Why don't they just...

[martinmunson]

I'm new here, and maybe this has been brought up in one of the other million threads, but...

When a team is down by 10 points and they have around 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, why do teams spend so much of that time trying to score a touchdown? Why not just try a field goal from 40 yards out, and then leave yourself with 45-90 seconds on the clock when you go attempt the onsides kick?

I've seen a lot of teams over the years eventually score the touchdown, which is nice, but then they have 7 seconds to kick/recover the onsides kick and then need a 60 yard touchdown pass and it's never worked.

Pretty good question for my first post. Thanks.
Martin

 

[jmt57]

I'm new here, and maybe this has been brought up in one of the other million threads, but...

When a team is down by 10 points and they have around 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, why do teams spend so much of that time trying to score a touchdown? Why not just try a field goal from 40 yards out, and then leave yourself with 45-90 seconds on the clock when you go attempt the onsides kick?

I've seen a lot of teams over the years eventually score the touchdown, which is nice, but then they have 7 seconds to kick/recover the onsides kick and then need a 60 yard touchdown pass and it's never worked.

Pretty good question for my first post. Thanks.
Martin

That's a good question. I think some of it is trying to get the more difficult play out of the way first, but some of it is also coaches not wanting to be second-guessed if it doesn't work out - especially if they went to the extreme of attempting that FG prior to 4th down. And you have to figure that if they're close enough for a FG from that range, then they're inside the 30, maybe inside the 25 - from that point they may as well go for the end zone and if nothing else maybe draw a PI penalty.

Conversely I've also seen some coaches get ultra conservative and they end up missing a 40+ yard FG after play calls that appear to have been made as if it was a gimme chip shot.


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