Pittsburgh Chasing Those 2 points

[Zeus]

I didn't like going for two even before the penalty. Going after the penalty was one of the most blatantly stupid coaching decisions in recent memory, John Madden's support notwithstanding.

The problem is that you are assuming that the other team won't score again, a very bad assumption with over ten minutes left in the game. You want to maximize the number of points you have at the end of the game. How many you have at any earlier point in the game doesn't matter.

Play selection should weigh into this as well. If you have been running the ball particularly well or you have another play that (for whatever reason) you have a high degree of confidence in, you might take the calculated risk in order to garner some momentum. Those fade pass routes didn't qualify - if that's all you've got, then kick the ball.

For the most part, I would stay away from the two point conversion until the last 4-5 minutes of the game. Tomlin outsmarted himself and may have cost his team a shot at overtime.

 

[dhamz]

Del Rio challenged a call that had no chance of being overturned.

It was a no lose challenge for him. They were going to have to burn the TO to prevent a delay of game (still in huddle with less than 5 on play clock) so he threw the flag instead. It would not have been the first time the refs changed a play that they shouldn't have.