Dumb play-calling on our last series cost us the game

[Jammer]

People moving the goal posts. If you want a simple pass, then I’ll counter that it is less likely to get a first down. And if you’re not trying to get a first down, then yeah, you might as well run the ball. But that’s losing mentality. I know, we lost anyway.

But I’m trying to win the game. And you don’t do that by laying down and giving them the ball back with over a minute to play only needing three.

And no timeouts. It severely limits their play call. If they didn't have the one timeout left they wouldn't have been able to throw ball in middle of field to try the FG. They wouldn't have had time.

 

[Jammer]

So even after I've calmed down a touch.. still can not forgive that play call on the last reg time series. You simply HAD to force them to use the last TO.

Yes lots of moments happen in games.. yes Kearse could have taken his legs down.. Brown should have caught that last pass.. yes our D got gashed.. etc etc.

BUT it really comes down to things that are 100% IN YOUR CONTROL.. and the play call on that series was in our control. How can you possibly have an organisation that does not understand the primary assignment on that down is to keep the clock running and force JAGs to take the TO. That could have been a run play.. or a quick screen (EVEN IF we 'dropped' a quick screen - I would be less upset because it would have been an error in skill NOT play calling).. but it had to involved keeping the clock moving. I wouldn't have minded a roll out with a look long and if no one had busted coverage.. then take the sack/slide.

If Jags come onto the field with a minute left and no Time Outs.. then they have to play sidelines.. that gives your D less field to cover. by keeping that Time Out it allowed them to stop the clock.. which gave the officials time to 'review' not one but two plays.. and then also use the middle of the field to get those last 20 yards to get into FG range. If that HAD to be a sideline throw (with no time outs) then potentially they don't get into range.

There will always be skill errors in a game.. but the unforgivable things.. the truly unforgivable things for me.. are when you have something that is 100% in your full control.. and you muff it. I seriously believe that had we used their last time out.. we win this game in regulation.

Perfect response.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

People moving the goal posts. If you want a simple pass, then I’ll counter that it is less likely to get a first down. And if you’re not trying to get a first down, then yeah, you might as well run the ball. But that’s losing mentality. I know, we lost anyway.

But I’m trying to win the game. And you don’t do that by laying down and giving them the ball back with over a minute to play only needing three.

How am I moving the goal posts? A screen to Pollard might have worked. We didn't try one all game that I remember. Regardless, the need to run the clock is proven by the result of the game. The Cowboys win if the Jags don't have that timeout. I do think McCarthy / Moore were trying to make a statement with the play. I just don't agree with it. I assume going deep was not really the plan though, just the result.

 

[zeke21]

People moving the goal posts. If you want a simple pass, then I’ll counter that it is less likely to get a first down. And if you’re not trying to get a first down, then yeah, you might as well run the ball. But that’s losing mentality. I know, we lost anyway.

But I’m trying to win the game. And you don’t do that by laying down and giving them the ball back with over a minute to play only needing three.

Disagree. Look at the % of completing a 30 yard 'long bomb' to the sideline.. it is a high risk/low reward play. We gambled.. and lost. Even if you don't get all the yards.. call a quick screen or a designed run there.. gives you plenty of options.. Jags have to use the last time out.. perhaps you even go for it if you are left with 4th and 1.. or perhaps you pick up the first down because your run game is dominate.. but most importantly you ensure that you are not actively HELPING your opponent.

Jags 1000000000000% wanted us to throw.. and that tells me that it was the wrong call.. you should never do what an opponents wants you to do.. especially when you are in control of the ball. Just sloppy play, bad play, horrendous play.. and a big reason why this franchise will never go anywhere until there are changes at the top. That call was unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. If it was MM.. he should be fired tonight. If it was KM.. he should be fired tonight.. if it was Dak making an audible/decision then he should be benched tonight. Yes I'm serious. It was that bad.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

We should have run the ball on 3rd and 10 with less than 2 minutes left.

Instead we attempt a deep throw down the sidelines which was incomplete, saving the Jags final timeout.

They needed that timeout to force overtime.

We deserve to lose with dumb decisions like that.

Choking away a 17-point 2nd half lead is painful.

I have no problem throwing it but damn if you do it get something underneath. Lamb was open all game it seemed....I'm not throwing it deep to Brown and hoping for the best on 3rd and 10.

