Should Coach Smith Have Gone For It, 4th & 1 @ the 5?

[Supes™]

A lot of debate going on about this. Y'all vote and state your case!

[TheDirtyWordII]

A lot of debate going on about this. Y'all vote and state your case!

This couches the debate in a right/wrong sense, which at this point is tough to say Smith was wrong. He tied the game up. But IMO, the more worthwhile observation is whether it was a safe or aggressive decision. Smith has always struck me as an aggressive coach. But this was a conservative move. And in terms of setting a tone for the team for the season, I would have preferred to have seen him go for it. While it could have opened up Smith to even more second guessing, I think it ran counter to his instincts and the way we've tried to build the character of this team.

[DirtyBirdSupabowl]

I was real mad at first because we didnt go for it, because I knew if we got the TD we would have won the game. Even if we failed Dixon would still have to march the ball down the field.

[LADBABY]

Smith's persona is to go for it there. I don't think

he was true to his own instincts and tendencies. It

was not an act of weakness because we did tie the game

up and go to overtime. It just wasn't Smitty's style.

Edited September 14, 2010 by LADBABY

[rightsaidfred]

As much as I wanted to see them punch through for the 1st at the time, I do think cooler heads prevailed and the right choice was made. It was such a close game, with neither team doing a lot of scoring. It was high risk, medium reward, IMO.

If they get the first, it would boost momentum, but it was not a lock they would score a TD.

If they fail the get the first, Big Mo goes out the window.

I say - right move.

[Peyton]

He definitely made the right call in that situation. When your that close to the end zone and you can't run the ball, there is very little field for the defense to defend. I don't think the Falcons would have had better than a 1/4 chance of making that first down.

If there was something about that drive that was disappointing to me, it was that the Falcons didn't take a shot into the endzone after they had the 1st down at the 14.

[1989Fan]

he 100% made the right call there.

Turner's average for the day was barely enough to get the down. I don't think they would have gotten it.

The team had it chances, and still couldn't do it on offense. the way that game went Smith had a right to have more faith in his defense than offense.

[RFlagg]

Watching the game with my girlfriend, she asked why we were kicking the ball instead of going for it. My response was "If we make the field goal then the game is tied".

Her response "But then aren't they playing to tie and not to win?"

How could I deny that logic.

[phattywankenobi]

Fans always want the coach to go for it. Heck it could be on the Falcons 1 yard line and fans would want him to go for it. Pittsburgh's D was stuffing the run all day so the probability of making it were pretty slim. There was 3:28 left in the game. If the Falcons didn't make it then Pittsburgh would once again start with their backs against the endzone. The score is 9 to 6. Their offense has been able to pick up first downs and were doing a good job of getting out of bad field position. All they have to do is get one first down and then they would sit on the ball and run the clock out since 9 is still greater than 6.

Since they did kick the field goal it forced overtime and now the Falcons had a better chance of winning. Unfortunately the Falcons D wore down and slipped to give way for the longest run of the day.

These things are always funny in hindsight. I've been to games in the Dome where the crowd is screaming go for it. Then they didn't make it and then you could hear a pin drop.

When Payton decided to do the onside kick in the Superbowl and his team got it suddenly he was a genius. If they didn't get the ball he would have gone down as an arrogant fool. Sounds great when everything works out but I've witnessed too many occasions where it didn't and all these people screaming make a gutsy call are no where to be found afterwards.

I admit in the heat of the moment I wanted them to go for it but if they failed. The game would be practically over at that moment.

[TeamPlayer1]

I hate to be negative but if Smitty has no confidence in 4th and one he does not think we are really a "power running team."

The Steelers have a great run D but 1 yd?

[1989Fan]

if we dont get it, game is over. period.

we kicked the FG AND got the ball back. how can anyone see that as the wrong call?

I could only imagine the whining and turmoil had we gone for it and not got it.

[ThunderCookie]

I am the only who noticed there was some confusion on spotting the ball? Even the announcers couldn't decide if it was 4th and 1 or 4th and 2.

[LADBABY]

Phatty says the game could have been over right there and

I say exactly what we want. Take time out, call everybody

over so they know.. this is it. Have a pep rally and go win

the game. Shoot your best shot right there and push it in.

[cb5639]

we kicked the FG AND got the ball back. how can anyone see that as the wrong call?

This!!! +1

[Supes™]

I am the only who noticed there was some confusion on spotting the ball? Even the announcers couldn't decide if it was 4th and 1 or 4th and 2.

