Go for it or kick the FG?

[Wheels]

They would have got the ball at the 40, spot of the kick. Personally, I would have gone for it there, but agree there is no right or wrong. Novak nailed it, so obviously he can.

Oh that's right, it's 17 yards from the snap, but that's because the uprights are 10 yards past the goal line.

[homeless simpson]

we would have gone for the first if Kaeding was the kicker because it's out of his range of confidence

[BlazingBolt]

Posner still tweeting kicking the FG was a clear coaching mistake

Jay Posner @sdutPosner

Includes talk of McCoy's (wrong) FG call. RT @billbarnwell Today at @Grantland33: Thank You For Not Coaching, Week 6. http://es.pn/16KkGAP
9:53 AM - 15 Oct 2013

(still can not properly embed tweets on this message board like I could on the old one....)

Worst calls of week 6

2. The Chargers try a 50-yard field goal to seal their win over the Colts. Congratulations to kicker Nick Novak for hitting a long kick under pressure to wrap up San Diego's impressive victory over Indianapolis. But he never should have had the opportunity.

Why did Mike McCoy send his field goal unit out to even attempt this kick? It doesn't follow. Punting shouldn't be an option. You give the Colts good field position with a stuff, but you give them even better field position with the extra eight yards provided by a missed field goal attempt. Even ignoring that, there's one simple question to consider here: Is it easier to convert on fourth-and–one foot than it is to kick a 50-yard field goal?

Of course it is! On third- or fourth-and-1 over the past five years, teams have converted 68.8 percent of the time. That's almost surely a conservative estimate, since the Chargers didn't need the full yard and had been gashing Indy on the ground all night. The Chargers probably convert on a Philip Rivers sneak or a Le'Ron McClain handoff about 75 percent of the time in that spot. Kickers have hit field goals between 50 and 52 yards over that same time frame 64.7 percent of the time. Novak had been 6-for-12 on kicks of 50 yards or more, but he was playing in calm conditions at home, so maybe 65 percent is the estimate. The move worked out for McCoy, who has done a great job with the San Diego offense this year, but it wasn't the right call.

I still think it is a decision the coach has to make based on his gut. Even in this analysis they are talking about a few percentage points probablity being the difference.

[TTK]

Colts fans are questioning Pagano's decision to punt on 4th and 2 from their 17 yard line with three and a half minutes left despite having all their time outs and the two minute warning. The shanked punt put the Chargers nearly in FG range, otherwise, a good punt pins the Chargers further back, the Chargers punt on 4th and 1 and the Colts get the ball back probably with decent field position and two minutes left.

You could imagine the reaction Colts fans would have had if Pagano went for it, failed and the Chargers get a chip shot field goal to seal the game there.

The point is, fans will always second guess the coach. It's just a no-win situation for the coach when things don't work out. And again, if it does work out, the coach looks like a smart guy.

[homeless simpson]

a leron Mclain handoff? like the one we gave him where we didnt get the first down in the same game?

[oneinchpunch]

a leron Mclain handoff? like the one we gave him where we didnt get the first down in the same game?

I was thinking the same thing.

What a waste of a roster spot.

[TTK]

Huh? Didn't McClain get first downs on his two carries last night?

[homeless simpson]

Huh? Didn't McClain get first downs on his two carries last night?

oops, correct he actually made them...we hardly ever use him so the memories of him not making them from last year stick out hehehe

[Beerman]

I'm not a big McClain fan, for the simple fact that he's just not worth that contract. He played in 13 snaps out of a possible 78 last night. It's been the same thing most of the year. He's just not worth his contract. We don't use the FB, we use a 2nd blocking TE most of the time. We can get a much cheaper option for what he does. Shit I thought we should of signed John Connor when the Bengals cut him. He is 5x cheaper than McClain and serves the same role. We don't ask McClain to do anything special aside from just run block.

[KNSD]

I would have probably went for it. But the coach definitely made the right call because the kick was good.

[Buck]

My opinion is up by 6+, you go for the field goal. Anything from up 5 to losing by whatever you have to go for it.

[JunkBoy]

I was all for the kick. Had to make it a 2 possession game. And it was within his range since ESPN showed he was good from 55 in pregame warmups. It was the right choice...luckily that Colt decided to jump when trying to block the attempt because if he stayed on his feet he had a clear path to easily block that kick!