Tavern Talk: Watching the Game Clock

National Football Post

Monday night, we learned an important lesson about the NFL: It doesn’t matter how long you possess the ball, it matters what you do with it when you have it.

One of the most meaningless stats in football is time of possession in this sense: The Colts and Dolphins each had the ball for eight possessions (teams usually have it 11-12 times a game), and each scored five times.

The Dolphins, however, missed a field goal and threw an interception at the end of the game (more about that later).

The possession that killed the Dolphins was the one right before the half when they made the field goal but left too much time on the clock for Mr. Manning.

 

Miami Dolphins at 3:06

Ronnie Brown had 136 yards and 2 scores.

1-10-MIA 40 (3:06) R.Williams right tackle to MIA 47 for 7 yards (K.Hayden).

2-3-MIA 47 (2:31) R.Williams up the middle to MIA 48 for 1 yard (R.Brock).

 

Two-Minute Warning

3-2-MIA 48 (2:00) L.Polite right guard to IND 49 for 3 yards (G.Brackett). R11

1-10-IND 49 (1:32) (No Huddle, Shotgun) R.Williams left guard to IND 41 for 8 yards (M.Jackson).

2-2-IND 41 (1:14) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington pass short right to D.Bess ran ob at IND 35 for 6 yards. P12

1-10-IND 35 (1:08) C.Pennington pass short left to G.Camarillo to IND 34 for 1 yard (T.Jennings).

2-9-IND 34 (1:01) (Shotgun) R.Brown up the middle to IND 32 for 2 yards (E.Foster).

 

Timeout No. 1 by MIA at 00:56. This is the killer call. Once the Fins left the huddle from the previous play, they started the clock by running the ball, which was smart, but they should have had another play call after the run to let the clock keep running and not used a timeout. They still would’ve had three left, and once the game got below 40 seconds, they would be in control.

If you use a timeout here (not advising it), then let the clock run down using the 25 seconds, or a large portion, before the timeout, which they did not. Had they run another 10 seconds off the clock, the Colts would’ve started their drive at 25 seconds and not 35.

The opponent here is the Colts, but it’s also the game clock. The Dolphins had to go into the half with the lead and not allow Manning any time to mount a comeback. (I know, had Gibril Wilson caught the pass, this all would be a moot point, but that’s football, and some guys cannot catch)

3-7-IND 32 (:56) R.Williams up the middle to IND 27 for 5 yards (G.Brackett).

 

Timeout No. 2 by IND at 00:47.

4-2-IND 27 (:47) D.Carpenter 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-J.Denney, Holder-B.Fields.

Chad Pennington had an interception and no touchdowns.

Two timeouts before Miami starts the drive. All teams have two play calls made in the huddle before the drive even starts—but clearly not Miami last night. To use a timeout and only run two plays in 1:18 is a complete violation of game management 101. This is very bad as this drive was doomed from the start.

 

Miami Dolphins at 3:18, (first play from scrimmage 3:13)

1-10-MIA 18 (3:13) R.Brown left tackle to MIA 19 for 1 yard (D.Freeney).

 

Timeout No. 2 by MIA at 02:26.

Why did it take so long for the play to get in? Forget the actual call, the next one needed to be ready.

2-9-MIA 19 (2:26) R.Brown right tackle to MIA 24 for 5 yards (E.Foster).

 

Two-Minute Warning

3-4-MIA 24 (2:00) C.Pennington pass short middle to T.Ginn to MIA 35 for 11 yards (M.Bullitt). P24

1-10-MIA 35 (1:39) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington pass short left to T.Ginn ran ob at MIA 44 for 9 yards.

2-1-MIA 44 (1:33) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington pass short right to A.Fasano to MIA 45 for 1 yard (T.Jennings). P25

1-10-MIA 45 (1:10) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington sacked at MIA 36 for -9 yards (R.Mathis). FUMBLES (R.Mathis), recovered by MIA.

Carey at MIA 35. V.Carey to MIA 36 for 1 yard (E.Foster).

 

Timeout No. 3 by MIA at 00:56.

2-19-MIA 36 (:56) C.Pennington pass deep left to D.Bess ran ob at IND 46 for 18 yards.

