Bill O'Brien and Clock Management

[PatsDeb]

also, to be fair that's a huge difference in field position and punt type at that point in the game.

From the 38 the Pats can pooch punt and guarantee their coverage is there before the ball and pin Houston deep.

From their own 46 they need to hit a full punt giving Houston a better chance at a touchback or having a long return.

Except that's not what happened. Allen (who hasn't been having a great year) hit it too hard and it went into the EZ. Touchback, 18 yards net on the punt. No way they should have challenged unless Gronk got a first down, which he clearly didn't.

 

[Nunchucks]

I think the challenge is defensible. The difference was field goal range, how would he know that the Patriots would not elect to go for a 56 yard field goal?

The 4th and 1, I understand as well. go up by 5 points, instead of allowing a field goal to beat you. There is no guarantee that the Texans make the 4th and 1.

As for a time-out at the end of the game. it was something like 12 seconds that they saved, probably would not have made much of a difference either way.

 

[XLIX]

I lost a lot of respect for O'Brien as a coach. I used to think he was a damn decent coach with no QB. This past Sunday he got the QB play he needs - and still found a way to lose.

The timeout mismanagement was unforgiveable. He cost the team the chance to have another play. Getting into FG range was not out of the realm of possibility. But also, he was coaching scared when he settled for the FG. Given how the game was going, it was far, far more likely the Texans gain a single yard than stop Tom Brady with 2+ minutes remaining.

When they brought the FG unit on the field, I couldn't believe it. I told my friend "the Texans just lost the game."

 

[PatsDeb]

I think the challenge is defensible. The difference was field goal range, how would he know that the Patriots would not elect to go for a 56 yard field goal?

The 4th and 1, I understand as well. go up by 5 points, instead of allowing a field goal to beat you. There is no guarantee that the Texans make the 4th and 1.

As for a time-out at the end of the game. it was something like 12 seconds that they saved, probably would not have made much of a difference either way.

Hmmm. I haven't coached for years with BB and I knew that he was not going for that FG. While BB has complete trust in Ghost (unlike a lot of us here), he also knows his limits, and no way he's risking missing the kick (a pretty good bet at that distance) and giving them the ball at the 50 yard line in a close game like that, particularly with the way our D was playing.

I didn't have a problem with the Texans taking the FG there at 4th and 1. I thought that was playing to win. The two drives before they had forced the Pats into 3 and outs. Going up by 5 (forcing them to score a TD instead of just a FG to win) instead of risking only being up by 2 was the smart move.

The use of the two TOs (burning a dumb one and waiting too long on the 2nd) was not smart and cost them at least the chance to tie it. Of course we almost blew it too when the Hail Mary went sky high off of Gronk instead of to the ground. Luckily Harmon bailed us out!

 

[cmasspatsfan]

I thought the only mistakes BOB made was the challenge losing a valuable time out and the clusterf#ck at the end not calling a timeout quick enough. They had enough time left that if they had two TO's they had a good shot of getting a FG. Course they would have lost in OT if it came to that.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

The worst mistake they made was taking the field goal instead of going for the win. I immediately said in the game thread that the Pats just won the game. The defense had their hands on their hips and looked whipped. I don't think they were capable of another stop on 4th and 1. As it stands? They took the field goal and the GOAT did what the GOAT does best: win the game.

There's a game day thread?
Maybe you should copy and paste a post or two from it....you know, to show what you and others had to say for those of us who missed it......

 

[New England Pride]

Bill O'Brien isn't a good coach he's far too quick to give up on a quarterback and his clock management is brutal, the fact he started Tom Savage in week 1 and let him take number one snaps all during camp and pre season only to pull him after a half shows he was wasting time getting Watson ready and he has no idea what he's doing.

The fact he needed a yard on the road to beat the Patriots and didn't go for it and let Brady have the ball also showed he has no stones.

Great post. If I'm a Houston fan I'm livid about the 4th and 1. You are in he GOATS house. Go for the win with their defense on the field. Not Tom facking Brady on the field to close the game.

 

[Wheelman]

He probably figured the patriots would kick a FG or go for it. He has to take those possibilities into consideration.
He doesn't get to make the decision in hindsight.

