Texans clock management

[Future]

I was watching the game and arguing with my dad that there was no way the Texans should have gone for the first 4th down on their long FG drive, but not the second. It would have been a relatively long field goal, but a makeable one for Bulock on the 4th down they went for. They wasted 2-3 minutes and then settled for 3 anyways.

Why go for the first 4th down conversion but not the second? I can't say for sure that it would have made any difference, but it seemed like a colossal mistake to me. Thoughts?

 

[conner01]

a 50 yard fg is no given. and bullock has hit less than 78% of his career tries from any distance. i think it was certainly not a no brainer to kick the fg. the reason for the second was easy, a much easier kick and it did work for them since they tied the game

 

[pancakeman]

Yeah, I think the no-kick/kick made sense.
Even the best kicker in the league misses sometimes from 50+, as we found out yesterday. They miss there and the game is over.

 

[rynochop]

I mainly couldnt believe they werent in hurry up after going for it, hwere huddling up and letting the clock run.

 

[Future]

Yeah, I think the no-kick/kick made sense.
Even the best kicker in the league misses sometimes from 50+, as we found out yesterday. They miss there and the game is over.

Don't get the conversion and the game is over. Considering how crappy their offense is, I figured they had a better chance of getting the FG than getting a 1st down. It's not like it was 4th and 2, they needed 7.

 

[John813]

I was saying the same thing yesterday.

Especially with how nonchalant the offense was after the fourth down conversion. Tick tock tick tock.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I was watching the game and arguing with my dad that there was no way the Texans should have gone for the first 4th down on their long FG drive, but not the second. It would have been a relatively long field goal, but a makeable one for Bulock on the 4th down they went for. They wasted 2-3 minutes and then settled for 3 anyways.

Why go for the first 4th down conversion but not the second? I can't say for sure that it would have made any difference, but it seemed like a colossal mistake to me. Thoughts?

I'm not sure how to answer this. I'm only used to people questioning Garrett's decisions and clock management.

 

[gimmesix]

I was watching the game and arguing with my dad that there was no way the Texans should have gone for the first 4th down on their long FG drive, but not the second. It would have been a relatively long field goal, but a makeable one for Bulock on the 4th down they went for. They wasted 2-3 minutes and then settled for 3 anyways.

Why go for the first 4th down conversion but not the second? I can't say for sure that it would have made any difference, but it seemed like a colossal mistake to me. Thoughts?

I figure that they didn't trust their kicker from that distance. Miss the field goal and you're done, so why not try to get closer?

The other field goal was a chip shot, so there was no reason to risk going for it on fourth down.

But they did use up a lot of clock and were lucky that we did absolutely nothing with the ball on the next possession.

 

[coogrfan]

The lack of urgency the Texans showed on the drive that narrowed the gap to 17-10 was questionable, but anyone who has watched that Houston team since the beginning of last season understands why they choose not to give Bullock a shot at a long fg. Simply put, Bullock is the anti-Dan Bailey.

Imo the single most questionable decision made by either team was the Texans going empty backfield on the 3rd and 2 in overtime. Declaring before the play that there's no possibility of a run when Arian Foster had been gashing us all day was the height of stupidity.

 

[conner01]

Don't get the conversion and the game is over. Considering how crappy their offense is, I figured they had a better chance of getting the FG than getting a 1st down. It's not like it was 4th and 2, they needed 7.

miss the fg and the game is most likely over too. and we would have had even better field position. ever option is a gamble and i suspect he felt since they were moving the ball very well on the drive that the odds of making the first were btter than the fg

 

[ConstantReboot]

So basically this thread is about Cowboys outcoaching the Texans. Is that correct? Thats two in a row we have outcoached the other team.

 

[xwalker]

I was watching the game and arguing with my dad that there was no way the Texans should have gone for the first 4th down on their long FG drive, but not the second. It would have been a relatively long field goal, but a makeable one for Bulock on the 4th down they went for. They wasted 2-3 minutes and then settled for 3 anyways.

