Divisional Weekend

[dolphins4life]

Dude, just let it go. Your just coming off salty.

No, I just feel like I entered the room after somebody told a joke, so I want to hear what the joke was.

Anyway here are my thoughts

1) The Patriots broke the record this weekend for the most number of fluke plays benefited from in NFL history.  Brady, as I said eariler, is the luckiest quarterback of all time, greatest is still up for debate.  Though with his own play this weekend he certainly helped his cause.

2) On Pete Carroll.  I need to know, is he to blame for the play-calling in the Super Bowl last year?  If so, that means he has made bone-headed decisions in two straight playoff years.  And Brad, you are absolutely right when you talk about the missed field goal coming back to bite them.  If it is a one score game on the last possession you handle it differently. 

3) Decisions like Carroll's are the most frustrating thing about being a fan.  Your coach is doing something you know is completely stupid and you feel helpless to do anything about it.  I just don't get why you do things so stupid.  It is so obvious to kick the field goal there. 

4) I thought I saw Aaron Rodgers' playoff record as 4-3 on a graphic on Saturday.  I think he has lost to the Cardinals twice, the 49ers twice, and the Seahawks once, so maybe I saw it wrong or read it wrong.  Anyway, the Packers really must hate the NFC West.

5) I went 3-1 on picks, which leaves me sad. 

6) Should the Broncos have been flagged for pass interference on the Steelers' second drive?  The defender never turned back for the ball.

7) How good would the Dolphins be with Carroll?  Idk.  I think the Dolphins problem is dumb drafting, and again, I don't know how much of the Head Coach's responsibility that is.

If there is any justice in the World the Broncos will win next week.  That would be the Patriots' karma for tanking the last two games of the season.  I hope Denver fans come out in full force and act like Seattle fans. 

[dolphins4life]

I meant to type and I got sunglasses

[Spider-Dan]

If they take the field goal at the end of the first half, they are down by 7 and don't have to kick one late in the game. They could've gone for the TD late and tied it.

So your point is that if they didn't go for the TD instead of a FG, they could have went for a TD instead of a FG?

Would it somehow have been preferable to fail to convert a 4th-and-15 at the end of the second half instead of a 4th-and-5 at the end of the first half?  They were both at the CAR 18-yard-line, and 5 yards is a lot less than 15. 

A failed conversion is a failed conversion.

[dolphins4life]

But if it's a one score game, you handle the play calling differently than if it's a two score game.

You take the points there.  Carroll was nuts.

Better be to be driving for a tie late in the game rather than driving to cut it to a one score game.

By your logic, if it is 10-0 in the first quarter, you should go for it then, too. 

[Spider-Dan]

Once again:

If you take the field goal at the end of the first half, and then go for the TD at the end of the second half and fail (you know, like they actually did when they tried with a shorter yards-to-first), then you still lose by 7 points.

So you're basically just saying that Carroll should have taken a different path to the same 7-point loss: one that involves trying to convert a 4th-and-15 instead of a 4th-and-5.

This is not good logic.

P.S.  Any coach that kicks field goals on 4th-and-5 from his opponents 18-yard-line when down 31-0 does not deserve to have a job.

[dolphins4life]

Once again:

If you take the field goal at the end of the first half, and then go for the TD at the end of the second half and fail (you know, like they actually did when they tried with a shorter yards-to-first), then you still lose by 7 points.

So you're basically just saying that Carroll should have taken a different path to the same 7-point loss: one that involves trying to convert a 4th-and-15 instead of a 4th-and-5.

This is not good logic.

That's not what I am saying.

I am saying that if it is a one score game at the end rather than a two score game, things are much different.

Which is why they should have kicked the field goal.

When it is a one score game, the clock is MUCH less of a factor.  You don't have to worry about having time left to score again.  This gives you much more options in terms of play calling.

Look at the plays

1st and 10 with 1:26 left:  Spike to stop the clock (which you don't have to do if it's a one score game.  Thus you lost a down)

After a penalty the next two passes were deep incompletions.  If it's a one score game, you have much more flexibility.  You can even try a surprise running play, or shorter passes because you aren't thinking in terms of having to score twice.

Thus, it DID come back to bite them in the ass.

Don't tell you are going to facepalm me now, too 

[dolphins4life]

Once again:

If you take the field goal at the end of the first half, and then go for the TD at the end of the second half and fail (you know, like they actually did when they tried with a shorter yards-to-first), then you still lose by 7 points.

So you're basically just saying that Carroll should have taken a different path to the same 7-point loss: one that involves trying to convert a 4th-and-15 instead of a 4th-and-5.

This is not good logic.

P.S.  Any coach that kicks field goals on 4th-and-5 from his opponents 18-yard-line when down 31-0 does not deserve to have a job.

Disagree completely.  In fact I feel the opposite.

31 points is a five score game (Any team that can get three two point conversions in a game will rarely ever be down by 31 points.

You have a easy chance to get one of those scores now, you take it.

Do you agree with what I am saying in that the final drive is much easier if you need one score rather than two?

[Spider-Dan]

I fail to see how the final drive becomes "easier" when you still need a touchdown anyway.

4th-and-15 is definitely not "easier" than 4th-and-5.

[dolphins4life]

I often think about what the opponent would want me to do if I was a coach in that situation, (then do the opposite) but that is hard to apply here.

[dolphins4life]

I fail to see how the final drive becomes "easier" when you still need a touchdown.

Because you don't have to spike the ball to stop the clock.

You can use the entire field, rather than just the deep passes and the sidelines.

You don't have to abandon your running game. 

Are those three good reasons?

[Spider-Dan]

You said, "Any team that can get three two point conversions in a game will rarely ever be down by 31 points. "

Any team that is down 31-0 in the first half has no reason to believe that they will keep their opponent from scoring again.  Therefore, it makes no sense to talk about the game in the sense of "five scores" or "three scores" because you cannot predict what the opponent will score in the second half.

[dolphins4life]

You said, "Any team that can get three two point conversions in a game will rarely ever be down by 31 points. "

Any team that is down 31-0 in the first half has no reason to believe that they will keep their opponent from scoring again.  Therefore, it makes no sense to talk about the game in the sense of "five scores" or "three scores" because you cannot predict what the opponent will score in the second half.

Why not?  It has happened before, just ask the Buffalo Bills. 

[Spider-Dan]

Why not draft franchise QBs in the 6th round?  It has happened before, just ask the New England Patriots.

[dolphins4life]

I think we are getting sidetracked here.

Do you think it is easier for Carolina on their last drive if they are down 7 rather than 10?

I say yes, for the three reasons I listed earlier.

Do those reasons hold water?