ST. PAUL LYNX [GM GATES]

[Talon]

BOTH PLAYERS SHAKE HANDS AND PULL INTO A BRO-HUG, SQUASHING THE MINOR BEEF

[GM Eli]

"Alright good deal. Appreciate you both. Let's get this W at Oakland this week. It starts with a good week of practice so let's get to it."

——

"Elsa, Coach Mackey please."

——

"Coach, how did the bye week go for us outside of the squabble between Max and Aaron. Anything notable?"

[Talon]

 

It was fine, gave us a chance to get healthier and focus on this week.

[GM Eli]

Great. So if you haven't talked with those two about what their issue was, the squabble was over the amount of targets Max has been getting. It's a little odd to me since Max leads the team in targets, he's just not blowing the doors off the state book so far this season.

So, if it's not already happening, I want you to take over sole responsibility of the play calling.

[Talon]

 

No worries, I get that Max is just frustrated he isn't quite as dominant as he was the last few years, he'll be fine though.

[GM Eli]

It would be hard for anyone to keep up that pace. But either way, I just wanted to make sure you're the one taking care of things offensively for us.

A couple of quick comparisons I wanted to make for future decision making. How far apart are our centers, Nichols and Bowlin, and our Free Safeties in Gamboa and Ortega. I know with Gamboa he's a quality starter but it feels like from a production stand point he's been on a downward trend since his rookie year when I thought he really played well.

[Talon]

Well Nichols has a big advantage in position skill and pass protection but Bowlin has him in strength, agility, IQ, and edges him in run blocking.

With the FS's, Gamboa is significantly better in everyway even though his effort hasn't been great this year, he's a deterrent in the pass game as well.

[GM Eli]

"Last set of questions and then I'm going to speak with Gamboa. How are we feeling about Pupi? We've put a lot of work into developing him, and I know we think from a talent perspective he's pretty great but how close to his ceiling do you think we are? If you had to guess.

And do you think we'd be better suited to have him function as our WR2 in the three wide receiver sets and let Beard work out of the slot? Are we even in 3WR sets much?

I know I just threw a ton at you there."

[Talon]

 

I think Pupi can get better in areas, but I dont know that he'll ever be better overall than he is, you know?

We do run 3WR sets quite a bit, but I don't know if its Aaron or the system, or just how the chemistry is with our receivers but it just doesn't seem to result in guys getting those targets.  Its puzzling to me.

Ramos has 37 targets on 436 snaps
Beard has 19 targets on 402 snaps
Pupi has 13 targets on 234 snaps
Jean has 44 snaps
Reed has 5 snaps
Watson and Drummond have 0 snaps

[GM Eli]

"To be fair Willis is probably taking a decent amount of targets from those guys as well.

All of that gives me something to think on. Thanks, Coach. I'm going to have a chat with Gamboa and then we should be ready to go for the week."

-----

"Elsa, would you send Michael Gamboa in to see me? Thank you."

-----

"Michael, my man. How are you doing? I just wanted to touch base with you and have a quick chat, see how you're feeling about your place in our defense."

[Talon]

 

It's been a frustrating season being hurt, but seeing our guys hold it down with the #1 passing defense and #4 scoring D is great.   I've tried to help share my knowledge with the other DBs even when I've been on the shelf.

[GM Eli]

"I can't imagine how tough it is to have to sit on the sidelines and just watch because of an injury, but I do appreciate you working with the other guys trying to help out that way. I'm thrilled you're healthy again, though, and that we can have you back out on the field doing your thing.

This is a big game for us this week, against a really talented team offensively that up to this point hasn't quite lived up to their potential. But they want to turn that #1 ranked passing defense into something not quite as dominant. If we're going to keep that ranking, we need everyone giving 110% effort.

I know might not have that C on your jersey, but I need you to go out there and lead by example and give it 110%. It's gonna elevate everyone around you if you can push pass those frustrations from being hurt. Can I count on you to do that for me? For the team and for the fans too?"

[Talon]

Absolutely boss, I'll dig deep this week and give it everything I have physically and emotionally.  Hopefully I can inspire the rest of the guys to do the same. 

[GM Eli]

"That's all I can ask for. Thanks Michael."

-----

Any strategy or gameplan adjustments are Coaches Decision

Lock In

[GM Eli]

Tough week for us, ladies and gents. Lets get to your questions.

