NFL Week 15

[playthrough]

Not the refs screwing Kansas City -- they were trigger-happy against both teams. (On the 2-point conversion, a pick play is the perfect play to run. If you don't get called, it's usually an easy conversion. If it IS called, just kick the extra point... no loss of down.)

Andy Reid is the mad scientist of this high-powered offense but he still doesn't see the importance of details within game situations.

One little thing. Up 28-21, the Chiefs get the kickoff. How about just taking the ball at the 20 if it's kicked deep? No holding penalty, no risk of a fumble, etc. At this point, you either need a field goal (10-point lead) or three first downs.

Now the big picture on how Reid sees the clock. He hasn't changed.

In the three losses (Patriots, Rams and now the Chargers), it was the other team that held the ball at the critical time. I said that, when it was 28-21 Chiefs and KC had 1st and 10 that I actually would feel better if it were 28-28 with 1:30 left and KC with the ball. That way there is no shell to go into on offense.

Once Benjamin got 29 yards to the KC 10 with 1:11 left... LET HIM SCORE. By tackling him, the Chiefs guaranteed Rivers would control the clock and, essentially, the game.

Play to your strengths. In all the losses (plus, Denver, which should have been a loss if Keenum could hit a receiver), it was the KC defense on the field at the end and not the offense.

The Chiefs will be toast by late January for much of those reasons, plus at some point Mahomes' improvising will come back to bite. He'll throw a no-look pass or a lefty or something that will either go directly to a defender or it will take his own guy by surprise, bounce off him and into a defender's hands. Then everyone who was celebrating those passes in the regular season will start the tsk-tsking. He should never change his game, but as the new incarnation of Brett Favre he's going to have some memorable gaffes.

 

[Spartan Squad]

Have to agree with Poin. Two of the DBs go after the same guy thinking the other was going to fall back in coverage. They weren't running with a receiver and got picked, they went after the same dude. There was nothing stopping Kendall Fuller or Orlando Scandrick from falling back except themselves. My guess is Fuller was supposed to run with Williams but picked the wrong guy.

 

[JC]

Incorrect.

There’s no pick.

 

[exmediahack]

There was no pick. The two DB's stood there like their feet were in concrete. Kelvin Benjamin ran between them. Nobody was guarding Williams regardless. They flat-out missed him. Not one player or coach has said anything about a pick play. Andy Reid pointed out that the Chiefs need to guard somebody on the last play.

You are 1,000% right. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[exmediahack]

There's the Tampa Two and, now, the "K.C. Zero".

 

[BTExpress]

NO PICK!

 

[outofplace]

That definitely wasn't a pick on the two-point conversion. Both defenders covered the slant and nobody took Williams.

The interference that put the Chargers on the one was absolutely correct. Scandrick prevented the receiver from getting one hand up to try to catch the ball.

 

[da man]

As someone with Mahomes and Damien Williams in my fantasy lineup, I almost cried when I saw the Chargers decide to go for two.

 

[poindexter]

Sportscenter this morning had a stat that in the fourth q, with the Chargers down by 14, the chargers had a 0.7% chance of winning.
Really? REALLY?

Did ANYBODY think that the Chargers had *less* than a 1 in 100 chance of winning that game?

They needed a TD/stop/TD to be in the position to tie/win.

No way I believe that is a 1 in 100 prop.

 

[poindexter]

As someone with Mahomes and Damien Williams in my fantasy lineup, I almost cried when I saw the Chargers decide to go for two.

Anybody with KC giving 3 or 3.5 did the same cry.

I don't get paid by the NFL but damn do they put out a consistently good product. Me and a couple of buddies (and the wives showed up) went to a local joint and I was completely entertained for three hours.

 

[da man]

For the most part, yes, it was great. I did get quite frustrated by all the flags, though.

 

[playthrough]

Sportscenter this morning had a stat that in the fourth q, with the Chargers down by 14, the chargers had a 0.7% chance of winning.
Really? REALLY?

Did ANYBODY think that the Chargers had *less* than a 1 in 100 chance of winning that game?

They needed a TD/stop/TD to be in the position to tie/win.

No way I believe that is a 1 in 100 prop.

Zero chance you'd have gotten those odds via in-game betting last night (I'll take a guess that it was around 20-1) and with betting becoming more prevalent, ESPN should have some intern monitoring those lines to use on SportsCenter, not that dumb winning index that takes into account every game ever played in that scenario with no adjustment for specific teams and situations.

 

[playthrough]

Anybody with KC giving 3 or 3.5 did the same cry.

I don't get paid by the NFL but damn do they put out a consistently good product. Me and a couple of buddies (and the wives showed up) went to a local joint and I was completely entertained for three hours.

I had LA +3.5, so the final sweat was that last TD possibly being overturned. And yeah, damned if the NFL doesn't make you watch every last second. The Miami game being a reminder to not cut corners.

 

[exmediahack]

I had the Chargers +155. Just to buy myself a win. My team lost but, hey, dinner is free all weekend.

 

[ChrisLong]

No pick. The Chargers receiver didn't have his hands up, he tried to split the defenders. Three guys were on him and none on the guy they threw it to. Troy Aikman, on the broadcast, said he thought they would run a pick play but they didn't. He said the Chiefs defenders just got it all messed up.

 

[goalmouth]

Meanwhile, the Giants are getting their money's worth and then some out of Beckham.

 

[micropolitan guy]

That definitely wasn't a pick on the two-point conversion. Both defenders covered the slant and nobody took Williams.

The interference that put the Chargers on the one was absolutely correct. Scandrick prevented the receiver from getting one hand up to try to catch the ball.

Uncatchable ball. He caught it one-handed and came down three yards OB. No PI. OTOH, obvious offensive PI on the TD catch, not called.

 

[Chef2]

OK.
I've watched what I thought was a pick play a few times.
I will concede the fact that he slid through it. Was there contact? A little. But I'll concede no pick.
The p-i and the non-offensive p-i that wasn't called........I will not concede that.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Cowboys rookie Leighton Vander Esch has a Christmas package for you.

Here is the full picture for those who didn’t click through:

 

[outofplace]

Uncatchable ball. He caught it one-handed and came down three yards OB. No PI. OTOH, obvious offensive PI on the TD catch, not called.

If he can get his hand on it, that will and should be called every time. Having the defender swipe down on his hand can also affect his body control while trying to catch it. It was without question the correct call.

You are correct about the touchdown, though.The receiver definitely pushed off.