Why on Earth were Steven Jackson and Sam Bradford still in the game during the waning moments of the Saint Louis Rams thrashing at the hands of the Detroit Lions?
The Rams are currently in the race for the NFC West title, even with a mediocre record thus far. Jim Schwartz and Steve Spagnuolo must have been out late at the MGM the night before the noon kickoff. There is no fathomable excuse as to why Sam Bradford would be taking snaps in the last drive of a game that ended up 44-6. It even builds morale for the back-up quarterback if he is able to go under center and gain some valuable game experience.
It also gives the coach an insurance policy in case his golden boy, Bradford, is lost to injury.
In the Lions case, practices for a struggling team can undoubtedly become tedious when it is clear that there is little chance of achieving a position in the postseason. The reserve players would have some pep in their step if their morale was raised by getting some playing time. Coaches often fine players and give out other punishments for their transgressions, but nothing carries the impact that playing time does. This is coveted by players in the league almost as much as money is.
Spagnuolo committed this lapse most egregiously during this tilt, but Schwartz is not free of blame.
He left Calvin Johnson in the game much too long as well. This is why the receiver left the contest out of necessity rather than of choice in the fourth quarter. The injury to his right shoulder was not serious enough for him to leave the sideline before the completion of the game, but it did require the attention of the medical staff and ice on the shoulder. Schwartz must have forgotten that Shaun Hill is in the game because Matthew Stafford is on the shelf due to an injury in the first game of the season.
The general managers of the Rams and Lions should be on the horn with the coaching staffs explaining to them that the most valuable commodities in any line of business are the personnel. Both franchises are struggling to gain prominence and marketability. What kind of nose dive would they take without the likes of Ndamukong Suh and Steven Jackson?
Some may argue that Jason Hanson is the most valuable player on the Lions, but how many ticket buyers click with their credit cards to see him?
Teams on the fringe with young players must maximize opportunities for victories by limiting turnovers, achieving hidden yardage through special teams, and effectively implementing the running game on a consistent basis. It is much easier to attain all of these keys to success if the proper personnel takes the field. It is true that the business of coaching in the NFL is fickle. Just ask Brian Billick. But there definitely is no long term future if the world class athletes at the skill positions are not able to take the field because of errors in judgment.