What would you have done on 4th-and-4?

by VanRam on Nov 30, 2009 10:12 AM CST in 2009 regular season Comment 22 comments

Hindsight really is 20-20, and there is no better example of that than yesterday's decision by St. Louis Rams head coach to go for it on 4th-and-4 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half of the game and the game tied at 7 points apiece.

It would have been approxiamtely a 49-yard field goal attempt. Kicker Josh Brown whiffed a 46-yarder prior to the 4th-and-4 situation, but did make a 55-yarder later in the game.

I understand both sides of the argument. Today, it's easy to see that the FG would have given the Rams a lead, that they might have been able to hold going into the locker room for the half. Of course, at the time, being aggressive is good thought for a team with nothing to lose.

So, 4 yards, and Seattle had done a pretty good job of limiting the running game. In fact, up to that point, Jackson had just two carries that went for more than 4 yards. What really made the decision to go for it seem so strange was that two plays earlier the Rams had lost C Jason Brown. The o-line had struggled enough with Brown in the game, but losing him certainly dimmed the prospects for converting a 4th-and-4.

What would you have done?

Poll

What would you have done on 4th-and-4 late in the first half with the game tied?

Go for it; Spags made the right call.

97 votes

Kick a FG, take 3 points and the lead

186 votes

283 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I voted go for it

but if you’re gonna go for it there, you should be running on 3rd down.

by brackenthebox on Nov 30, 2009 10:47 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

in my opinoin

Spags took the “rookie” coach approach.
Like all media on any given Monday, there is always speculation as to what should or shouldn’t have been done on any game.
He probably reads the papers. He might even visit this site. He probably took it to heart when he was scrutinized over whether or not he should have gone for the touchdown a few weeks ago.
Actually I believe he made the right decision then.
He’ll learn.

by ZamRam on Nov 30, 2009 10:56 AM CST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

"He probably reads the papers. He might even visit this site. He probably took it to heart when he was scrutinized over whether or not he should have gone for the touchdown a few weeks ago"

Doubt it.

He doesn’t have the time to spen reading the newspaper and reading blogs. If he does, they should fire him (and i don’t think he does so therefore I’m not in the “fire Spags” camp).

Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.

by Tackle Box on Nov 30, 2009 11:34 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

doubt it all you want...

….and you’re probably right about the blogs.

The actual point is that he’s a rookie and he’ll learn.

by ZamRam on Nov 30, 2009 2:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I think he probably reads the papers on Monday morning.

But probably not anything else. I think he can find time once a week to read the sports section.

Can't think of a good sig

by Carneros on Nov 30, 2009 9:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

But why would he?

Shit, Jeff Gordon can’t even get the players names right. Why would he waste his time reading bullshit colums by people who don’t know a quarter of what he knows?

Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.

by Tackle Box on Dec 1, 2009 7:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

good point, but I still think he does. I would read something.

Can't think of a good sig

by Carneros on Dec 1, 2009 7:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

There's no question!!!

It’s a 7-7 Ballgame before the half. You have to kick the field goal! Stupid stupid call. I didn’t have faith in Boller just converting the 4th down. Instead he threw a pick 6. Absolutely unacceptable!

The name's Rams, St. Louis Rams.

by Bond_007x on Nov 30, 2009 12:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I really don't know

what was best in that spot (without hindsight) but in general, it seems to me that coaches should go for it on 4th down more than they do.

Spags decisions confuse me – to go for it on the 4th and 4 here, but a week or two ago down by 18 he kicks a FG on 4th and goal from the 2. And I thought I read that he tried a FG in this latest game when it was 4th and 1 but perhaps I misremember.

by WestCoastBuc on Nov 30, 2009 1:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

He did and the FG missed from about 46 or 48 yards. I don't remember.

Can't think of a good sig

by Carneros on Nov 30, 2009 9:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

The bottom line is

Spags decision making isn’t our biggest problem. I do believe that he should have went for it on the 4th and 1, and kicked a FG here… HOWEVER not a huge concern to me. He’s not Rich Kotite wandering around clueless. The man can coach and he’ll take all these lessons (if you call them that), and use them to his advatage in future games.

If he were in his 3rd year, THEN i’d be concerned (3k mentioned same thing and he’s 100% right here).

Hold the boo birds… this Bus is just leaving the station, and it’s a long journey ahead, and a happy ending I have no doubt :-)

"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi

by VTramsFan on Nov 30, 2009 1:38 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

it comes back to the learning curve

Spags is a rookie of sorts too

Turf Show Times

by VanRam on Nov 30, 2009 1:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Hopefully he can learn now when we're already in last place regardless of his decisions.

Can't think of a good sig

by Carneros on Nov 30, 2009 9:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

A Thought

IF we mae the FG, and IF we made the first down and went on to score in those 2 decisions, this thread would be titled:

“Spags – Thank God We Have a Coach With Balls”

We’d be dreaming about superbowls last night. We’d be singing his praise. We’d be burning our Linehan posters… OK people already have burnt them… and notice I said “people” not “we” because I never owned a Linehan poster… if you did, you have my apology, and wow

"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall." - Vince Lombardi

by VTramsFan on Nov 30, 2009 1:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

that's a good point

Turf Show Times

by VanRam on Nov 30, 2009 1:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

FG

Only in the 4th Qtr do you go for the extra points when the game is on the line!!! See yesterday’s game if you need a reminder. If Boller throws an interception and the Rams are down by 4 points to begin with, big F-ing deal. Nobody is blaming Spags.

Secondly, what a poor choice by Boller to throw into double coverage. He even telegraphed it too. C’mon, Kyle, you ain’t a rook!

by 81 Witness on Nov 30, 2009 2:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Spags made the right call......

right now the offense can’t trust the defense and the defense can not trust the offense. Take the win when you have a chance if Brown misses everyone loses. Record right now isn’t important. With the IF factor in play IF they would have coverted it would of been a great call. But with trust comes confidence and if anything came from it, it was Spags standing up for his guys and putting his neck on the line to show he has confidence in this offense. And that from a head coach isnt a bad thing.

by Go_Blues on Nov 30, 2009 4:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

We should go for it on 4th down like Spagis is Belichik for the rest of the season.

Can't think of a good sig

by Carneros on Nov 30, 2009 9:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

3

They should have gone for a field goal and be up at half.
The score was 27 to 17 If Josh Brown would have made the field the first drive of the game and If Boller didn’t throw that interception for a TD this game could have been tied.
But whatya gonna do.

by brians rams on Nov 30, 2009 10:11 PM CST reply actions 0 recs