Discussing Jim Caldwell's Decision To Call Timeout with 36 Seconds Left
by Brad Wells on Oct 4, 2010 10:00 AM EDT
in 2010 Colts Analysis
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PrintWe know what Colts coach Jim Caldwell said to defend his decision to call timeout with 36 seconds left in a tie game situation heading into OT against the Jaguars yesterday. This timeout gave the Jags extra time to make a play (22 yard pass by David Garrard) which set-up Josh Scobee's game-winning 59 yard kick.
Matt Grecco agrees with the decision, saying:
I would have been mad had he not called the timeout. You are forcing the Jaguars hand at that point. They are not built for down the field passing, and the Colts defense is (supposed to be) built for stopping such pass plays.
The fact that the Jaguars, once again, ran the same plays they run every game against the Colts, and the Colts still cannot stop them, is the bigger problem. You also don’t take your chances on a coin flip when you have Peyton Manning on your team.
Meanwhile, LovinBlue was 'puzzled' by the call.
Both Matt and LovinBlue are smart people whose opinions I respect. Their differing takes should give you some idea of just how combustive this decision was for our fanbase.
After the jump, you can read my silly ramblings about it.
I'm reading around and I'm seeing a lot of venom directed at Caldwell, and not just for this one decision. We have fans calling for his removal as head coach! While, in practice, this seems very extreme (and likely just folks venting frustration), it tells me that, despite an impressive run to the Super Bowl last year, Caldwell still has not won over the fanbase. Colts faithful do not feel comfortable with his decisions, citing Week Sixteen last season and the Matt Stover 50-yard FG attempt in the Super Bowl as examples along with Sunday's 'timeout' decision.
For me, I don't feel uneasy about Caldwell's overall decision-making, though some of his choices have left me scratching my head at times. What bothers me right now is, quite simply, his team this year just doesn't look ready to play week to week.
Regarding the timeout, for me it was a poor decision. The Colts defense was awful yesterday. Simple awful. Prior to the timeout, the Jags ran the ball for 8 yards on first down. They faced a second and two, and were content to let the clock run and take their chances in OT. For the Colts to have any hope of winning, they needed to win the coin toss.
No faith in their defense making any kind of stop. None.
Because of the Caldwell timeout, the Jags saw an opportunity. Dwight Freeney acknowledged this in his post game interviews:
"I thought they were going (for overtime),'' Dwight Freeney said. "Then all of a sudden they started hurrying up and they changed their game plan.'
The Jags were given extra time, and started throwing. If Kelvin Hayden (who has looked like David Macklin 2.0 to start this season) actually does what he's paid to do and intercepts that Garrard gift prior to the third down play, the Colts probably win. But, considering how poorly Hayden has played this year, it's not reasonable to expect him, or anyone, to make a play.
But, let's say the defense, by some miracle, stops the Jags twice when all they need is two yards for a first down. Likely, after a Jacksonville punt, the Colts get the ball back with, maybe, 20 seconds left and no timeouts. To get in decent FG range (we'll say 50 yard FG), Colts probably would have needed to go 40 yards.
40 yards. 20 seconds. No timeouts. Did Jim Caldwell really think that was possible? Matt Grecco thinks yes, and makes a strong argument as to why:
If the Colts get the stop, we’ll say 5 seconds run off the clock. A punt takes 10 seconds, so we’re at 21 seconds, on the Colts 25 yard line. To get in Vinatieri’s range, I’d say you need a minimum of 40 yards from there, and they would have had at least 1 timeout, maybe 2.
Last year, against the 49ers at the end of the half, the Colts went 47 yards in 20 seconds. Three plays.
Again, he had to make a 59 yard FG to win the game, even with the Timeout. The percentage of him making that is way lower than the percentage that the Colts would have stopped the 3rd and 2.
I love Peyton Manning. The man is the greatest fourth quarter quarterback ever. But, for me, to expect THAT from Big P and the offense is too much. If Caldwell wanted to end the game in regulation, if he did not trust his defense to get a stop in overtime, why not go for two after the Austin Collie touchdown? Statistically, the team had a better chance of converting that than driving 40 or 50 yards in 20 seconds to kick a 50-yarder with no timeouts.