I think it actually ended up 4th and 1.5

[Xfactor]

We definitely made the correct call since we don't have any screen plays in our playbook.

[Supes™]

We definitely made the correct call since we don't have any screen plays in our playbook.

What's this "screen pass" you speak of? :unsure:

[Vicious]

Not just yes, but **** yes. Herm Edwards said it best:"Hello! You play to WIN the game". That was the best drive for the offense all day, and it was at that moment that something needed to be done to snag momentum. Smith decided to play not to lose and well we see how that worked out. Sure there would have been people who would have criticized that moved if he had called it and failed, but had he succeeded he would have been branded bold, daring, maybe even genius by fans and the media. But, instead he wussed out and played it safe. I just think that in Pittsburg, against a team of that caliber, when there's blood in the water you go for the kill and have faith in your defense to get you the ball back if you don't succeed.

If they had failed, then Pitt would have had to go 95 yards against a defense that had been equally as stingy up to that point. Surely we would have gotten the ball back with a chance to win it. But that's just my opinion. I think he should have shown his team a little more faith to pick up a yard and a half.

[Supes™]

lol, mommabird still can't decide!

[capologist]

if we dont get it, game is over. period.

we kicked the FG AND got the ball back. how can anyone see that as the wrong call?

I could only imagine the whining and turmoil had we gone for it and not got it.

Because that's not correct. There was 3:24 still on the clock. If we don't get the first down then they get the ball at the 5. Pinned that deep, they would play very conservative where we probably would have stopped them on a 3 and out or maybe even get a turnover. Add in that we had 2 timeouts to use as well. Given that we almost would have certainly gotten great field position to get a second crack at the end zone or worse case scenario, kick the field goal to tie at the end of regulation when you really don't have a choice.

When you're on the road you play to win, at home you play for the tie...

[hawkeye]

I would've gone for it. Have some faith in your offense. And like I said in another thread, we didn't have to try

and run the ball. We could've rolled out or play action or anything to get the first down. That's when playcalling

comes into effect. (your OC). He's the eye in the sky. If you don't get it you still got them pinned deep and

probably would've got the ball back. One thing that was working all day was the QB sneak. Go quick count.

[HouseofEuphoria]

I think we should have gone for it.

I dont like the message he sent to our offense by playing it conservative at that time - on the road, the

end of the game- just put em away and go shower up. Considering the team has already proven to

the coaching staff last year against the Jets to have faith in them at those crucial times to get the

job done.

We have high aspirations this year, but to reach those lofty goals, sometimes you have

to take a few chances. The gameplan we brought into Steeltown was about as conservative as it gets.

Do we think the Steelers would have played it conservative in Atlanta, if the situation were reversed?

I think they would have tried to pound it in on us. Or at least some kinda TE pass.

On the road, chance to send a message, nothing to lose.

Either way, we still had a chance in the game. But, you can see the disappointment on some of the players

faces in the post game interviews, especially Turner. Like me, i think they would rather have tried and

failed than to not try at all.

[Robb4242]

absolutely not. Give up 1 first down & the game is over. Instead, we had the ball with 1:45 left in the game & only needing 40 yards to be in long FG range. Kicking the FG gave us a better chance of winning considering the success of our running game on Sunday. 50% of Turner's runs went for 2 or more yards, that would mean 50% of the time, when we were not usually in a short yardage mode, we would not have gained the 1st down if we ran Turner (anybody want to guess Turner off RG wouldn't have been the call on 4th & 1?). Smith had 0 confidence in our ability to pick up that 1st down with Pitt stacking the line in what amounted to a goal line situation, & he's 100% right for having no confidence in our ability to pick that up.

[kschreck]

Playing a tough D with playmakers, in a 9-6 game.

Our O hadn't been playing great.

Our D was the better of our two units that day.

Pittsburgh didn't have a great QB.

In this situation IMO you take the points and the tie and trust your D to either stop them and force OT or maybe even create a turnover.

Now if you change the equation and say, they have an elite QB or our offense had been clicking, or even our D not playing well at all I would change my approach.

[Jesus]

Everything Smitty did on Sunday seemed timid and scared. Where was the fight we saw so often the last two years? I hate to see him becoming this kind of Coach. I hope it was a cyborg in his place and the real Smitty is at home Sunday.

Always go for it. If you don't get it then you show confidence in your D. They would have stopped Pittsburgh and gotten the ball back. Then the offense filled with pride because their coach believes in them.