Pet Peeve

[hipster.doofus7]

Situation: A team is behind by 2 scores. Less than 90 seconds remaining in the game, and no timeouts. They need to drive the full length of the field for a score, do an onside kick, then score again. Hope is slim.

In this situation, why is it that 99.9% of teams will go on a 2-minute offense? They start throwing passes 20 or 25 yards down the field, working the sidelines, and a lot of BS, when they clearly don't have time to spend more than 3 plays per drive.

In that situation, the only thing that makes sense is a continuous barrage of hail mary passes. Throw it down the field 50 yards. If it's not intercepted, try it again. And again. And again. Hope a WR comes down with a jumpball, or maybe a pass interference. Coaches shouldn't be worrying about turnovers at that point.

Logistically, that is the only possible way you can score twice in 90 seconds without any time outs. But I rarely see teams do that. Why are teams still running 2-minute offenses when they clearly can't afford to waste more than 40 seconds per score?

[kehlis]

Re: Pet Peeve

Complete 2 twenty five yard passes and a 15 yard pass and you are in FG range in 3 plays for the first score.

It's the smart play, throwing hail mary's is giving up and hoping upon hope.

And as difficult as it would be, the scenario I give is more likely to produce a successful comeback then just bombing it downfield and praying not to throw a pick.

[fugazi]

Re: Pet Peeve

madden much?

[z Revis]

Re: Pet Peeve

Situation: A team is behind by 2 scores. Less than 90 seconds remaining in the game, and no timeouts. They need to drive the full length of the field for a score, do an onside kick, then score again. Hope is slim.

In this situation, why is it that 99.9% of teams will go on a 2-minute offense? They start throwing passes 20 or 25 yards down the field, working the sidelines, and a lot of BS, when they clearly don't have time to spend more than 3 plays per drive.

In that situation, the only thing that makes sense is a continuous barrage of hail mary passes. Throw it down the field 50 yards. If it's not intercepted, try it again. And again. And again. Hope a WR comes down with a jumpball, or maybe a pass interference. Coaches shouldn't be worrying about turnovers at that point.

Logistically, that is the only possible way you can score twice in 90 seconds without any time outs. But I rarely see teams do that. Why are teams still running 2-minute offenses when they clearly can't afford to waste more than 40 seconds per score?

It's the best way to go about it. Working the sidelines and getting down field. Throwing hail mary's doesn't work. It rarely ever works. The majority of hail mary's get picked off or batted down. A hail mary is a pure desperation play. You only throw them when you're down a TD with 5 seconds to play. Not when there's still 90 seconds of the game left.

You have a better chance of being successful throwing 20-25 yard passes and working the sidelines to get down field than you do throwing hail mary's, in that particular situation.

[hipster.doofus7]

Re: Pet Peeve

Complete 2 twenty five yard passes and a 15 yard pass and you are in FG range in 3 plays for the first score.

Uh.... according to your playcalling, you would have

• Spent about 3 successful plays just to get within striking distance. (without scoring yet)
• How many more plays to actually score a TD once you get in striking distance?
• How much time wasted on incompleted passes or spiked balls?

If you spend 12 seconds per long pass play you would've wasted 60-65 seconds total. That's on a best case scenario with absolutely no tackles inbounds, and only 1 missed pass in the entire drive. An onside kick drains another 10 seconds off the clock.

That leaves you with about 15 seconds for a game winning drive? Not good at all.

And as difficult as it would be, the scenario I give is more likely to produce a successful comeback then just bombing it downfield and praying not to throw a pick.

Heck, no. Your scenario has a higher chance of scoring once, but less time for scoring twice.

It's more realistic to throw a jump ball 50 yards down the field. If your guy comes down with it --- or if you get a pass interference --- then immediately kick a field goal. A successful on-side kick will leave you with a short field, and more than a minute to drive for the winning TD. The chances are much better that way.

If you have time, you have a chance. If you don't have any time, then you don't have any chance at all. In these types of situations, a 2-minute drill leaves you with no time at all.

[Sandman42]

Re: Pet Peeve

Would you rather throwing 4 straight incomplete Hail Mary's and turning it over on downs? There's a reason teams don't run them and that's because they are very unlikely of being completed.

Throwing 20 yard out routes will at least get you into scoring range. Throwing hail mary's won't get you anywhere.

[kehlis]

Re: Pet Peeve

.

You missed my point.

3 plays to get in FG range. Kick the FG. Get the onside kick. Then score a touchdown.

Highly unlikely but still more likely then completing a long bomb hail mary for a TD.

You can count a single hand the number of hail mary's that have been successful in the last half dozen years. Do you really think using that as your primary offense all of a sudden becomes viable?

[Piderman]

Re: Pet Peeve

You missed my point.

3 plays to get in FG range. Kick the FG. Get the onside kick. Then score a touchdown.

Highly unlikely but still more likely then completing a long bomb hail mary for a TD.

You can count a single hand the number of hail mary's that have been successful in the last half dozen years. Do you really think using that as your primary offense all of a sudden becomes viable?

Yeah I co-sign with the broncos fan here, I mean the chances of pulling off a Doug Flutie type of play is just...no, it can't.

[kehlis]

Re: Pet Peeve

Yeah I co-sign with the broncos fan here, I mean the chances of pulling off a Doug Flutie type of play is just...no, it can't.

Don't forget, his theory also hinges on it being pulled off more than once, if not three times in the final 90 seconds to succeed.

[DustinT]

Re: Pet Peeve

Wow man, you really don't know much about football. Go back to Madden.


Like kehlis was saying, throw three 15-25 yard passes in a row you are in FG range. Say 10 seconds per play. Still working with one minute on the clock down by 7. Recover the onside kick and BAM. You're is great position to win the game.

[Piderman]

Re: Pet Peeve

Don't forget, his theory also hinges on it being pulled off more than once, if not three times in the final 90 seconds to succeed.

That won't happen, you can't have 3 hail mary's in a 90 second span.

[jmood88]

Re: Pet Peeve

Since your pet peeve makes no sense I'll bring my own into this thread, I hate when coaches kneel at the end of the half rather than try to score especially when they are losing. That's one of the reasons I like Sean Payton, he always tries to get some points going into half time and it's a big reason why the Saints have to be able to either open up big leads or get momentum back.

[Vince]

Re: Pet Peeve

defensive team is probably playing prevent D and wants you to dink and dunk so you waste time...

[KG]

Re: Pet Peeve

madden much?

LOL, exactly.

[shnuskis]

Re: Pet Peeve

Since your pet peeve makes no sense I'll bring my own into this thread, I hate when coaches kneel at the end of the half rather than try to score especially when they are losing. That's one of the reasons I like Sean Payton, he always tries to get some points going into half time and it's a big reason why the Saints have to be able to either open up big leads or get momentum back.

I agree but the coach has to be smart about it. In the Min-Cinci game, Lewis calls timeout with 35 seconds left to preserve time after a MN field goal. What does he do with that time? A draw play and a screen pass that leads to a turnover and another MN field goal that put them down 2 possessions. Horrible play calling in my opinion.