WTF - last series
- Thread starter DaCat
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He won, which is great, but I hope he still gets lots of crap for this. He just tried to justify it because it was too windy. No.
I still love Fitz, probably more than most people here, but this was about as disappointed as I've ever been in him.
I still love Fitz, probably more than most people here, but this was about as disappointed as I've ever been in him.
Although he would’ve had to use both remaining timeouts to get the ball back so his likelihood of getting the ball back and winning the game was probably lower than in OT. If he took TO and we converted a first down then we’d have plenty of time to take shots down the field.
I'm with you on this. He took a big chance on OT which is like a crapshoot and rolled a lucky one when JJ broke tackles and took it down to the one.
[QUOTE="SmellyCat, post: 456362, member: 30" He just tried to justify it because it was too windy. [/QUOTE]
CHICAGO'S Big Ten Team
CHICAGO'S Big Ten Team
The announcers questioned the impact of that decision on Thorson's confidence, yet thankfully we held on for the victory. However I can't understand why Thorson would risk returning for a 5th year and injuring himself behind our porous OL when his head coach doesn't trust him on a game winning drive against one of our biggest rivals.
Play to win the game, Fitz. Especially when you have a NFL caliber QB. Never play to not lose.
Every NFL coach would try to drive for a field goal to win the game with two timeouts and 90 seconds left. So would every college coach with a quarterback like Thorson. Fitz crapped the bed with the call to play for OT.
I'd understand if Colter or Alviti the starting (option) QBs, but never with Thorson, Siemian, Kafka, healthy Persa, Bacher, or Baz. If you have any cajones, you air the freakin' ball out when you have a stud behind center.
I'm starting to expect that Thorson will declare for the NFL if he's projected in at least first three rounds, and I wouldn't blame him. A competent offensive coordinator and a decent OL would do wonders for his confidence and career. Would you stick around and risk a major injury when you're not trusted to win a conference game? I sure wouldn't.
One could argue that Fitz actually made the ballsy call by not going for it. Easily opening himself up to arm-chair QBs by taking the conservative route and ultimately relying on his defense to win the game.
Stone hands won the game, not so much our defense (though they did well enough to force the 4th down both on Iowa’s last regulation drive and in OT, otherwise those could’ve ended up as TDs).
Agree with Coral Springs.
To FanatiCat, what about all the dropped balls we had? Stone hands there too and might have given us more scores. It's part of the game.
To FanatiCat, what about all the dropped balls we had? Stone hands there too and might have given us more scores. It's part of the game.
Our defense played one helluva a 2nd half. I think they won the game.
Every NFL coach has a receiving corps that can get open.
The wind definitely factored into this game: compare the FG the Iowa kicker made v. the shorter one he missed; all big plays came facing north v. the five yard dunking south, etc. With an inconsistent offense, I have to side with Fitz on this one, although I'd normally be outraged.
Heck, my mustered stained hot dog wrapper flew off in a gust and pasted itself on the forehead of an Iowa fan, allowing him to wear a little more of his school colors than he would have liked.
Heck, my mustered stained hot dog wrapper flew off in a gust and pasted itself on the forehead of an Iowa fan, allowing him to wear a little more of his school colors than he would have liked.
I agree. The offense hardly had any explosive plays all day - what would make anyone believe they could go 45-50 yards in a minute.. Plus forcing the issue could have led to a turnover to lose the game. This is a rare time I side with Fitz too.
Try watching the Bears, GCG.
But your point is well taken.I am not a Fitz fan at all. The fans in my area were screaming at Fitz.
That series was one of the first times that I Fitz actually made a good decision. The wind was a huge factor in the game. Iowa's kicker could have kicked a sixty yarder. Punting into the wind was not a good idea and it also required to either use their timeouts or get the ball back with next to no time.
I did not like our series after the interception. It should have been JJTB four times in a row. He made some four yard runs today that were simply amazing and he won the game.
That series was one of the first times that I Fitz actually made a good decision. The wind was a huge factor in the game. Iowa's kicker could have kicked a sixty yarder. Punting into the wind was not a good idea and it also required to either use their timeouts or get the ball back with next to no time.
I did not like our series after the interception. It should have been JJTB four times in a row. He made some four yard runs today that were simply amazing and he won the game.
I wasn't wild about taking the air out of the ball either, but it turned out to be he right call. I think we would have to have got the ball to the 20-25 to have a shot going that way. It was really kicking up. We would have had to throw 8-10 passes and hope we broke a few tackles. I don't think we attempted a throw 20 years in the air all day. There was some risk to blowing the game. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
The last 1:30 was intelligent, realistic playcalling. The credit for the win goes to the Defense.
These sort of posts are so head scratching that I can only figure that half of the board is already drunk.
The same "don't play to lose" internet tough guys are screaming the loudest about the weakness of the offense (and yes, it's weak). Yet they also wanted Fitz to force that weak offense to play hurry-up into a stiff wind. Complain if you want, but at least use a semblance of logic.
To the contrary, Fitz is developing quite the gut lately.
All of the NFL scouts watching him play are laughing right back at you, sir. Audibly so.
Were you laughing at Kafka in 2009 when he was similarly 4-3 and very few thought he had a shot at the NFL, much less being drafted in a middle round? Or at Siemian after he tore his ACL and was updating his resume for normal jobs?
Clayton is a much better and highly regarded NFL prospect than them both - and he will be drafted higher than either was, if healthy. If you knew anything about football you would realize that. Clearly you do not.
Fair enough sir. I humbly believe that Thorson has the potential to be our best pro football player ever - except for maybe Chris Hinton. And I'm not a big NFL fan these days, but it maddens me how he can't show off his potential behind our weak OL. It irks me.
I thought it was the right call:
- The offense wasn't (isn't) big-play capable
- NU probably needed to get to the 20 for a makeable field goal
- A punt into the wind would have been tough
- Iowa's previous kick wild have been good from 55
- Frankly, NU was the better team in the second half, and I like their chances with equal conditions
I am a proponent of aggressive football, but there was little upside and lots of downside there.
The thought process was right.
Huuuuuuuuge win.
- The offense wasn't (isn't) big-play capable
- NU probably needed to get to the 20 for a makeable field goal
- A punt into the wind would have been tough
- Iowa's previous kick wild have been good from 55
- Frankly, NU was the better team in the second half, and I like their chances with equal conditions
I am a proponent of aggressive football, but there was little upside and lots of downside there.
The thought process was right.
Huuuuuuuuge win.
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There was a likelihood that using passing plays to move the ball into field goal range would have allowed for an interception and a pick 6 so I guess that had to go into the equation as well.
All is well that ends well.
All is well that ends well.
Not only fathomable but the correct decision.
That was eons ago. When is the last time you heard of the Browns' championships? Graham played in such a different era that the Browns were a respected franchise; so he doesn't register when I think of NFL pros in the context of scouts today. I'd count that as a slight oversight on my behalf.
If Hinton played today he'd still be a first round draft pick.
If you're going to appoint yourself a football expert and NU fan, you might want to be familiar with the player who is widely regarded as NU's best *ever.*
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