Well DC I'm not a psychic but I'm guessing the fact that they threw the INT might have changed the outcome a bit? Like maybe the defense is a bit more energized if they know it's a 3 point game and they have 3 chances to stop the ball instead of it's a 6 point game and even if we manage to hold them we have to drive the whole field for a TD with no timeouts(after they use them).
FWIW, they asked Nolan about it after the game and he said they weren't surprised the Lions went for it knowing Martz' reputation as a gambler.
It was 4th and 13, the odds are very much against you pulling that off, 99% of the coaches in the NFL there kick the FG and try to get the ball back. Why Marinelli and Martz didn't is something only they know.
OK, so because they were down 6 instead of 3, they just quit, and that's why they gave up the first down? HAHAHAHAHA. Players might quit down two possessions, but not down one possession. They tried their best, and just couldn't stop SF from getting a first down. End of story.
Either way, if the were able to stop the 9ers from getting the first down, they would've gotten the ball back with about 1:52 left on the clock (unless they forced an incompletion on 3rd down, in which case they would've gotten it back with about 2:10 left and the two-minute warning). With a 40 yard net punt (assuming they gave up only 6 yards in three plays), they would be on their own 30. That's more than enough time to engineer a TD drive. Sure, it's not as easy as getting in field goal range, but kicking the field goal forecloses your ability to make the 4th and 13 (which they probably would convert in the 4th quarter, when the defense is tired, around a third of the time).
Welcome back, I guess you got tired of the denver board now that they all agree Jake is terrible?
Very funny. I was never a "Jake fan" rather than a Cardinals fan, as you have so often accused me of, I just recognized that he wasn't THE problem here. Something you never quite picked up on.
I don't see enough games to really make an informed decision about Jake in Denver, but the ones I have watched, he has looked bad. Nonetheless, he has a pretty good QB rating and winning percentage since he signed there.
All I ever said is that he wasn't the reason we were losing, and his low QB rating had a lot to do with his teammates and the situations he was in.
You, on the other hand, said he was what was holding us back. Changed your mind at all? If there's one thing you are, it's consistent, so I'm sure you haven't changed your mind. It's all right, player personnel evaluation has never been your forte. Finding a player's 2nd quarter QB rating when his team is behind? There's no man I'd go to before you.
Need I dredge up the "Jeff Blake will take us to the playoffs" posts?