Expecting that, along with this defense making two short yardage stops, was unrealistic in my opinion. Caldwell simply failed to grasp the situation, and for many Colts fans, that points to some disturbing and unsettling signs.
One thing is for certain: Caldwell and Bill Polian will, once again, come under fire this week. For those who would complain that all the 'attacks' are just the media sensationalizing a story, kindly tell that to the faces of the hundreds of Colts fans who have voted and commented here about Caldwell's decision. This isn't a 'media created' story, and anyone who says it is must enjoy carrying water for the Colts, or drinking blue-colored Kool Aid. Many fans are pissed, and have a right to be so. They want real answers, not the company line crap Caldwell is selling them in 'excuse department.'
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That timeout,
As dumb as it was to take, didn’t cost us the game. The defense did. If the jags take the game to OT and win the coin toss we’d likely see more of the same from the d. When you score 28 points and lose there us a much bigger picture than a timeout. We sure could use Bob Sanders right now. Melvin Bullitt is hurt and can’t tackle anyway.
18>12
by metallicolts on Oct 4, 2010 10:20 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Yeah
I don’t agree with the decision to call a timeout, Dungy wouldn’t have done it and it’s the logical thing considering our defense (specially the way they had been playing). It is not a matter of trusting your defense, because I think as a head coach you can tell those guys: “Hey look, what have you done so far to prove that you’ll stop the Jags? You’ve played poorly all game long!”. And it’s stupid to think Jim Caldwell was going to say he did the wrong thing, and we all would’ve criticized him even more if he did. He’s gonna learn from it. Hopefully, next time it happens, our defense will show up.
GO COLTS!
Good points
SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue and editor of SB Nation Indiana.
The timeout was a terrible call.
It would have been different had the Colts shown any ability to stop the Jags offense in the game, but sorry, it was a bad decision to bank on the defense in that situation.
If you ask me...
Hayden dropping that pick was just simply karma. If you recall on the Colts last scoring drive, David Jones couldn’t hang onto a gift from Manning on 1st down. I’m telling you, the football gods are real and they’re always watching. But onto the subject at hand and I touched on this in the quick recap comments, Caldwell just doesn’t have this team ready for games. I’m starting to think the one complete game the Colts played this year had more to do with Perry Fewell’s retarded gameplan against Manning putting the Giants offense in Must Pass mode (which is the gold standard for a Colts win in the Freeney-Mathis era) than the Colts actually being prepared for their opponent. We all know this is a Super Bowl caliber team, but it seems like the defense is hearing everyone say they can’t stop the run and believing it rather than trying to do something about it. If that’s happening, it’s all on the coaching. I don’t think Caldwell’s decisions are costing the team wins. The Colts have lost three very winnable games under Caldwell (obviously I’m throwing out ‘09 Week 16-17), which if you take a moment to consider, means we could potentially be talking about Jim Caldwell being a 23-0 NFL head coach right now. The problem right now is that we’re losing games we should win for inexcusable reasons on defense. If these problems get fixed, we win that game 35-17 and everyone’s happy. I’m going to steal a line from Caldwell and say that this loss only ensures that the Colts don’t go 15-1. But there’s room for improvement and certainly nowhere to go but up (well, we could lose to Oakland…).
What does karma have to do with Hayden not being able to catch a football? Do you even know what karma is? I swear, I’m getting sick and tired of hearing people say KARMA! after everything that happens. It has suceeded in supplanting the term class as the most annoyingly overused and completey misunderstood word in the English language that football fans use.
As for the rest of your points, I agree to an extent. I don’t think Caldwell is doing anything much different than Dungy used to. The problem is the defense just isn’t making enough plays, end of story. Nothing has changed since last season. We have the same coach, and practically the same players, so how this is all of a sudden all Caldwell’s fault for not having them prepared doesn’t make much sense. Not only that, but how much more prepared for the Jaguars do you need to be? The Colts know these guys inside and out. They know exactly what the need to do to beat them and they just didn’t execute. It’s really not any more complicated than that.
