THE INTERCEPTION BY BURNETT

[Harlan Huckleby]

Therefore, the essence of football is the quest to eliminate risk taking, not do more of it.

This is only true if you correctly evaluate ALL the risks. Playing too conservative - simply playing the odds all the way - can cause your players to lose confidence. Football is about emotions first. Psychology matters, not just odds of decisions on a spreadsheet.

[yetisnowman]

This is only true if you correctly evaluate ALL the risks. Playing too conservative - simply playing the odds all the way - can cause your players to lose confidence. Football is about emotions first. Psychology matters, not just odds of decisions on a spreadsheet.

The decision to take calculated risks in play calling is always up for debate. Especially late in a game. There is no debate about the Burnett play. It wasn't a play that just wasn't executed or a player that made a physical error. He willingly slid down for no good reason with the game still in doubt. How many interceptions result in a fumble loss for the intercepting team on the return? That's like choosing to be not kick field goals because you are afraid of the kick being blocked and run back for a TD.

[mraynrand]

How many interceptions result in a fumble loss for the intercepting team on the return?

It happens not infrequently enough. It's a concern. But the kneel down showed the general mistake in thinking there was less time left than there was (or that the way they were playing was just going to continue so it didn't matter; i.e. they had it sewed up).

That's like choosing to be not kick field goals because you are afraid of the kick being blocked and run back for a TD.

Depending on the distance, block/return can be a real concern.

[yetisnowman]

It happens not infrequently enough. It's a concern. But the kneel down showed the general mistake in thinking there was less time left than there was (or that the way they were playing was just going to continue so it didn't matter; i.e. they had it sewed up).



Depending on the distance, block/return can be a real concern.

Not infrequently enough? No idea what that means. I can tell you that I watch a lot of football and it is extremely rare. There were around 350 interceptions in the NFL this season, and I can only think of one that I remember resulting in a fumble lost by the intercepting team. At most 3 to 5. There are many "concerns" during a game. Being aware of something as a possibility is one thing, but laying down out of fear of a 1% freak thing happening is ridiculous. There is no good reason I have heard for Burnett laying down like that.

[LEWCWA]

This is the big thing to me. I have a feeling when that happened, it woke up a defeated team. They saw this shit and got pissed off! They were on their sideline seething "these fuckers think the game is over"! They left everything on the field the last 5 minutes. You can't play football that way or anything else for that matter....It obviously carried over to the defense as well....totally different team after that!

[Harlan Huckleby]

This is the big thing to me. I have a feeling when that happened, it woke up a defeated team.

yep, changed psychology of both teams. Turning point.

[mraynrand]

yep, changed psychology of both teams. Turning point.

I disagree. The defense of the fake was botched, but it was an act of desperation. The Packers scored again, making it a two TD game. The critical moment was the final INT. Everything changed after that, because the Packers shut it down, beginning with the slide.

[hoosier]

I disagree. The defense of the fake was botched, but it was an act of desperation. The Packers scored again, making it a two TD game. The critical moment was the final INT. Everything changed after that, because the Packers shut it down, beginning with the slide.

Hey. that belongs in the other thread. A perfect name for this god damned game: The Slide.

[Harlan Huckleby]

[mraynrand]

Hey. that belongs in the other thread. A perfect name for this god damned game: The Slide.

that's what I proposed. I was trying to make a play on "electric slide" like Elected Slide, but i dunno, it doesn't sound all that good and like Fritz says, we're kicking ourselves in the nutz.

[hoosier]

that's what I proposed. I was trying to make a play on "electric slide" like Elected Slide, but i dunno, it doesn't sound all that good and like Fritz says, we're kicking ourselves in the nutz.

Made me think of slip sliding away, but someone probably already proposed that too.