I was on board with the laid back efficiency-focused offense during the season, but felt sure that he could flip the switch to an attacking aggressive offense when it became necessary.
Slow pace of play is great when you’re leading but Day played himself into no margin for error with that 8 minute drive in the 4th.
I don't think they needed to go faster; they needed to convert in goal-to-go situations. Those two 7-minute drives would have been just what the Dr. ordered if they ended in seven points each. That second one, especially, would have been a perfect, back-breaking drive, with Sayin converting about three consecutive 3rd and 8s on the way to a bunch of time off the clock and 7 points.
It was obvious that Hartline had just about zero confidence in the offense's ability to pick up a yard or two with a handoff when the defense expected a run. That's a problem if he's wrong to have no confidence in it; it's a bigger problem if he's right. The only reason the slow-play, efficiency method wasn't a winner is that they weren't able to be efficient in goal-to-go situations. Maybe running some kind of hurry up inside the 20 would have helped, but if you simply can't run for 1-2 yards when the field is condensed and they're expecting a run, that's pretty limiting.