Penalty on IND-D.Freeney, Defensive Offside, declined.

3-1-IND 46 (:50) (No Huddle) C.Pennington up the middle to IND 42 for 4 yards (E.Foster). R26

1-10-IND 42 (:41) C.Pennington spiked the ball to stop the clock.

Ted Ginn could not come up with a potential winning touchdown grab.

2-10-IND 42 (:35) C.Pennington pass incomplete deep middle to T.Ginn.

3-10-IND 42 (:27) (No Huddle, Shotgun) C.Pennington pass incomplete deep left to T.Ginn.

4-10-IND 42 (:22) (Shotgun) C.Pennington pass short middle to T.Ginn to IND 30 for 12 yards (J.Lacey). P27

1-10-IND 30 (:12) C.Pennington spiked the ball to stop the clock.

2-10-IND 30 (:06) C.Pennington pass deep right intended for B.Hartline INTERCEPTED by A.Bethea at IND -5. Touchback.

 

Other points...

The timeouts used by the Chiefs in the first quarter against the Raiders killed them in the final drive of the half—which cost them a least a tie. I think Chiefs coach Todd Haley better be careful going nuts on players when they make mistakes, at least until he establishes himself.

One time is fine, but all game long? He’s going to have to bite his tongue or they won’t listen. Warning to CBS: You don’t want to show Haley’s face after a bad play—or else be prepared to pay a fine.

Did you know the Rams used their last timeout with 10:51 to go in the fourth quarter? So when they got the ball back, they had no chance to make a play.

Also, did you know the ‘Skins went for it on fourth and one after the two-minute warning, nursing a two-point lead from the Rams’ two? See below.

2-6-SL 7 (2:20) L.Betts left end pushed ob at SL 4 for 3 yards (O.Atogwe).

 

Timeout No. 2 by WAS at 02:13.

3-3-SL 4 (2:13) C.Portis left guard to SL 2 for 2 yards (L.Little, O.Atogwe).

 

Two-Minute Warning

4-1-SL 2 (2:00) C.Portis left end to SL 4 for -2 yards (D.Vobora).

APJim Zorn saw his Redskins hang on for the win.

Why not kick a field goal here and make it a five-point lead so that a touchdown is the only way you lose the game? They must have forgotten this from last year...

 

St. Louis Rams at 3:47, (first play from scrimmage 3:40) 2008...down by two points...

1-10-SL 24 (3:40) (Shotgun) S.Jackson up the middle to SL 31 for 7 yards (R.McIntosh, M.Washington).

2-3-SL 31 (3:03) S.Jackson up the middle to SL 32 for 1 yard (C.Griffin).

3-2-SL 32 (2:23) (Shotgun) M.Bulger pass short middle to D.Avery to SL 44 for 12 yards (C.Horton) [A.Carter]. P7

 

Two-Minute Warning

1-10-SL 44 (2:00) M.Bulger pass incomplete deep left to T.Holt (C.Rogers).

2-10-SL 44 (1:54) S.Jackson up the middle to SL 41 for -3 yards (C.Horton, R.McIntosh).

3-13-SL 41 (1:13) (Shotgun) M.Bulger pass deep right to D.Avery to WAS 16 for 43 yards (L.Torrence). P8

The Replay Assistant challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was Upheld.

20+ Yards Passing

 

Timeout No. 2 by WAS at 00:39.

1-10-WAS 16 (:38) M.Bulger kneels to WAS 17 for -1 yards (J.Taylor).

 

Timeout No. 3 by WAS at 00:35.

2-11-WAS 17 (:35) PENALTY on SL-R.Incognito, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, 15 yards, enforced at WAS 17 - No Play.

2-26-WAS 32 (:35) S.Jackson up the middle to WAS 31 for 1 yard (L.Landry; L.Fletcher).

 

Timeout No. 3 by SL at 00:02.

3-25-WAS 31 (:02) J.Brown 49 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-C.Massey, Holder-D.Jones.

My man Ray Gustini never makes this mistake on Madden. How can you not remember this and just kick the field goal and make it a five-point game? Jim Zorn, welcome to the game-management column.

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