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  • Steelers onside kick

    I don't see what the big deal is about how it was such a lousy call. Pitt hadn't stopped them all day long so why did anybody think that they'd stop them there? The way the guys talked during the game it was like Tomlin was some kind of moron. I don't think that he was wrong either way.

    I think the way they line up for the kicks actually hurts teams kicking to tell you the truth. Why tell teams where you're kicking it?
    "Hey Giants, who's your Daddy?"

  • #2
    I think it was because they were down by 7. A FG makes it a two-score game. If it was even a 5 point lead, the FG doesn't absolutely kill you, but it did in that case.

    If the Jags make even one first down you are basically toast. So you are counting on a three and out no matter if you kick off or go for the onsides. If you kick off, and hold them, you probably get the ball back around your 25 anyways after the punt.

    With the onsides, you have to be able to execute it so it gets to at least say the 45, so that if they don't get the first down, they are still outside of FG range. But they screwed it up -- guess they are not a good onsides kicking team -- and left Jacksonville in FG range immediately.

    So, the question is if the risk of the onsides giving up a FG is worth the 15-20% chance of getting the ball back immediately. At the time, I didn't think the onsides call was all that bad, but I didn't know they were a bad onsides team either, and they really messed that up.

    If they kick off, they get the ball back about the same amount of time left and down just 7. They scored a TD in that situation, which could have tied the game instead. As it played out, kicking was definitely the right move. Even then, they actually had 1st and goal with a decent amount of time left. If Big Ben does not take that sack, they may have had a chance for another onsides kick as well.

    Normally I don't think the onsides is all that bad a call -- you usually can force the issue faster since you have less field to defend -- and a punt in the end zone means you don't give up that much territory. But I guess being down 7 in particular, plus needing a 3 and out either way, may have made that a bad call.

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    • #3
      One thing I didn’t realize is Jacksonville did not have a 3 and out the entire game.

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      • #4
        It's hard to get a first down when the other team knows you are going to run. Not many teams are able to run out the clock in that situation. I am not sure the Eagles would have been able to run out the clock against Atlanta, had they not had the offsides call to make it 1st and 5.

        I definitely thought they should have kicked it deep in that case. I am 95% sure that the Steelers would have stopped Jacksonville knowing they were going to run. Now, Jacksonville may have thrown in a pass to clinch the game. But, not many coaches are willing to take that risk with a 7 point lead, while trying to run out the clock IMO.

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        • #5
          I thought it was a bad call because Pittsburgh had 2 time outs plus the 2 minute warning. You have to trust your defense to make one play. He didn't and they lost!

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