You should read 12th Horseman. Do it.
by KingRichard on Oct 5, 2010 7:54 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It isn't just the timeout...
It is the fact that this team has not shown up to play one game this year. Sure, we had a decent game against the Giants, but we were at home at that team pretty much sucks.
We barely won games last year with Dungy’s team. This is the first full year of Jim Caldwell’s team…and it looks like shit. We have great play makers on the field, but we can not get anything done. I haven’t seen Freeney and Mathis this bogged down in years. There comes a point that you start realizing its not the players…its the coaching.
At least Dungy told you something about the team…all Caldwell does is give you some bullshit line that he says over and over again. I’m tired of people saying “this team is 3-13 without Peyton Manning”…that might be true…but it seems as if Peyton is the only one that has come out to play.
My other gripe, does anybody else think the training staff needs to be overhauled? For the past three years we have been one of the most injured teams in the NFL. I realize we’re supposed to be undersized and everything, but it doesn’t seem like the training staff knows how to get these guys in game time shape.
I agree with u
Training Staf and Assit. Coaches,
How about the secondary and LB coaches?
Secondary has been bad for years, and is being coached into bad situations over and over again.
I don't always drink beer....but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.
I yelled "go for two... go for two..."
We left too much time on the clock… This team has a kicker with a bionic leg, why would we put the game in this situation…
I’m not as reactionary as some fans. Caldwell is conservative at best as coach, but the lack situational awareness during these games is starting to scare me.
I would have forced Jacksonville’s hand. We go for two… we kick off to them and force them to drive the field… I don’t think they do it…
But something has got to be done…
I just want to get to the bye week above .500 so we can get this defensive problem fixed… right now any team we play in the playoffs today we would lose…
going for two would've made no difference... they won by three
we still would’ve kicked off, and a similar scenario coul’ve unfolded
had we gone for two and failed, then it’s onside kick time.
not going for two at least kept hope alive for a few more plays
Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it's important. -- Eugene J. McCarthy
Caldwell hasn't won over the fanbase
And it will be hard for him to do so for a variety of inter-related reasons.
1-His chief virtue, up to this point, has been his willingness to “stay the course”. Rock steady can be a good quality, but it can also make you look as engaged as a rock.
2-He hasn’t formed an identity of his own (no Barry Switzer foaming from the mouth, Rex Ryan blathering, etc, no past history of glory. Quick, what do you know of the guy?). So people aren’t sure what Caldwell is—is he a coach or a custodian? Hey, he’s the guy on the side with the little mustache that looks like he is there on a guest pass. The most I’ve heard about him is that he is “Dungy’s hand-picked successor”. Clones are battle-fodder.
3-He has maintained the same essential structure that Dungy created. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling for a new team philosophy, just pointing out that this makes it very difficult for fans to see where Caldwell begins and Dungy ends. Given the number of times that a coach has come into a successful system and coaxed a final successful year or two out of it, I think it is understandable that people are concerned that he is coasting rather than creating.
4-We’ve yet to see any clear game-time genius decisions. Hey, perceptions matter. If he could only get one or two gametime adjustements/calls, where the announcers say, “that was brilliant”, then people will start to spin his dispassionate demeanor as “brooding” and “calculating” rather than “detatched” and “befuddled”. However, given his conservative approach (see #1) I’m not sure—he probably too risk-averse to ever attempt any such thing.
he needs an identity
the last two coaches Jim Mora SR and Dungy came it with and identity and an identifiable style. Caldwell doens’t have that, so he becomes an easy target, as he becomes just a Dungy clone rather than his own man.
hard to be distinct when you are handed peyton manning, what are you going to change? he did get rid of meeks and that special teams coach I have worked hard to forget, so he has tried to put his stamp on this team where he can. It is just a tough situation to come into.
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing...
