[mgoetze]

Romo is such a choker.

[jjbrr]

im just sitting here laughing. fire coughlin immediately

[jjbrr]

for posterity:

Quote

Timeout #3 by DAL at 01:43.

3rd and 1 at DAL 1

(1:43) E.Manning pass incomplete short right. Heavy pressure by Lee. Manning threw the ball out of the back of the end zone.

4th and Goal at DAL 1

(1:37) (Field Goal formation) J.Brown 19 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-Z.DeOssie, Holder-B.Wing.

[Zelandakh]

Not to mention throwing with only half of the play clock down after the play with the ball getting knocked away. Great break for the Cowboys to come through this one - onwards and upwards!

[mike777]

romo was the solution not the problem

3 turnovers were the issue

[Zelandakh]

Turnovers usually are the biggest issue. I watched the Jets-Browns game beforehand and there it was the same. Traditionally it was always the statistic with the largest correlation to wins - has that changed?

[cherdano]

Actually, what is better, with ~90 seconds left to play, no timeouts: down 6 at your own 20-yard line, or down 3 at your own 1-yard line?

[Zelandakh]

Down 3 is considerably better as the FG takes a lot less time and is much easier. But down 6 with ~30 seconds left is obviously much worse and that is the minimum that NY should have been able to achieve had they done the basics right in the plays leading up to that point.

[cherdano]

Zelandakh, on 2015-September-14, 05:04, said:

Down 3 is considerably better as the FG takes a lot less time and is much easier. But down 6 with ~30 seconds left is obviously much worse and that is the minimum that NY should have been able to achieve had they done the basics right in the plays leading up to that point.

I don't think this is obvious. Let me makes this very simplistic: if you manage to go 60-80 yards, starting at your own 1 is better, as you can try for a field goal. But if you go 80-99 yards, starting at the 20 is better. Since the field goal also needs a bit of time to spike the goal, and is not 100% from that range, it closer than it looks.

Overall I think it is 100% clear to run on 4th down from the 1-yard line in that situation (up 3, opponents have no timeouts and ~90 seconds left) - I mean, if you can even debate which option is better if you fail...

[Zelandakh]

cherdano, on 2015-September-14, 05:16, said:

Overall I think it is 100% clear to run on 4th down from the 1-yard line in that situation (up 3, opponents have no timeouts and ~90 seconds left) - I mean, if you can even debate which option is better if you fail...

But if you also run on third down you take the clock down to under 30 seconds. You are looking at the wrong play as being the mistake. Add Eli's early snap a minute or so earlier and the game should effectively have been over. I am not sure if Coughlin was directly involved in these decisions but really someone of his experience should know better. Not that I am complaining - it is always great to see Dallas take the W over the Giants, or Philly or the Redskins for that matter. I fear they still do not have enough for a superbowl trip but as long as they can keep that O-line together we can dream...

[cherdano]

I don't understand your point. Obviously the play on 3rd down was stupid. But that doesn't mean one cannot discuss whether the decision on 4th down was a mistake.

[billw55]

cherdano, on 2015-September-14, 06:01, said:

I don't understand your point. Obviously the play on 3rd down was stupid. But that doesn't mean one cannot discuss whether the decision on 4th down was a mistake.

Agree. Total wtf to pass in that situation. Actually Manning should take the sack instead of throwing it away, but I don't blame him much since the coaches were obviously prepared to accept an incompletion.

Gosh, this is the NFL, Coughlin has been around forever, but still these simple mistakes. I just don't get it.

[cherdano]

Huh? Does it make sense not to score when up 3 unless you can run out the entire clock?
http://espn.go.com/n...as-cowboys-game

[jjbrr]

i can't believe we live in a world where that is real and not scripted wwe style.

[mgoetze]

cherdano, on 2015-September-14, 13:45, said:

Huh? Does it make sense not to score when up 3 unless you can run out the entire clock?
http://espn.go.com/n...as-cowboys-game

Of course not, if you can go up by 10 you do it every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[billw55]

cherdano, on 2015-September-14, 13:45, said:

Huh? Does it make sense not to score when up 3 unless you can run out the entire clock?
http://espn.go.com/n...as-cowboys-game

Nope. Something not adding up there. That would be so stupid that I doubt it is true. Furthermore, such a tactic is totally inconsistent with the 3rd down play call. Maybe he misunderstood.

[mgoetze]

Yeah have I mentioned I'd rather have Kiko Alonso than LeSean McCoy? Even before considering the massive difference in their contracts.

[mgoetze]

There are two conflicting theories in my mind:

1. The Atlanta defense only had enough gas for 2 quarters.

2. Sam Bradford was late getting to the stadium so they had a stuntman play his part in the first half.

[mgoetze]

Really tough decision there... my gut feel was to go for it but I'm sure it's close.

[mgoetze]

Watched the second Monday Night game. If you muted Berman and Dilfer and asked someone to identify the star running back in this game, it would be a no-brainer: the guy with #28 on his back ... in red digits on a black background.

Anyway, no need to mute Berman and Dilfer really, they weren't bad at all... better than Buck and Aikman for instance. And I've got to agree with Dilfer, Kaepernick looks much improved. I thought the 49ers were toast, but I may have been wrong about that.