1st down w/45 seconds to go, why didn't we try to get closer?

[unoriginal]

Because except Billy Cundiff and Stephen Gostkowsky everyone in this league can hit a cheapie like that.

Yeah, but they can only hit it two-thirds of the time from that distance. Not a gimmie.

 

[Rob0729]

Yeah, but they can only hit it two-thirds of the time from that distance. Not a gimmie.

unoriginal, this guy is a Jets troll. Please don't feed him.

 

[JJDChE]

It wasn't the best decision, though Gostkowski would've missed even if we were 10-15 yards closer. That was one of his worst shanks ever. Major choke job on his part.

 

[JJDChE]

Kicking a ball from the left or right hash is equally as hard I would argue. It's much easier to think 'I just need to kick it straight' from that distance than it is to thnk 'okay I have to kick it at this angle etc' as you're pacing yourself out.

It's less to think about and less of a mental block. It's no easier kicking from the hashes and, if it wasn't a valid tactic, so many other teams wouldn't do it. I've seen teams center the ball from around 40 yards before. Is hardly unheard of.

Id also say kicking from the middle gives you equal margin for error each side, which is mentally a much better kick too.

The kick is actually slightly longer if you kick it from the hash. I don't know if this factors in the reasoning, but it may be like a 1/2yd or yd longer to the middle of the goal post.

 

[nekromantique]

the game shouldnt have come down to the kick anyways.

gronkowski dropped 2 potential touchdown passes, and the 2pt conversion (although that was a far more difficult catch)

the pats seemed to insist on playing woodhead despit the fact that ridley was still doing well and is far better.

and the special teams mishap leading to a blocked punt.

also, i didnt see the play well where is was, but from the replay they kept showing, the roughing the passer call on spikes was bogus.

 

[Rob0729]

the game shouldnt have come down to the kick anyways.

gronkowski dropped 2 potential touchdown passes, and the 2pt conversion (although that was a far more difficult catch)

the pats seemed to insist on playing woodhead despit the fact that ridley was still doing well and is far better.

and the special teams mishap leading to a blocked punt.

also, i didnt see the play well where is was, but from the replay they kept showing, the roughing the passer call on spikes was bogus.

Several things;

• The Spikes penalty was bad, but irrelevant. That penalty was declined by the Cards in favor of the penalty for Gregory hitting a guy that was out of bounds which was 100% the right call.
• Gronk didn't drop the pass on the deep bomb. Brady overthrew him.
• On the two point conversion, it was good defense.

 

[nekromantique]

Several things;

• The Spikes penalty was bad, but irrelevant. That penalty was declined by the Cards in favor of the penalty for Gregory hitting a guy that was out of bounds which was 100% the right call.
• Gronk didn't drop the pass on the deep bomb. Brady overthrew him.
• On the two point conversion, it was good defense.

the first one went right through his hands, overthrown or not, he had a play on the ball.

the penalties also hurt towards the end.

i guess to put it best...the offense looked clumsy all day.

the defense looked pretty well again to be honest...which i guess is a bright spot on the team since the o-line will have its struggles and the hernandez injury will hurt the offense more.

i also dont get not using welker. i take it theyre trying to ween off him because he probably wont be there next year...but it isnt working very well for THIS year so far.

 

[mb6592]

Ghost can make 60 yarders when it doesn't matter. It's the pressure kicks you worry about and for him you want to get the ball AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE

FOR ANY KICKER. It unfathomable that Belichick made such an asinine decision (and with a Brady at the helm no less). I just don't get it.

 

[mb6592]

I maintain that given the fear of losing further yards or turning the ball over, they decided to put the ball in the hands of the only guy that was consistent all game. It was not a terrible move but it didn't work out. Gost decided that he couldn't be the only one that didn't make a mistake all game. End of story.

The history of the loss column is littered with these types of losses. Maybe if you had Sanchez at QB this type of loser mentality is justified, but with Brady?

 

[mb6592]

Gost had nothing to do with the fail in that play...Aiken's snap was horrible..the ball was leaning forward when Gost went to kick it...I don't give a shyte if Adam Vinitieri in his prime is kicking that one from the two, the ball will be shanked...every single time

There's that also, if you get a first down or two, then you can tell your holder, "If the snap is not perfect just cover it up." Then you get a re-do and it's not a 50 yarder now.

 

[sieglo]

I didn't see a thread on this, but did anyone else find it odd that we had 40 something seconds left in the game and like 1st or 2nd down at the ~35 yard line and we didn't try getting closer? I was thinking that a 45ish yard fg is no gimme and would have liked for us to try to get closer. Just seems weird that with that much time left we wouldn't try to make it an easier fg.

Oh well not like it mattered considering I had figured a loss prior to the fumble.

I think BB wanted to eliminate any possibility of another Gronkowski penalty.

 

[Deus Irae]

If the FG is made then nobody would be questioning the call, just like 4th & 2. But alas, it missed so now we get a week of moaning...

If you really think this, you must never have read message boards before.

 

[mb6592]

Really? I'd say he should have been pretty confident given he had nailed three of longer distance previously in the game. He choked....he failed to execute in a moment of pressure.

That's utter crap.

As I previously posted, I don't care how hot a kicker is during the game - 40+ yard field goals, with no time remaining, are not gimme's. A 42 yard field goal with no time remaining is vastly different than the kicks Ghost was making earlier in the game. I never thought Belichick would make this mistake, especially with Brady at the helm. A 30 or less yarder is a gimme. A 35 yarder? Maybe. A 40 yarder is probably a 60-40 proposition. OK, with Ghost it's probably 70-30. But, even that kind of risk is unnecessary when you have Brady who almost certainly (90+%) will be able to get you an extra 10 yards or so with 1 minute remaining.

 

[SeymourTrophies]

When one side of your o-line is getting manhandled, and you have to keep your star TE in the backfield half of the time, taking your chances with the 42yard FG is the right choice. The call did surprise me though, because Gost is not Mr. Reliable and has never been above missing the ones that should be easy (or at least easy for Shayne Graham). BB has a history of not showing that kind of confidence in Gost.

In the end though, this is not the end of the world, and if you're going to lose games, do it to teams from the other conference, because the tiebreakers encourage it. The defense gave up one long TD drive

 

[Tunescribe]

As long as this thread has descended into scapegoating, why not tab Ebner's whiff on contain for the blocked punt? That was awful. If we get the punt off and hold Arizona to a subsequent field goal, we likely win.

 

[patsfan13]

t
Belichick and Ernie Adams have talked to statisticians about everything from their draft strategy to their aggressive 4th down conversion policy. Apparently BB talked once to the guy who developed the 2 pt conversion chart.

Dont see how BB blew this one.

In this case it was back clock management when they had 1st and 10 on the Card 18 with 46 seconds to go.

The Cardinals were back on their heels and he gave away 7 yards to play for a 40+ yard FG, not a gimme anytime.

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

The decision to waste 2 downs and not even try to get closer was perplexing to me too.

BB obviously had more faith in his PK than his offense. Looks as though he may have been wrong.