ST
Good point on Special Teams, didn’t even think of that. Our special teams this year has been 1,000,000x better than previous years.
our ST has looked bad this year
But its also teams opting to return it from 3 yards deep rather than take the Touchback, again it comest to coaching, maybe the coaches need to tell the players ‘Look I don’t care if Pat kicks it through the uprights, at the end of the play I want you going all out towards the ball. I’m not talking Week 17 in the snow against the Bills all out, I am talking Bob Sanders, one of you two is going to break all out.’
by sandtiger812 on Oct 4, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Well Put
I agree that he really doesn’t have a status. While people are against him, it isn’t diehard, same with for him. He hasn’t had enough challenges and questions yet to really formed people diehard one direction or the other. Because of this being “Dungy’s team” in perception, he still has time to prove himself going both ways. If he comes out with a lot of wins this year and next year, I think a lot of people would be more apt to trust him. The transition is blurry from Dungy-Caldwell, but in some aspects that is a very good thing and some it is just ok.
are we over reacting/
I tend to agree that this team has not looked ready for opponents, but let’s look at the opponents we lost to. These are both divisional rivals who throw everything they have at the colts. No team can play that way every week ON THE ROAD, and expect to win.
yes, our defense was bad at stopping the run, but last week they had no problem with that against Denver, or stopping both the Giants, so I don’t think that is the major problem.
I think we are bad at stopping the power run, with MJD following his fullback. We don’t have the interior linemen to stop that, and that is worrisome.
In the end, though if Reggie and Brody Eldridge don’t turn over the ball (I refuse to call that a pick on Peyton), we win that game. Those were both redzone turnovers, so we lost points, and because of long returns, the Jags got at least 7 out of that.
Good thing is, now we don’t face these guys again until late in the season and then at home. I think it will be a different story.
This division is still well within our reach, and maybe having to work out these kinks earlier rather than later (after living off Peyton’s arm winning games) will make us a better playoff team. This may force management to address these problems now rather than later.
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing...
by bluegirl on Oct 4, 2010 11:34 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
agreed
we don’yt turn it over we win that game despite the lousy defense
by OBGYNOSUPREME on Oct 4, 2010 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL... why stop there?
We don’t go three and out on a couple of series and we might’ve won the game.
The point is that when a situation arises, do you have a head coach that has all the angles covered? Think Super Bowl 2nd half onside kick for your answer.
SB 2nd Half
lol, I had to have read that wrong?
It’s the coach’s fault that it went in and out of his wide receiver’s hands? His player was in position for it, do you expect him to catch it for him? Or were you referencing Sean when you said head coach?
REC!
"I've never seen a supernova blow up, but if it's anything like my old Chevy Nova, it'll light up the night sky" -Philip J. Fry
by Marked Hoosier on Oct 4, 2010 12:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Caldwell
The only issue I have with Caldwell is his inability to have his team ready to play every week.
The timeout, I see both sides and to be honest I thought it was the stupidest thing on the planet, but after reading everything on many sites and taking in a lot of opinions, I actually think it was the right call. He forced the Jags to beat the Colts in the air, and unfortunately for us, they did. You have to remember, even after all of that it was still a 59-yard field goal. Like an earlier point, should Kelvin Hayden have caught that ball? Definitely. Should David Jones of the Jags have caught the ball on the previous drive? Definitely. It’s just luck. The one to Underwood should have been more tightly defended, we knew they only needed 20 yards for a long kick for them.
It was a gamble and he lost it. Had Kelvin Hayden made the pick, everyone would be praising it, such is life in the NFL. I can win $50,000 this hand of blackjack or lose $50,000 this hand.
You also have to note that the Texans and Jags both have altered their game plans to play the Colts. Changing how you do things is great short-term, but over the course of a season you can’t do it every week or you’ll start confusing all your players and fall apart. It happens to every team that modifies their gameplan drastically from week to week.