Discuss your weeks results (if you won, who deserves a game ball for their efforts?) (if you lost, who needs to step up to prevent another loss?) (if you had a bye-week, discuss a game that caught your eye)

"Well, I'm going to continue to search for answers with our offense. I'm not sure what it is that isn't clicking this year, but it's becoming problematic. Our third down conversion percentage is abysmal, even if the stats keepers don't do a great job of tracking that stat accurately. Even taking that into consideration we're the worst in the league.

It doesn't help that our Quarterback is getting sacked nearly 25% of the time he drops back either. And yet our linemen, all things considered, aren't being credited with sacks allowed all that often.

Really, that's what it comes down to. We didn't convert on enough of the chances to score touchdowns that we did have. We couldn't sustain drives. And Daley, though he wasn't in all world form, showed the kind of grit we all knew he had. This isn't just about our own ineptitude. The Silverbacks, especially defensively, played their tails off. They earned the win. We deserved the loss.

I'm frustrated. Yeah, we're 5-2 but we don't feel like a 5-2 team right now."

Discuss any news that interested you, also what are some of the stats and/or stat leaders that have surprised you at the mid-point of the season?

"I don't have much to say about the stat leaders. I will say that a lot of praise should be given to Michael Meek. I know a lot of people thought he, and the Cobras, were dead in the water early on but his performance during their winning streak is the biggest reason, in my opinion, that they've been able to do so and do so in impressive fashion.

I'll wish Louisville the best of luck in that GM search. Every fan base deserves to have a GM facing the media week in and week out, and handling the administrative affairs that are necessary to guiding a team to developing a winning culture."

Discuss your next opponent and game. What is your biggest advantage in this contest? (if you have a bye week, discuss what you hope to achieve this week)

"Well having an offense that struggling is a bad time to be heading to Alabama for the third year in a row to play a Nighthawks squad that is always in Impact Bowl contention. The advantage that we have? We've proven we can win in Alabama every time we've played them since I took the reigns here in St. Paul. If we're going to continue that streak, though, we're going to need to play a lot better in every facet. They're too good to do anything less."

-----

"Elsa, I know typically at week 8 we have meetings with our owners. Does Ms. Snow wish to speak with me? If not, would you have Coach Mackey meet me in my office."

[Talon]

A tough loss to swallow.  ...we just can't seem to put it together on offense and I've got no answers for why.

[GM Eli]

Well I can point out the answers. Our 3rd down conversion percentage is abysmal even with the fact that the statisticians track those in an odd way.

Combine that with Kitchen being sacked on 25% of his drop backs and it seems we've got our answers as to why the offense isn't clicking. So we need to find solutions.

The first is that, to send a message, I'm going to fire Coach Tomlin. I'll have that conversation with him momentarily.

Before we get to that, though, give me the breakdown of what our offensive set up looks like at the moment. What's our run/pass breakdown. What's our mentality? Are we running conservatively? Aggressively? In between? Give me the run down of basically what our initial lock in information looks like and since I left most of that in yours and Coach Tomlin's hands, maybe we can find places to tweak in there.

[Talon]

Understood...

Right now we're running things like this:

1st and 10 - 65/35
1st and Short - 80/20
1st and Med - 70/30
1st and Long - 65/35

2nd and short - 25/75
2nd and med - 65/35
2nd and long - 60/40

3rd and short - 85/15
3rd and med - 35/65
3rd and long -  15/85

4th and Short - 45/55
4th and Med - 20/80
4th and Long - 10/90

Goal Line - 70/30

End of Half winning - 80/20
End of Half losing - 15/85

As far as overall strategy:

Attitude: Balanced
Focus: Balanced
Tempo: Normal
Passing Preference: Long
Passing Target: Outside
Primary Receiver: Max Ramos
3rd Down Back: None
Goal Line Back: None
Running Focus: Balanced
Running Back Role: Mixed
Committee vs. Bell Cow: Bell Cow
Tight End Role: Blocking
QB Tuck and Run: Never

[GM Eli]

Okay, a couple of things.

What are our options for Passing Preference? Short, Intermediate and Long?
And for Passing Target, is it possible to set that to Mixed or something along those lines?

And the ratios are run percentage on the left, pass on the right?

[Talon]

 

We can go "None, Short, Medium, or Long" for pass preference.

