Halftime adjustments

[Stone]

During last nights’ alternate Monday Night Football broadcast with Eli and Peyton Manning, they had a bit where they spoke about what really happens in the lockerroom during halftime (transcript below). Short answer: not much.

It made me wonder what, if any, adjustments the Utah coaches make at halftime – because it doesn’t seem like they make any. That may be more the norm than not. But if so, it is pretty frustrating.

 

“They still have oranges out,” Peyton said.

“It’s amazing at halftime, you think you’re going to make all these halftime adjustments,” Eli said, “and I haven’t been at this new stadium but by the time you make the long walk to the locker room, you maybe go to the restroom real quick, the coach is coming down from the booth, he gets down there and says, ‘Hey guys, good job, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to run this play and this play.’

“And then somebody yells, ‘Two minutes. Two minutes until we’re out.’ And you’re like, ‘That’s all we get?”

“Yeah,” Peyton said, “great halftime speech.”

Eli picked up: “So when the media comes after and asks, ‘Hey what happened at halftime? Y’all came out fired up.’ And you want to be like, ‘Yeah, it must have been the oranges and the two plays we talked about that we were going to run.’ That was the difference.”

“There were no adjustments,” Peyton admitted.

“No adjustments,” Eli echoed.

 

[Xanthis]

That makes sense for the pros with a 12 minute half time. I can’t imagine there is much adjustments to make besides play calls and coverages during the game. Rarely is there a script of plays on offense that go much beyond the first few drives. 

[MDUte]

I heard Scalley (I think it was Scalley) saying in a recent interview that game adjustments are actually made all along the way through the course of the game. Coaches don’t wait until halftime to make some major adjustment but rather are constantly adjusting in real time based on what the opposing team is doing on offense/defense.

The bit from Peyton and Eli sounded funny and I can totally see that being the case. Thanks for posting!

[UtahUtesRock]

That sounds right. I can’t imagine you’re going to win many games if you’re waiting until halftime to make adjustments.