So during last night's Redskins-Eagles game, we all remember the moment when the Skins had the ball on the 11 with 14 seconds left to play in the half, right? They were down 6-3 and the right thing to do, clearly, was take a shot at the end zone and if the pass went incomplete, go kick a field goal. But instead Joe Gibbs . . . sent in the field goal team. Fortunately, Eagles coach Andy Reid noted that this was a ridiculous play and called a timeout, giving Gibbs a chance to reconsider, call a pass, score a touchdown, and go on to win the game. Wasn't that a bit odd? Who changes their mind in a situation like that? And what was Gibbs thinking the first time around?
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Thanks, Coach
18 Sep 2007 09:26 am
Comments (37)
14 seconds left in the half? how many time-outs would the eagles have been able to use?
more likely, gibbs was planning fake kick. reid clued in and called a timeout so he could prepare for the fake kick. gibbs then realizes that the jig is up, so forgoes the fake kick (only likely to score if defense is expecting a real kick), and goes for it the regular way.
I'm thinking Gibbs got the jitters from the back to back penalties and was worried about a 3rd that might have pushed them out of FG range. Reid calls the timeout and Gibbs comes to his senses, magic happens. Thanks Andy, enjoy 0-2.
It is worth noting that even in the glory days of the Hogs, during the final 2 minutes of each half, Joe Gibbs performed a kind of alchemical self-transformation into one of the most retarded coaches in the history of the universe. He seemed to have some kind of mental block regarding the use of time outs and sidelines. If you took a look at the stats of Joe Gibbs's Redskins in only the final 2 minutes of each half since 1982, I wonder what it'd look like.
The Post's writeup starts off by noting that Campbell's helmet radio was malfunctioning at the end of the first half, and that the resulting confusion was part of the reason why the field goal kicking unit was brought out. Doesn't explain why Reid called the TO, though. I guess he must've been trying to ice the kicker.
Washington was out of timeouts. They didn't have time to run a play and still have time to kick a field goal if it failed. Reid made an error in deciding to ice the kicker by calling a time out. With 14 seconds left on the clock, the skins could still go for the endzone and if it was incomplete, kick the field goal because the incompletion would have stopped the clock. They went for it.
Now prepare for every idiot in this town to start talking superbowl. If they win 2 more in a row, the roar will be deafening.
My sense was that the decision was a combination of what Jake has said above(Gibbs feared another penalty, so wanted to take the field goal and go into the half tied) but also that with no timeouts left of his own, Gibbs was having trouble calling an effective play from their new field position. The Andy Reid t.o. allowed the skins coaches to regroup and call a play that, if unsuccessful would still allow time for the field goal try, but would result in the touchdown if converted.
Does "icing the kicker" ever work? All it seems to do is add more commercial time to the last 2 minutes of each half.
BTW, McNabb's done. Here's hoping the Iggles tank the rest of the season and draft whatever hotshot QB is available in '08.
BTW, McNabb's done. Here's hoping the Iggles tank the rest of the season and draft whatever hotshot QB is available in '08.
I don't know how you can have watched the second half of that game and think that McNabb is the Eagles problem.
Reid's decision to call a time-out seemed to be a stupid example of doing what seemed liked the usual thing without thinking it out. We always make the kicker think about it in a situation like this.
I kind of had the sense that Gibbs was sticking it to Reid. A kind of vengeful, you want to play that way. It is a silly way to manage football on both sides, but Reid comes out looking like the idiot.
As for McNabb this has always been his problem. He starts slowly and then only gets going when it is time to play catch up. Often it works and he looks like a hero. Yesterday it did not, and for 3 quarters he looked like someone whose time has passed.
I expect the Eagles will bounce back after two embarassing losses. But it is not entirely a coincidence that the Eagles made their playoff run after McNabb got hurt. He needs to feel that sense of urgency earlier in the game for the Eagles to win.
I don't know how you can have watched the second half of that game and think that McNabb is the Eagles problem.
I think "McNabb overthrew the receiver" was the most uttered phrase of the night...
