Um, the losses arent on Kris Brown. All he cost the team in BOTH instances is a chance at overtime. Now, if the games were 19-17 instead of 20-17 you could say that. But even then, this last game was on Kubiak as soon as he played "for the field goal" instead of playing to win. Indy they played to win until the last play, then settled for the long field goal. This time they could have ran one more play and at least tried to get something toward the end zone. But no, they took the cowardly way out and played not to lose. And the football gods frowned upon them.
They had one timeout left and about 8 seconds. Plenty of time to take a shot in the endzone. I can understand your viewpoint, and Kubiak's for that matter. But as the stats suggest, a 49 yard field goal (to end the game no less) is certainly not a gimme. Maybe they try one more pass and gain 15-20 yards, in which case it should be about automatic. Guess we'll never know now. You have one of the best QB/WR tandems in all of football. Give them a chance to end the game right then and there. It may be a gutsy (but I don't think it's really all that risky) call, but that might be what this team needs. You throw to where only Andre can get it; he does game over. He doesn't you kick the field goal. I'm certainly not blaming the loss on Kubiak for that one play. But it is somewhat questionable and indicative of some of the problems with this coaching staff. I'd also question Kubiak's decision to call a timeout earlier in the drive. Schaub was ready to spike the ball and they called timeout when he got up to the line. If they were gonna call a timeout there, why did they wait that long?
Heck, forget the 20 yard pass we could have attempted...I just wanted at least 5-10 more yards, which would have been easily attainable. I think having the ball in the middle of the field for a FG is completely overrated... Lets see...49 yd FG from the middle of the field...or a 39 yarder from a little to the left/right. Tough call. Not. And youre right about that timeout called at the beginning of the drive. We were two seconds away from hiking the ball. Total fail.
The Dude has been here since 2002. I am surprise he was reliable for as long as he was. Time to invest a 3rd or 4th round pick on a kicker I suppose. I know some of you might say, I'm crazy for saying invest a 3rd or 4th round for a kicker, but those are the rounds where you can get first dips on the best kicker in the draft. Those are the rounds were a team that really needs a kicker usually draft them anyways. Draftcountdown.com is really good at the mock draft crap. and for this year rank Brett Swenson as the best kicker prospect in the draft. Link
Kris Brown did a lot for this texans team, and he was amazing, he set a record in the NFL for scoring 3 FGs of 54 yards each with the texans in a single game. But I think maybe its time to let go, depends and how the season goes, and which kickers are free agents.
a 15-20 yard pass play would likely end the game; at the very least, you'd be dangerously close and the risk is too great. the absolute last thing you want to do is run a play that drains the clock. you can't accomplish all that in 8 seconds. you have, essentially, three options: go for the end zone; try and pick up additional yardage (up to roughly 15); line-up your kicker. in an ideal situation, i would have run the ball. BUT... our RBs are completely unreliable and have a tendency to fumble. to me, that's your safest, best play - see if a back could pick up an additional 5+ yards.
Throwing the ball would have been r****ded in that situation. A sack and the game is over. An incomplete pass and the game very well could be over. (Matt can't find anyone open, throws a pass that is tipped around, or a receiver can't get down/out of bounds in time). An interception and the game is over. Too many things that could go wrong. A dive or a draw were the right call there. Can you imagine the flack Kubiak would've caught had any of those scenarios would have happened? He'd be done like dinner.
Honestly I wouldn't have faulted Kubiak for playing for the win. Again, Schaub and Andre are the two best players on the team, give them a chance to win it. I think you have time with 8 seconds to run a play, and if it fails, still kick the field goal. I think it was a UH game this year, where the same thing essentially happened; they ran one more play and were able to kill the clock with 1 second left. And frankly, they would have had maybe five more seconds if Kubiak had called the second timeout as soon as the play was over. But Kubiak would have probably been wrong no matter what he did because the team got the loss. Just like I'm sure the media would all be praising Bellichik if he had converted that 4th down a week ago and won the game.
A shot at the endzone would have likely been the last play of the game... no way you chance it. No way.
We'll just have to agree to disagree then. I think they could of run a play and still have a second or two. I'm really not pointing my finger at Kubiak though. I understand his point of view, but at the same time I think it's a microcosm of the "playing not to lose" mantra that he's been criticized for in the past. And like I said, he uses a little better time management on the second timeout, we're not having this discussion.
With 8 seconds and a timeout no it would not be the last play of the game. With 4 seconds then yes, but 8 seconds is PLENTY of time, you can even take a bloody sack and call timeout. Thats the hangup, the timeout. Without a timeout it might be a bit risky due to sack, but a timeout removes that risk. You can run a post or a straight go to #80 for 30 yards downfield in 6 seconds with EASE. I've seen shots into the end zone take as few as 4 seconds from outside the redzone.
You guys have brass balls or something. You leave it up to chance like crazy if you throw it... just so risky. Loss scenarios: 1) Sack 2) Fumble 3) Interception 4) Receiver tackled in-play or out of bounds with 0 seconds Too many variables in that scenario... it is *not* a gimme to score or leave time on the clock. Give me Kris Brown over an end-zone shot any day of the week.
i assume you mean the tulsa game?... first of all, college football is an entirely different situation because the clock stops on a 1st down, timeout or not. specifically, UH *HAD* to run a play - the guy ended up kicking a 51-yard FG so without that play, they're looking at 60-something yard FG.
which is more likely: a 49-yard FG or a 40-ish-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game? you have no concept of time. on the last play prior to the spike and QB dive, schaub completed a 14-yard pass to anderson and immediately called a TO. time elapsed? 7 seconds. on the titans' previous drive, young completed a 5-yard pass to britt and immediately called a TO. time elapsed? 5 seconds. if you run a 10-15-yard play, it's indisputably the final play of the game, meaning you have to score a TD. and if *any*thing negative happens, you've screwed yourself. *any*one who thinks that's a more viable approach than playing for a 49-yard FG is, i'm sorry, silly.
I've seen 3 plays run in 15 seconds but you have to be decisive. It has to be 5 step drop, throw it either to the end zone or away. This will take 6 seconds, 7 tops. You dont throw it to a guy in bounds unless thats your intention from the start and then your guy immediately goes down and calls TO. Though I find throwing in the field of play much more risky.
This is correct - you can easily run a 15-20 yard play in 8 seconds if you know you only have 8 seconds and account for that in your play call. LSU last week threw a freaking 30 yard hail mary pass with 9 seconds on the clock and had 1 second left to run another play. Whether they should do it or is another story. Depends on the odds of something bad (sack/int/fumble/etc) vs. the increased chance of a 35 yard field goal instead of a 50 yarder?
8 seconds for a quick pass play is more than enough. I have enough faith in Schaub in that situation where he doesnt throw it to the other team. A quick slant to AJ would not have been a problem. We burned a TO earlier in the drive for no reason as well. Just poorly done, IMO.
