1st and 15 vs. 2nd and 10

[ChrisL97]

What is the preferable down and distance if you are on defense. Two times in the Detroit game, they threw an incompletion and were called for an illegal shift on one and illegal formation on the other. We accepted the 5 yard penalty to make it 1st and 15 instead of declining it and make it 2nd and 10.

 

[StarLord]

With our current defense I would take 2nd and 10 every time. This team isn't good enough to play a chess game with those 5 yards. Giving them another down, well they most likely aren't going to give up 5 yards, they'll give up 10,-15.

 

[Cowboys5217]

The Eberflus defense gives up third downs at a historically bad pace that it doesn't really seem to matter what you do.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Depends on the situation but I’d rather have 2nd and 10 90% of the time as I’d rather give an offense fewer opportunities.

Nothing irritates me more than accepting a penalty to make it 1st and 15 only to give up the underneath check down that makes it 2nd and 8 only the next play.

 

[Chuck 54]

There must be a reason why 1st and 15 is much better….because no one turns down the penalty unless there was a loss by sack or its fourth down. Everyone takes the penalty.

It’s not easy to average 5 yards on every play, so doing it 3 plays in a row is even harder than on 2 plays in a row.

 

[visionary]

With Eberwuss as your DC, both are just as bad as 1st and 10

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Nothing irritates me more than accepting a penalty to make it 1st and 15 only to give up the underneath check down that makes it 2nd and 8 only the next play.

Which seems to happen every time.

 

[Carson]

I’ve never seen a team give up so many 2nd and 15+ and 3rd and 15+ with such ease. A simple slant on 3rd and 16 should never get a first down … especially for a team that did not blitz much last week

 

[Creeper]

I would take the 1st and 15. But with the Cowboys defense it doesn't really matter. They seem to give out 3rd down passes for 1st downs like candy on Halloween.

I also think it's a close call. I think it depends on position on the field as well. I would love a stout defense that does not give up yards on 3rd downs very easily. Or 2nd downs for that matter. The Lions only had 8 3rd downs in 11 drives and converted only 3. For comparison the Cowboys have 15 3rd downs.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

2nd and 10.

1st and 15…..10 yards off receiver…they will get the 15 yards.

 

[kskboys]

With our current defense I would take 2nd and 10 every time. This team isn't good enough to play a chess game with those 5 yards. Giving them another down, well they most likely aren't going to give up 5 yards, they'll give up 10,-15.

Yeah, I've never understood why teams consistently accept the penalty. 2nd and 10 for me all day.

And on another note, giving the O another down keeps your D on the field longer.

 

[Mikexike]

2nd and 10.

 

[jblaze2004]

With our current defense I would take 2nd and 10 every time. This team isn't good enough to play a chess game with those 5 yards. Giving them another down, well they most likely aren't going to give up 5 yards, they'll give up 10,-15.

This. If we had a good/average defense then I believe we would have took the penalty. But are defense is BAD bad. Rather give them 2 downs to get 10 yards then 3 downs to get 15.

 

[kskboys]

2nd and 10.

Yup. I'll never understand why everyone takes the penalty in this case.

 

[jblaze2004]

I’ve never seen a team give up so many 2nd and 15+ and 3rd and 15+ with such ease. A simple slant on 3rd and 16 should never get a first down … especially for a team that did not blitz much last week

And play a bunch of soft zone.