Caldwell has some aspects better than Dungy and some worse. We’re still not talking Matt Millen for GM, so I’m content either way. They do need to figure out how to get their team ready for the road games, something Dungy did very well somehow.
stupid time out
that timeout was stupid, I can understand better if it was 2nd and 8 or 9 but that defense yesterday was not going to stop them from getting 2 yards on 2 dwons, no defensive adjustments at half time and JVille won the turnover game,, good point to look into the trainibg staff and make sure they are up to date( which I imagine they would be with the latest
Ok, normally Matt could be right
But yesterday the Colts D sucked, the whole game. If that’s the case, you can’t call a timeout.
Have to say from a somewhat objective fan's perspective
the timeout puzzled our crowd watching it, as we all wondered out loud what was Caldwell thinking. We had no doubts Manning would tie up the game with two min. left and had lots of doubts about the ability of David Garrard to move the ball downfield in 48 seconds – without throwing the usually inevitable interception – to get the Jags close enough to score. What a fluke. Garrett Hartley can’t kick a sure-thing chip-shot 29-yarder last week for the Saints to win and here’s Scobee kicking a 59 freaking yarder – the longest ever for him – to win. Go figure.
I would have put my money on the Colts coming out to win in OT if they got the ball, but they weren’t stopping the Jags in regular time so maybe Caldwell thought the odds weren’t that good, in that particular game, of their D stopping the Jags in OT if it came to that. I mean, would YOU have bet on Garrard and the Jags offense?
Keep the faith!
FYI
That “Scrub” Foster in Houston had 187 yards from Scrimage with two TD’s in 2/3’s of the game in Oakland to lead his team to sole first place in our division.
Not bad for a scrub!
It takes a big man to walk away, but a bigger man to break his freaking jaw!
Scrub
Four games, and the guy is Walter Payton for you guys.
SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue and editor of SB Nation Indiana.
um...
I would not call Foster a “scrub” He’s not great, but not a scrub. That’s Laurence Maroney.
Bring in Bard.
"That place was for diehard sports fans. I only follow my team when they're in the playoffs" - Homer Simpson
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by bestbostonsports on Oct 4, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions
That Scrub stomped a mud hole in your team's ass....
Or was that our O-line? Either way, calling him a scrub is just idiotic. Walter Payton?? When did anyone say that? He is a good back with great vision and decent speed. He fits our system like a glove and could be great.
It takes a big man to walk away, but a bigger man to break his freaking jaw!
by USMC_Texas on Oct 4, 2010 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Chill.
BBS has a unique ability to troll his own site. It’s a quality that I both appreciate and admire in an admin.
As far as Foster goes…hey, I though enough of him to take him with my second round pick on my fantasy team. The kid is a f*ckin’ beast, and I believe he will be Houston’s Walter Payton by the time his career is over…if you’re team is smart enough to keep him around that long.
What is both surprising and delightful is that spectators are allowed, and even expected, to join in the vocal part of the game.... There is no reason why the field should not try to put the batsman off his stroke at the critical moment by neatly timed disparagements of his wife's fidelity and his mother's respectability. ~George Bernard Shaw
Beast
Well put. He is a beast. I just hope he stays out of trouble. Tell me you were not freaking out when he didn’t play for the first half..I have him on my fantasy team also and I was not happy. Then he goes in and goes off for two scores.
It takes a big man to walk away, but a bigger man to break his freaking jaw!
Tell me about it.
I would’ve been really nervous if I didn’t have Hillis on my roster also. I get a tingly feeling down my leg when I think about what Foster could have accomplished if he’d played the entire game.
But I won’t be greedy.
What is both surprising and delightful is that spectators are allowed, and even expected, to join in the vocal part of the game.... There is no reason why the field should not try to put the batsman off his stroke at the critical moment by neatly timed disparagements of his wife's fidelity and his mother's respectability. ~George Bernard Shaw
Walter Payton
Yeah I hear “will be XXXXX’s Walter Payton by the time his career is over”. Then the guy gets injured or starts sucking and ends up turning into a scrub. Is he a scrub now? Definitely not, but I don’t put single year backs out front anywhere. As we’ve seen in the NFL too many times, anyone can have 1-2 good years, it is 10 good years that is hard. If he hits that point, I’ll be happy to applaud him. In the mean time, hopefully the Colts can figure their shit out on Defense.
