Shanahan is no Belichek

[NAUgrad]

Any coach that would intentionally let the opposing team score a TD should be fired immediately. Too many things can (and often do) happen in one play... you can never just assume that the opposing team will score, and so lay down and let them in order to preserve time on the clock. Horrible horrible idea. Horrible.

 

 

+1 your absolutely right! Shanny's TO was not a bad call. Denver had SD at 3rd and 3 or so and everyone knew they were going to run the football. If the Denver D actually wraps up LT2, then it's a field goal attempt with plenty of time left on the clock. Shanny can't play D.

 

His play calling, however, is absolutely stupid. Why do they always go deep on 3rd and 4/short. This absolutely drives me nuts. Way to many 3 and outs with a running game that is very good. BTW, has Plummer ever brought Denver back from behind in the 4th quarter? If he has, it's been so long I can't remember. Can we start the Cutler era now! Please!

[LooGie]

On 2nd and goal, the Chargers intentionally did not go in the end zone by having Rivers dive just short of it in order to wind the clock more. Then the Chargers needed the score, so LT went in for the score on 3rd down.

 

i believe this was one of the best play calls of the week, if not the season. Very smart, and perfectly executed. Not a kneel down, but not a sneak either.

 

edit: and dare I say it? Shanny got outcoached by Shotty. I said it anyway.

Edited November 20, 2006 by LooGie

[Bronco Billy]

 

 

edit: and dare I say it? Shanny got outcoached by Shotty. I said it anyway.

 

 

You're not the only one to say it, just the most recent.

[Easy n Dirty]

Any coach that would intentionally let the opposing team score a TD should be fired immediately. Too many things can (and often do) happen in one play... you can never just assume that the opposing team will score, and so lay down and let them in order to preserve time on the clock. Horrible horrible idea. Horrible.

 

 

Absolute statements like "Any coach that would intentionally let the opposing team score a TD should be fired immediately" are pretty extreme, and in this case, I think wrong.

 

So let's rehash the situaion last night - clock is stopped at 2:45 to play, the Broncos are out of timeouts and losing 28-27, and the Chargers have the ball first-and-goal on the 5-yard line. And here are the most likely outcomes:

 

First option, play defense - most likely outcomes by far are either the Chargers score a TD, or they fail to score a TD and hit a FG. And in the second event, and assuming the Chargers run the ball on 1st, 2nd and 3rd down (a virtual certainty), the Broncos are getting the ball back with 30 seconds or less, no timeouts, most likely in their own territory, and needing a TD.

 

Yeah, it's possible the Chargers fumble, or Kaeding misses the field goal attempt. A Kaeding miss doesn't even help all that much, because now the Broncos get the ball on their own 11 or so, 30 seconds left (or less), no timeouts but needing a field goal rather than a TD. If the Chargers fumble, that is of course the absolute best scenario for the Broncos, but the percentages are very slim, and if the fumble doesn't even happen until third down the Broncos are still in a world of hurt (assuming no return, they'd have the ball inside their own 10, with 1:15 to go and no timeouts, needing a field goal to win it - probabbly as good a scenario as they could hope for under the circumstances, but again the chances are very slim).

 

2nd option, let them score - Broncos get the ball back, likely in their own territory, down 8 points, with about 2:40 left, no timeouts, looking to score a TD and make the conversion to force overtime.

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but I like the second option better, and I don't really see where it's even that close. And I certainly wouldn't fire my coach for taking that course of action.

[LooGie]

You're not the only one to say it, just the most recent.

 

ooh Bronco Billy...that one had to hurt huh?

[LooGie]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I like the second option better, and I don't really see where it's even that close. And I certainly wouldn't fire my coach for taking that course of action.

 

actually, i think a coach that makes that decision should be applauded for having his mind so wrapped around the game and possible scenarios and outcomes. Of course the nay sayers would eat a coach alive for it, but the true knowledgeable fan would let it go.

[Bronco Billy]

ooh Bronco Billy...that one had to hurt huh?

 

 

 

Why? I said it before you did.

[Azazello1313]

it may not have been the most terrible call ever if shanny had let the opposing team waltz in from 5 yards out in that scenario. i just don't think there's a single coach in the league who makes that call. prove me wrong and show me one time any coach intentionally allowed the other team to score from 5 or more yards out.

