" A bad call" - play selection

NCHawker

Well-Known Member
Can anyone here name 1 play that was successful that you thought was a bad call? Is the criteria for a "good call" something that works? or Is it simply that it didn't work? When I hear people criticize a call I wonder if they were acutely aware of the defense that was presented and the read that the QB made - just before the snap. And were they aware of the conversations on the sideline about how to respond when the D shows a certain look?

The answer is NO. Arm chair QBs simply swill beer and see a play didn't work and belch and say awhell, that was a terrible call! The OC is a moron. The rationale is shallow and we see it on this forum every stinking week. Its hillarious.
 
well, you can say drawing up a deep ball on a 3rd and 1 is a bad play to call, regardless of outcome.

also, nice rant, but i'm going to lean on folks like GameFilm who called some of those "bad plays" since they have more knowledge than you or i.
 
Unless we know we are going to go for it on fourth a long throw on third is bad whether it works or not. I have seen plays that get blown up but a player sneaks out somehow and gets yards so he makes up for a bad call.
 
yeah - yesterday - 2nd possession - 2nd an 1 - and iowa gives to bullock into the pile for 2 yards = 1st down. I was thinking how stupid was that! make a play!!!! not a first down on your own side of the 50.

and - then in retro - iowa starts throwing bombs on 3rd n 1 in the 4th with the lead?????? wtf - lets grind the game!!!! maybe - i know nothing - and that might be true - but jeez
 
I wondered though, why not come back and do a QB sneack on 4th down.

Then thought well, just line up like you are going to sneak and try to draw them off sides. But that takes time and if it doesn't work gotta call the play or call T/O. Calling T/O's in the 2nd half isn't always a good idea - need to keep those for the end of the game. Maybe drwaing teams off is a tactic for 1st half - never thought about that until now - never really noticed.
 
I have Zero problem with the deep pass call...one full stride from likely a TD. That said, I have a major problem not then going for it on 4th with a huge line weight advantage and a big RB.

Not going on 4th and the last play call are really the only 2 play calls I can recall having a big problem with...but they were Big ones...
 
I have Zero problem with the deep pass call...one full stride from likely a TD. That said, I have a major problem not then going for it on 4th with a huge line weight advantage and a big RB.

Not going on 4th and the last play call are really the only 2 play calls I can recall having a big problem with...but they were Big ones...

How does anyone know that the original thought was not to go for it on 4th only for the head coach to step in at the last minite and over rule or change his mind? Not saying that was the case but we do not know what the communications were.

Also it was not like we were sitting on a two score or more lead. It was a one score game and we had exactly 1 long TD drive all game without a big play. I liked the call and it was out of the box for us. You try to send a message to your kids and your opponents that we will go after you from any down and distance.
 
Can anyone here name 1 play that was successful that you thought was a bad call? Is the criteria for a "good call" something that works? or Is it simply that it didn't work? When I hear people criticize a call I wonder if they were acutely aware of the defense that was presented and the read that the QB made - just before the snap. And were they aware of the conversations on the sideline about how to respond when the D shows a certain look?

The answer is NO. Arm chair QBs simply swill beer and see a play didn't work and belch and say awhell, that was a terrible call! The OC is a moron. The rationale is shallow and we see it on this forum every stinking week. Its hillarious.

Yes, analyzing the last football game does happen on the football forum.
 
Can anyone here name 1 play that was successful that you thought was a bad call? Is the criteria for a "good call" something that works? or Is it simply that it didn't work? When I hear people criticize a call I wonder if they were acutely aware of the defense that was presented and the read that the QB made - just before the snap. And were they aware of the conversations on the sideline about how to respond when the D shows a certain look?

The answer is NO. Arm chair QBs simply swill beer and see a play didn't work and belch and say awhell, that was a terrible call! The OC is a moron. The rationale is shallow and we see it on this forum every stinking week. Its hillarious.

I guess that kinda depends on your definition of a play by successful...

When we went long on 3 and 1, I actually liked the call. The next play, when we punted on 4th and 1, I would call a bad call. Sure, we successfully punted, by why the hell would you go deep on 3rd and 1 if you aren't willing to go for it on the following 4th and 1. The two plays together are what make it, in my mind, a "bad call".

We had 2nd and short a couple of times, where we simply chose run a short dive/zone play for the first down. Sure, it worked, but what a waste of opportunities. Hard to call a first down a "bad call", but...

Not all "good calls" work. As I said, I liked taking a shot downfield on 3rd and 1. It didn't work out, but it sure could have.

Simply not working does not make for a "bad call". It is the circumstances that surround the call.

And yes, to agree with you a bit, it may very well be that Rudock changed some of those calls, making for a bad play.
 
In general, the OP did hit the proverbial nail on the head...for many, a bad call equates to a failed call/play. If a third down bomb worked, there would be "0" fans ranting and raving that the call was a bad one. I also agree with some of the other posters about going for it on fourth down, if the ball in inside of the fifty and ideally inside the forty...otherwise, punt the ball. Our D was effective enough to mitigate the risk in my opinion and our backs were making yards. There might have been a couple, but I do not remember a running play that went for less than one or many that went for less than two yards for that matter.
 
Can anyone here name 1 play that was successful that you thought was a bad call? Is the criteria for a "good call" something that works? or Is it simply that it didn't work? When I hear people criticize a call I wonder if they were acutely aware of the defense that was presented and the read that the QB made - just before the snap. And were they aware of the conversations on the sideline about how to respond when the D shows a certain look?

The answer is NO. Arm chair QBs simply swill beer and see a play didn't work and belch and say awhell, that was a terrible call! The OC is a moron. The rationale is shallow and we see it on this forum every stinking week. Its hillarious.

Just because the defense isn't expecting it, doesn't make it the right play for the situation. Lots of dumb stuff isn't expected. I agree with some other posters that we got too cute, too often (we also had some 1st game type mistakes).

Bielema's team had 51 rushing attempts and 23 passing attempts yesterday. That's 69% run. You can bet the other team was expecting run most plays but they still couldn't stop it. That works and you won't see Bielema losing very often to a team with less talent. Most good teams are closer to that play mix.
 
In general, the OP did hit the proverbial nail on the head...for many, a bad call equates to a failed call/play. If a third down bomb worked, there would be "0" fans ranting and raving that the call was a bad one. I also agree with some of the other posters about going for it on fourth down, if the ball in inside of the fifty and ideally inside the forty...otherwise, punt the ball. Our D was effective enough to mitigate the risk in my opinion and our backs were making yards. There might have been a couple, but I do not remember a running play that went for less than one or many that went for less than two yards for that matter.

not necessarily that the long ball is the best call - even if it works for a TD. Sometimes a grind the clock keep away game is the way to WIN a football game even if it foregoes the TD. I do not think NC presented a one case for all situation - but only presented a point of discussion. I still think the 1st qtr 2nd and 1 on the iowa side of the 50 was a wasted chance that = a first down successful play = a bad call by me at that point and time in the game - in fact I was screaming about that play until it resulted in zero points!!!
 
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I'll go with the flea flicker. Maybe not necessarily a bad call, but if we need a freaking flea flicker to try to loosen up a MAC defense with 9 new starters in our home opener, our coaching by definition stinks.
 
The 3rd and 1 deep throw wasn't a bad call because it was incomplete. It was a bad call because we were on the + side of the 50, an opportunity to take a two score lead and we had just left our defense on the field for an entire quarter. Situational play calling has always been atrocious under KF and that hasn't changed.

We needed a sustained drive going into the fourth q, to rest our defense and to build a two score lead. The risk/reward of calling the play in that situation should be obvious.
 
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