It may be a bit unfair to lay all their problems on McNabb (second most uttered phrase: "McNabb can't find anyone open"), but he's certainly not the mobile-but-deadly-accurate QB he was before his litany of injuries (Remember when he'd torch defenses for 20 yards when he couldn't find an open man?). Change starts at the top, so I don't mind if the Eagles take the season to "rebuild". I can root for Pittsburgh this year.
Here's my semi-conspiratorial take FWIW:
This was a perfect opportunity for a fake field goal. You have the holder roll out, send one guy into the endzone. If he is covered throw the ball away quickly and you can still kick the field goal because it is not 4th down. Gibbs had this plan, Reid realzied this and that his team was not prepared for that play so he called a timeout. Once he did this Gibbs knew the jig was up and he may as well take a shot.
Does "icing the kicker" ever work?
Did you hear about the Denver-Oakland game on Sunday?
And what was Gibbs thinking the first time around?
Probably a dirty Arab corrupted his thinking through mind control.
Icing the kicker seemed to work in Denver just two days ago. Though the pressure of kicking a 52-yarder in overtime against a hated rival is a little greater than a chippie just before half, to be sure.
If the Eagles weren't prepared for a fake, then they are being coached by a buffoon. The chance of blocking a field goal from that close in is less than epsilon, so you may as well have your field goal defense team making sure noone gets loose from the line of scrimmage.
So if the timeout was justified, the coaching was terrible, and if the timeout was to ice the kicker on a no pressure kick, then the coaching was terrible.
A guy on espn.com said that the Eagles had only 9 men on the field, and so would have been penalized if the play had gone off. That would have been a rational reason for a time out.
Here's hoping the Iggles tank the rest of the season and draft whatever hotshot QB is available in '08.
They drafted their post-McNabb QB, Kevin Kolb, in the last draft.
This Cowboys fan would like to thank Washington (I would use the team nickname, but I don't like racial slurs) for pinning a division loss on the Eagles and dropping them to 0-2. I'm just worried that Dallas won't be prepared for the playoffs after skating through the otherwise weak NFC East.
Just sayin:
To be fair, it was a 53 yard FG. The going rate on those in the NFL is only 50%.
An Eages fan I was watching the game with is convinced that Gibbs called for the FG as bait for an Eagles time out. Hook, line, and sinker, as they say.
"Washington was out of timeouts. They didn't have time to run a play and still have time to kick a field goal if it failed."
They had ample time to throw the ball into the end zone. An incompletion stops the clock. It's a bit of a gamble, since a sack would end the half, but it's worth the risk to take a shot at 7 points instead of 3.
Gibbs has been known to fake field goals. So that theory is plausible. But the "malfunctioning headset" explanation is the most likely one. Reid almost certainly called the timeout because he wasn't expecting the Skins to go for a FG and didn't have the right defensive unit on the field.
If you were watching the game, the explanation is pretty obvious. Remember, the first penalty was a delay of game penalty b/c the Redskins sideline couldn't get the play in in time. At the time, I figured this was exactly what was happening and I didn't even know about the radio malfunctioning claim. And I sincerely doubt the fake field goal theory. After the game, Gibbs himself said he used the time out to come up with a play call. In that situation you don't want a panicky play call. You want good protection b/c you can't afford a sack and you want to run some routes that the QB can throw to with a low risk of an interception. I don't know why Reid called the time out, but its pretty standard operating procedure in the NFL. If Gibbs intentionally baited the time out, that would be pretty cool.
When are we getting an Oden post up around here?
"Does "icing the kicker" ever work? All it seems to do is add more commercial time to the last 2 minutes of each half."
I hear NFL kickers actually like this because it gives them time to think and clear their head. How many coaches were actually ever kickers and know what they think?
icing the kicker worked really well for the Broncos.
fax, what game we're you watching? The most common phrase I heard was "once again the Eagles WRs couldn't get open" or words to that affect.
It's not always about "icing the kicker." Sometimes, especially if the offense has been operating in hurry-up mode, coaches will call a timeout to give their defensive linemen a chance to catch their breaths, on the theory that they'll have a better shot at blocking the kick if they're rested.
A guy on espn.com said that the Eagles had only 9 men on the field, and so would have been penalized if the play had gone off. That would have been a rational reason for a time out.
