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Tomlin decision to go for it on 4th was BRUTAL

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by LongIslandSteel, Nov 8, 2020.

  1. LongIslandSteel

    LongIslandSteel Member

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    Listen man--I read this forum, but that's usually it. I'm moved to post tonight.

    Let me first say I'm a Tomlin fan. He's a good man, good leader, and I agree with the Pittsburgh franchise approach of hiring a coach and sticking with him. I'm not at all calling for Tomlin to be fired, certainly not at 8-0.

    How---how, how, how---do you go for it on fourth down rather than making Garrett Gilbert drive 80 yards AND convert for 2 points to TIE the game!? How can that be?

    I'm sorry, I don't claim to be a football tactician, I watch every game, I have a reasonable fan's understanding of the game.....HOW can you possibly not take three there and give yourself a tremendous chance to win the game??? It has to be less than 5% chance (if you want to go by analytics) that our good ass defense gives up a touchdown there, gives up the two point conversion, AND loses in overtime. As it was, they were right there with a chance to win the game outright.

    I'm thrilled at 8-0. I think we have every chance to get #7 this year. But I'm sorry, that's just bad.
     
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  2. bigbenhotness

    bigbenhotness Well-Known Member

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    He was gonna for the kill and it didn’t work out
     
  3. LongIslandSteel

    LongIslandSteel Member

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    I get the idea, and I'm not categorically against it. Again, I'm a Tomlin guy. Just thought this one was a glaringly bad decision. Came this close to costing us our undefeated record.
     
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  4. Smitch89

    Smitch89 Well-Known Member

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    The fact they couldn't get 1 yard to end it was brutal
     
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  5. LongIslandSteel

    LongIslandSteel Member

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    Not arguing the result either. I just thought it was absolutely the wrong coaching decision. The chances of Gilbert leading them 80 yards for a touchdown, AND making the 2, AND winning in overtime were very small.
     
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  6. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    Yeah unless some other details come out that was a terrible decision.
     
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  7. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    I would have gone for the FG, totally agree!
     
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  8. Steel the Win on Sunday

    Steel the Win on Sunday Well-Known Member

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    I believe they made the decision because they were having trouble shoring up the blocking on the field goal unit. They already had 1 XP blocked and 2 other near blocks. I guess they felt there was enough risk there to warrant a gamble in trying to pick up 1 yard.
     
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  9. Ender

    Ender

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    After the game, coach T said he wasn’t comfortable with our kicking game and didn’t want to take a chance of another blocked FG.

    Not a fan of a bounce play there though. Would rather a dive, but I will say that if Vance McDonald picked up the first defender to cross his face they probably get the first down easy.
     
  10. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    Special teams was ass today, Tomlin had fears. Offense in the 4th was what his gut told him to believe in. :shrug:
     
  11. bleednblackngold

    bleednblackngold Well-Known Member

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    I was afraid to kick there too for fear it would get blocked and returned, so I actually agreed with the decision. It's brutal though that you can't get a simple thing like blocking on FG attempts fixed DURING THE GAME. It can't be that hard.
     
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  12. Smitch89

    Smitch89 Well-Known Member

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    The chances of him leading them down there anyway was very small that's why he went for it. U make it the games over u don't u give them a 1% to win. I'll take those odds
     
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  13. Vox Ferrum

    Vox Ferrum Well-Known Member

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    Instant analytics for the game, they missed an XP and had one blocked at nearly the same distance that the FG would have been. A blocked FG is a live ball, bad things can happen. I would tend to agree that it would be the normal and relatively safe call. I do not mind going for it on 4th, but just shake my head at the play call itself. In similar situations this year, when using a FB lead they get that yardage, nearly every time (those I recall) that they have tried that play they have failed. That's the smh moment for me, the lack of production on short yardage with the play called.
     
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  14. MadtownDruankard

    MadtownDruankard Well-Known Member

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    Might be the worst play call I've ever seen Tomlin make...and he's made a lot of bad ones.