 

[droopdog7]

And no timeouts. It severely limits their play call. If they didn't have the one timeout left they wouldn't have been able to throw ball in middle of field to try the FG. They wouldn't have had time.

1:15 is nothing for an nfl team to get into fg range. And I mean nothing.

Listen, I understand why running had a benefit. And, if the jags has NO timeouts, I’m running the ball to run clock. But by running in that situation you’re taking no time off the clock and gifting the ball back. I’d rather try to win the game right there.

 

[droopdog7]

Disagree. Look at the % of completing a 30 yard 'long bomb' to the sideline.. it is a high risk/low reward play. We gambled.. and lost. Even if you don't get all the yards.. call a quick screen or a designed run there.. gives you plenty of options.. Jags have to use the last time out.. perhaps you even go for it if you are left with 4th and 1.. or perhaps you pick up the first down because your run game is dominate.. but most importantly you ensure that you are not actively HELPING your opponent.

Jags 1000000000000% wanted us to throw.. and that tells me that it was the wrong call.. you should never do what an opponents wants you to do.. especially when you are in control of the ball. Just sloppy play, bad play, horrendous play.. and a big reason why this franchise will never go anywhere until there are changes at the top. That call was unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. If it was MM.. he should be fired tonight. If it was KM.. he should be fired tonight.. if it was Dak making an audible/decision then he should be benched tonight. Yes I'm serious. It was that bad.

Throwing a deep ball was daks decision. I assure you there were other guys in the route.

I thought passing was the OBVIOUS call.

 

[droopdog7]

How am I moving the goal posts? A screen to Pollard might have worked. We didn't try one all game that I remember. Regardless, the need to run the clock is proven by the result of the game. The Cowboys win if the Jags don't have that timeout. I do think McCarthy / Moore were trying to make a statement with the play. I just don't agree with it. I assume going deep was not really the plan though, just the result.

We’re terrible at screens. I can’t remember the last one that worked.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

I had to record it as my son had a game this am. Leaving them a timeout was delayed

 

[zeke21]

Throwing a deep ball was daks decision. I assure you there were other guys in the route.

I thought passing was the OBVIOUS call.

As I said, I'm not opposed to situational passing.. a quick screen, a crossing route.. I understand what you are trying to say.. no guts/no glory BUT it was the wrong play. The only thing that you could not do in that situation was stop the clock. That was the only outcome that was lose/lose.

So I'm never going to agree with the call. It was a dumb decision and we got duly punished for it.. again. We have seen this happen so many times. Other teams do the smart thing.. we go the hero ball and get burnt.

Dak is not the guy that makes it happen.. and we had the lead. So EVEN IF you ran the clock there.. and Jags do get the FG.. it would have been harder for them. The key principle should always be doing whatever you can to make things harder for the opposition.

In the end we gifted them good field position, they had the time out to call to set up the FG unit.. and they punished us. We gambled on Daks arm and lost.

 

[droopdog7]

As I said, I'm not opposed to situational passing.. a quick screen, a crossing route.. I understand what you are trying to say.. no guts/no glory BUT it was the wrong play. The only thing that you could not do in that situation was stop the clock. That was the only outcome that was lose/lose.

So I'm never going to agree with the call. It was a dumb decision and we got duly punished for it.. again. We have seen this happen so many times. Other teams do the smart thing.. we go the hero ball and get burnt.

Dak is not the guy that makes it happen.. and we had the lead. So EVEN IF you ran the clock there.. and Jags do get the FG.. it would have been harder for them. The key principle should always be doing whatever you can to make things harder for the opposition.

In the end we gifted them good field position, they had the time out to call to set up the FG unit.. and they punished us. We gambled on Daks arm and lost.

I don’t agree that the only thing you couldn’t do was throw an incomplete pass. That’s a factor, but way below running a play to get a first down. Whatever that play happens to be. In other words, I’m pulling out all the stops to get a first down.

I just don’t think you can go half way there. Soon as we got to third down, posted, pass the ball! It didn’t work, but sometimes the right call doesn’t work out.

 

[zeke21]

I don’t agree that the only thing you couldn’t do was throw an incomplete pass. That’s a factor, but way below running a play to get a first down. Whatever that play happens to be. In other words, I’m pulling out all the stops to get a first down.

I just don’t think you can go half way there. Soon as we got to third down, posted, pass the ball! It didn’t work, but sometimes the right call doesn’t work out.

