50 yd FG vs Punt & pin em deep.

[CoCo]

The FG was certainly a good call since he made it, but I wouldn't have tried it.

We were up two TD's with a chance to pin them deep. A miss puts the ball at the 40.

Yeah, the 3 was the final nail, but I'd have taken the safer route. Just me.

I know that sounds like playing to not lose but I think its different when you have a defense the caliber of ours. I just wouldn't have risked compromising them when our FG kicker had been... well... you know.

Of course I didn't get to watch the kicker in practice all week either.

 

[zrinkill]

If our defense is so good we shouldnt worry about not making a 50 yard fg.

 

[Portland Fanatic]

That kick was the nail in the coffin...if we are to be a legit playoff team we must have that.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I actually would've gone for it, figuring at worst they'd probably get the ball back at their own 30 yard line and if we get the first down, the game is over with. I was only against the FG because I was afraid of the field position it would give them. But, it helps when you have a good FG kicker that can seal the game for you.

It wasn't a bad decision because you have to believe that your NFL kicker can make a 49 yarder, but Parcells has more faith in our kicking game than I do.


YAKUZA

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Aren't we always complaining about not going for the throat? The 50yard FG is going for the throat in that instance. We are paying Vanderjagt huge coin to make those FGs. It was the right call.

 

[CoCo]

It wasn't a bad decision because you have to believe that your NFL kicker can make a 49 yarder, but Parcells has more faith in our kicking game than I do.
YAKUZA

Which was exactly my point.

 

[CoCo]

If our defense is so good we shouldnt worry about not making a 50 yard fg.

But I also think you run the ball when you have a big lead no matter how good your D is. You take time off the clock. You don't give em an inch so that there is lesser chance they can take a mile.

Not a big deal. I was just surprised.

 

[Doomsday]

The FG was certainly a good call since he made it, but I wouldn't have tried it.

We were up two TD's with a chance to pin them deep. A miss puts the ball at the 40.

Yeah, the 3 was the final nail, but I'd have taken the safer route. Just me.

I know that sounds like playing to not lose but I think its different when you have a defense the caliber of ours. I just wouldn't have risked compromising them when our FG kicker had been... well... you know.

Of course I didn't get to watch the kicker in practice all week either.

If it was Cundiff or Suisham(sp) I wouldnt even think of trying the FG, with Vanderjagt I would let him kick it to show him you have confidence in his abilities. If you dont trust the best FG kicker in league history who the heck are you going to let try it there?

On a side note its amazing to me he doesnt do well on kickoffs he had plenty of distance on that 50 yarder.

 

[cobra]

On the fourth down and 3 yards to go, the ball was at the 31 yard line.

Why punt? There is at least a 50% chance that you will have a touchback, which means you are getting a whopping 11 yards of field position. Say you get to the 10; you get 21 yards of field position.

I don't see the expect value of punting to be worth anything there.

The only 2 legitimate options would be kicking a field goal or going for it. If you don't get, you are probably sacrificing 11-21 yards of field position that you might have had if you punted it. That has to be balanced against the benefit of making it and taking more time off the game.

Kicking a field goal has benefits for several reasons. For one, we needed to see Vanderjagt make a kick like that. Second, the game didn't hinge on him making it. It was already 24-10. They were 2 touchdowns away. The field goal would seal it. A miss doesn't lose it for you, but a make wins it for you. There was little downside there.

I suppose its a toss up for me between kicking it and going for it. But I think punting it there is insane because there is very little upside to punting it.

 

[bobtheflob]

Suisham only had one touchback anyway IIRC, so I wonder how much worse Vandy could have been. I wouldn't be entirely surprised to see Vandy as the only active kicker next week.

 

[MapleLeaf]

If it was Cundiff or Suisham(sp) I wouldnt even think of trying the FG, with Vanderjagt I would let him kick it to show him you have confidence in his abilities. If you dont trust the best FG kicker in league history who the heck are you going to let try it there?

On a side note its amazing to me he doesnt do well on kickoffs he had plenty of distance on that 50 yarder.

...Cowboys fans for not having confidence in anyone including Vanderjagt. After this training camp and preseason along with the Cundiff/Cortez rollercoaster ride we would probably all be in favour of going for it every fourth down.

As for kickoffs you really want a guy who can consistently kick the ball high and deep anywhere from 65 to 75 yards in the air. That may be a tall order for a kicker coming off a sore groin.

 

[es22]

Going for it was the right call. You have to put a team away, unlike the Eagles.

Also, it was a great way for Parcells to gain Vanderjagt's confidence, and confirm to the media and yes, us fans that he did the right thing in signing him here.