Last drive: 4th and 5

[jobberone]

Going for it was an option but with its own risks...significant. Ballsy call. Better yet...maybe get more aggressive and go for it on first down. It's own risks as well. The only way to not be the goat is to win the game.

Most of the time you are dead solid perfect right down the middle if you risk a team to score 7 points with 60 seconds left and no timeouts. I can't say I wasn't thinking....not today. Get the first down is an option for sure that day. It's not like any of those decisions are no brainers.

 

[visionary]

One improbable loss is rotten luck. Multiple improbably losses during your tenure as head coach, maybe it's you.

Don't forget that under Garrett this cowboys team has set SEVERAL all time bad cowboy records and NFL records

Several all time bad

This is not a fluke

 

[AbeBeta]

Not if you complete the pass.

You can not be scared, that is why we lose late. Worrying about this type of thing. I doubt manning was scared to throw in the same situation nor were his coaches.

All these ifs.

You play out the most likely scenario. Not these fantasy type things.

 

[AbeBeta]

No. 4th and 5. Sorry for the confusion. Passing on 3rd down would have been dumb.

A 44 yard FG indoor with an nearly automatic kicker forces Detroit to score a TD. High percentage play.

A failed 4th down conversion gives Detroit the ball with a short field, needing only a FG to tie.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

Romo and Garrett had a extensive discussion before that play. I wonder what Romo wanted to do. It’s those type of unique situations that will make or a break a coach. You get paid 3 million dollars a year for a reason.

After the holding call you can see Garrett asking the ref why the clock stopped. His expression turned into horror when they told him it wouldn’t start up again, lol. This team is pure comedy.

 

[theebs]

All these ifs.

You play out the most likely scenario. Not these fantasy type things.

It's not fantasy.

We just had manning do it to us three weeks ago.

 

[Nova]

A 44 yard FG indoor with an nearly automatic kicker forces Detroit to score a TD. High percentage play.

A failed 4th down conversion gives Detroit the ball with a short field, needing only a FG to tie.

First off... no. A FG is not automatic. It's a higher percentage of succeeding but still not a sure deal and doesn't win the game.

And again. There is that qualifier... to tie.

If you can win the game for sure with the biggest negative consequence of failure being "it makes it easier for them to tie" then I don't see how the risk doesn't outweigh the reward.

Edit: It's still equally as hard for the Lions to score a TD (and win) in that scenario.

Throw in the modified rules for OT where a FG on a first possession doesn't win it and it makes the decision even easier.

 

[Zordon]

Romo and Garrett had a extensive discussion before that play. I wonder what Romo wanted to do. It’s those type of unique situations that will make or a break a coach. You get paid 3 million dollars a year for a reason.

After the holding call you can see Garrett asking the ref why the clock stopped. His expression turned into horror when they told him it wouldn’t start up again, lol. This team is pure comedy.

im pretty sure i know what was happening in that discussion. romo wanted a play action pass called. have a tight end in the flat and receiver across the middle. if one of he two are open you throw the pass and try to convert. if either one is covered then you take a sack and punt with 30 seconds. garrett being the conservative prude he is, wanted no part of it.

 

[Arkyvarminter]

I can see both sides but Garrett needs to stop being conservative with the lead when his D is giving up 500 yards per game.............

 

[AbeBeta]

It's not fantasy.

We just had manning do it to us three weeks ago.

What on earth are you talking about? Manning was either behind or tied EVERY time he had the ball in the 4th quarter in that game.

 

[Red Dragon]

Are you serious? Go for it on 4th and 5?


4th and inches or 4th and one, maybe. But when you're well within FG range and could force your opponent to score a touchdown instead of a field goal, it would be an epic coaching blunder to try to convert a 4th-and-5 and fail.


Especially when Romo completed fewer than 50% of his pass attempts in the game.

 

[Nova]

Romo and Garrett had a extensive discussion before that play. I wonder what Romo wanted to do. It’s those type of unique situations that will make or a break a coach. You get paid 3 million dollars a year for a reason.

After the holding call you can see Garrett asking the ref why the clock stopped. His expression turned into horror when they told him it wouldn’t start up again, lol. This team is pure comedy.

