3rd and 3 and they pass?

[Captain43Crash]

He didn’t trust the defense. He was going for the 1st down or TD to end the game.

I don’t like the throw to CD in that situation.

I would have called for a boot leg, or a QB draw, to try to get the first down without throwing the ball. Keep the click moving!

 

[Cowboys5217]

If we wanna play best case scenario then running is still the right choice because a 1st down wins the game. Could also score a TD on a good running play.

 

[Momanpr100]

Every coach makes questionable decisions, every single one of them. McCarthy is calling a great offense.

 

[plymkr]

That was the one decision all night that I hated.

I was fine with the XP decision and going for it on 4th down.

I hated that decision too. Almost lost it for us.

 

[hitachi14]

I’m going to bore you guys with some math. Obviously these percentages aren’t perfect but I think they are close enough and not biased one way or another.

If you run the ball:

33% of the time you get a first down outright
33% of the time you set up 4th and short, which you go for and convert 80% of the time
33% of the time you get stuffed / minimal gain and kick the FG

So you win outright 60% of the time (33% + 0.8*33%).

Now let’s say Seattle wins 33% of the time when you don’t win outright. I think this is generous since they have to either go 75 yards in 1 min with no timeouts, or get maybe 65 yards to tie with a FG, then win in OT. Still, let’s give them 33%.

So cowboys win 86% of the time doing it this way (60% + .66*40%).


Now the scenario from today. Throw the ball in the end zone, going for the win.

It probably converts 33% of the time. So you win outright that 33%. Now let’s give Seattle a 45% chance to go down the field and win the game. Keep in mind they have 40 more seconds this way, so an extra 12% is perfectly reasonable.

Seattle wins 30% of the time (0.45*66%). Dallas wins 70%. This is all being generous to the decision made tonight (with the numbers).

So yea, just run the ball.

 

[snadler]

My problem with fans is that every call can be questioned. The HC never makes the right call in a lot of fans mind and it's frustrating. No person on this earth ever does EVERYTHING right to some people.

This wasn’t just every call, again just because they won doesnt mean it was the right call, it was 100% the wrong call. Their is no debate. If you run it and pollard fumbled thats on the player, but the decision not to run it was on the coach. As others pointed out, if they lose this game, MM would have been blasted and rightfully so for such a bonehead decision.

 

[Sarge]

Magic Mike’s end game management was horrendous.

Usually is…

 

[BigBlacKahuna]

That’s the only thing I didn’t like about last night. I would’ve run the ball there.

 

[bigdnlaca]

The playcall was ok. I don’t think Seattle would have gave up 3 yards on two rushing plays. It had to be a pass or play action on 3rd down.

People need to remember that Dak had the ball and there were other receivers he could have threw to or scramble with the ball instead of that throw he did.

 

[DStar22]

The real crime was kicking the FG to make a one-score game into a one-score game. You never want to do that. Take the extra chance at the first down.

When a team is down 3 at the end, they play for the FG and overtime, which only gives them a 50% chance to win. When they're down 6, they go for the win. Up 3 is better than up 6 in that situation. And passing up on the chance for a first down to go up 6 is terrible.

I disagree, up 3 is not better, as it is much easier nowadays to get into field goal range, with the range of kickers now.

the play should have been a run or short pass. Whether it was a designed throw to Lamb , or Dak just threw it, either Mike or Dak screwed up , and against a better opponent that could come back to haunt us.

 

[visionary]

Stupid call

 

[Flamma]

Yea the boys won, but let’s be clear that was one of the dumbest play calls in recent history. The only explanation was MM had boys at -9.5. How do you not run it in that spot, yes the defense got the stop but it should have never come down to that. If they lost the game he should have been fired for that play call.

I agree. I thought the same thing. It's either a run play, or Dak takes off running if the pass isn't there. You don't stop the clock with an incompletion. People were making fun of the Giants when Eli did that back in 2015. The exact same thing. We came back and won.



Notice the amount of time Eli has at the start of the first play. Everything is eerily similar.

 

[DC Cowboy]

Yea the boys won, but let’s be clear that was one of the dumbest play calls in recent history. The only explanation was MM had boys at -9.5. How do you not run it in that spot, yes the defense got the stop but it should have never come down to that. If they lost the game he should have been fired for that play call.

not to mention if you run and don't make it you still can run 35 more seconds off the clock. They were out of timeouts.

 

[Fontaine]

Personally I thought it was a clear running down. You already know you’re going for it on 4th, the run game was decent, if you don’t get it on 3rd and 3 hopefully make it 4th and 2/1, a little easier.

 

[adbutcher]

Omg.

You should def submit your application to be a HC.

 

[Mr_437]

Don't stop there, there's a wealth of plays/situations to look at McCarthy sideways. Mike had a bad game and his team had his back. McCarthy owes them one.

 

[Hadenough]

Of course you pass, unless you plan on going for it on 4th down. But you don’t throw it to the ** end zone. That’s for darn sure. You get a first down and take knees

Exactly! That was what bother me on that play call. Either a quick pass to Ferguson over the middle or just run Pollard wide.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

That’s my thing. I’m actually ok with passing the ball. It just needs to be a shorter pass that has a higher chance of completion. A slant, a drag, a screen pass. Whatever.

Agreed

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

I like the call. You get the TD it's completely game over.


I maybe would have liked a different pass play but I like the aggressiveness.

Yea if you're going to throw it, get the kill shot. Low-risk play to your best player.

I don't love the call to go for it there, but the playcall itself doesn't bother me.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds058]

Do a roll out play action pass if you're gonna throw in that spot.

At worse Dak gets sacked or has to fall down if a receiver isn't open.

Terrible play call.

Prefer this over a straight run to Pollard.