I'd say...
(1) Houston OL
(2) Our defense made history by starting 9 girl scouts that day, so Arian took advantage of that.
(3) And then I credit Arian. I think he is very good, and definitely not a scrub, but also not as good as his stats would indicate.
(4) Relax. You’re leading the division, no need to get so offended.
"A lot of times, Kenny, we have no idea what we're doing. But the DEFENSE doesn't know that we don't know what we're doing.....and that's next level." -Peyton Manning
I am not offended...
Love the girl scout thing. We had that problem against the run last year. This year it is against the pass…
As far as us being in first, it is way too early to feel confident in that. You guys have PM and that is good for 10 wins regardless of everything else.
Looking forward to our next matchup!
It takes a big man to walk away, but a bigger man to break his freaking jaw!
I think "scrub" is a little much
Although I don’t think the guy is the best RB in the game either, or anything close to it, like many media heads and Texans fans are yapping about. But the guy finished very strong last year (and got me a fantasy championship due to my week 17 pick up of him….can’t hate him too much), was a freaking stud on an otherwise garbage Tennessee team, and has been good this year. I don’t think he is nearly as good as his stats would indicate though. Our D was a joke against Houston, and I think had slaton been the primary back, he would have done the same that day. As would just about any running back on an active NFL roster or practice squad. We were a joke. And bragging about a top rushing performance against Oakland is not helping his case. But the guy is definitely no scrub. He can play with the big boys, and stand out while doing so.
"A lot of times, Kenny, we have no idea what we're doing. But the DEFENSE doesn't know that we don't know what we're doing.....and that's next level." -Peyton Manning
I was very surprised by it
Bring in Bard.
"That place was for diehard sports fans. I only follow my team when they're in the playoffs" - Homer Simpson
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by bestbostonsports on Oct 4, 2010 1:44 PM EDT reply actions
It was an error
but it was an aggressive error.
All things considered, I’m OK with that line of thinking, given their history of conservative play.
It does make me wonder why they didn’t actually, you know, try to stop the third down play afterward, though.
Cookie Cookie Cookie starts with C!
by willyduer on Oct 4, 2010 1:50 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
agreed. the timeout wasn't the problem. it's what happened 2 plays afterwards.
Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game and dumb enough to think it's important. -- Eugene J. McCarthy
by zherebyonki on Oct 4, 2010 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was surprised and confused the minute he took it.
After seeing the jaguars shred us all game, I was glad they weren’t going to try to score before overtime (when I saw them run). Then Caldwell called timeout.
Peyton Manning= Better.
The call
Not exactly a “4th and 2” type controversy, but the call definitely turned many heads. As one of the guys calling for his head, I will admit I was venting frustration and was being a bit theatrical. Yet, I have continued to lose confidence in him due to incidents like week 16 and the Super Bowl. Week 16 was just an incredibly stupid move PR wise that was virtually spitting in the face of every fan. Simply put, he threw the game. His ultra conservative play calling in the SB could have called cowardly. Now, I think Caldwell is a great guy and have much respect for him as a person (and on a personal level, I am sure he is anything but a coward), but those play calls were significant in costing us the game. Well, that and a bonehead play by Hank whats-his-name, numerous dropped passes, and no Freeney.
The call on Sunday was the wrong call. I understand the strategy behind it, and in a way I admire that he chose to show faith in his D. But really? Did you see them play that game? They were beyond reprehensible. I in no way blame Caldwell for the loss, because the D lost that game. Period. But Caldwell’s call was the cherry on top for the Jags. Honestly, I just don’t get why you would take that chance with your D on that particular day, who showed a secondary that couldn’t cover or tackle a 90 year old woman. It was a brave call, it was somewhat admirable in the sense he has respect for the guys playing D, but it doesn’t make any less stupid or any less wrong.
"A lot of times, Kenny, we have no idea what we're doing. But the DEFENSE doesn't know that we don't know what we're doing.....and that's next level." -Peyton Manning
He has no situational awareness whatsoever.