I thought you only get penalized for having too many men on the field. If you want to play with fewer, you've already suffered the penalty. (Of course, if you realize you are short of players on the field, getting the others on is a good reason to call timeout.)
If you took a look at the stats of Joe Gibbs's Redskins in only the final 2 minutes of each half since 1982, I wonder what it'd look like.
Im thinking of Joe Gibbs calling for a screen pass on his own 12 yard line with about 12 seconds on the clock before halftime of Super Bowl XVIII. Jack Squirek of the Raiders intercepts Theismann's floater and buries the Redskins with a TD.
In short, Andy Reid is an idiot.
Gibbs (and the rest of the offense) was flustered after failing to get the previous play called and the ensuing delay of game penalty. Gibbs called for the FG because he was out of timeouts and...well...still flustered.
Reid called the timeout and gave Gibbs time to unfluster himself and realize that 14 seconds is actually plenty of time to run a quick passing play into the endzone and still kick a FG if the attempt fails.
As for the radio malfunction, it was clearly the work of Bill Belichik.
I thought you only get penalized for having too many men on the field. If you want to play with fewer, you've already suffered the penalty. (Of course, if you realize you are short of players on the field, getting the others on is a good reason to call timeout.)
You are absolutely right. The Eagles would not have been penalized for having too few men on the field. And, although makes sense to call a timeout with too few men on the field in many situations, it makes no sense when the other team is clearly kicking a FG because they are out of timeouts and too flustered to run a pass play in the end zone.
Whoever called the timeout for the Eagles is an idiot.
Matt,
Did you just start becoming a football fan recently? That's the impression I get from reading your last few posts. One would think that growing up in New York you'd be a Giants or Jets fan, and I don't recall reading you mention anything about either team.
Um, the Eagles DID already draft a new hotshot QB. DM wasn't very happy about it, but for now it looks like his best days are behind him. Garcia left for richer pastures, unfortunately. If I weren't always sort of half rooting against the Iggles, I might be upset...
Um, the Eagles DID already draft a new hotshot QB. DM wasn't very happy about it, but for now it looks like his best days are behind him. Garcia left for richer pastures, unfortunately. If I weren't always sort of half rooting against the Iggles, I might be upset...
So, question for the group: who's the worst coach in the NFC East?
That's got to be a difficult question. Even given all the Reid and Gibbs bashing here, I'm gonna have to say Coughlin. And, yeah, even with the 2-0 record at Big D, you can't discount Wade Phillips either, given his track record.
BTW, Matthew didn't report on whether he went to the sports bar to watch the game...
I thought you only get penalized for having too many men on the field. If you want to play with fewer, you've already suffered the penalty.
No. I'm sorry, that is factually incorrect. In the NFL it is illegal procedure for a team to have less than 11 players on the field following the snap.
In the NFL it is illegal procedure for a team to have less than 11 players on the field following the snap.
That's false.
BTW, McNabb's done. Here's hoping the Iggles tank the rest of the season and draft whatever hotshot QB is available in '08.
You do realize they already drafted a QB? This year? With their first-round pick? Are you even an Eagles fan?
I can root for Pittsburgh this year.
That's disgusting.
You do realize they already drafted a QB? This year?
Kolb? Shrug. Forgive me if I'm skeptical of the Eagles' "quarterbacks of the future"--it wasn't that long ago that Bobby Hoying was going to be the team's savior.
Are you even an Eagles fan?
I kept the faith during through the Marion Campbell years. I proudly sported my Herschel Walker jersey in DC during the Rich Kotite era. How dare you, sir.
How dare you.
Gibbs may have gone with the kicker because time had inadvertently run off the clock on the illegal procedure penalty. In the heat of the moment, the sideline may not have realized it was going to be reset to 14 seconds.
Freddie: Look for the penalty for less than 11 men here -- http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries -- you won't find it cause there's no such thing.
Comments closed October 02, 2007.
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Heads in the Sand
It may have been to force reid into calling the time out because he wouldn't have been ready to throw on the field goal defense. How many time outs did the red skins have?
Posted by Parmenides | September 18, 2007 9:39 AM