I never understand this..... (1 Viewer)

[Outbackjack]

Happens all the time.
Happened again in Rams/Bucs.
Rams up 3, get ball back with 1:49 and Bucs have 1 TO.
The Rams hand the ball off and the Bucs call time out.
1:43 left.

2nd down. Rams hand off again. guy is tackled at 1:40....40 second play clock doesn’t start until 1:34 (ref setting ball)

3rd down. Run play clock down, hike it at 56.
Run the ball, tackled immediately.....run clock to :09 and take penalty before punting.

OK. We see that all the time.
Why in the world do you hand it off there vs QB standing for 2-3 seconds then take a knee???

The ONLY chance the Bucs have is a fumble.....yet we risk the QB RB exchange, and the RB running into a defense that is pulling, hitting, swiping at the ball.
THREE DIFFERENT TIMES!!!!!

Literally the clock would have been at the same point with a QB knee.....and ZERO RISK.....vs three chances of fumbling.

And teams do it all the time.

Another version is getting the ball on your 20, seconds til half......and you run it (proving you aren’t really trying to score).....but you hand it off where a fumble would be lethal....vs taking a knee.
Again, don’t understand taking the risk when you have no plans of scoring.

Finally, the only time teams take a knee is when the clock will go to zero. In the Rams case, they had to punt with :09......so they ran it 3 times instead of knee three times.

Just don’t understand why you would take even the smallest risk when the zero risk play is more effective.

 

[Madhattr]

Because if they pick up the first on one of the runs it’s game over.

 

[Outbackjack]

Because if they pick up the first on one of the runs it’s game over.

The game was over anyway.

They punted with :09, he fielded the punt and got tackled, 0:00.

Now if :45 seconds were left....you try and pick up the first to end it. But when all you gotta do is punt to end it....and you have to punt either way?????

Not worth the risk,

 

[Meachemdat]

I wouldn't look for common sense in last night's game. Both coaches were going out of their way to show the world why they don't belong on the big stage.

All either team had to do was run the ball and both coaches straight up refused to do so.

 

[J.T.]

The game was over anyway.

They punted with :09, he fielded the punt and got tackled, 0:00.

Now if :45 seconds were left....you try and pick up the first to end it. But when all you gotta do is punt to end it....and you have to punt either way?????

Not worth the risk,

How about a team was playing the Saints five weeks ago, they field the punt (kicked with :09 left, call a fair catch at their own 20 yard line with :04 left. QB drops back, launches it about 50+ yards in the air, Pass Interference at the Saints 38 yard line. Then you have a 55 yard FG attempt on an untimed down.

You try to run for the first down. With the way the rules are, a very long PI penalty is a 20% deal and a very long FG is 50/50. Bucs punt returner should have called for a fair catch. Brady could have launched one deep and a PI call or busted coverage could have led to a score.

The major problem with that sequence was the Bucs punt returner who should have called a fair catch and stopped the clock with a couple of seconds left.