As for passing target, we can go "None, Outside, Over the middle, balanced, RB, or TE"

Yes run pass ratio reads run/pass

[GM Eli]

"Alright, so I'll mark these changes in our lock in but lets adjust the passing preference to medium, and the passing target to balanced. I don't know that those tweaks will fix anything but maybe that encourages Aaron to get the ball out with a little more urgency.

I'm also going to make some tweaks to the run pass ratios, as I think we could benefit from running the ball more in some instances, and passing it more in others. I have some questions there as well, though. What constitutes 1st and long? Is that anything of greater distance than 1st and 10? or would that be like... the odd 1st and 8 or 9.

And lastly. Explain the differences to me in setting our attitude to conservative, balanced, and aggressive."

[Talon]

1st and long would be 1st and 15 after a false start. 1st and 10+ because of whatever penalty might cut into our yards gained, etc.

As for attitude.. its a style of play.  Conservative we aren't taking nearly as many chances on 4th down, we are trying more for sure gains vs. bigger risk/reward plays, we are protecting the ball at all costs and not trying as hard for extra yardage etc.

Aggressive means we would be more likely to go for it on 4th down, more likely to kick that long FG instead of punting, but it also opens you up more to more penalties etc because we are pushing harder to make big plays..

[GM Eli]

"Thanks, Coach. I know that's diving into the technical side of things pretty heavily but I just want to see if there's anything we might tweak to get us going.

But by now I'm sure you've seen the trade we've made and honestly, I don't expect it to change too much as Pupi really wasn't all that involved with our offense this year. Hopefully those draft picks will pay dividends later on, though.

Hopefully it sends a message, though, that what has been happening on the field up to this point offensively isn't acceptable and will light a fire under the guys who are still here. I'm hoping the same thing will happen with moving on from Coach Tomlin as well.

So I need to have that conversation now unless you have other things you'd like to discuss. If not, would you send him up on your way down to the practice field? Thank you."

[Talon]

 

Hey, what's up GM Eli?

[GM Eli]

"Coach Tomlin, thanks for stopping by.

I never like to have these kinds of conversations, but I wanted to do you the courtesy of hearing it from my mouth rather than finding out about it through social media or on the sports news networks.

Obviously our offense hasn't performed the way we expect, especially not with the quality of play makers we have on this team, and I feel like we're at the point where something has to give. So.. with that said...

We're going to go ahead and terminate your contract. I know this isn't where we hoped we'd be, but I certainly wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors."

[Talon]

 

We had a good run.. we should've won it all last year, I get that..  I'll always wonder what if on that one.

Good luck.

[GM Eli]

"You and me both, Coach. You and me both.

Take care."

-----

"Elsa, let Coach Mackey know I'll be down to the practice field in a bit to discuss the next steps with the offense. Before that, though, would you please send Coach McFadden in to see me."

-----

"Coach, I just wanted to commend your work with the defense so far this season. Stepping in for someone as talented as Coach Svechnikov can't be an easy task, but you've done so seamlessly.

But I wanted to talk to you about Thomas Pak. If we were to rely on him to take over DE2 responsibilities, do you think he would be ready for that kind of responsibility?"

[Talon]

 

I think Pak is the real deal, I think he can step in and play well if we give him a bigger or even a starting role.

[GM Eli]

"Lets plan on making that change, then. I'll note it in our lock in notes.

I still feel like we haven't quite unlocked Jerry Worthington's full capabilities yet. Is there an area of his game you think he could improve on to get him into the caliber of player that TWII. I know he's already an incredible talent I just feel like he's got another level, if we can just coach him up."

[Talon]

 

If we could put them on paper, I think Jerry is already better than TWII, I just don't think he gets the chances to flash on defense because we have better talent around him.

[GM Eli]

"I hear you loud and clear.

Thanks for your time, Coach. I wish you luck in game-planning for Ortega. He's a challenge to say the least."

-----

"Elsa, I'm headed down to the practice field to speak with Coach Mackey before wrapping up a few other ongoing conversations. We'll be locked in soon, I hope."

-----

"Coach, the offense is in your hands. If you feel like you need an interim OC feel free to promote whoever you feel is best equipped for the job."

[Talon]

 

we'll make some changes and see if we can spark some offense boss, believe that.

[GM Eli]

"Excellent. Last question for you as I'm going through my notes. Do you remember who we assigned to have special training by the coaching staff this season? If I remember right we could change things at this point in the season if we wished to."