To add, if the Lions are going to decline the penalty and keep the field short for us... make them pay.

 

[Nova]

Are you serious? Go for it on 4th and 5?


4th and inches or 4th and one, maybe. But when you're well within FG range and could force your opponent to score a touchdown instead of a field goal, it would be an epic coaching blunder to try to convert a 4th-and-5 and fail.


Especially when Romo completed fewer than 50% of his pass attempts in the game.

Again. This is old thinking. There is a lot less risk than reward in this situation.

Reward: You win the game.

Risk: Now it's easier for them to tie. Still equally as hard for them to win. You still have a shot.

 

[AbeBeta]

First off... no. A FG is not automatic. It's a higher percentage of succeeding but still not a sure deal and doesn't win the game.

And again. There is that qualifier... to tie.

If you can win the game for sure with the biggest negative consequence of failure being "it makes it easier for them to tie" then I don't see how the risk doesn't outweigh the reward.

Edit: It's still equally as hard for the Lions to score a TD (and win) in that scenario.

Throw in the modified rules for OT where a FG on a first possession doesn't win it and it makes the decision even easier.

Your best, highest percentage option there is to force the opponent to score a TD to win. Simple as that.

 

[Nova]

Your best, highest percentage option there is to force the opponent to score a TD to win. Simple as that.

But that's the problem.

High percentage =/= a win as we just saw, and as we've seen around the league the last few years. It is so much easier to score a TD now than it was in yesteryear, and this team has given up a metric ton of TDs in the waning momenst of games and have lost in the same fashion over, and over, and over again.

This isn't 1992 where this is super unlikely anymore. Especially with a very legitimate hailmary threat like Calvin Johnson.

High percentage plays have their place, but not when the outcome of a play can 100% end the game as the reward.

 

[theebs]

What on earth are you talking about? Manning was either behind or tied EVERY time he had the ball in the 4th quarter in that game.

Yes tied at 48 and all they had to do was run the ball run out the clock as much as they could and kick a field goal which would have left us some time to come back.

Instead he came out and saw the one on one with Carr and completed an 11 yard pass which was a killer.

We had the same opportunity but we have a gutless head coach.

 

[Red Dragon]

Again. This is old thinking. There is a lot less risk than reward in this situation.

Reward: You win the game.

Risk: Now it's easier for them to tie. Still equally as hard for them to win. You still have a shot.

You're being a complete hindsight-is-20/20 fan.

Now if Romo had completed, say, 75% of his pass attempts on the day, then I'd like the odds, especially if it were like 4th and 3. Unfortunately, it was perhaps Romo's worst game in terms of passing completion percentage this season. He converted fewer than 50% of his pass attempts and the Lions played the pass excellently for most of the game.

 

[Picksix]

If its incomplete its second and ten and you throw again.

Its about playing to win, just like Denver did against us in the same situation and just like Detroit did on the 4th down.

Its insane that we have a head coach who goes for a 56 yard field goal in a tie game on the road but doesn't have the guts to let his most talented player win the game at crunch time.

I actually agree with you, but with the way things go for this team, we would have thrown 3 incompletes, given the ball back to them with 1:30 to go, and 2 TO's, and this board (along with ESPN and NFLN) would have completely crashed. All we would be talking about is, why they didn't run the ball and use up the clock. Since we did run the ball, it's why didn't we just kneel down 3 times and punt it? Whenever something doesn't work, you always should have done the other thing.

 

[Red Dragon]

The same fans who are calling for the Cowboys to have tried to convert a 4th and 5 are probably the same ones who would have been screaming at the TV if it had failed. "What an idiotic coaching decision!!!!!! Fire Garrett!!"

 

[AbeBeta]

Yes tied at 48 and all they had to do was run the ball run out the clock as much as they could and kick a field goal which would have left us some time to come back.

Instead he came out and saw the one on one with Carr and completed an 11 yard pass which was a killer.

We had the same opportunity but we have a gutless head coach.

Big Difference.

We had three timeouts. They would have burned only about 20 seconds and left us with a minute and a half on the clock