Why go for the first 4th down conversion but not the second? I can't say for sure that it would have made any difference, but it seemed like a colossal mistake to me. Thoughts?

I think the 1st FG was out of their kickers range, or at least it was in the mind of the Head Coach.

I was a little surprised that they didn't go for it on the second 4th down.

 

[Future]

I think the 1st FG was out of their kickers range, or at least it was in the mind of the Head Coach.

I was a little surprised that they didn't go for it on the second 4th down.

I guess I hadn't considered Bullock's accuracy from beyond 50...but he is 2-2 this year so far.

 

[MissouriCowboy]

Houston has a HOF wideout and A YOUNG STAR at wr I do not see why they struggle on offense.........oh I know it is the Qb

 

[coogrfan]

Houston has a HOF wideout and A YOUNG STAR at wr I do not see why they struggle on offense.........oh I know it is the Qb

The combo plate of Ryan "JAG" Fitzpatrick and a so-so OL (especially the right side, where RT Derek Newton makes Doug Free look like an All-Pro) forces the Texans to settle for a grind it out style of offense.

 

[theogt]

I was watching the game and arguing with my dad that there was no way the Texans should have gone for the first 4th down on their long FG drive, but not the second. It would have been a relatively long field goal, but a makeable one for Bulock on the 4th down they went for. They wasted 2-3 minutes and then settled for 3 anyways.

Why go for the first 4th down conversion but not the second? I can't say for sure that it would have made any difference, but it seemed like a colossal mistake to me. Thoughts?

They took entirely too much time on that drive. Fortunately for them, our offense and defense collapsed in the two drives before the Bailey missed FG drive. But had either not happened, the game would have been over.

 

[MissouriCowboy]

The combo plate of Ryan "JAG" Fitzpatrick and a so-so OL (especially the right side, where RT Derek Newton makes Doug Free look like an All-Pro) forces the Texans to settle for a grind it out style of offense.

I think your center is pretty good.

 

[JD_KaPow]

Don't get the conversion and the game is over. Considering how crappy their offense is, I figured they had a better chance of getting the FG than getting a 1st down. It's not like it was 4th and 2, they needed 7.

First of all, it was 4th and 2. If it was 4th and 7, of course they woudl attempt the FG.
Secondly, a 50-yarder is no gimme. Bullock is 3-of-7 from 50+ in his career.
Third, the goal is not to keep yourself technically in the game as long as possible, even though most coaches (and all media people) seem to think it is. The goal is to give yourself the best chance of winning the game. If you kick the FG, you still need a touchdown, and your next drive will probably come with less than 2 minutes and few time outs (I mean, it's not like the Cowboys will have a 17-second drive: that's crazy talk!). You're much much more likely to drive for a FG in those circumstances than for a TD, which means you're much better off going for the TD on the current drive.

Going for it the first time was clearly correct. With 4th-and-4 at the 11, the calculus is different. The FG is a gimme from there and the conversion isn't. It still leaves you needing a TD drive in the last 2 minutes. I think going for it is the right call even there, but it's not nearly as clear.

 

[coogrfan]

I think your center is pretty good.

Not my center. I was born and raised in Dallas, and have been a Boys fan since I was old enough to walk. Living in Houston means I see a lot of Texans games, and I would say they're my second favorite team. Having said that Myers is solid and Duane Brown has been one of the best LT's in the league for several years now.

 

[VACowboy]

I think Houston was putting all their eggs in their defensive basket because 1) #2 defense in the league, and 2) three minutes left with three timeouts.

Most NFL coaches seem to waste a lot of time in this type of situation, for my taste. I'd rather go up-tempo at the 5-minute mark and leave it up to my guys to stop the opposition with my team tied or ahead than to bet on my defense stopping the opposition on three downs with 150 seconds on the clock and ending up with no TO's left.