Edited November 20, 2006 by Azazello1313

[LooGie]

it may not have been the most terrible call ever if shanny had let the opposing team waltz in from 5 yards out in that scenario. i just don't think there's a single coach in the league who makes that call. prove me wrong and show me one time any coach intentionally allowed the other team to score from 5 or more yards out.

 

well, lets not say he lets them waltz right into the endzone, but trying a highly risky defensive play that could cause a fumble or something if it works, but will let them score if it fails wasn't a terrible idea. Especially after stopping the clock with their final time out.

[Big John]

Yeah, it's possible the Chargers fumble, or Kaeding misses the field goal attempt. A Kaeding miss doesn't even help all that much, because now the Broncos get the ball on their own 11 or so,

Rule clarification: If the spot of kick for a missed FG is inside the 20, the ball would be placed on the 20 for the other team.

[alexgaddis]

So if the SD TD puts them up by 7, why not go for two? If you make it, the game is over...if you miss it, the Broncos still have to score a TD and extra point to tie..no way they go for two to win it...

[Furd]

it may not have been the most terrible call ever if shanny had let the opposing team waltz in from 5 yards out in that scenario. i just don't think there's a single coach in the league who makes that call. prove me wrong and show me one time any coach intentionally allowed the other team to score from 5 or more yards out.

 

 

 

Didn't McKay let somebody score on TB so that James Wilder could get a rushing record?

 

Maybe it was less than 5 yards?

[Easy n Dirty]

it may not have been the most terrible call ever if shanny had let the opposing team waltz in from 5 yards out in that scenario. i just don't think there's a single coach in the league who makes that call. prove me wrong and show me one time any coach intentionally allowed the other team to score from 5 or more yards out.

 

 

You could very well be right, but that really doesn't defeat the argument for letting them score, just because "noone else would do it that way". It's almost irrelevant...unless you're thinking that hey, none of those other coaches would do this, they must know something.

[Caveman_Nick]

Not sure if anyone else was noticing this as time was winding down last night, but:

 

The Broncos used their final time-out with about 2:50 left in the game, Chargers on their 9-yard line. Chargers run a play, and LT gets to the 5-yard line. Clock keeps ticking. Chargers run their 2nd-down play, and LT gets to the 1-yard line. Two-minute warning. Chargers run another play, Bronco defense holds. Clock still ticking. LT punches it in with about 1:20 left.

 

Now anyone with half a clue would realize that Denver had not stopped LT all day. So rather than let him score, and get the ball back with two and a half minutes, Shanny elects to let the Charger offense use up the clock, and (inevitably) score a TD.

 

Now Plummer gets the ball back with no timeouts, and just over a minute left to play. And he actually drives them down the field, but time runs out.

 

I know hindsight is 20-20, but it seems he gave his team little chance to win. I wonder if Jake could have gotten them into the endzone if he had another minute to work with?

 

Too bad Shanny never gave his team a chance to find out. I guess he took a page from the "Andy Reid School of Time Management"....it certainly wasn't from Belichek's,

 

 

That's exactly what BB did the week before aganst the jets, and a contributor to how the Pats lost the game.

[AtomicCEO]

The play prior to that was run from the 18-yard line, not the 9-yard line. It was the play where Tomlinson appeared to have been stopped for no gain, but then he staggered through and around a couple Broncos and was eventually pushed out of bounds at the 5.

 

 

The thing I noticed about that run was the excellent strategy of the defense.

 

The reason Tomlinson was able to stagger through was that nobody was actually trying to tackle him. They were all just trying to stand him up and grab the ball. Either we get a turnover, or he scores and we get the ball back for the final drive.

 

As it ended up, he went out of bounds and stopped the clock, which was pretty good for Denver... not as good as getting the ball back... but a smarter strategy than letting him kill the clock.

Edited November 21, 2006 by AtomicCEO

[hooknladder]

You could very well be right, but that really doesn't defeat the argument for letting them score, just because "noone else would do it that way". It's almost irrelevant...unless you're thinking that hey, none of those other coaches would do this, they must know something.

 

but again...what's lost here, is the off chance DEN causes a TURNOVER and recovers. saving the points, and preserving the clock. It's a long shot. but everyone here watches enough football to know that it does happen.