Can guarantee you that good HCs are not throwing a 30 yard sideline bomb to your WR3 on that play. Absolutely guarantee you.

It was a bad call man.. sorry you can't see it.. but it was a bad call. I got no issue with trying all out to get the first.. but we weren't 3rd and 30.. we didn't need to get into FG range (we were in front).. so we needed 10 yards. It started with a dodgy shotgun HB dive on the first down.. like no one could see that coming.. a simple RPO or toss there and Zeke goes for at least 4 (like he had all game).. which put you behind the sticks.. it was all downhill from there.

I'm not trying to create an argument.. but I will never see it as the right call. It was a bad call.. potentially one of the worst calls of the season across the entire league. It was truly horrendous. I am glad to see that even the media is calling it out.. finally maybe we can get Jerry to take some action.

 

[Jammer]

I don’t agree that the only thing you couldn’t do was throw an incomplete pass. That’s a factor, but way below running a play to get a first down. Whatever that play happens to be. In other words, I’m pulling out all the stops to get a first down.

I just don’t think you can go half way there. Soon as we got to third down, posted, pass the ball! It didn’t work, but sometimes the right call doesn’t work out.

So why not go for it on 4th down every time? Why do teams play it safe and punt the ball and make the other team drive the field? You play percentages. The percentage was make Jacksonville burn their last timeout.

 

[droopdog7]

Can guarantee you that good HCs are not throwing a 30 yard sideline bomb to your WR3 on that play. Absolutely guarantee you.

It was a bad call man.. sorry you can't see it.. but it was a bad call. I got no issue with trying all out to get the first.. but we weren't 3rd and 30.. we didn't need to get into FG range (we were in front).. so we needed 10 yards. It started with a dodgy shotgun HB dive on the first down.. like no one could see that coming.. a simple RPO or toss there and Zeke goes for at least 4 (like he had all game).. which put you behind the sticks.. it was all downhill from there.

I'm not trying to create an argument.. but I will never see it as the right call. It was a bad call.. potentially one of the worst calls of the season across the entire league. It was truly horrendous. I am glad to see that even the media is calling it out.. finally maybe we can get Jerry to take some action.

I can also guarantee you that there were other receivers in the play. The play wasn’t go back and throw a bomb. This isn’t sandlot football.

 

[BoysfanfromCanada]

It was so obvious what the right thing to do was.

And why throw a low-probability bomb down the sideline?

Stupid.

I like going for the win with a first down, I just down like a down field bomb to Noah Brown. We have 3 TEs that can catch, how were they not able to scheme one open for 7-10 yards and go for it if need be?

 

[StuckMojo]

I wish we would run more plays from under center

 

[droopdog7]

So why not go for it on 4th down every time? Why do teams play it safe and punt the ball and make the other team drive the field? You play percentages. The percentage was make Jacksonville burn their last timeout.

Not sure what this has to do with anything. By playing it safe, you’re giving an nfl team the ball with over a minute to go only needing a FG. That’s your decision.

By throwing, you’re trying to end the game. Right there. The time on the clock at the end would have been the same more or less. Yes, a time out is good for the jags. But the clock barely factors in my decision making there. The jags had plenty of time to get into fg range, time out or now timeout.

 

[Crazed Liotta Eyes]

I can also guarantee you that there were other receivers in the play. The play wasn’t go back and throw a bomb. This isn’t sandlot football.

I definitely agree with you here. Any deep route was just looking for a blown coverage or something with the assumption the D was looking for a run play.

 

[Einstein]

We should have run the ball on 3rd and 10 with less than 2 minutes left.

Instead we attempt a deep throw down the sidelines which was incomplete, saving the Jags final timeout.

They needed that timeout to force overtime.

We deserve to lose with dumb decisions like that.

Choking away a 17-point 2nd half lead is painful.

No, the series where Dak thru the INT near our goal line was where we lost... we should have run there on 1st.

 

[zeke21]

I wish we would run more plays from under center

This was discussed in Daks first season.. they have to play him out of shot gun because he takes so long to process the field. They didn't try to have him come up under centre a couple of times.. but he can't make throws on a quick drop back.. so defences keyed in that we only went under centre on run plays..

So they went back to the shot gun look.. which is ok because Zeke is a stop-go runner but I think it would suit Pollard better to see plays from under centre.

It has cost us a lot of options when we get to the RZ and when we have a "first down to win" situation.. because we still play out of shot gun and always run the risk of giving up yards.