[Talon]

 

I was working with Pupi, and it was Aaron Harris on defense.  Yes, we could switch that if we wanted to, now.

[GM Eli]

"Yeah, I'm going to have you work with Al. We need to keep pushing him. On defense I'm going to have Coach McFadden work with Thomas Pak. But I'll note these things in the lock in.

Good luck against Bama this week."

Week 9 Adjustments

Attitude: Aggressive
Passing Preference: Medium
Passing Target: Balanced

Run/Pass Ratio Adjustments

1st and 10 - 65/35
1st and Short - 80/20
1st and Med - 60/40
1st and Long - 50/50

2nd and short - 55/45
2nd and med - 60/40
2nd and long - 50/50

3rd and short - 70/30
3rd and med - 35/65
3rd and long -  15/85

4th and Short - 60/40
4th and Med - 20/80
4th and Long - 10/90

Goal Line - 70/30

End of Half winning - 75/25
End of Half losing - 15/85

Depth Chart Adjustments

Coach Mackey to set WR Depth Chart

Set Thomas Pak to DE2 (LE1)
Set Duane Gore to DE3 (RE2 and LE2)
Set Javid Rasheed to DE4 (LE3)
Set Leonardo Gilbert to DE5 (RE3)

Change Special Training Focuses to the following:

Coach Mackey: WR Al Beard
Coach McFadden: DE Thomas Pak

Lock In

[GM Eli]

Discuss your weeks results

"It's going to sound a bit crazy but I think this was the best our offense has looked probably since week 2. We distributed the ball to multiple receivers, we converted nearly 50% of our third downs. Won the time of possession AND the turnover battle. To be honest against any other team all of those things probably point to a victory this week for us. But against Alabama, and with Jamie Ortega playing the way he did, you just kind of have to tip your cap to them. There were a few unfortunate moments in the game that really cost us late. The penalty on Ronnie Paige that would have set Alabama back for a big third and long hurt. And so did the OPI on Al Beard after Willis had busted a game tying touchdown open with less than a minute left on the clock. Who knows what the game looks like if we're able to be a little more discipline in those moments. But at the same time, those guys contribute so much to our team every play they're on the field and sometimes those mistakes are going to happen. We'll just learn from them, grow, and be better the next time."

Discuss any news that interested you, what do you make of the recent GM moves around the league?

"I think it's obvious the two stand out stories are the trade of Buckson to Louisville and the termination of Marlon's contract in Cancun. I think both are a little bit on the shocking side. I would have thought Gooch had earned himself enough trust over the years he's spent putting winning franchises together for the owner in Seattle to trust him to do what he felt was best for the team. All the same, though, I think with the number of draft picks that Louisville has acquired, someone with an eye for talent like Buckson has will likely thrive in his new home.

Marlon, on the other hand, was probably the less shocking of the two just based off of overall performance in his tenure in Cancun. But I'm telling you, three years is probably not enough to build a team from nothing into something competitive, especially in the division that Cancun is in. His trades in recent weeks are probably what did him in, but there are quality pieces there that I hope the ownership group there doesn't sell off for parts. Doss has an it factor to him and Garnett at linebacker looks like he's going to be a staple for years to come. Those are building blocks for whoever comes in next.

As for the news that Sydney Morgan would like to be traded, I'm not going to comment further on that until I have had a chance to speak with the player."

Rate your teams activity level this week when it comes to the Trade deadline, should fans have their notifications on for a big deal, or is it likely to be quiet?

"Any time you're in contention people expect you to make a trade for a rental piece and we could be in the position to do that. But I like the team that I've built. I believe in these guys to make it work. This team is, mostly, the same team that went 15-1 a season ago and I think that level of play is still in them.

So I would say there's probably a 4/10 chance we'll be active at the trade deadline. I don't think our fans need to be glued to their phones, though. We do have a player that has requested a trade, if the news reporting is accurate, so there may be something that happens on that front out of respect to the players wishes, if they are indeed true."

How safe do you feel you are right now, is your job secure?

"I think what happened with Buckson this week shows that you can never be all that secure about your place with a team. With that said, I think that I have a good relationship with Ms. Snow and have shown that I can put together a talented team that is in playoff contention perennially. But, at the end of the day, she pays the bills and signs the checks and if she feels the team needs to move in another direction in order to get over the hump and get that Impact Bowl victory I'm not going to harbor a grudge against her for doing so. I don't anticipate anything like that occurring, though, and think that I am as secure in my job here as any GM could be."

