Can anyone explain not punting with 1 minute left?

[Idgit]

That's why you call a max protect and have the punter kick it out of bounds inside the 20. It's done all the time and was a better option than just giving them the ball 25 yards from field goal range.

Unless, of course, you have any reason at all to doubt your ST coverage units....

Like I said, you guys are being silly on this one.

 

[Dodger12]

I still think it's funny all you who claim it was right because the punt could get blocked. If you are worried about that, then why run a play at all. RBs fumble way more often than punts get blocked. If you aren't going to try and get the first down, then punting is the correct play 100% of the time. I have no doubt that if someone had posted a poll outlining that exact situation before today and asked what the team should do, not a single person would have responded with run the ball and give it back to them at the 40. 98% would have said punt and 2% would have said throw it and try for a first down.

Good post and I was thinking the same thing. If folks are playing the low risk game in that scenario, then just take a knee which is probably the highest success rate of not turning the ball over or having a negative play. I mean, the odds are greater that the RB fumbles than a bad snap, blocked punt, etc.

Either way, I really don't know if it was the right or wrong call because we had a lot of latitude with a 2 possession game and only a little more than a minute on the clock and Miami had no TO's left (I think). Even if the "experts" feel it was a coaching miscue, I think it was relatively minor in the big scope of things and I've seen Garrett do much worse.

 

[rynochop]

Yes I felt it was over, I just wasn't really worried about Ryan Tannehill doing anything miraculous. I thought they should have run a play instead of a TO at 2:03, I'd be more worked up over that then this call if I was looking to get worked up over something

 

[Cowboys22]

I'm like "eight pages" really? Did we lose the game? Did going for it and not punting cost us the game?

A couple of things. Eight pages is nothing for a topic where there is disagreement which there is here. 99 out of 100 times, teams will punt in that situation. Only those who want no criticism at all have a hard time seeing that. I don't dislike Garrett at all. I simply remember screaming at the TV, "Why the Hell aren't you punting? There's over a minute left on the clock!", so I started a topic to discuss it. Obviously there are many who felt just as I did and there are those that think winning smoothes over mistakes and they don't need to be discussed. No, we did not lose the game and that I'm thankful for. My biggest point though is that they did NOT go for it. The simply ran a play with no chance of getting the first down and handed the ball back to the Dolphins with over 1 minute left and good field position. Stranger things have happened than a team scoring 10 points in the final 1:08. Punting was and will always be the right decision in that position. If it was 4th and 2 or 3, I could see running the ball and attempting to get a first down but not on 4th and 11.

 

[31smackdown]

It did seem surprising to me that if they were going to run a play that they would not even attempt to get the first down and put the game away. What did you gain, 4 seconds? by having the RB run backwards instead of taking a knee? The RB could have fumbled just as easily as any of these other scenarios. It just seemed odd all around. Run a play and if it's not there just ground the ball if you want to avoid a sack.

 

[Cowboys22]

Good post and I was thinking the same thing. If folks are playing the low risk game in that scenario, then just take a knee which is probably the highest success rate of not turning the ball over or having a negative play. I mean, the odds are greater that the RB fumbles than a bad snap, blocked punt, etc.

Either way, I really don't know if it was the right or wrong call because we had a lot of latitude with a 2 possession game and only a little more than a minute on the clock and Miami had no TO's left (I think). Even if the "experts" feel it was a coaching miscue, I think it was relatively minor in the big scope of things and I've seen Garrett do much worse.

I agree. I never called Garrett inept or anything like that. On a scale of mistakes, this would be minor but I wanted to see if anybody else was thinking the same thing. Obviously they were.

 

[Vtwin]

It did seem surprising to me that if they were going to run a play that they would not even attempt to get the first down and put the game away. What did you gain, 4 seconds? by having the RB run backwards instead of taking a knee? The RB could have fumbled just as easily as any of these other scenarios. It just seemed odd all around. Run a play and if it's not there just ground the ball if you want to avoid a sack.

Exactly. LIke I said earlier, nothing to lose by taking a shot at the endzone. An interception is as good a punt and the pass play would take more time off than the run most likely. Might even get the first down or TD if you at least try. Only way it backfires is by taking the sack so just don't do that and things will work out just fine.

 

[Cowboys22]

Unless, of course, you have any reason at all to doubt your ST coverage units....

Like I said, you guys are being silly on this one.

And like I said, kick the ball out of bounds inside the 20. No one has to cover anything and you can max protect.

 

[Idgit]

And like I said, kick the ball out of bounds inside the 20. No one has to cover anything and you can max protect.

Or, just don't risk the kick at all since only the big play that can lead to an onside kick can beat you.

 

[Cowboys22]

Or, just don't risk the kick at all since only the big play that can lead to an onside kick can beat you.

But you're willing to risk a botched snap or a fumble? If that's the thinking then take a knee in victory formation.

 

[tyke1doe]

A couple of things. Eight pages is nothing for a topic where there is disagreement which there is here. 99 out of 100 times, teams will punt in that situation. Only those who want no criticism at all have a hard time seeing that. I don't dislike Garrett at all. I simply remember screaming at the TV, "Why the Hell aren't you punting? There's over a minute left on the clock!", so I started a topic to discuss it. Obviously there are many who felt just as I did and there are those that think winning smoothes over mistakes and they don't need to be discussed. No, we did not lose the game and that I'm thankful for. My biggest point though is that they did NOT go for it. The simply ran a play with no chance of getting the first down and handed the ball back to the Dolphins with over 1 minute left and good field position. Stranger things have happened than a team scoring 10 points in the final 1:08. Punting was and will always be the right decision in that position. If it was 4th and 2 or 3, I could see running the ball and attempting to get a first down but not on 4th and 11.

