The first peg in a motivational edge is a loss.
There is a different focus with a team, particularly a good one, that has suffered a defeat in their most recent game. Wins can breed complacency and losses attention to detail. When I shared that philosophy with Al Davis as a member of his Oakland Raiders staff he would look at me with contempt.
“Nothing good comes from a loss,” Davis would say at the same time he’d be dropping out of that conversation with a shake of his head and a dismissal of any further comments from his young employee.
Okay, I can understand Davis didn’t want anyone in his organization thinking a loss was a good thing. But my comment was not to encourage a defeat, but more pitched to what a stinging setback can do for a team … particularly one with the overall strength of say the Raiders in the 1970’s and current Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
Both the Eagles and 49ers suffered their first loss of the 2023 season last week, the Eagles upset on the road against the New York Jets and the 49ers falling short when a would-be winning field goal sailed wide right from 41-yards out at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Eagles already recovered from their only loss with last night’s two-touchdown victory margin over the visiting Miami Dolphins. The 49ers will have their chance for redemption tonight when they visit Minnesota to battle the Vikings.
The Eagles had the benefit of playing the Dolphins on their home field and being fully inspired to take on the highest scoring team in the league. The 49ers are on the road and against a Vikings team that has more trouble in primetime games than a naked beekeeper.
Too easy?
Thirty-nine years ago the 49ers missed a kick at the end of a Week 7 game that would have tied the Pittsburgh Steelers and sent that contest into overtime. That kick was wide too, like last Sunday’s in Cleveland, and the 49ers went on to win every game after that including their Super Bowl XIX triumph over Dan Marino and his Miami Dolphins.
Now, losing isn’t always a benefit to a good team in their following game.
Take this year’s Buffalo Bills for instance, they lost two weeks ago to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London and came off that setback with a flat performance and narrow victory over the New York Giants. A game that required a comeback to eke out a point spread losing 14-9 decision. Then, the Bills came up paupers again yesterday, dropping their third game of the season, which matches the number they lost all last season, to the talent starved New England Patriots.
Why didn’t the Bills respond with a big effort after their loss to Jacksonville?
Because they were in the worst of all motivational spots, that is coming off a loss but confident of a win. Then, the narrow victory over the Giants did nothing to get their minds right for yesterday’s game against their longtime division nemesis, Bill Belichick and his Patriots.
The loss, oh yeah, that will wake up Buffalo like a cold bucket of water would wake you or I from a deep sleep. They host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night … pity the Bucs.
As for the 49ers? If that kick against Cleveland would have been good, providing a narrow road win over the Browns, then the 49ers would be in the same trap the Bills were in yesterday. But they missed it, took the defeat, and got prepared for a short work week and battle against a Vikings team just good enough to get their attention.
The 49ers have a lot to overcome tonight. Not only did they lose the game in Cleveland, three of their primary offensive weapons, Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel, are sidelined with injuries suffered in that contest.
The Vikings are good enough to get San Francisco’s attention, but not good enough to beat a 49ers team looking to avoid a second straight loss.
This is what I meant when I told Davis about what good comes from a loss … even if he didn’t want to hear it.
Qoxhi Picks: San Francisco 49ers (-7) over Minnesota Vikings