NFL Football 2009

[chrisspringob]

I agree that it was a good call to go for it. If they make it, then it's the game. They can run the clock down without issue. What I disagree with is how the play call. Again, the fact that they were going to throw it was pretty bloody obvious. Also, the reciever should have gone a bit further out. Receivers go out and sit on the first down marker all the time, but that gives them no wiggle room for when something goes wrong, like trying to get possession while being tackled. They don't have to go way past it, but a couple yards. I doubt a 4 or 5 yard pass would much tougher than a 2 yard pass.

Yeah, I agree. The decision to go for it may have been correct, but the particular play that was used seems questionable. Also, I've read some commentary questioning the spot of the ball, as it was very close to the 1st down marker. If NE hadn't already used up all their timeouts, they could have challenged the spot, and maybe gotten the 1st down if the challenge succeeded.

 

[archeryguy1701]

^Initially, I thought that NE had gotten a bad ball placement, but the refs got it close to right, and even if they were wrong he was bobbling the ball and didn't get control early enough to definitively say that it should be moved back. He may have had the ball on the otherside of the line, but it would have been almost too close to call.

 

[Neroon]

Faulk never had control of the ball until he hit the ground. Consequently, the refs could not give him any kind of forward progress and had to mark it where he landed ===> behind where he needed to get.

 

[archeryguy1701]

I would have to see it again, but I thouight he had it much earlier than when he hit the ground. Still on the wrong side of the 1st down mark, but I didn't think it was that late.

 

[Neroon]

Here's the play. By the time Faulk actually does havecontrol of the ball, he's definitely behind the first down marker.

 

[chrisspringob]

One last point from me on 4th and 2....from Freakonomics author Steven Levitt:

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/bill-belichick-is-great/

Here is why I respect Belichick so much. The data suggest that he actually probably did the right thing if his objective was to win the game. Economist David Romer studied years worth of data and found that, contrary to conventional wisdom, teams seem to punt way too much. Going for a first down on fourth and short yardage in your end zone is likely to increase the chance your team wins (albeit slightly). But Belichick had to know that if it failed, he would be subjected to endless criticism.

If his team had gotten the first down and the Patriots won, he would have gotten far less credit than he got blame for failing. This introduces what economists call a “principal-agent problem.” Even though going for it increases his team’s chance of winning, a coach who cares about his reputation will want to do the wrong thing. He will punt, just because he doesn’t want to be the goat. (I’ve seen the same thing in my research on penalty kicks in soccer; it looks like kicking it right down the middle is the best strategy, but it is so embarrassing when it fails that players don’t do it often enough.) What Belichick proved by going for it last night is that 1) he understands the data, and 2) he cares more about winning than anything else.

 

[gh4chiefs]

If NE hadn't already used up all their timeouts, they could have challenged the spot, and maybe gotten the 1st down if the challenge succeeded.

At that point in the game, the replay booth controlls the challenges.

 

[SmoothieX]

^Not that case, the officials only control it from the first play after the 2 minute warning and beyond. You can challenge a call at the 2 minute warning.

Those last 4 minutes were like being anally raped by a cheese grater.

 

[Adm. Bonz]

I would have gone for it. It would have won the game.

As much as I dislike the man, Belichick is the smartest coach out there. He knew he would be criticized if they didn't make it, and did it anyway. Most of the other coaches worry about getting blamed for the loss, and usually punt it so the players get blamed instead.

Helluva call. Helluva coach.

 

[gh4chiefs]

^Not that case, the officials only control it from the first play after the 2 minute warning and beyond. You can challenge a call at the 2 minute warning.

Those last 4 minutes were like being anally raped by a cheese grater.

I didn't see the game but I was led to believe it was turned over with about 1 minute and 30 seconds left on the clock. Was that not the case?

EDIT TO ADD: OK, I saw the video, there was more time left in the game than what I was originally led to believe, so I agree, the challenge would have been on the field at that point.

 

[Neroon]

I think that the Colts had at least two timeouts left though. If they had three, a first down there doesn't guarantee that the game is over. The Pats very easily might have had to get another first down or two to run out the clock.

 

[SmoothieX]

Colts had 1 TO + the 2 minute warning at that point. Say the Pats convert, Indy calls a timeout on the first down with 2:0X left. Second down brings the 2 MW. Running it on third drains the clock down to about 1:20. The punt, which I assume will be fair caught, is at about 1:10.

So you have 1:10 left and the ball around your 25-30.

The Pats would have needed another 1st down to ice it.

 

[Starbreaker]

http://nfldotcom.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/buffalonews_ad_v52.jpg

 

[Commander Vaughn]

How about that Lions-Browns game? A very high scoring affair. Probably the most fun I've had watching a Lions game in a long, long time.

 

[Sheep]

Kansas City won?!?!

EDIT1: Go Lions! Talk about a barn burner...

EDIT2: Stafford is the luckiest QB on the planet after that last play. He should've been about 6 feet under if all the tackles had actually landed.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

Oh man, that was an exciting finish to the Lions game! Stafford leads the Lions on a game winning touchdown drive. That game had just about everything!

 

[CorporalClegg]

Restore the Roar!

 

[Commander Vaughn]

I'm not sure I'd go that far yet, but it sure was good seeing the Lions get a win today.

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

Look out for the Chiefs! They took down Pittsburgh in OT today and Big Ben went out with a "concussion related thing".

 

[Sheep]

Okay, who told Mark Sanchez he could attend the Jay Cutler and Chicago Bears school of rushed passing and interceptions?