually hear from teams in the midst of rebuilding (like the Bungles for example)? Isn't that what spring mini-camp, training camp and preseason are for? Actually, a good coach should NEVER have to go back to basics. The basics should be reinforced EACH and EVERY practice. If a guy misses a tackle in practice due to bad technique (say like a certain LOLB we know) a good coach would be ALL over him about technique. I mean, it's not like the basics change very much from year to year, or decade to decade. Blocking and tackling, passing and catching, protecting the damned ball. Can someone PLEASE tell me how these things have changed dramatically since the 40s?] and doing those things and still mixing it up - whether it be dropping people or blitzing people, you have to be able to do both.Were the practices this off week different from other years due to the specific things that occurred in the first two games - to correct certain problems like the passing?
No, not really.
[In other words, no need to change the system, it is perfect. <<<heavy dose of sarcasm, for those who may have trouble recognizing it in print.] After two games, you are not going to have a great deal of self scouting to do because you really have not done a lot in two games. The only thing that was repetitive was the things we talked about, that we have to take care of the football. We have to put the ball away. We have to make sure we use good judgment when we put the ball in the air. We have to try to get off the field in third down. We have had the bye week early the last few years and you cannot control when you get it. Ideally, you would like to get in maybe later in the season where you can break it up a little bit and you are able to sit back and do more self-evaluation. It is hard to do that after two games. [No Bill, self-evaluation should occur after every 30 min. of football. See, that is where halftime adjustments come from. You evaluate how the first half went and adjust accordingly. After every game too, win or lose. If you are not going forward in the NFL, then you are going backward. Those who stand still get left behind.] From the standpoint of just understanding some of the things we need to work on - the focus, the attention, and the detail to some of the little things - that is what last week was about. Having to sit with the first two weeks for two weeks is something that we are looking to get back on the field and a chance to compete and get back in this race.Are physical mistakes the results of mental errors?
Be more specific. You are making a very general statement. I would have to look at each situation subjectively to make that assessment.
I cannot make a general statement and say that every physical turnover is a result of mental mistakes. I don�t think that is a fair assessment. [But didn't you just say, "we have to take care of the football. We have to put the ball away. We have to make sure we use good judgment when we put the ball in the air"? Aren't those things mental errors? Fact is, they ARE mental errors. And they are happening because the concept of taking care of the ball has not been taught and reinforced enough so that it becomes second nature to the players. Same thing goes for all the damned penalties too. It's a simple fact: well-coached teams commit few penalties and even fewer turnovers. Only the Vikings have committed more turnovers than we have so far, 11 to our ten, but they have played one more game than we have. We've got to be in the top 5 the league in penalties per game too.]Is the mental state of the team contributing to the turnovers?
I think they are concentrating enough. How do you measure that? I don�t know. I think we are making them and obviously we have to make sure we control that. I think you are making very general assessments.
You have to look at each situation subjectively. [Uh, I think you mean "objectively" here Bill. Each situation should be looked at objectively (i.e. "not affected by personal feelings or prejudice" {The Random House Dictionary}) so as to determine how and why something happened. And to be able to correct that situation if necessary. Of the ten turnovers so far, only Jerome's fumble and the one INT that came on a tipped pass, IMO, can be attributed to the opposition taking the ball away, as opposed to us giving it away. As I said above, a well-coached team does not commit lots of turnovers. Face it Bill, the team is NOT in the right "mental state," or this would not be happening.] That is how we try to deal with it. Regardless of what the assessment is, the fact of the matter is that you cannot turn the football over like we are doing. That has been very uncharacteristic of our team in the past and it is something that we talked about because that is our style of football. For whatever reason, we have had too many of it in the first two weeks.Do you need to get a lead to get the running game going?
It would be nice to get a lead, yes. We have not had one very much in these first two games. I think we have been tied. We had the lead 7-3 the other day until they got the ball back and drove down and scored, and then it was 7-7 in New England. But, after that has been pretty much of a situation where we play catch up.
Playing catch up in addition to turning the ball over - those two are not a good combination as it relates to obviously trying to run the ball and win games. We certainly have not started off fast or finished strong in either of the first two weeks. [Gee, ya think?]Has the philosophy changed because of the talent at wide receivers?
We are just trying to win football games.
We are not trying to change philosophy. [No change, change is bad] I don�t care what your philosophy is if you are turning the ball over. Those are the facts. You can talk philosophy all you want. You talk about approach and mental state [Yeah, it's not like a solid approach in practice and proper attitude have anything to do with making mistakes, such as turnovers.] - you can�t turn the ball over 10 times in two games. You can have the greatest mental state in the world, and the greatest passing game in the world, but if you do those things you are not going to win football games. That is the basics. I am not trying to be simplistic [Not "trying", perhaps, but succeeding admirably nonetheless.] with this and I understand there are a lot of questions that people have, but the bottom line is that is what has happened. I am not going to try to search and over search and question people�s mental states of mind. I know that our state of mind is that we have to get back to doing the basics. We have to approach a football game like we know we can play the game and not beat ourselves. That is what we are doing right now.Are you closer to an answer as to how to stop the spread?
We may have what we think are good answers.
[Let us all hope and pray that you do. But I won't be betting on it.] Whether or not they prove to be correct or not only time will tell. In regards to the spread offense, if you look at the other night when you asked him (Tim Lewis) after the game, it was not so much the spread offense as much as it was our opportunities to get off the field on third down which we failed to convert. [And you don't think the spread offense, designed specifically to attack the weaknesses in the type of scheme you run, as illustrated the previous week by the Patriots, had anything to do with that? Really???]Is there a flaw in the scheme or is it execution?
