4th and Goal at the 1, leading 24-21. 2 minutes left.

[Vermont Maverick]

Conventional wisdom says kick the Field Goal. Dierdorf said kicking the field goal is a no-brainer, Whis kicked the field goal.

I say go for it. Here's why.

If we kick, we are ahead by 6. With Cribbs back there, they probably start on at least the 30 yard line. 70 yards from the end zone. A touchdown, we lose.

If we go for it, the following can happen. We score, we win. If they stop us, they are 65 yards from field goal range. If they get in field goal range, they still have to make it. If they make it, we are tied and go to OT.

What do you guys think?

 

[ajcardfan]

I completely agree with you, and just posted the exact same reasoning in the "play calling" thread. It was the only thing today that truly pissed me off. I was deathly afraid it would bite us in the butt, and damn near did.

 

[D-Dogg]

I had a little conversation with friends about this and also in my head. We came to no conclusion.

Good with either call, was how I ended up. Getting stoned and losing a yard on third down really made kicking the FG a lot more of the "yeah, great call" in my book, though.

 

[82CardsGrad]

My buddy and I both agreed... Should've gone for the TD... It worked out in the end (well, not really - thanks refs!)...

 

[az1965]

Knowing you have to score a TD vs. a FG puts tremendous pressure on the offense especially when no timeouts left.

 

[PoolBoy]

i thought go for it....but we won. one of these times we need to trust the boys on the one yard line though...

 

[jw7]

They talked on the post-game show about this. Browns kicker has kicked 4-5 from 40-50 and 1-2 from 50+ this year and has a reputation for being clutch.

The argument was that if you missed the 4th down, they would have to get to about the 33 to get in 50-yard range, so a drive of about 67 yards and they could either score a touchdown and win, or get a field goal and tie.

If the Cards kick the field goal, then the field goal option is off-the-table. Say they start at the 35, they still have to go 65 yards and must put it in the end-zone.

I understand the argument either way, but I think the Cards made the right call in this case.

 

[az1965]

However, I think the playcalling on the 1 yard line could have been better. I did not like to straight Edge run stuffed for no gain.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

However, I think the playcalling on the 1 yard line could have been better. I did not like to straight Edge run stuffed for no gain.

It ran the clock though. An incomplete pass on 3rd would have given them a bunch of additional time.

Maybe something creative in the run game. Option run or something.

 

[bratwurst]

The smart thing about the run on 3rd down was it forced the browns to use their final timeout. I'm glad they didn't throw and risk the incompletion. A timeout during that final drive for the Browns could have given them the ability to regroup and save a lot of clock.

 

[devilalum]

The Browns ended the game in field goal range. If the Cards don't make it on 4th down we're in overtime and Warner is getting sacked in the endzone.

Right call.

 

[ajcardfan]

I just wanted to see them go for the throat and end the game, for all intents, right there. If you don't make it, your defense is still in the best spot possible. Even a safety would've been possible.

 

[Vermont Maverick]

The Browns ended the game in field goal range. If the Cards don't make it on 4th down we're in overtime and Warner is getting sacked in the endzone.

Right call.

If we don't make it, the Browns start the last drive at the 1 yard line, not the 18 (which should have been the 33 but for a stupid late hit penalty on them). Therefore they are not on our 37 on that last play, they are on their own 46, not in FG range. That's my point.

If not for the penalty, the last three plays could have been at our 22 instead of the 37. Them scoring from there, and winning outright, would have been entirely possible.

 

[Lorenzo]

The Browns ended the game in field goal range. If the Cards don't make it on 4th down we're in overtime and Warner is getting sacked in the endzone.

Right call.

I have to agree 100%
and in retrospect it was definitely the right call.

 

[bratwurst]

If we don't make it, the Browns start the last drive at the 1 yard line, not the 18 (which should have been the 33 but for a stupid late hit penalty on them). Therefore they are not on our 37 on that last play, they are on their own 46, not in FG range. That's my point.

If not for the penalty, the last three plays could have been at our 22 instead of the 37. Them scoring from there, and winning outright, would have been entirely possible.

Butterfly effect - you can't just assume everything still would have been the same and just add up the yardage.

 

[Osbern61]

If we go for it and score, we're up by 10 with 1:40 plus left on the clock. There is little doubt in my mind that the Browns would have gotten a TD on their next drive, with maybe 30 seconds or so left(thats how the Cards do it). Then we have to go through the onsides kick ordeal, which to me is as excruciating as watching the prevent D in action.
Pick your poison.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

If we don't make it, the Browns start the last drive at the 1 yard line, not the 18 (which should have been the 33 but for a stupid late hit penalty on them). Therefore they are not on our 37 on that last play, they are on their own 46, not in FG range. That's my point.

If not for the penalty, the last three plays could have been at our 22 instead of the 37. Them scoring from there, and winning outright, would have been entirely possible.

After you guys watched Pope bobble the sure touchdown, and nearly give it to the defense, you are sure you wanted us to go for it?

 

[Billy Flynt]

I wanted them to go for it as well. Again you make them drive from inside their 5 to get a FG to tie the game. I would have liked to see Arrington's speed for a fake dive, pitch end run during one of those plays.

 

[blindseyed]

All I know is that I saw flashes of Rackers missing yet another chip shot.

 

[krispydude]

i was ok with either call, but whis probably made the right decision. driving down for a tying or game winning fg seems to happen regularly in the nfl. having to get a TD is much, much harder, especially with no timeouts.

 

[john h]

Conventional wisdom says kick the Field Goal. Dierdorf said kicking the field goal is a no-brainer, Whis kicked the field goal.

I say go for it. Here's why.

If we kick, we are ahead by 6. With Cribbs back there, they probably start on at least the 30 yard line. 70 yards from the end zone. A touchdown, we lose.

If we go for it, the following can happen. We score, we win. If they stop us, they are 65 yards from field goal range. If they get in field goal range, they still have to make it. If they make it, we are tied and go to OT.

What do you guys think?

I disagree with you and agree with Whiz. For them to get into field goal range with 2 minutes to go is very probable. For them to make a TD in two minutes with no time outs is far less likely. I liked the call when it was made and like it even more the way the game ended.

 

[JeffGollin]

Definition of insanity - "Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result."

The running play didn't work twice in a row. (Apparently, Sendlein - who was in as a blocking TE - had problems executing his blocks). To go to the run one more time reminds us of the time Buges unsuccessfully ran the ball 8 times in a row vs. Atlanta and it cost us a playoff berth.

True, we could ice the game with a TD and at the very least pin Cleveland back on their own one-yard line. But while in normal circumstances, most teams starting from their one-yard line would probably play conservatively, the Browns had nothing to lose. Their play calling would be just as aggressive as if they were starting out at midfield.

And if we failed to score the TD, Cleveland wouldn't have to go 99 yards in order to win. 65 yards could be enough to get Dawson close enough to kick a game-tying FG.

Add to this the unpredictable things the refs might do to creatively award Cleveland big chunks of yardage (i.e. a nice juicy, ghost interference call or two) - and you can understand why Wiz wanted to make Cleveland have to score a TD to beat us.

That said - I'll admit to taking a great, big deep breath before Rackers booted home that final FG.

 

[gusmahler]

How similar is this analysis to the analysis of whether we should have gone for the TD against SF in regulation instead of the FG?

 

[ajcardfan]

How similar is this analysis to the analysis of whether we should have gone for the TD against SF in regulation instead of the FG?

It's not at all similar since we were trailing SF and we were leading Cleveland.

 

[BigRedRage]

QB sneak by Timmay!!!!!