You see the Pats lining up for a Field goal, throw the flag.(Not that I would have)

 

[Ring 6]

You see the Pats lining up for a Field goal, throw the flag.(Not that I would have)

On Tuesday that is easy to say

 

[Wheelman]

On Tuesday that is easy to say

Whatever. That's O'Brien's job to be prepared for this. That's on him. That's not hindsight.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

I have to "respectfully" disagree here. The score was 30-28 at the time, you kick a Field Goal, you go up by 5 with 2:28 left. Sure a TD salts the game away, but they have a great defense, the FG there put them up by more than a FG. That's a no brainer call for BOB there.

Love the Herm reference.

I understand the logic, but I think it reduces your odds.

You're basically playing to not lose. You make it a bit more difficult for the GOAT. But you leave it up to your D.

If you go for it, you have a chance to ice the game. And if you fail, you get another chance to win with your D. You give yourself two chances, two ways to win the game.

I understand why someone would make that call. But I'd rather take two chances to win than one, with one option taking the GOAT entirely out of the equation.

 

[Ring 6]

Whatever. That's O'Brien's job to be prepared for this. That's on him. That's not hindsight.

I did t say hindsight I said you are making the decision with an unlimited time to consider everything. He didn't have that.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Bill O'Brien isn't a good coach he's far too quick to give up on a quarterback and his clock management is brutal, the fact he started Tom Savage in week 1 and let him take number one snaps all during camp and pre season only to pull him after a half shows he was wasting time getting Watson ready and he has no idea what he's doing.

The fact he needed a yard on the road to beat the Patriots and didn't go for it and let Brady have the ball also showed he has no stones.

Maybe he's dumb enough to believe, like many other idiots, that JJ Watt actually makes a difference in the outcome of the game. People picketing for Watt as MVP...lol.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Whatever. That's O'Brien's job to be prepared for this. That's on him. That's not hindsight.

You know what they say about arguing with a fool.

 

[fxmallon]

I think the next to final play was supposed to be a quick spike, one more play, and use the final time out for the field goal. But that the quick spike wasn't happening so the unintended time out and hail mary ensued.

I wonder if Brady would have gotten a spike by the 7 second mark.

 

[Trycked]

Maybe the issue is Houston doesn't have an Ernie Adams to tell BOB that he's a moron if he throws the challenge flag.

 

[varjao]

He pulled the same week 1 QB switcheroo with Mallet and Hoyer too.

Yeah, he changes QB's when he shouldn't and keep them when he shouldn't.

That same year in the playoffs he kept Hoyer after 4 INTs and stinking up the joint the whole game just to show "look I'm tough, I won't throw my QB under the bus". It was a playoff game for crying out loud.

BoB mismanages his QB situation every year in every possible way. That's unacceptable for any NFL head coach and even worse when he used to be OC.

 

[archstanton543]

Maybe the issue is Houston doesn't have an Ernie Adams to tell BOB that he's a moron if he throws the challenge flag.

My non-football coaching friends and I were all saying it was a dumb challenge. It doesn't take a football genius to quickly analyze the risk and reward of that situation.

 

[Wheelman]

I did t say hindsight I said you are making the decision with an unlimited time to consider everything. He didn't have that.

He had until he saw how they lined up. He's able to look across the field and see if Gostkowski is going to come on the field. Why did he throw the flag right away? He didn't need to. This is not about time. This is about preparation. He's been coaching for how long? He should know this stuff. That's his job as a Head Coach.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I have to "respectfully" disagree here. The score was 30-28 at the time, you kick a Field Goal, you go up by 5 with 2:28 left. Sure a TD salts the game away, but they have a great defense, the FG there put them up by more than a FG. That's a no brainer call for BOB there.

Love the Herm reference.

Against 31 teams, sure, that makes sense. But when you're going against the Pats--and Tom Brady, more importantly--being up 5 with 2:28 to go is a coin flip at best.

Just playing the odds, you're a lot more likely to get 1 yard on that specific defense at that point in the game than you are to stop Brady on a 2 minute drill.