issue two

the bg issue

season 2002

week eight


Welcome to the second BG Issue, a good response after the first issue – I've heard from three coaches. Peter Swindells was with the BG when it first started and has recently returned after a long break, Jerry Ward has been the coach of the Packers since the third season and Dom Williams has been a successful coach in many leagues. Profiles from all three will be included in the BGI, starting with Peter Swindells this time.


Contacts Section


Name

Address

City/County

Postcode

email

Robert Crowther

2 Lily Terrace

Edinburgh

EH11 1PN

[email protected]

Peter Swindells

115 Long Walk, Epsom

Surrey

KT18 5TU

[email protected]

Jerry Ward

50 Desmond Drive, Old Catton

Norwich

NR6 7JN



For Gameplan related stuff on the web go to 'www.gameplan-pbm.co.uk'.


Review of Weeks Four to Seven


AFC East


As expected the Colts and Jets are pulling away. New York had a convincing win in Indianapolis but wasted that when they lost in Green Bay the next week. Both teams have been running up the score in their games against KC and Oakland as there is a good chance this division will come down to points difference. Miami and Buffalo have been competitive in patches but were not able to pick up any wins in the close games (apart from when they played each other...).


AFC Central


Baltimore have stamped their authority on this division with a win over the champion Broncos followed by victory in a tight defensive game in Houston. They then cruised to victory in San Francisco and, more impressively, drubbed the Seahawks in Seattle. The Oilers were unable to replicate the Ravens' triumph against Denver and now find themselves at a disadvantage in the race for the title. Meanwhile Cincinnati have taken full advantage of the soft part of their schedule to draw level with Houston, but with two games against Baltimore coming up they may struggle to hold their position in the playoff race. Pittsburgh beat fellow strugglers Miami and Buffalo but are yet to beat anyone with a winning record.


AFC West


Denver and Seattle both failed to beat Baltimore but the Seahawks scored seventeen fourth quarter points to clinch victory in their vital divisional matchup. With KC and Oakland to beat up on neither team will be too concerned about missing out on the playoffs, the Chiefs were much better than the Raiders in week five but that could just be the difference between drafting second instead of first.


NFC East


The New York juggernaut was upset in Minnesota but their second half comeback in Philadelphia in week five put a big gap between them and their divisional rivals. Neither the Eagles or Redskins have played consistently well, the Redskins in particular will regret not managing a win in Dallas. If New York pick up two wins against the Cowboys over the next three weeks, and it seems likely they will, this division could be all over.


NFC Central


Minnesota saw their young QB throw four interceptions in Philadelphia but picked up a big win over New York in week seven while the Packers were losing in St Louis to restore their one game advantage. Green Bay had a very impressive win against the Jets but struggled to beat the 0-4 Lions and were outplayed by St Louis in the games before and after. Both the leaders will be hoping for more consistency. Chicago have picked up blowout wins against teams with losing records but failed to make an impression on playoff contenders the Vikings and the Giants. Detroit, after looking terrible at the start of the season, have got their act together somewhat in recent weeks, two defeats by less than three points and a win in San Francisco, marred only by a drubbing in Indianapolis.


NFC West


The Falcons have been unspectacular but solid defense has often left them in the situation of not having to do much to win. A win in overtime in Washington has been followed up by convincing wins against three admittedly mediocre teams. St Louis have had a tougher time of it but have had much better opposition, their win over Green Bay in week seven kept the division race close and there's everything to play for over the next three weeks. Carolina and San Francisco have provided their opponents with several easy victories but, with the top two playing each other, one of them has a chance to get back in the running.


All Time Coaches Records


The following tables have been compiled from information supplied by Jerry Ward, the full listing is available at my website (link from Yahoo! Gameplan Club links page). As I was working only from final standings many of the figures are inaccurate because coaches took over in the middle of the season, most badly affected are those coaches who took over really bad teams towards the end of the season – they might have been credited with, for example, a 2-14 record when they actually went 2-0. When I can't be sure of the exact record a pair of brackets appear after the name, records will be updated as new information arrives (ie. when Jerry gets time to look it up, or when the coaches involved supply me with accurate information).