I wasn't criticizing you starting this thread. I was just amazed that this topic reached eight pages after a win.

It was more an observational comment.

 

[erod]

Seriously, folks? Did you not watch Michigan State-Michigan?

It's a two-possession game. You don't risk a poor snap, blocked kick, or anything that could result in a quick seven points. You make them score quickly against your top defensive unit, get an onsides kick, and score again.

This is an easy decision.

 

[rpntex]

yeah they did, even they thought it was odd.
I just think it showed how JG plays to not lose, very conservative, and that will bite them later on in another situation

BS. The ONLY comment made about the decision actually came before then penalty. The play-by-play guy said (word for word, taken directly from the DVR) "still 4th & 6, and up by 10, not wanting to chance a field goal block. Dallas will just run it instead...use a few more seconds, and maybe pick up a first down". And this was said BEFORE the ball was snapped.

Then,matter the penalty made it 4th & 11, there was NOT ONE WORD said about the decision to run it. Nobody said anything about thinking it was "odd". Nobody said anything at all.

 

[rpntex]

And like I said, kick the ball out of bounds inside the 20. No one has to cover anything and you can max protect.

The Dolphins will be "bringing the house". That's when bad snaps and kick blocks happen. As unlikely as it is that one of those things happens, it's even less likely that they'll be able to drive the field with no timeouts in less than a minute.

 

[Tommy]

I don't know if I'm smarter than anyone else but I will say this.....I wouldn't squib kick near the end of the first half with a 2 TD lead and over a minute left, I would run the ball with a 3 TD lead in the second half, I wouldn't have Brandon Weeden as my back-up QB, I wouldn't (accidentally) freeze my own kicker, and I'd know how to manage the clock to close out the first half so I minimize the chances of the other team scoring and gaining momentum.

So this idea that these coaches are so smart is kind of silly when they've done some stupid things over the course of their tenure. Just because they get paid (thanks to Tony Romo) to do what they do doesn't make them smarter or their decisions right all the time.

I think the idea is that the coaches of the team are smarter than the pseudo coaches on this forum. Jason Garrett has made mistakes just as every coach in the league has. But the nonsense on this forum of calling him out for every decision that people do not understand is ridiculous.

I understand why he made the decision not to punt the ball in that situation and I agree with it.

 

[Cowboys22]

Seriously, folks? Did you not watch Michigan State-Michigan?

It's a two-possession game. You don't risk a poor snap, blocked kick, or anything that could result in a quick seven points. You make them score quickly against your top defensive unit, get an onsides kick, and score again.

This is an easy decision.

But you would risk a botched snap, botched handoff, and a fumble? Anyone of those can be taken to the house just as quickly as a miscue on a punt. If that is the thinking then you line up in victory formation and take a knee. That has the least amount of risk but that's not what they were going for obviously.

 

[Cowboys22]

The Dolphins will be "bringing the house". That's when bad snaps and kick blocks happen. As unlikely as it is that one of those things happens, it's even less likely that they'll be able to drive the field with no timeouts in less than a minute.

No its not. Did you see the end of the 1st half? Have you seen our defense give up game losing drives at the end of several games this year? All they needed was 30 yards to attempt a field goal and make it a one possession game and then attempt the onside kick. Are we to believe that it was more likely for a bad snap, a blocked punt, or a punt return for a TD than it was for them to gain 30 yards in 25-30 seconds and make a 50 yard field goal thus setting up a nerve racking onside kick? I would have rather Garrett make them go 50-60 yards in the 25-30 seconds.

 

[Staubacher]

I would have punted but as others pointed out, it's understandable either way.

 

[JD_KaPow]

99 out of 100 times, teams will punt in that situation. Only those who want no criticism at all have a hard time seeing that. I don't dislike Garrett at all. I simply remember screaming at the TV, "Why the Hell aren't you punting? There's over a minute left on the clock!", so I started a topic to discuss it. Obviously there are many who felt just as I did and there are those that think winning smoothes over mistakes and they don't need to be discussed.

And some dispute the idea that it was a mistake at all. "99 out of 100 times", teams do things that we know very well they shouldn't (like not giong for it on 4th down nearly enough), so going against the NFL status quo is hardly evidence of wrongdoing. The ball was at the 36 yard line, no matter how much people in this thread want to call it the 45 or claim that we'd gain 30 yards of field position on the punt (possible, but highly unlikely).

Teams score TDs from the 20 around 10% of the time. They score TDs from the 36 around 13% of the time. That doesn't take into account the time constraint here, though, so these odds (and the differential) go down. If you think the chances of a block or a return on a punt (and remember, they only need to get it past the 36 to "win" on the punt play) outweigh that difference, then don't punt. Otherwise punt. But either way, the differences are miniscule.

 

[erod]

But you would risk a botched snap, botched handoff, and a fumble? Anyone of those can be taken to the house just as quickly as a miscue on a punt. If that is the thinking then you line up in victory formation and take a knee. That has the least amount of risk but that's not what they were going for obviously.

I trust a starting QB, center, and running back more than a punter to handle the ball correctly. I also recognize that if I pop a run, the game is over.