Discuss your next opponent and game. What is your biggest advantage in this contest?

"I'm going to disregard any of the nonsense that my counterpart in Cleveland had to say. I think that the biggest advantage we have is that we have a roster that has proven it can actually win the division and make it to the playoffs, not one that talks a big game but has yet to back it up. Coming off two losses in a row on the road, I promise that these guys are hungry to get back in front of our home fans and get back to our winning ways."

-----

"Elsa, would you ask Sydney Morgan to come up to my office, please."

-----

"Sydney, I was disappointed to find out in the news that you were requesting a trade. I understand your loyalty to Coach Tomlin and I respect it. I want you to know that firing him was nothing personal, but given the talent on our team and the way our offense has performed, someone had to be held accountable.

From my perspective, I'd love to see you stick around here, get healthy and help us make a push to win the division and get back into the playoffs. You've put in a lot of work these last few seasons, along with the rest of the guys, and if you're sure a trade is what you want.. I'll do my best to make it happen. But, personally, I hope you'll think about everything we've accomplished as a team with you here and recognize that the jobs not done yet, and decide to stick around."

[Talon]

I hate seeing Coach Tomlin made to be the scapegoat because we aren't performing, I don't think it was his fault, it was ours.   Anyways, in reality he isn't coaching anywhere and this team has been my family for a while now, so I guess you're right. I don't /need/ to be traded right now, so I'll stick around and we can see where we stand in the off-season.

[GM Eli]

I respect that and I even agree with it to the extent that we all bear responsibility, not just Coach Tomlin. He's just the one who, unfortunately, had to fall on the sword for all of us.

Let's you and I make sure we never have to go through this again, yeah? I'm glad you're sticking around.

[Talon]

 

For sure

[GM Eli]

"Good deal. I'll talk to you later, Sydney."

-----

"Elsa, would you confirm for me that we have 1.3MM available in salary and 3.5MM available in bonus?"

[Talon]

$1.3MM salary and $3.25MM in bonus after the Pak position training.

[GM Eli]

Thanks, Elsa. Would you mind sending Coach Mackey up.

——-

Coach, tough loss this week but honestly I thought we played about as well as we have in weeks.

[Talon]

 

Yeah... but its a little late in the year for moral victory.  This week is do our die. The boys are on fire for this game, but I have legitimate concerns that a loss could really crush some guys spirit.

[GM Eli]

"I'm not ready to die yet, no matter what happens this week. I believe in the players and, most importantly, I believe in your ability to out coach anyone in the league. All we have to do is go out and play the kind of football we know we're capable of playing and the win is gonna come.

I'd talk to the guys but I don't think they need a rah rah speech after everything that has been said this week.

My only question is how you feel about keeping our mindset at aggressive? I think the other tweaks we've made to our gameplan and playcalling are solid. I know it takes a lot more than a week to see if things are going to work out, but this is about your comfort level more than anything else."

[Talon]

 

I'm comfortable playing any style thanks to the teams I've worked with over the years, so Aggressive is fine with me, especially if it means we get out to a fast start and don't take our foot off of the gas.

[GM Eli]

"Alright, good.

I'm not willing to pay the price that people are asking right now for upgrades. Teams that aren't likely to win an Impact Bowl are selling their future for a sniff of the playoffs and I refuse to be that GM.

I'm going to meet with Ms. Snow for a moment but after that we'll be ready to go for the week.

Thanks for everything, Coach, as always."

-----

"Elsa, I'm going to head up to meet with Ms. Snow if she's available."

[Talon]

GM Eli, an interesting start to the season for us, to say the least.

[GM Eli]

"We've certainly not played our best football, and yet in spite of it we've got a winning record and a chance to take control of the division this week. But no, we're not at a place where any of us are happy or content with what we've put on the field so far."

[Talon]

 

I believe in you, your coaching staff, and the players you have brought in.  We've seen this roster dominate the league before, and I believe we can do it again, however missing he playoffs is clearly not an option for us, so I expect you to do whatever it takes to make sure we are in the hunt when the playoffs begin.

[GM Eli]

"Understood. These are the expectations I want for myself, and I know the staff and players feel the same way.

I won't go as far as guaranteeing the playoffs because of the potential for significant injuries at key positions, but if we stay healthy I'm more than confident we'll be in the playoffs and pushing for an Impact Bowl once more."