steelers : why didn't they kick a field goal ?

[soxfan1468927]

That's way to conservative but what we ended up doing didn't work either. It was the smartest play. Rushing to the ball, trying to get everyone on the same page and call a play just simply doesn't work against the Patriots and it isn't a smart thing to do, especially when you can move one step closer to locking up HFA throughout the playoffs with a win against the Pats.

In hindsight it didn't work. What they should have done is have two plays ready to go if the call got overturned. That way everyone WAS on the same page.

 

[soxfan1468927]

They did!!!!!

No shit

 

[Upinthe North]

Why didn't they kick the FG? Because they threw an interception!

All that was missing, was a player on the sideline to make this face

 

[SteelersPride]

Lack of preparation and communication.
Pittsburgh or many of the players and coaches weren't on the same page. They should've already known what the play was after the 2nd down play. You always call two plays in the huddle.

they did know the play

 

[NWPATSFAN]

they did know the play

It sure didn't look like it? Only ond receiver actually ran any kind of a route. The other two after figuring out Ben wasn't spiking it finally moved off the line.

Willie McGinist was saying the play was called the "spike it" play. May have led to the confusion?

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

It was the correct call to go for it with 14 seconds, just a bad decision/pass.

 

[SteelersPride]

It sure didn't look like it? Only ond receiver actually ran any kind of a route. The other two after figuring out Ben wasn't spiking it finally moved off the line.

Willie McGinist was saying the play was called the "spike it" play. May have led to the confusion?

they ran it earlier in the year, its a one man slant

 

[TP76]

It sure didn't look like it? Only ond receiver actually ran any kind of a route. The other two after figuring out Ben wasn't spiking it finally moved off the line.

Willie McGinist was saying the play was called the "spike it" play. May have led to the confusion?

It was a fake spike play... you don't want too many out in a pattern to spoil the ruse. So they ran the one player split out wide right on a crossing pattern. Problem was - Jordan Richards #37 threw off the timing (being in the throwing lane).

Still, they had a chance - a better throw and it may have worked - Three DBs were on the left side were pretty much spectators (until the ball popped out).

 

[Ojb81]

All that was missing, was a player on the sideline to make this face

well, there was a fan at home making that face. me.

 

[Upinthe North]

well, there was a fan at home making that face. me.

There was a person beside me making the same face....you were not alone.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

It was a fake spike play... you don't want too many out in a pattern to spoil the ruse. So they ran the one player split out wide right on a crossing pattern. Problem was - Jordan Richards #37 threw off the timing (being in the throwing lane).

Still, they had a chance - a better throw and it may have worked - Three DBs were on the left side were pretty much spectators (until the ball popped out).

Well that makes it even a dumber call. Once Big Ben steps out the ruse is off. Having all your eggs in one basket doesn't seem prudent. That and you certainly need a smarter QB. One that doesn't try and force it if the ruse didn't work. Throw it out of the EZ had to have been part of the play.

So if what you're saying was true this is ALL on Big Ben. That makes it even more sad he tried throwing his coaches under the bus.

 

[williewilliejuan]

Regardless of who made the decisions, it came down to being too cute with a fake spike. Going for it was fine. A fake spike was not.

That was really dumb. It was third down. What would a spike have accomplished?

 

[williewilliejuan]

So with 14 secs left you would've clocked it on 3rd and kicked the FG?

That would have been dumb. They had plenty of time for a non-stupid play that would net a touchdown or an incomplete pass. Unfortunately, they went with a stupid play instead.

 

[BottleWalk]

The steelers didn't lose a game because they faked a spike. The steelers lost the game because their fake spike involved throwing a dangerous pass in the middle of the field where a bunch of defenders had a chance to intercept the ball.

I know you don't have AB anymore but a fake spike fade route to JuJu would have been a great chance with little risk. If everything really didn't look good, on a fade you always have the option to chuck it out of bounds in the area and that's basically a slightly longer spike.

They did not lose the game by trying for a touchdown. If they had to kick, they were almost certainly going to lose in overtime and if you don't believe that, just watch any pats game ever where they were given a second chance, and add that to the awful feeling the steelers would have had going into OT after having thought they scored the winning touchdown and having it taken away by review. You don't win games twice against new england.

This is pretty simple and it baffles me why people think the idea of fake spiking it was to blame, rather than the specific play and execution. Then again this is the internet.....

 

[TP76]

Well that makes it even a dumber call. Once Big Ben steps out the ruse is off. Having all your eggs in one basket doesn't seem prudent. That and you certainly need a smarter QB. One that doesn't try and force it if the ruse didn't work. Throw it out of the EZ had to have been part of the play.

So if what you're saying was true this is ALL on Big Ben. That makes it even more sad he tried throwing his coaches under the bus.

Well that's the whole point... have the receivers on the left mulling around like it's a clock (taking out the DBs on the left) - if you get enough defenders not paying attention, it would create a one on one. Unfortunately for the Steelers, it looked like the Pats had 7 DBs out in coverage... not exactly optimal for that kind of play. Ben should have realized there were 7 DBs and thrown it away - even more-so when Richards was in his throwing lane.

 

[GNG]

The Steelers committed too many brain farts.

 

[handicappers]

when refs were viewing the illegal catch, why didn't they kick a field goal, instead of the pass interception ? thanks

welcome back. how did you do it?

 

[Dude]

It's all about this:

 

[Dude]

Oh how music sucked in the late 70s:

 

[Dude]

stop arguing!