Comments on: IND – NE http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/ Three guys who love Sports Gaming rant and rave about various stuff. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:15:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jonahfalcon http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/comment-page-1/#comment-8274 jonahfalcon Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:49:14 +0000 http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/#comment-8274 Not in the 4th quarter up by 6. Period. Not in the 4th quarter up by 6. Period.

]]> By: MeanOnSunday http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/comment-page-1/#comment-8271 MeanOnSunday Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:14:07 +0000 http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/#comment-8271 I was glad to see Belichick go for it. There are papers going back to the Seventies that have shown over and over again that an average offensive team (and I think we can take it that the Pats are above average) should always go for it on fourth down and 1 or 2. Even on your own 10 yard line the odds are in your favor by going for it. The only logical explanation for the way teams act is that coaches fear the (ignorant) public criticism that inevitably follows if you go for it on fourth down and fail. When so much of the gameplan is based on tendencies and playing the percentages, it's good to see a trend of more coaches going for it on fourth down. If you want the details I recommend this paper; the results are explained quite clearly even if you don't follow the math: http://www.springerlink.com/content/w328q53118624365/fulltext.pdf I was glad to see Belichick go for it. There are papers going back to the Seventies that have shown over and over again that an average offensive team (and I think we can take it that the Pats are above average) should always go for it on fourth down and 1 or 2. Even on your own 10 yard line the odds are in your favor by going for it. The only logical explanation for the way teams act is that coaches fear the (ignorant) public criticism that inevitably follows if you go for it on fourth down and fail.

When so much of the gameplan is based on tendencies and playing the percentages, it’s good to see a trend of more coaches going for it on fourth down. If you want the details I recommend this paper; the results are explained quite clearly even if you don’t follow the math:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/w328q53118624365/fulltext.pdf

]]> By: jonahfalcon http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/comment-page-1/#comment-8270 jonahfalcon Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:11:08 +0000 http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/#comment-8270 What those of you not watching last night missed was a coaching decision that rivaled that of a nine-year-old playing Madden '10 on an X-BOX 360 game console. - Neil Saft, Bleacher Report What those of you not watching last night missed was a coaching decision that rivaled that of a nine-year-old playing Madden ’10 on an X-BOX 360 game console. – Neil Saft, Bleacher Report

]]> By: jonahfalcon http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/comment-page-1/#comment-8269 jonahfalcon Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:08:58 +0000 http://www.sportsgamerblog.com/2009/11/15/ind-ne/#comment-8269 I have a friend that does this type of silly stuff playing the video game Madden. Once he's down, he'll go for it no matter where he is on the field. Might explain why he has a lifetime record of something like 6-389. - Nick South, Bleacher Report It was the kind of call that's so bad that if it was made by your friend during a game of Madden, you'd say, "come on, play for real." - Chris Chase, Yahoo Sports Man, only time I've seen that was playing Madden. - Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts I have a friend that does this type of silly stuff playing the video game Madden. Once he’s down, he’ll go for it no matter where he is on the field. Might explain why he has a lifetime record of something like 6-389. – Nick South, Bleacher Report

It was the kind of call that’s so bad that if it was made by your friend during a game of Madden, you’d say, “come on, play for real.” – Chris Chase, Yahoo Sports

Man, only time I’ve seen that was playing Madden. – Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts

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