He should have been aware of Scobee’s range and his own defenses’ inability to make a stop all game. Unfortunately, his lack of awareness led to a Jags victory.
I was actually going to say that it's exactly like the 4th and 2 call...
…if the Patriots make the first down, they win the game. If they don’t, then Peyton gets the ball with plenty of time to score.
If the Colts had gotten the ball back, everyone would be singing praises for how bold and smart that call was by Caldwell. It didn’t work out as planned and now he’s a goat.
I think it was a smart decision (and I’m not speaking from the “I want the Colts to lose” mindset). If Belichick had the opportunity to get the ball back by stopping one of the worst offensive teams in the league on a late drive, I hope he’d go for it to.
Not if his defense had let the one of the worst offensive teams in the league shred them...
for 28 points and over 5 yards a carry. It was 2nd and 2! Not 3rd and 2, or 2nd and long. Caldwell made a dumb call and it gave the Jags enough time to go down the field and win the game. You can’t justify by saying “Well if it had worked he would be a genius!” It didn’t work! You could say that about any call! The only way to judge calls is by their result. And this result was a Colts loss. Don’t say it was a smart call.
Peyton Manning= Better.
Agreed with Richard Hill
I hate to admit I’d agree with a Pats fan, but it was a big gamble and he lost it. He did force the Jags who had been running at will into a pass. And the pass coverage wasn’t too awful all game, look at most of Garrards throws (yes there were a couple bad ones) but mostly they were 6-8 yard quick slants.
Caldwell forced them to throw a 22-yarder to even have a shot at a field goal, unfortunately for us, they did, so now everyone wants to hang him out to dry, but ignore the fact they STILL had to kick a 59-yard field goal (6 further than Scobee’s career high). The Jags earned the win, the Colts gambled and lost. That being said, the Colts will slaughter them at home.
Coaching decisions need to put his team in best position to win...
And Caldwell’s timeout did NOT do that.
At the moment Caldwell took the timeout, here is what each team could expect to do in order to win the game.
With Scobee’s big leg & wind at his back, Jax only needed 30 yards in 0:36 with 1 timeout to get into FG range (60 max).
Conversely, the Colts would have needed ALL of these things to occur in order to get into Vinatieri’s limited (50 max) range:
- Stop the Jags on 2nd & 2 AND 3rd & 2.
- Safely return the punt.
- Gain approx 40 yards with only about 0:20 on the clock & probably 0 or 1 timeouts left.
Even with #18 on your side, I’d say Jax had a 10-20% chance to win in regulation while the Colts had maybe a 1-2% chance to pull it off. That’s my take…
Wind?
Wind? That .5 mph gust really must have carried that kick. Remember his career long was 53, he has missed longer ones consistently.
As for the Colts requirements, all they needed was the pick which they almost got when the timeout forced the ball into Garrard’s hands… You noticed those last few plays EVERY DB was jumping every route. They were going for the pick.
IT IS THE GOT DAMN DEFENSE!
All this talk about timeouts, Dungy clone, changing game plans vs COLTS, etc, forget that shit people! It’s this fucking defense. To see Manning, drive the ball down, and then the defese not fired up says a lot about heart! They better make some adjustments, and make them quick.
Wrong Thread
You want the thread about the game recap. That’s a bunch of defense complaints. This article was about the timeout…
Yes, wind...
The Jacksonville beat reporter said he had a 10mph wind at his back.
DB’s were jumping every route? What game were you watching? Except for the near-INT, there wasn’t a DB within 5 yards of the receiver when the ball got there on 3 straight pass attempts.
Everyone (including Caldwell & Polian) keeps saying “The defense blew it because they didn’t stop them!” But if Caldwell didn’t call the timeout, Jax may have let the clock run out without snapping the ball again. There you go— isn’t that the easiest way to stop them???!!!
Yes, the D stunk on that final drive. But they stunk all day long. You knew that, I knew that, Caldwell apparently didn’t bother to watch the game. If Caldwell did nothing, they would have had a better chance to win. In my book, that means it was a VERY BAD coaching decision.
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