Thought this was an interesting conversation on twitter after Peyton Manning’s comments about half time adjustments
Dan and Aaron Glenn shipped an awful lot of criticism about half time adjustments when we were 1-6. I have no doubt there are tweaks and wrinkles added but is the whole concept complete overblown?
I think it’s perfect that you shared two competing quotes from two ex-players. Phil Simms had at one time tired of the criticism and said there was no such thing as halftime adjustments. I think there certainly are, but agree with Simms and Schwartz that it’s way overblown. His point is that you’re making adjustments each series, not waiting for the half. It becomes a catch-all criticism when there are probably far more variables that are going into the ebbs and flows.
I was listening to a podcast by a former NFL linebacker last month and he said that halftime adjustments weren’t really “a thing” as well. He said the guys don’t even have time to take a shit, much less get into the details of how they are going to approach the second half. He said the adjustments are made during the game and at halftime the most that ever really happens is verifying what has already been discussed.
He explained the scene at halftime exactly like the Manning’s did last night. Peyton said there was just enough time to eat some oranges and then there would be 3 minutes left to talk. The former LB said by the time he got re-taped and guys got their IV’s and other treatment there would be a couple of minutes left for the head coach to say a few words and then the team would head back out for the second half.
One interesting note is that the Patriots would go into games with multiple gameplans and multiple plans of attack. So what would look like a halftime adjustment was actually pre-planned to change up how they were going to approach the game.
The whole half time adjustment thing is very overrated. Half time adjustments, being inside of a locker room here is what it looks like
HC gathers all the coaches for 2:00 minutes to discuss what did & didn’t go well. Possible ass ripping depending how the game is going
Staff’s break off by side of the ball for 2-4:00 to discuss what plays worked, didn’t work, what might work moving forward.
O-coordinator get w offense in locker room to discuss 4 plays they’re going to run in the 2nd half. D-coordinator get w Defense to talk about tackling, a possible coverage adjustment & run fit that went bad
HC gathers up entire team, talks about scoring or stopping them depending upon who gets the ball first (ie standard motivational speech)
Team breaks & leaves locker room to take the field
IMO based on my experience, the most relevant “half time adjustment” wasn’t actual adjustments. It was the motivational speeches, resetting guys brains, talking about tackling, blocking, etc
Are we simply confusing theoretical changes made at halftime for second half adjustments?
The difference could simply be an informal strategic change made by coordinators, or a mentality change by players themselves, coming out of the locker room, and we got caught up in the lexicon of thinking it was something more tangible.
Adjustments are made constantly, drive to drive even. There is so much time to make adjustments in the nfl because there are so many darn commercials. It’s a lot more difficult to do at lower levels of competition because there are no commercial breaks. Tons of punts, lots of reviews, tons of injuries. Halftime is rushed for sure because most of team needs to use the toilet. No busier place at halftime than the shitter. But series to series, lots of time to tweak things. That’s why having a ball control offense can be so beneficial to defenses.
I think there is something else going on. Here is an article that references Troy Aikman and Brian Billick laughing at the idea of halftime adjustments. Redirecting...
" “In all my years in the NFL, I can’t think of a single ‘Let’s go win one for the Gipper’ halftime speech,” said Super Bowl-winning coach Brian Billick, among the more eloquent speakers in the game. “It’s certainly more about, ‘Here’s what happened. Here’s what we’re going to start out doing in the second half.’ It’s the same way with people saying these teams make these brilliant halftime adjustments. I’ve never seen it. I’ve seen people make adjustments during the course of the game. I’ve seen people adjust during the second half. But I’ve never heard of anybody at halftime getting this flash of divine inspiration: ‘Oh, let’s do this!’ ” - Brian Billick
I think the football guys know what is really going on in the locker room. However, I think because most of the media isn’t football guys, we get some myths like this that keep getting repeated and fans don’t know any better.
That comes from all the sports movies made in Hollywood. The halftime speech always changes the outcome of the game. haha and then sometimes Bobby Boucher comes back at halftime and the Mud dogs win the Bourbon Bowl.
I do remember one time in high school where our coaches “speech” changed the game in the second half, and it ties into what you just posted! We were playing down to the other team. We were alot better than them. The Hydration Engineers were almost done with filling up cups of Gatorade and water for us, and a few players started to grab them off the table. Coach flipped the table on us, throwing Gatorade and water on us (as well as hitting the guys in the front with the table). Then he said something like “you guys are gutless. I’d rather be coaching them. At least they have heart.” Then he walked off.
We took the opening kickoff of the second half back for a touchdown and never looked back. Our star RB had 3 carries for 125 yards and 3 TDs in the second half before being taken out of the game because we were blowing them out.
When life gives you lemons… ■■■■ making lemonade, start flippin tables!!
Only half time adjustment I do is unbuckling the belt as I eat so much food!! 
Wear suspenders that way you have no belt to deal with and when you unbutton your pants they stay up.
Peyton said what everybody was probably thinking.
You go in, you use the restroom, you eat a couple of oranges, and then the head coach says, ‘Alright, let’s go!’"
There are a shit ton of football troupes that fans say that don’t hold up to reality at all.
If they would eat some cuties they would have time for game plan changes. Those things peel easy. Vs oranges…
just pull a Wendys!!
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