What Were They Thinking: Vikings' final drive debacle, Arians' regrettable challenge

What Were They Thinking is a weekly post that helps you relive the foolish decisions from the week in the NFL. Enjoy the insanity. 

Arians bungles a challenge

It seems like such a simple concept, but I fear coaches will never fully understand that all turnovers are automatically reviewed. 

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was guilty this time around. Arians tossed his challenge flag after a questionable Janoris Jenkins interception during the third quarter that would have been reviewed anyway. 

Although, he claimed the flag just fell out of his pocket. 

That terrible acting job aside, the play was eventually reviewed and overturned, but Arians lost a timeout for his blunder. 

The mistake left Arizona with only two timeouts with more than a quarter to play in a one-score game. Thankfully for the Cards, the St. Louis Rams never really threatened the end zone, and Arizona hung on.

Arians may very well be named the coach of the year, but he's also down to his third-string quarterback, and his team can't afford to make these mistakes. 

Houston's foolish fake punt

Normally you would commend a team like the Houston Texans for gambling and trying to surprise a much stronger opponent, but not in this case.

The Texans tried to catch the Indianapolis Colts sleeping in a punting situation that was in prime position for a fake. With 1:02 to play in the first half and Houston at the Indy 40-yard line, head coach Bill O'Brien saw his team facing a fourth-and-1.

O'Brien decided to run a fake, and the direct snap to Alfred Blue went for a two-yard loss, returning the ball to Indy. 

The major issue here is the Colts would be on high alert for something tricky, given the down and distance in relation to the position on the field. Teams are always more likely to run a fake in opposing territory, and when they only need a yard or two. The risk is minimal in that situation. 

The Texans would have been better off just leaving their offense on the field and going for it. They have one of the best backs in the league in Arian Foster, and getting a yard is more than realistic in that situation. If converted, they would also have been in prime position to score some points before the half. 

The Texans ended up losing by seven, while O'Brien ended up overthinking things and out-coaching himself. 

RG3 scrambles at a bad time

Robert Griffin III was thrust into action Sunday when Colt McCoy went down, and he failed to make the most of his opportunity. 

Washington was actually up 10-7 late in the first half and looking for more. Griffin drove the Redskins to the New York Giants' 8-yard line, where they faced a third down with eight seconds left. Despite not having any timeouts, Washington still had time for two plays: a quick pass that should have been followed by a field goal attempt if it didn't result in a touchdown. 

But Griffin got greedy, taking off running as the clock continued to wind down. For a minute it looked like he may score, but a fumble in the end zone resulted in a touchback as time expired. The Redskins came away with nothing. 

In that situation, unless there is a clear path to the end zone, you can't run without timeouts. You need to preserve time for a field goal attempt. 

Griffin's run cost Washington three points, and their slim lead quickly evaporated, as they ultimately fell 24-13.

Baltimore's costly delay of game penalty

The Baltimore Ravens escaped with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday in spite of a brutal delay of game penalty. 

Early in the fourth quarter, with Baltimore up 17-12, they were looking to extend their lead by three with a 49-yard Justin Tucker field goal. The Ravens, though, were inexcusably called for delay of game prior to the kick, moving the ball back to the 36-yard line.  

That also made the field goal 54 yards instead of 49, which was a huge difference. It's not like you're dropping from 25 yards to 30. Moving into the 50-yard range makes the kick very miss-able. 

Low and behold, Tucker hit the upright, giving the Jaguars a chance to take the lead with a touchdown. That didn't happen, but the Ravens were playing with fire against a much weaker opponent. 

Vikings with a debacle on their final drive

The Minnesota Vikings gave the Detroit Lions everything they could handle Sunday, and for a moment it looked like they were going to pull off the upset. That is, however, until their final drive turned into a nightmare. 

Down 16-14 without any timeouts, they faced the daunting task of starting a drive at their own 30-yard line with 45 seconds left. Still, they only needed around 40 yards to get into field goal range, which is very plausible - or at least it should have been.

The Vikings displayed some terrible clock management, running only four plays in 39 seconds and advancing the ball just 14 yards. With five seconds left, Minnesota was called for delay of game, backing them up five yards.

To recap, they gained nine yards in 40 seconds. With only five seconds left, the Vikings' best hope was now a desperate Hail Mary attempt. Somehow, though, Teddy Bridgewater hit Kyle Rudolph for an 11-yard pickup to get them to midfield in only four seconds, leaving one second to play. 

From midfield, a Hail Mary to the end zone is at least worth an attempt, but head coach Mike Zimmer opted for a ridiculous 68-yard field goal try. What's worse about this decision? Kicker Blair Walsh had missed two field goals earlier. 

Not surprisingly, Walsh's kick was both wide and short. 

A Hail Mary would have also been unlikely, but still more probable than a field goal attempt from another area code.