[Farm93]

[quote author=stupac2 link=topic=9387.msg81495#msg81495 date=1389500607]
[quote author=Publius link=topic=9387.msg81493#msg81493 date=1389500370]Was really bummed out about this game, and then Dan Dierdorf announces that he's retiring.  Haven't been this down since New Year's Day.

You like Dierdorf? I don't really pay much attention to announcing crews, but his repeated insistence that the punter should've gone down at the 3 instead of taking the safety made me hate him forever. That someone doesn't just KNOW that 1st and goal from the 3 is more than 2 expected points means they're an idiot.
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It's just he's been around forever. He's been an avuncular presence in my living rooms for such a long time that I'm going to miss him.
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Admittedly, it wasn't discussed properly and Dierdorf's preference was not the best.  The punter had a few options.
Option #1, run out of the pocket and throw the ball as far as possible, but ultimately out of bounds.  That, I suspect would put the ball at the line of scrimmage.  It is hard to believe a punter could throw it long enough and accurately enough to make that work.
Option #2 - Take a knee at the 3 and see if the D could hold the Colts to a FG.  That would have been an easy 3 points, with a chance at 7.
Option #3 - Do something to get a safety.  Kick ball out of the back of the endzone, run to the endzone and take a knee.  That planned effort would have allowed 2 points, and given the Colts the ball pretty much where a properly executed punt would have landed.

I think Option #3 was best, but that is not really what the punter tried to do.  The punter tried to do something like #1 even though he had 2 Colts draped over him.  Given that he was about to be tackled in the pocket near the goalline it was foolish to try to shove the ball to a teammate.  He was very lucky that the Colts ultimately pushed the ball out of the endzone.  In the end he got the best result for the Patriots even though he was trying to do something different.

It was a dumb luck play really.

[Farm93]

[quote author=stupac2 link=topic=9387.msg81495#msg81495 date=1389500607]
[quote author=Publius link=topic=9387.msg81493#msg81493 date=1389500370]Was really bummed out about this game, and then Dan Dierdorf announces that he's retiring.  Haven't been this down since New Year's Day.

You like Dierdorf? I don't really pay much attention to announcing crews, but his repeated insistence that the punter should've gone down at the 3 instead of taking the safety made me hate him forever. That someone doesn't just KNOW that 1st and goal from the 3 is more than 2 expected points means they're an idiot.
[/quote]

It's just he's been around forever. He's been an avuncular presence in my living rooms for such a long time that I'm going to miss him.
[/quote]

Admittedly, it wasn't discussed properly and Dierdorf's preference was not the best.  The punter had a few options.
Option #1, run out of the pocket and throw the ball as far as possible, but ultimately out of bounds.  That, I suspect would put the ball at the line of scrimmage.  It is hard to believe a punter could throw it long enough and accurately enough to make that work.
Option #2 - Take a knee at the 3 and see if the D could hold the Colts to a FG.  That would have been an easy 3 points, with a chance at 7.
Option #3 - Do something to get a safety.  Kick ball out of the back of the endzone, run to the endzone and take a knee.  That planned effort would have allowed 2 points, and given the Colts the ball pretty much where a properly executed punt would have landed.

I think Option #3 was best, but that is not really what the punter tried to do.  The punter tried to do something like #1 even though he had 2 Colts draped over him.  Given that he was about to be tackled in the pocket near the goalline it was foolish to try to shove the ball to a teammate.  He was very lucky that the Colts ultimately pushed the ball out of the endzone.  In the end he got the best result for the Patriots even though he was trying to do something different.

It was a dumb luck play really.