Get used to being uber aggressive

[JBS]

Field position in today’s game means very little and it’s not just with Dallas, it’s league wide. It doesn’t matter if teams start at their own 10 or at their own 40, its basically the same damn thing. This is why you will continue to see McCarthy being aggressive and going for it on 4th and medium inside the opponents territory. And it’s the right decision.

Teams are moving up and down the field at will. What happens inside the 20s is what will decide who wins each game. People in here need to understand this isn’t the nfl from 1990 or even 2000 anymore. Pinning your opponent inside the 10 means almost nothing. Forget field position, it’s about maximizing scoring opportunities.

Remember how aggressive McCarthy was in preseason ? People thought it was bc we had no kicker or bc it was preseason. Nope. That’s how he’s calling games when they matter to. I have been very critical of McCarthy but going for it on 4th and 5 or 4th and 7 isn’t the wrong decision.

 

[dcstar]

Yeppers. And I'm guilty of trying to fit today's game into a shoebox from the 60's n 70's. Ahh...those were the days.

Go Cowboys!

 

[G2]

Field position is pretty important. Having to score in less yards is better than more, nothing has changed about that idea.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Field position is pretty important. Having to score in less yards is better than more, nothing has changed about that idea.

Yeah, field position ain't going away, especially if you can make a great special teams play that pins your opponent within their 5. That makes it way harder and riskier for an offense to move the ball. They might complete a pass to get out of that cramped situation. Sure, that's possible. But it's also possible that your defense tips that ball, turning into a quick pick 6. Or they play conservative on the ground, and you stuff their run and they end up punting from their own endzone, giving you good field position.

The game has a lot of shotgun and wide open passing today, but that hasn't negated field position.

 

[Aviano90]

While teams move the ball seemingly at will in today's game, field position is important because generally the more yards you have to move during a drive, the more plays you will have to run and it will increase the odds your opponent makes a mistake that will help stall the drive.

 

[Aven8]

The Chargers went for it too which was aggressive considering where they were. Luckily there QB is 6’6”

 

[JD_KaPow]

Field position matters. Punting to gain 40-50 yards of field position often makes sense.

But when you have a 4th-and-5 at the opponents' 41, punting is only going to gain you 20-30 yards. You don't get the full benefit of the punt. That's a big part of why going for it there makes sense.

 

[JBS]

Field position matters. Punting to gain 40-50 yards of field position often makes sense.

But when you have a 4th-and-5 at the opponents' 41, punting is only going to gain you 20-30 yards. You don't get the full benefit of the punt. That's a big part of why going for it there makes sense.

when discussing field position, it’s typically a 20-30 yard - 40 at most type of thing. Nobody is suggesting 80 yards makes no difference

 

[VaqueroTD]

I don't fault him for the 4th down play at all for many of the same reasons listed. The time mgmt at the end is unforgivable though.

It's a different game now. I'm not always happy about it, but I accept it.

No QBs picked for ROY ever before 2005 or something? Yet a QB wins almost every year now. I won't even get into the passing yardage numbers being produced now, including rec yards at positions like TE in record numbers.

That's not just fantasy football and X's and O's. You have to adapt to it, especially if you're lucky like our team and have the right offense.

 

[Jake]

Field position is pretty important. Having to score in less yards is better than more, nothing has changed about that idea.

Over 4 quarters, I agree. But these days there are moments when you would've always punted in the past yet now going for it is the better option.

Look at the end of the Ravens-Chiefs game. If Baltimore punts with over a minute left does anyone think they stop Mahomes from getting KC into FG range? They gambled on 4th and 1, in their own territory, but in that situation it was their best chance to win the game.

If they fail, they lose, but punting probably loses the game, too. Getting the first down ended the game.

 

[G2]

Over 4 quarters, I agree. But these days there are moments when you would've always punted in the past yet now going for it is the better option.

Look at the end of the Ravens-Chiefs game. If Baltimore punts with over a minute left does anyone think they stop Mahomes from getting KC into FG range? They gambled on 4th and 1, in their own territory, but in that situation it was their best chance to win the game.

If they fail, they lose, but punting probably loses the game, too. Getting the first down ended the game.

Yeah, I didn't mean situational. There are certainly times to take the plunge.