Good analysis. But what you're missing is, where was the running game in all of this? Where we completely agree is that Reid, per usual, completely ****ed up the second half game management. What you're missing is how utterly terrible and predictable his playcalling was. I completely disagree that we can be critical of not getting a first down on a field goal try. In a game where you're protecting a huge lead, it is not at all a bad idea to layup and protect the field goal.

I am not saying Smith played perfect. He didn't. But you really have to put that in context of what he was up against. A few mistakes here and there. But outside of Smith, I would say the supporting cast played the worst second half performances in playoff history. The running game, the secondary, the pass rush, the run defense, the playcalling... even the o-line and receivers were far from dominant. Smith was literally carrying a crippled team to the finish line and we damn near almost pulled it off.

Thanks, dimestore psychologist. Glad you have it all figured out.

If it was about me not liking Alex, I wouldn't have GIVEN HIM CREDIT for his first 34 minutes. Hell, I didn't even bring up the fumble, which DID play a role in the loss - someone else did.

I'm saying it was a team loss because IT WAS a team loss. You can point to nearly every player on the roster and say, "he didn't play well enough in the last 26 minutes."

Alex. Gray. Bowe. OL. DL. Pass rush. DB's.

Coaching.

ANY ONE of them makes a play at any time during those 26 minutes, and we likely have a different result.

But go ahead, keep being a hypocrite by laying sole blame on the guys that GAVE THE OFFENSE 3 short fields in the first 34 minutes and held Indy to 10 points. Just know you look stupid doing it.

Not this again.... :banghead:

The Playoff Game

From the 2nd half kickoff to the lead lost under 5 min.

KC 14 minutes, 54 seconds of possession
INDY 10 minutes, 30 seconds of possession

KC Won the time of possession.

The RB carries in the 2nd half...

K.Davis 3 yards
K.Davis 4 yards
K.Davis 2 yards
K.Davis no gain
K.Davis 2 yards
K.Davis 5 yards
C.Gray 2 yards
D.McCluster 3 yards
C.Gray 3 yards

2.7 yard average suck and what sucks more is None were rushes for a 1st down

The problem was 90% the defense barfing all over themselves.
35 Points allowed in 10 and a half min.

COLTS scored 5 TDs in 10 minutes and 18 seconds of possession.

1 point every 17.7 seconds they had the ball.

The Colts had only 2 3rd down attempts over the entire 2nd half surge to victory.
371 Yards Gained. Only 2 3rd downs. WTF.

The running game was missing the minute JC left the game. Didn't seem to be a problem in the first half, but is supposed to be an excuse in the second?

Again, he played great for 34 minutes. But it's a 60 minute game. QB's get BBQ'd for MUCH less around here, but Alex gets a pass?

(not saying you're giving him a pass, you're being more realistic than most)

Alex Smith himself ran for 3 1st Downs in the 1st Half. And 1 in the 2nd Half.

Give it up dude.

Walk away while you still can. You've taken enough of a beating already.

Get back to me when someone gives a shit about anything you post here.

Now shoo, the adults are talking here.

Yes. It was atrociously bad. I don't think you remember how badly it was getting completely swallowed up. 24 yards off a 2.7 average in the second half? For a game trying to eat up clock? That is not an excuse. That is a fact. And I lay the majority of that on shitty playcalling.

You keep saying 26 minutes. Smith had a strong second to last drive. He threw as good of a pass as you can ask for in the most critical final offensive play of the game on 4th down. There is one "3 and out" where we playing with 28 yards of field and had a chance to protect a field goal. On those drives, I think it's fair to say Smith at least did his job. Was it excellent? No. But definitely strong enough.

The only 2 drives he performed poorly were one 3 and out, and the turnover drive. Yes, in this case, I absolutely believe Smith deserves a pass. 2 drives pales in comparison to a bunch of exceptional drives. And also given the extraordinary circumstances between injuries, the horrible coaching, and the horrible second half running game. He was literally the only guy doing ANYTHING in the second half.

What people like Messier are doing is trying to say that Alex is without sin.

That's ****ing false. When OTW and I call him out on it, he goes into his usual "40 points! 28 point lead!" circle and we begin the process again.

Andy Reid put Alex in a terrible position. The injuries put Alex in a terrible position. Sure. But given a layout of the situation, what was the most likely path to victory? Kendrick Lewis not being an enormous waste of oxygen, or the offense doing just a little bit more than the did?

I'd go with the offense.

And that's part of the blame (yes, "blame") that Alex Smith deserves. He's not a little baby. Quit coddling his ass and acting like he can do no wrong.

I just wanted to let you know that you are getting your ass kicked and it's a savage beating.

However, you are like that one kid from the movie "Porkies" who keeps going back and back and back and just getting his ass kicked more every time and thinks because he threw a punch that didn't hit anything he did okay.

Maybe you're a masochist.

Maybe you like getting your face shoved in by everyone in this thread.

anyone that puts any of the playoff loss on Alex Smith...even 1%...is wrong.

When I am assigning blame to the offense, I am laying most of the blame on playcalling, and the lack of a RB.

But the one thing you can point to and say Alex Smith should have done better, is play clock.

You are trying to burn clock, and you are a smart QB, then why the hell are you snapping the ball with 7 seconds or more remaining on the play clock?

This.

Parker said it best last year when he said something to the effect of, "if you're not kissing Alex Smith's ass, people think you're hating on him."

And in this particular thread, most folks are arguing the poster and not the posts.

Twice in that post you just quoted I said it's a team loss, like every game. Did you see that?

I'm laying MOST of my blame on a defense that gave up five TDs, in less than a quarter and a half averaging under 2 minutes a drive. You seem to want to steer it to Smith and the offense.

Yes, they played a lot better in the first half. But they absolutely imploded in the last quarter. They get most of the blame, they deserve most of the blame.

If you were going to, just for fun, say someone was most to blame, who would it be?

Kendrick Lewis, Kendrick Lewis, Kendrick Lewis...it's all his fault!

Blah, blah, blah.

It's substantially worse than someone attempting to post objective game analysis that shows Smith ****ing carried the team in the game.

What I want to know is why nobody is saying anything about Dontari Poe (1 single tackle for the whole game), Tamba Hali (1 single tackle), Justin Houston, et al.? TWO quarterback pressures in 25 dropbacks. TWO! One sack. Berry had 9 tackles but his coverage was extremely poor. Where was Johnson when TY Hilton was owning the middle? When Luck was running for 45 yards? Who was responsible for him completing 8 of 9 passes over 10+ yards? That's jackshit of a pass rush/pressure right there.

Our vaunted Pro Bowlers got their shit pushed in. Deep. Like OTW in this thread.

And no one is coddling Smith. You don't have to coddle a guy who puts up those numbers in a playoff game.

It's the idiots with an obvious agenda against Smith who are attempting to put the blame for the loss in his lap and trying to use the lame ass excuse of "it's a team loss and he's part of the team" without mentioning anybody else other than "KENDRICK LEWIS=AIDS."