Coach Sal
01-05-2008, 11:33 PM
I've never been a believer in following the chart like gospel.
Every game and every situation is different.
The chart is good for a quick-math if you are up or down a lot, or if the score has some odd numbers in it that you don't always see in football.
Personally, I've always felt that you only go for one until you really must go for two (like being up 4 or 5 with 1-2 minutes left after scoring, for example). Before the 4th quarter is always too early to go for two.
Anyway, the Steelers proved why the chart doesn't always work tonight. And it may have cost them the game.
When they scored to make it 28-23 with 10:30 remaining, I agree going for two was not a bad call (make it a 3-point game), although gong for one was understandable, too, because of all the time still remaining. But they had a holding penalty on the play and had to try again from the 12. A "normal 2-point coversion is about a 50/50 chance. But one chance to get 12 yards in the NFL? that's a horrible proposition.
I turned to my wife and said, "now they need to kick it and just be down four......there's plenty of time left and there will be more scoring done."
The situation had changed. The chance to succeed had changed. Dramatically.
Sure enough, they missed the two. Game stayed 28-23. Sure enough they got the ball back again quickly and scored again with 6-minutes left. Now, they have to play catch-up from the previous 2-point miss. They almost have to go for 2 again, because they are only up 29-28. Kicking the XP means a FG still beats them. But if they would have kicked it the previous score, they'd be up 30-28 and now, just kick the XP again and a FG can only tie it.
Of course, they missed the 2 again. Jacksonville goes down the field and (in essence) WINS the game with a FG, instead of only tying it.
Can you imagine if this was the Bills, what this board would be doing right now? I'm going to head over to read Steeler's fans reactions on this. Tomlin was already being grilled on it in the postgame presser.
The chart sucks.
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Every game and every situation is different.
The chart is good for a quick-math if you are up or down a lot, or if the score has some odd numbers in it that you don't always see in football.
Personally, I've always felt that you only go for one until you really must go for two (like being up 4 or 5 with 1-2 minutes left after scoring, for example). Before the 4th quarter is always too early to go for two.
Anyway, the Steelers proved why the chart doesn't always work tonight. And it may have cost them the game.
When they scored to make it 28-23 with 10:30 remaining, I agree going for two was not a bad call (make it a 3-point game), although gong for one was understandable, too, because of all the time still remaining. But they had a holding penalty on the play and had to try again from the 12. A "normal 2-point coversion is about a 50/50 chance. But one chance to get 12 yards in the NFL? that's a horrible proposition.
I turned to my wife and said, "now they need to kick it and just be down four......there's plenty of time left and there will be more scoring done."
The situation had changed. The chance to succeed had changed. Dramatically.
Sure enough, they missed the two. Game stayed 28-23. Sure enough they got the ball back again quickly and scored again with 6-minutes left. Now, they have to play catch-up from the previous 2-point miss. They almost have to go for 2 again, because they are only up 29-28. Kicking the XP means a FG still beats them. But if they would have kicked it the previous score, they'd be up 30-28 and now, just kick the XP again and a FG can only tie it.
Of course, they missed the 2 again. Jacksonville goes down the field and (in essence) WINS the game with a FG, instead of only tying it.
Can you imagine if this was the Bills, what this board would be doing right now? I'm going to head over to read Steeler's fans reactions on this. Tomlin was already being grilled on it in the postgame presser.
The chart sucks.
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