Yup, Norv Turner is definitely a moron, example #642
[Ed. note: This is actually a Gonzo rant - but he’s too lazy to use this site, so I posted it here for him… he’s welcome.]
Who in their right mind on-side kicks there? Seriously? What a colossally bad decision. Of course, there was NO guarantee that even if Chargers got in FG range Kaeting was going to make it, given his fuck ups all day long. But how could Turner not try to put his team in the best possible field position by kicking off????
The only thing I can think of - and this is quite a stretch - was maybe he thought a kickoff and run back might bring it down to the 2 minute warning? If that happened, game was just about over, with SD only able to stop clock 1 more time and Jets would have had 3 plays. BUT, even if that was his thought process, then just go ahead and purposely kick the ball out of bounds - that preserves the clock and pushes Jets 20+ more yards down field.
What a fucking idiot..
Carl
January 18th, 2010 at 11:23 am
As Gonzo knows, I am not a Norv Turner fan - nor a Wade Philips fan, for that matter… so despite the fact that these two were arguably leading each conference’s “hottest” teams heading into this weekend’s play, I cannot be surprised that neither will be advancing to a conference championship game… much less a Super Bowl.
As a result, my initial reaction to Norv’s decision was similar to Gonzo’s, sans the potty mouth. As I thought about it though, I didn’t have a big problem with it - in the sense that I believe it did give his team the best chance for victory… and he actually was trying… to play… to win… the game.
He gave his ST an opportunity to make a play. Scifers (I think it was?) delivered an *excellent* onsides kick… perfect, really - it went really high, and it went 10 yards… you can’t ask for more from your kicker. The kicker gave his teammates the opportunity to go get the ball. Kerry Rhodes indeed fumbled it initially, but then recovered it (in the air, IIRC).
Obviously if that works, it’s good for the Chargers. It didn’t - but then he still needs his defense to make a play… or at the very least, prevent the Jets from getting a first down. Unlikely that Ryan is going to have Sanchez throw, so stop the run. If you’re defense can’t stop the run, especially when you know the opponent is going to run the ball, then you don’t deserve to win ( see Patriots, New England, one week ago ). In that scenario, then his offense likely gets the ball back inside the 20, yes… but then one of the league’s top offenses, with multiple weapons, playing at home, needs to move the ball 50 yards or so to give the normally reliable PK (spelled Kaeding, btw) one more chance to make just one kick in the game.
I think the safe play was to kick off in that situation, and I listened to Phil Simms explain why it would’ve been the right decision, but I actually didn’t have a problem with it… to be honest. In general, if a coach makes a decision away from “the safe play” and insted takes a calculated risk to try to give his players an opportunity to go win the game… I’m usually okay with that. I think this call falls into that category (for the reasons I listed above).
And quite frankly, I’m surprised Norv made it - cuz he is a lousy head coach… and his team’s “early” exit from the playoffs doesn’t suprise me in the least.
Now I’m left to root for the Jets in a “lesser of two (big) evils” decision - let me ’splain… no there is no time, let me sum up: The Colts and Pats have arguably been the best rivalry of the past decade - but that’s not why I want the Colts to lose. They had a chance for a perfect regular season (at the least), and a 19-0 season was entirely possible as well… and they didn’t even try to do it with their healthy players. It makes me want to hurl, quite frankly. Because of their dubious decision, the Jets got into the playoffs - and to the Jets credit, they’ve made the most of the opportunity. The Jets (and Dolphins) are the two NFL franchises I hate (due to divisional rivalries with the Pats - never hated the Bills, but that’s another discussion for another time). But I’d rather see the hated Jets take out the pussy-wimp Colts, in a glorious display of delicious irony - then to see the Colts go to the Super Bowl in what shoulda/coulda/woulda been a march towards a 19-0 season (and yes, if the Colts had tried - and therefore won their last two games, to be undefeated going into this game… I’d be rooting for the Colts to make history *and* take out the hated Jets. But now? Screw them - I hope the Jets do it.)
Okay… I’m done now.
January 18th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
It’s doubtful that Ryan would have gone for it on 4th and 1 from deep in his own territory, so that is reason enough to kick the ball off.
The on-side kick WAS an excellent one. Regardless, I think it was the wrong call - Phil nailed it in his explanation…