    This is the NFL. If you don't trust your kicker to make that then he should not be on the team. That was classic Tomlin over thinking the situation. What was that a 35 yard kick? We could not run the ball all game. He somehow thought we had a better chance getting a yard on the ground vs kicking a chip shot fg? Worst case scenario you give them the ball if you miss the kick on a kick that we make 95% of the time. How many times do we get stuffed on runs every game? Horrible call . And if you're going to be that stupid then at least call a better play. wow.
     
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  15. M. Connors

    M. Connors Well-Known Member

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    I said out loud as the offense was lining up that I didn’t agree with the decision.
    Then I hurled expletives at the TV screen at the play call. I don’t know if that’s the slowest developing running play in the Steelers’ playbook, but it has to be top 3.
    This offense won the second half dinking and dunking. Conner didn’t touch the ball until that run. Why that call?
    First down wins the game and the special teams was f’ing awful, so I understand the decision but not the play call.
    I owed my Dallas fan friend a shot from this game because I was convinced we’d lose. In past years we would have. People have to recognize that. Chiefs and Ravens didn’t look great today either. It happens.
     
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  16. LongIslandSteel

    LongIslandSteel Member

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    Man, if you're afraid to kick a field goal because it might get blocked, that's a very big problem. What percentage of kicks get blocked? A very quick Google search tells me 3.5 percent, tops. C'mon now. If that's the reason to not kick it there, it's a bad reason.
     
  17. LongIslandSteel

    LongIslandSteel Member

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    I agree brother, I don't think this game means anything other than a tight game against a bad team, which happens all the time in the NFL. You just saw KC pushed to the brink by Carolina at home today. And like I say, I'm a Tomlin fan. I just very much take exception with this particular call. I think it was awful.
     
  18. Steelhammer92

    Steelhammer92 Well-Known Member

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    i actually like the decision to go for it there, and i'm not a big tomlin guy. my issue is with the execution and actual play call. i would have preferred for them to rush to the line and have Ben hard count them.. if they didn't jump offside, call timeout and then try for the 1st. instead, we waited around and rushed to the line with only a few seconds left on the play clock and our own guys seemed out of sorts and not ready. just terrible execution.
     
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  19. Da Stellars

    Da Stellars Well-Known Member

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    But Tomlin doesn't live in his fears!!!???????


    ;)
     
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  20. BURGH43STEL

    BURGH43STEL Well-Known Member

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    I thought they should had attempted the FG. I understood why they didn't go for the FG.

    Some of the reasons:
    They wanted to close out the game right there.
    Special teams almost gave up 2 returns for TDs
    They seemed to have an issue blocking on FG attempts.
    Tomlin played the %s.
    It's a lot to ask of an offense to go the entire length of the field with 38 seconds and no time outs.
    He trust the defense more than the special teams in this game.
     
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  21. Rush2seven

    Rush2seven Well-Known Member

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    Hated it.

    Wanted the FG.

    Have someone spy the guy in the middle.

    I assume they didn’t run up the middle because that wasn’t successful. Won’t be in that situation until we get someone like the bus again.
     
  22. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    I was bewildered at the decision at the time.

    The later explanations about the play of ST makes more sense. The Cowboys needed to score a TD whatever - even a missed FG gives them a shorter field than going for it.

    That said - I probably would have gone for the FG. Or, as others have said, a different play call. If you're playing percentages, don't give it to the ground game that have acheived nothing the whole game. OR, as someone said in the GD thread, put Mondeaux in as FB.
     
  23. Jujubean

    Jujubean Well-Known Member

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    The bigger issue is how bad this team is at converting both 4th and short running the ball and killing the clock end of games. It’s almost to the point where I’d rather have a Ben shotgun 5 wide every play because that’s the only thing that seems to work.
     
  24. zcoop

    zcoop Well-Known Member

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    I probably would have attempted the FG but was ok with Mike's reasoning. He can't win with some folks.

    If he goes for the FG there and it was blocked and ran back, he would get critiqued for it too.

    Go figure. We won the game and are 8 - 0.
     
  25. Jammasterc

    Jammasterc Well-Known Member

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    Coaches are outthinking themselves.

    Play the fundamental ideas of the game.
     

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