[BostonCard]

Clock management is hard.  I think it is easy to sit here and say that there was a more optimal approach.  And, yes, objectively, despite the optimal outcome, the clock management at the time didn't maximize our chances of getting that outcome.  Given that the priority of scoring (preferentially a touchdown) is more important than leaving as little time on the clock as possible, it is fair to say that we didn't execute the optimal strategy.

Of course that is much easier for us to say, here, without any of the time pressure of an end-of-game situation.  It is much harder to evaluate all those options while the clock is ticking.  And coaches have to do this while picking the right play, making sure the right personnel package is in the team, and of course, adapting to whatever the defense puts up.  The other team is trying to prevent you from scoring too.

With regards to the question about time outs / delays of game, they bother me less than they do some other people here.  I think a better framework for thinking about it is what they cost us (blown time outs, 5 yard penalties) and what it would cost to reduce them.  I think Shaw et al should institute some simple failsafes to reduce the risk (for example, a default play call that the QB can institute if the right play is slow to come in from the sidelines, a drop-dead time beyond which the QB should not attempt to change the play in response to the defense, etc.  Maybe having a dedicated clock-watcher on the sidelines would also be helpful.  On the flip side, while we could almost certainly eliminate DoG's changing to a no-huddle system where the playcalls are based on cartoons in the sideline, the costs are probably not worth it.

BC

[BostonCard]

Clock management is hard.  I think it is easy to sit here and say that there was a more optimal approach.  And, yes, objectively, despite the optimal outcome, the clock management at the time didn't maximize our chances of getting that outcome.  Given that the priority of scoring (preferentially a touchdown) is more important than leaving as little time on the clock as possible, it is fair to say that we didn't execute the optimal strategy.

Of course that is much easier for us to say, here, without any of the time pressure of an end-of-game situation.  It is much harder to evaluate all those options while the clock is ticking.  And coaches have to do this while picking the right play, making sure the right personnel package is in the team, and of course, adapting to whatever the defense puts up.  The other team is trying to prevent you from scoring too.

With regards to the question about time outs / delays of game, they bother me less than they do some other people here.  I think a better framework for thinking about it is what they cost us (blown time outs, 5 yard penalties) and what it would cost to reduce them.  I think Shaw et al should institute some simple failsafes to reduce the risk (for example, a default play call that the QB can institute if the right play is slow to come in from the sidelines, a drop-dead time beyond which the QB should not attempt to change the play in response to the defense, etc.  Maybe having a dedicated clock-watcher on the sidelines would also be helpful.  On the flip side, while we could almost certainly eliminate DoG's changing to a no-huddle system where the playcalls are based on cartoons in the sideline, the costs are probably not worth it.

BC