What Were They Thinking is a weekly post that helps you relive the foolish decisions from the week in the NFL. Enjoy the insanity.
Pats hand Jets the ball in OT
Even arguably the best coach ever makes a mistake every now and then.
Bill Belichick's habit for risk taking finally caught up to him Sunday, as he decided to kickoff to the Jets in overtime despite winning the coin toss. Teams have done this in the past and gotten away with it, including Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer earlier this season and most notably Belichick himself a couple of years ago against the Broncos, but let's make one thing perfectly clear: It's never the right move. Never.
With overtime no longer being sudden death unless the team who starts with the ball scores a touchdown, coaches often get tempted to begin on defense and take the wind in bad weather situations. Still, so much can go wrong. The opposition can return the kickoff for a touchdown and the game can end before you even get a chance at touching the ball. If you have an opportunity to start with the football and a shot to end the game immediately, the right move is always to receive.
Belichick and the Patriots would regret the decision quickly, as the Jets wasted little time in marching down the field for the winning touchdown. New England not only handed the Jets a win, but may have also helped a division rival get to the playoffs.
Cousins forgets how to spike the ball
Kirk Cousins was probably the main reason the Redskins won the NFC East this year, but we can't let him off the hook for a blunder in a clinching win over the Eagles.
With Washington driving late in the first half, the clock was stopped with six seconds left as Cousins and company found themselves at the 6-yard line. The Redskins had time for a quick shot at the end zone before attempting a field goal if the pass fell incomplete.
Cousins, though, in what can only be described as a complete brain cramp, took a knee. Without a timeout, Washington couldn't get up to the line in time to spike the ball and the half expired. That cost the Redskins an easy three points.
Was Cousins trying to center the ball for his kicker but forgot they were out of timeouts? Did he think it was the end of the fourth quarter and not the second? Or was he simply trying to embody the rich history of calamity the Redskins have displayed in recent years?
We'll never know.
Falcons can't run out the clock
The Falcons managed to take down the previously undefeated Panthers, but they made it far more difficult than it needed to be.
After a defensive stop late in the fourth, Atlanta had the ball with 1:47 to go and a 17-13 lead, while Carolina had only one timeout remaining. The worst case scenario here for the Falcons should be giving the ball back to the Panthers with about 10 seconds left if they don't get a first down. Instead, the Falcons put on a show of clock management that only Andy Reid could be proud of.
After Carolina used a timeout on first down, the Falcons proceeded to get called for penalties on second and third down, stopping the clock for the Panthers twice. Shayne Graham managed to kick a field goal to put Atlanta on top 20-13, but it remained a one possession game and the Falcons handed the ball back to the Panthers with 1:30 remaining to try and send the game into overtime.
Luckily for the Falcons, their defense held firm and the team avoided embarrassment. It's extremely difficult to mismanage that situation any more than the Falcons did.
Quick Hits
- The Saints missed a 52-yard field goal on first down with nine seconds left in the first half. They easily had time to run another play to try and get closer before kicking.
- Tennessee was lining up for a field goal before an illegal substitution penalty knocked them out of range and they had to punt.
- Jason Garrett decided to punt on fourth-and-8 in Buffalo territory with seven minutes left while trailing the Bills 9-6. What do the Cowboys have to lose at this point?
