Adventures in Game Management

There was one play in particular during today's Ravens-Vikings game that drew my ire.

3-9-BAL 17 (2:30) (Shotgun) 28-A.Peterson right guard to BLT 14 for 3 yards (52-R.Lewis).

With 2:30 remaining in the 4th quarter and facing a 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 17, Brad Childress elected to run the ball and settle for a field goal, rather than put the ball in the air and at least try to get a first down, if not a touchdown.

In this situation, a field goal was basically in the bank for Minnesota. There was no reason to settle for it without trying for a touchdown first. The Vikings were trailing by 1 point, so a touchdown was essential here. A field goal makes it a 2 point game, forcing Baltimore to simply get in field goal range. But a TD forces Baltimore to also have to score a TD, a much tougher proposition. Most offenses can get into field goal in 2 minutes, even without possessing timeouts. But it's a lot harder to get into the end zone when that's the only thing the defense has to defend against.

I was absolutely livid that Childress elected to run 3 times and kick a field goal, rather than put the ball in the air and at least try for a TD. What good was a field goal? It got Minnesota the lead, but Baltimore simply had to get the ball to the 35 yard line to have a viable chance at kicking one themselves to win the game. A TD was essential in this situation, as that would force Baltimore to also have to score a TD. This was exactly like Mike Singletary's prevent offense from week 3 against Minnesota, when he ran 3 times and punted, rather than putting the ball in the air and trying to convert a first down to really ice the game. Each time these coaches have practiced this prevent offense, it's bit them in the ass. The Vikings beat the 49ers on a miracle pass, and the Ravens rather easily got into field goal range. A halfway decent kicker would have beaten Minnesota today.

This is not the say that a pass is a sure thing. Maybe Favre throws a pick. Maybe it falls incomplete, or maybe Favre takes a sack. But you have to trust your QB to make the play to win the game. As the announcers love to say, this is why you sign Brett Favre. What would have been GREAT for Minnesota was a first down. Baltimore used all of their timeouts, so a Minnesota first down allows them to run the clock way down before kicking the field goal. So how about some intermediate routes to Rice or Shiancoe? A run was such a give-up call.

I am just so sick and tired of coaches not trying to win games on their own. Childress allowed Baltimore to have a shot at winning the game, as did Singletary a few weeks ago and various other coaches do from time to time. You should at least try and force your opponent into its toughest situation. Baltimore was very capable of moving the ball into field goal range (which they did; easily I might add), but a TD would have been much tougher. And you know what? Maybe a pass doesn't work and Minnesota settles for a field goal anyways. So be it; at least you tried to win the game. In competition you aren't always going to succeed. Nothing is guaranteed to anybody. But I can't handle coaches not even trying. If you have Favre throw into the end zone and it falls incomplete, so be it. You tried for a TD and it didn't work. But running the ball had little chance of getting a first down or TD, and screamed give-up. And that I can't handle.