4:10 ball on SF 35 yd line,3 timeouts, score 13-20. Why not kick the field goal there instead of going on fourth down? the score would have been 16-20 and would of increased our momentum that was building by getting 3 more points away from their defense. We then could have had the option of trying an onside kick and keeping the ball to go down and not tie but win or we could have punted them the ball and tried to stop them with our timeouts. instead we burn a timeout, go for it in a tough situation on 4th down trying to play for the tie, and don't get any points. Thoughts?
Well... If you got the FG, then you still needed more than a FG to win/tie. 4 point margin. You need the TD to win in scenario 1, (or tie, w/e.). and you are already in position to get it in scenario 2, You still need the TD, but you make the FG and then need a big stop by D to try and get it a 2nd time You needed to go for it.
I just think adding the points keeping momentum and having the oppourtunity to keep the ball in our hands and giving our guys a chance to win not tie is a better situation than trying to make a big play in a tough situation just to tie,burning a timeout, and getting no points and giving them the ball and losing momentum.
I suppose its debateable.... but they were in position to tie, so you do it. the other was way too much risk with the tie right in front of your face against a much more superior team/defense. But In retrospect none of this matters anyway.
I would've tried the FG rather than trying to convert a 4th and 10. Now 4th and 1 or 2, different story.
A FG is a ridiculous notion there. It literally does nothing for you but make the final score closer than it really was. You also cripple your confidence in the offense to secure a first down. What I would like is for someone to realize that when you are in four down territory, you don't have to pick it all up on third down. Chip away at those ten yards and make the fourth down play a smaller task. The FG scenario there is only good if you have a chance to bring the score to a tie, to a one score game or sets you up to tie/win with another FG later. Momentum is overrated, especially when you let the opposing QB run clean for a TD when they ran the EXACT same play the down before.
It's simple really. In the second half the offense was terrible. The thinking was go for it on 4th down now and if we fail then maybe the defense will hold them and we'll try again.
Watching the game I'm wondering about another scenario. We score a TD with 6:32 left and have a tough time to get into the endzone. We play good defense and have three TO left. Why not go for two here? If you don't convert, you know you've got to score another TD and a two point conversion, so it's still a one score game though you've just made your life more difficult, no question. But if you get the two points early, you still have the option of tieing the game with two field goals or winning the game with a TD and PAT. I don't like this approach in a high scoring game or if the better team is trailing but I think it would have made some sense yesterday.