Top Ten All Time


By Percentage






By Wins





Derek Barton

5

0

0

1.000


Jerry Ward()

107

59

1

0.644

M Parsons()

39

9

0

0.813


Richard Goodley()

93

89

1

0.511

Jack Startin

30

8

1

0.782


Paul Macguire()

83

41

2

0.667

Alan Robinson()

10

3

1

0.750


Simon Creasey()

82

43

1

0.655

Philip Stables()

22

7

1

0.750


Alan Stewart()

71

29

2

0.706

Chris Deighton

6

2

1

0.722


James Fisher()

70

55

1

0.560

Alan Purdon()

11

4

1

0.719


Mark Stinton()

63

47

2

0.571

Conrad Wittingham

28

11

0

0.718


Michael Goodman()

59

27

1

0.684

Jeremy Crouch()

33

13

2

0.708


Carl Huddlestone()

58

37

1

0.609

Alan Stewart()

71

29

2

0.706


S Carpenter()

57

52

3

0.522



Top Ten Current Coaches


By Percentage






By Wins





Derek Barton

5

0

0

1.000


Jerry Ward()

107

59

1

0.644

Jack Startin

30

8

1

0.782


Richard Goodley()

93

89

1

0.511

Chris Deighton

6

2

1

0.722


Michael Goodman()

59

27

1

0.684

Conrad Wittingham

28

11

0

0.718


Philip Hunnable()

54

32

1

0.626

Dominic Williams()

49

22

0

0.690


Lyndon Bell()

53

34

0

0.609

Michael Goodman()

59

27

1

0.684


Dominic Williams()

49

22

0

0.690

Richard Appleby()

47

23

1

0.669


Richard Appleby()

47

23

1

0.669

Peter Swindells()

36

18

1

0.664


Darren Norton()

39

30

2

0.563

Jerry Ward()

107

59

1

0.644


Andrew Bushby

37

49

1

0.431

Philip Hunnable()

54

32

1

0.626


Douglas Crawford()

37

50

0

0.425


Spotlight On...


This week features Peter Swindells, I also have profiles from Jerry Ward and Dominic Williams, but I'll save them for next issue...


Name

Peter Swindells

Age

26

Occupation

Call Centre Operator.

Marital Status

Living together (with Louise).

Favourite Team

Wimbledon FC.

Favourite Author

George Orwell.

Favourite Films

The English Patient; Schindler's List; Trainspotting.

Favourite Music

Strangely, includes all of Robert's plus Beck and Cinerama.

Hobbies

Watching and playing football (soccer); Fantasy football; Gambling; Reading; TV; Cinema; Avoiding DIY.



Preview of Week Eight


Game of the Week


Vikings at Packers


Minnesota have not beaten Green Bay for a long time, if they are to add credibility to their title pretensions they must pick up at least one win in their two games with the Packers over the next three weeks. For their part, Green Bay will not be giving up their title without a fight. The Vikings' young QB is a key factor, when he doesn't throw interceptions Minnesota tends to win, the Packers' defense has been below average this year and could struggle to contain the Vikings' passing game if they don't get some turnovers. On offense Green Bay are well balanced and will be looking to exploit the aggressive Minnesota defense for some big plays, their solid pass protection should give their QB some opportunities if he can keep his head under pressure. Expect a both offenses to have their successes but the winner will likely be decided by a big defensive play.


Other games: Jets by 14; Colts by 10; Ravens by 7; Oilers by 7; Seahawks by 14; Broncos by 21; Redskins by 3; Giants by 10; Bears by 7; Falcons by 1; Panthers by 3.


Shootout of the week: Bengals at Ravens – both teams are better on offense than defense, they only gave up a combined 11 points in week seven but Cincy in particular still gave up plenty of yardage.

Blowout of the week: Raiders at Broncos – the current champs host the worst team in the league, not a hard choice.

Slugfest of the week: Rams at Falcons – two below average offenses and two slightly better defenses, the two teams have plenty to play for, expect a tense, close game.




Preview of Week Nine


Game of the Week


Rams at Giants


Part of a run of big games for St Louis, from week eight to week twelve every opponent they will face are currently leading their respective divisions – these are the sort of games they must win if they want to challenge for the playoffs. New York have made a great start on the back of a formidable defense, which doesn't bode well for the relatively poor Rams' offense. The great defense makes New York the favourites, there's every chance they'll stop the Rams scoring any points at all. Having said that, the Giants' offense doesn't score a lot of points with the result that even when they totally dominate their opponents they don't get too far ahead. The St Louis defense should be able to keep New York under control and they'll be hoping for some big plays to tip the balance in their favour.

Giants by 3


Other games: Jets by 7; Colts by 10; Seahawks by 7; Broncos by 7; Ravens by 21; Oilers by 14; Bears by 7; Eagles by 3; Packers by 10; Falcons by 7.


Shootout of the week: Steelers at Colts – might not be very close but there will be plenty of points.

Blowout of the week: Raiders at Ravens – on reflection, this category will probably end up featuring the Raiders every week.

Slugfest of the week: Vikings at Redskins – two of the top ranked defenses in the league duke it out.


Endzone


This concludes another issue of the BGI, thanks to everyone who contributed to this one. Target for the next issue is week ten so while you're sitting around trying to digest your christmas dinner you can be thinking of a good article to include in the next issue.


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