Harbaugh explains punting rather than kicking a field goal in the fourth quarter
Two plays into the fourth quarter of Sunday night's game, coach John Harbaugh had a decision to make: allow kicker Billy Cundiff attempt a field goal from about 52 yards or have Sam Koch punt the ball and try to pin the Pittsburgh Steelers deep in their own territory.
After a timeout, Harbaugh elected to sit Cundiff and call up Koch.
"He definitely could have hit from that range," Harbaugh said of Cundiff, whose career long is 56 yards. "And if it had been later in the game, we would’ve tried it. I thought about it, and I thought, ‘You know what, we’re in a field-position game.’ And that’s a tough kick. Not that he can’t get it there, but the percentages from 50 dramatically drop for every kicker in the National Football League. So the idea is if we don’t make this kick, they’re going to have field position that they really haven’t earned so much. And if we have a chance to pin them inside the 10, that’s what we want to do."
Comments
I can tell you one thing John Harbaugh, my father was cussing and screaming at the TV set after you opted to punt it Einstein! Your lucky that play didnt come back to haunt you lol! Every fan would have bashed you if we lost by 3 points!
Posted by: Tim Lumber | December 1, 2009 12:45 AM
At halftime cundiff missed all his practice tries from that range
Posted by: Anonymous | December 1, 2009 5:48 AM
Is his thought process supposed to be insightful? Every FAN of the NFL knows this stuff. It's embarrassing that the head coach of an NFL team would have to burn a time out to ponder these alternatives.
Posted by: JC.NYC | December 1, 2009 9:55 AM
I think you got about twelve yards on that kick. If he can make it from there -- then try. Ravens need every point they can get. Percentage for Koch to put in on the five about the same as the kick.
Posted by: mlv | December 1, 2009 10:29 AM
That's solid reasoning. Cundiff missed from 56 by 3 yards. If Harbs had went for the FG and he missed, there would be heck to pay.
Posted by: Boondock | December 1, 2009 10:48 AM
It was a solid decision by coach Harbaugh and a smart time out. What Lumber doesn't understand is that, from this range, this is a very difficult kick. I would bet Lumber couldn't kick a field goal from 15 yards with any consistency. I recommend he try it. Seriously. This is not meant to be a calling out of Mr. Lumber. It simply would inform his future postings. Best of luck against the Packers. We're going to need it.
Posted by: Clayton R. Wurtzelbacher | December 1, 2009 10:44 PM
Message to Clayton W. I bet you I can make a field goal from 15 yards. Matter of fact I start training camp this saturday for a minor league football team in Baltimore, so in order to get invited, I hope you are nOT dumb enough to think I cant hit a 15 yarder Einstein, I hit them from 50 bucktooth!
Posted by: Tim Lumber | December 2, 2009 4:54 AM
Hair ball is a horrible coach and couldn't coach a Pop Warner team. Rex Ryan should've been our guy!! He would've had the defense playing like they should, and the tram would come out all fired up. Hair ball's gleeming weeknesses this year are being shown now do to the fact that the only real experience surrounding him is Cam. This is only the 2nd year in the NFL for Mattison. What a huge mistake the Ravens made by NOT keeping Rex, and it shows. Hair ball is terrible!!!
Posted by: BK | December 2, 2009 9:11 AM
it's not the punt vs. the fg try that got me----it was wasting another timeout--try figuring out what you want to do in certain situations ahead of time. It's official for me---Harbaugh's hiring was a mistake, and please don't talk to me about last year.
Posted by: rick | December 2, 2009 12:40 PM
I know BK, Rex is really lighting it up in New York this year! ... Minus the fact they have a worse record, are giving up more points per game, scoring fewer points per game, and have a turnover differential for the season of -5.
Posted by: Ignorant | December 2, 2009 7:06 PM