Two weeks in a row we left a gunner uncovered

[TheMarathonContinues]

Its almost like they lost the game on that dropped pass

Yeah I know.....things like that can change the guy. If this game is 7-7....it could've very well changed the whole tone of the game. Especially in that fashion. You have to be careful about having mental lapses like that on special teams. That could've been a crazy momentum swing. Instead, it just killed the Colts. They came out the gate flat but from there on out they were just terrible.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Just based on their field position, Coach Pagano's fake punt play call in the first quarter struck me as one of the dumbest I've seen in recent memory. They were only down 7-0 at the time.

Thank you, Chuck.

Yeah I'm not totally sure why either. And I know some will say it should've worked if the guy didn't drop the football. But see that's why you don't call it. What if the guy throws a crappy pass which happened in this instance? What if the guy drops the football which happened? Very silly call simply for where the field position was. To give the Cowboys who were feeling themselves short position like that right after marching down on the field? Very stupid.

Wayyyyy too early to make that call.

 

[loublue22]

Just based on their field position, Coach Pagano's fake punt play-call in the first quarter struck me as one of the dumbest I've seen in recent memory. They were only down 7-0 at the time.

Thank you, Chuck.

I'm reasonably certain they didn't call anything, we just left a receiver wide open and it's the punter's prerogative to throw that ball.

 

[Avery]

Something tells me we won't be doing it again. That's a JJ decision that he'll deliver to Garrett.

 

[SportsGuru80]

Rookie mistake by Patmon...

 

[Setackin]

They may have been trying to block the punt, but I am pretty sure leaving that guy un blocked was not intentional

I believe OS was suppose to get there a little sooner, I really get the feeling it was a big bait.

 

[TrailBlazer]

Rookie mistake by Patmon...

You learn not to do that in junior high. That was called by bisaccia. No doubt in my mind. Not sure what the design was intended to be. But looked like they were trying to bait the punter into throwing it. Scandrick was just late and stupid design. But it worked.

 

[chuffly]

I'm reasonably certain they didn't call anything, we just left a receiver wide open and it's the punter's prerogative to throw that ball.

Yeah, I could have sworn I saw the punter reacting to the cover guy sneaking towards the line of scrimmage. Looked pretty clear to me that he was audibling to a pass at that point. Honestly, when I saw how wide open the gunner was, I couldn't blame him.

All that to say, I don't think Pagano was involved in the decision at all as it was being made.

 

[loublue22]

did anyone ask about this in the postgame presser

 

[DenCWBY]

I think the plan was for Scandrick to come underneath the throw and bait him unto throwing it. Like a zone blitz basically. Just a dumb design

This. I saw the replay on the game and Scan immediately drops back to the lone side depending on scans speed to cover. It was a poor plan and I don't expect to see it again.

 

[Idgit]

did anyone ask about this in the postgame presser

Colts talked about it. That's the adjustment they have when they get a hot corner like that. It's a play they'd practiced all season and they had the trigger to call it whenever they got the look.

And, personally, I think it was a great call. Definitely risky, but the huge play was there to be made, on the road, against a good opponent. Set aside that the Colts didn't really have anything but some pride to lose today, it's cool to see teams making risky calls for big plays when the opportunity is there to be had.

 

[Screw The Hall]

Just based on their field position, Coach Pagano's fake punt play-call in the first quarter struck me as one of the dumbest I've seen in recent memory. They were only down 7-0 at the time.

Thank you, Chuck.

Yeah I completely agree with you. I think that was a historically bad call. What if you succeed? You risk an almost certain score for the opponent already down a TD just so you can have a first down on your own side of the 50? Why? So you can switch momentum only down one score in the 1st quarter? The risk/reward was all out of whack.

 

[Idgit]

Yeah I completely agree with you. I think that was a historically bad call. What if you succeed? You risk an almost certain score for the opponent already down a TD just so you can have a first down on your own side of the 50? Why? So you can switch momentum only down one score in the 1st quarter? The risk/reward was all out of whack.

The risk would be out of whack if you're not starting with the proposition that you've got a man completely uncovered. You pick up 40+ yards, and have a chance to score yourselves, if your punter can simply throw the ball to your skill player when he's uncovered down the sideline. That's a very high probability play. The drop was unforgivable, but if McDonald catches that and then beats or outruns the trailing Scandrick (beats in that case, given Scandrick's speed), that's 7 points the other way. Miss it, and you've still got the chance to hold them to 3 and still got Andrew Luck to get it back if you give up the 7.

 

[Screw The Hall]

The risk would be out of whack if you're not starting with the proposition that you've got a man completely uncovered. You pick up 40+ yards, and have a chance to score yourselves, if your punter can simply throw the ball to your skill player when he's uncovered down the sideline. That's a very high probability play. The drop was unforgivable, but if McDonald catches that and then beats or outruns the trailing Scandrick (beats in that case, given Scandrick's speed), that's 7 points the other way. Miss it, and you've still got the chance to hold them to 3 and still got Andrew Luck to get it back if you give up the 7.

I don't know man. I don't like faking punts from my own 19 down a score in the 1st quarter. There is a big difference between being down 7 and 14. You basically risk giving the game away before it really even starts.

With that being said I hated their decision to run the ball 3 straight times that possession even more than the fake punt.

 

[loublue22]

Again, I don't think it was a called fake, but maybe I'm misunderstanding what happened

 

[Idgit]

I don't know man. I don't like faking punts from my own 19 down a score in the 1st quarter. There is a big difference between being down 7 and 14. You basically risk giving the game away before it really even starts.

With that being said I hated their decision to run the ball 3 straight times that possession even more than the fake punt.

It definitely was a huge risk. Most coaches do avoid taking risks like that. But again, I imagine this is a play they consider to be such a low risk/high return play that they install it and tell the punter to throw it if they ever get the hot corner look.

I agree that running it three times in a row there was silly. It was like they thought they could protect Luck in a game they didn't really need to have, but they should have known better.

 

[Idgit]

Again, I don't think it was a called fake, but maybe I'm misunderstanding what happened

Pat McAfee said in the post game presser that it's a play they have installed and run automatically if they ever get that look. So they got it and ran it. They've had it installed all season, waiting for a chance to run it.

 

[Szczepanik]

I think you're giving them too much credit. Similar to how many people were saying the short kickoff last week was intentional. Nah, it was just a goof that happened to work in our favor.

Watch it closely and it looks designed, both sides did the same exact on that play. I could be wrong but it looked like that at the time.

 

[Mansta54]

In not for drops it's a very different game. Between ints and special teams just crazy.

Nah not really, they never stopped us. We moved the ball and scored at will.

 

[Dday22t]

1. almost 100% sure Cowboys called that. But probably showed the block was on way too soon.
2. dumb play design by Dallas. Like someone else said,someone was supposed drop and cover that gunner (Scandrick?). Obviously too much ground to cover.
3. Whoever on Colts audibled to that was taking a big chance from that spot. Punters aren't known for passing skill even if guy was wide open. And it had to be an audible when they saw us trying to block punt. Maybe we showed that earlier in the year? (not previous week on accident)

The whole thing from both teams was bad judgement, we just got luckier.