siberian khatru
11-20-2006, 08:48 AM
I found the bolded part funny, and refreshingly honest:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/16055559.htm
Edwards rolls dice on fourth down and comes up winner
Chiefs’ coach decides to go for it, and the result leads to a game-winning touchdown.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Herm Edwards looked back on the first controversial game decision of his time with the Chiefs as a no-brainer. So did many of the Chiefs after they finally beat the Raiders 17-13 Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
But Edwards’ call for the Chiefs to try to convert on fourth and 1 from the Kansas City 29 in the fourth quarter certainly wasn’t by the book. The Chiefs had all their timeouts left with more than 3 minutes remaining, so if they punted, they might have gotten the ball back with enough time left to erase what was at the time a 13-10 deficit.
Instead, the Chiefs sent Larry Johnson into the Oakland line. He gained 2 yards, and the referees tacked on 15 more when the Raiders’ Terdell Sands was penalized for grabbing Johnson’s face mask.
The Chiefs marched on and scored the winning touchdown on Johnson’s 1-yard run with fewer than 2 minutes left.
The move was certainly more risky than Dick Vermeil’s acclaimed decision last season to try for a touchdown on the Oakland 1 on the game’s last play. But this one was also do or die for the Chiefs.
“They were in field-goal range,” Edwards said. “I just felt at that point we were going to go for it, and I’m glad we did. We talked about it, and everybody was kind of saying, ‘What should we do?’ I said, ‘Let’s go for it. We’re going to go for it right now. Here’s the game. We’ll see what we are.’ ”
The Chiefs had time to make their decision because it was initially only second down when they reached the 29. Edwards made up his mind then that the Chiefs would try to convert if it came to fourth down.
It came to pass after an incomplete pass on second down and Johnson getting stopped for no gain on third down.
An informal poll showed, to no one’s surprise, that Edwards had a lot of support.
“We had to go there,” tackle Kyle Turley said. “We were moving the ball well. We’ve got Larry Johnson, the best back in football. There’s no reason we can’t make 1 yard.”
They almost didn’t. Sands, a former Chief, got into the backfield and could have dragged Johnson down before he got the first down.
Instead, he got his hand on Johnson’s face mask and pulled. Johnson gained 2 yards after Sands released.
“That’s the Raiders,” Johnson said. “They’re always going to find some way to mess the game up for themselves. I was going to make the first down anyway if he didn’t grab the face mask.
“We had no choice. We had to make something happen. That late in the game, it’s all or nothing.”
Quarterback Trent Green always wants to try to convert the fourth-down plays no matter the game situation. This one was no different.
“None of the offensive players were moving (off the field),” he said. “We were all staying out there because we wanted to go for it. We felt confident we could get it done.”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/16055559.htm
Edwards rolls dice on fourth down and comes up winner
Chiefs’ coach decides to go for it, and the result leads to a game-winning touchdown.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
Herm Edwards looked back on the first controversial game decision of his time with the Chiefs as a no-brainer. So did many of the Chiefs after they finally beat the Raiders 17-13 Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
But Edwards’ call for the Chiefs to try to convert on fourth and 1 from the Kansas City 29 in the fourth quarter certainly wasn’t by the book. The Chiefs had all their timeouts left with more than 3 minutes remaining, so if they punted, they might have gotten the ball back with enough time left to erase what was at the time a 13-10 deficit.
Instead, the Chiefs sent Larry Johnson into the Oakland line. He gained 2 yards, and the referees tacked on 15 more when the Raiders’ Terdell Sands was penalized for grabbing Johnson’s face mask.
The Chiefs marched on and scored the winning touchdown on Johnson’s 1-yard run with fewer than 2 minutes left.
The move was certainly more risky than Dick Vermeil’s acclaimed decision last season to try for a touchdown on the Oakland 1 on the game’s last play. But this one was also do or die for the Chiefs.
“They were in field-goal range,” Edwards said. “I just felt at that point we were going to go for it, and I’m glad we did. We talked about it, and everybody was kind of saying, ‘What should we do?’ I said, ‘Let’s go for it. We’re going to go for it right now. Here’s the game. We’ll see what we are.’ ”
The Chiefs had time to make their decision because it was initially only second down when they reached the 29. Edwards made up his mind then that the Chiefs would try to convert if it came to fourth down.
It came to pass after an incomplete pass on second down and Johnson getting stopped for no gain on third down.
An informal poll showed, to no one’s surprise, that Edwards had a lot of support.
“We had to go there,” tackle Kyle Turley said. “We were moving the ball well. We’ve got Larry Johnson, the best back in football. There’s no reason we can’t make 1 yard.”
They almost didn’t. Sands, a former Chief, got into the backfield and could have dragged Johnson down before he got the first down.
Instead, he got his hand on Johnson’s face mask and pulled. Johnson gained 2 yards after Sands released.
“That’s the Raiders,” Johnson said. “They’re always going to find some way to mess the game up for themselves. I was going to make the first down anyway if he didn’t grab the face mask.
“We had no choice. We had to make something happen. That late in the game, it’s all or nothing.”
Quarterback Trent Green always wants to try to convert the fourth-down plays no matter the game situation. This one was no different.
“None of the offensive players were moving (off the field),” he said. “We were all staying out there because we wanted to go for it. We felt confident we could get it done.”