4th-and-1 not even close to the dumbest call of the week

[ctpatsfan77]

You want bad ideas? Try this on for size.

Bill Barnwell: Lovie Smith with an impossibly stupid challenge. Earl Bennett catches a 48-yard pass and is down at the 1/2-yard line. Could be a touchdown; hard to tell, but the refs rule him down short of the endzone. Bears have first-and-goal...and Lovie Smith decides to challenge the touchdown. Seriously? I mean, I know it's the Bears, who are awful on the goal line, but you have to think they'll eventually score from the one-yard line.

...and then the Bears promptly fumble on the one-yard line. Cutler stripped on a sneak. Oh my lord. Replay shows he actually broke the plane, but Smith is suddenly hesitant to challenge. I mean, this isn't advanced game theory or anything. One challenge is the difference between a touchdown and four shots from the one-yard line. The other challenge is the difference between a touchdown and a loss of possession.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Innovative Statistics, Intelligent Analysis | Audibles at the Line: Week 7

 

[aluminum seats]

The fact that he fumbled sort of puts the lie to the "impossibly stupid" charge on the first challenge. Yeah, probably wouldn't want to challenge and you should score, but anything can happen. (The challenge failing is kind of lame.)

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The fact that he fumbled sort of puts the lie to the "impossibly stupid" charge on the first challenge. Yeah, probably wouldn't want to challenge and you should score, but anything can happen. (The challenge failing is kind of lame.)

It's more the fact that he then didn't challenge the fumble call, when he could have.

 

[captain stone]

This is one example for the reason that I'm changing my W-L record for the Pats up to 11-5.

As awful as their offense is on the road, the Pats should still beat Lovie & da bumblin' Bears.

 

[PatsChamp88]

Originally called a touchdown, the Dolphins challenge. Gene Steratore comes out and explains: Roethlisberger loses the ball and therefore it is not a touchdown. However, the challenge has two parts: did Roethlisberger fumble, and who recovered it? Since there is not clear evidence as to which team recovered the football, Steratore says that he can't overturn Pittsburgh possession of the ball. Therefore it goes into the book as a fumble recovered by the Steelers, and it will be Steelers ball, fourth-and-goal from the half-yard line, down by two points. Jeff Reed hits a 19-yard field goal to go up by 1.

Honestly, it looked pretty clear from the video that Miami recovered the football.

Freak play but Miami got burned...there were some really weird plays/calls this week but the Redskins and Bears game was ridiculously bad!