I think it is an execution element.
[Read: Not MY fault, it's the players. It's never MY fault, because I'm Bill Cowher, the great coach. So it must be the players' fault. Hey Bill, did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, if the scheme was such that the players were put in a position that allows them to excel, instead of hampering their natural abilities, then maybe the execution would be better? Just a thought.]Are the Browns more wide-open offensively?
They are right now. They are throwing the ball efficiently. Some of it may have been the game situation. They got behind against the Chiefs and start throwing the ball particularly at the end. They are throwing the ball efficiently and making some big plays down field. I don�t know what their philosophy is or what it has been. They are comfortable doing that and they are scoring points and their defense is playing good right now.
You are still in the process of finding an identity early in the season. [Any team that doesn't have a good idea of its identity BEFORE the regular season begins, is a team in trouble. Like, for example, a certain team I know that wears Black and Gold, a team that was built on the idea of power running and aggressive defense, a team that has in two games registered a total of 42 runs and 72 pass attempts, and has been playing essentially prevent defense for the last 2 games. THAT, in my opinion, is a team without an identity, a team that is in trouble.] I think they are in the process of doing that.Will you consider any line-up changes?
No, I don�t anticipate any line-up changes.
[We aren't going to change the scheme, so what would be the point in changing the line-up?] At what point I don�t know. If we have to make changes we will do so. Whatever we feel like we have to do to start playing good football.You�re not in need of a shake-up right now.
We sit back and access it every week.
Everyone is being held accountable [Hey, there's a novel idea. But if you really want to prove it, you should be considering benching a certain overpaid LB and QB. Talk is cheap, Bill, let's see some action on these "accountable" players.] and at this point no changes are being made. [No change! Change bad.]Would it be an adjustment for him (Plax) to catch balls underneath
?[Am I the only one thinking that was a very poorly worded question? I mean, I just hope this doesn't start any Plax is gay rumors, lol.]Not really, no.
[Actually Bill, Plax catching ANY balls, regardless of where they were thrown, would be an adjustment at this point. A positive one at that, I might add.]If Hank Poteat plays will he be returning kickoffs?
We will see how he feels.
For now we are going to leave Antwaan Randle El back there. [Thank God for that, anyway.]Is crisp tackling taken for granted around the NFL?
I don�t know if it is taken for granted.
You are getting a chance to see some pretty good athletes making people miss. I like to say that tackling is all how you want to view it. Tackling is important, but there are some guys who have the ball in their hands that make people miss. You have to give those guys credit, too. It can work both ways. [Sure, give credit where it is due. However, these "good athletes making people miss" does NOT account for more than 20-30% of the missed tackles the Stillers have had so far, by my estimation. Poor defensive scheming and poor technique/positioning accounts for the rest. And THAT falls on the coaches' shoulders. Players will do what you teach them, but only IF you teach them.]Why are pass attempts up so much around the league this year?
I don�t know. It is still early in the season. Let�s see how it unfolds. You have to be careful to set a trend based on three weeks. I think you have to go through a season to see where it goes.
I know we have added to it. [So, he is not COMPLETELY blind any. That's good to know.] Whatever those number are we have been a big part of it. I don�t know if it is something that we are headed into, we will see. It looks like we will be facing another aerial attack this weekend. It would be nice to get up on this team and get our fans into the game where the noise can become a factor. It will be good to get off to a good start, get our fans into the game and then feed off of that.Do the two losses force players to focus more?
No. You don�t need to lose to open eyes. We have been down that road before.
[Yes Bill, you have, but apparently you didn't learn anything on that road did you? (3 lost AFC championship games come to mind.)] We don�t take anything for granted. When you have a veteran team that has had success and they know what they are capable of doing, then there is no need for panic. There is certainly a degree of urgency that takes place, and you have to address the issues that have surfaced, but you don�t have to panic. That is the thing that a veteran team can do and differentiate between the two. We know what we have to do, but now we have to do it on the field. Talking about it is one thing, but applying it on the field is what we have to do.Have you seen an increased level of determination?
I don�t know if it is an increased level of determination, but they have been focused.
What do you do to get to the quarterback when he is throwing the ball quickly?
Get them into long yardage situation where they can�t get rid of the ball as quickly.
To be honest with you we did that well against Oakland. [Only in comparison to the previous week's game against the Patriots. Compared to the rest of the league, well...average at best, I'd say.]Can you draw on your experience to help the team overcome its start?
I guess experience is something that we all draw from. I think every situation is new and every situation takes place on its own identity. I think we are dealing with the circumstances that we have right now.
The approach is not going to change. [Never change. Change is bad. I fear change. I don�t even like to have loose change in my pants pockets, I fear it so much.] We know this is not a sprint, it is a marathon. The one thing that you don�t want to do is fall too far behind that you can�t catch up. We don�t want to dig a hole that we can�t get out of. At the same standpoint, in doing that, you have to address the reasons we are where we are. I try to be up front with them and honest with them. We are a good football team and right now we are not playing good football. That is the most important thing for them to understand. I have tried to address it as specific as I can.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, let's review:
"No, not really." (was practice different this week?)
"We are not trying to change philosophy."
"No, I don�t anticipate any line-up changes."
"and at this point no changes are being made."
"The approach is not going to change."
Five times he said it. Five times in a press conference that probably lasted all of 15, maybe 20 minutes. That would about every 3-4 minutes. He practically went out of his way to say nothing will change. Same old, same old. Just like last week, and the week before. Just like 98, 99, 2000. Apparently, 2001 was the exception that proves the rule. I sure as hell hope I'm wrong. But don't bet on it.