Dear Dallas, I would like to offer my services.

[jpete1966]

It look likes you may need a time manager. I would be willing to offer my services for a small fee (let's say the money you cost me on today's game). Here's the secret. Ready? When the there is 2 minutes left and you don't have enough time outs to get the ball back the correct decision would be to let Denver score. I know what your thinking " that's crazy. We have a much better chance of scoring a field goal to tie". I can't really argue with that. You are correct. However, when the clock goes to zero your "only down by three" logic isn't going to work. See where I'm going with this. 2 minutes with timeouts actually gives you a chance to win. Of course you would have to deal with a tough Denver secondary that only allowed you to scor 48 points the entire game.

On second thought, you're right. Maybe they will miss that field goal. Cross your fingers!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad getting Denver -3.5 live. I mean I got Northwestern +4.5 last night so it all equals out.

[Russian Rocket]

[greenhippo]

Always a believer of letting them score when if you don't they'll get a 30 yard FG with 2 seconds left. Happened a few years back when Pats lost to Bills. Pats tried to let them in the endzone and refs say he came up short, Belicheck goes crazy telling the refs that the Bills did score a TD because he wanted to get the ball back. Bills run time down and kick chipshot to win the game with no time left.

[opie1988]

While that's all neat and stuff......this philosophy doesn't apply for today's game.

At the point you're talking about, it was 3rd & 1 for Denver. If the Cowboys were able to stop them, then a FG would've been Denver's only choice. They actually almost did stop them, but the measurement gave them the first.

After that, Denver never attempted to run into the end zone. They were set up for the FG as time wound down.

So, in summation, this thread makes zero sense.

[lakerboy]

opie this one hurt

[JJJ]

cowboys

[billysink]

While that's all neat and stuff......this philosophy doesn't apply for today's game.

At the point you're talking about, it was 3rd & 1 for Denver. If the Cowboys were able to stop them, then a FG would've been Denver's only choice. They actually almost did stop them, but the measurement gave them the first.

After that, Denver never attempted to run into the end zone. They were set up for the FG as time wound down.

So, in summation, this thread makes zero sense.

Winner.

End of thread.

[Louisvillekid1]

While that's all neat and stuff......this philosophy doesn't apply for today's game.

At the point you're talking about, it was 3rd & 1 for Denver. If the Cowboys were able to stop them, then a FG would've been Denver's only choice. They actually almost did stop them, but the measurement gave them the first.

After that, Denver never attempted to run into the end zone. They were set up for the FG as time wound down.

So, in summation, this thread makes zero sense.

disagree, who cares about fg/td... They haven't stopped your offense all day long. The cowboys should of known that peyton would kneel down after wards.

You gave up 600 yards and now you going to make a defensive stand with your back against the well on 3rd and a foot? PLease

This game was about offense and with a dez bryant you always have a chance to score. There was 1:47 on the clock, I was saying let 'em score before the play...

So in summation, your post makes zero sense...

Tough loss opie, get'em next time

[opie1988]

opie this one hurt

Yes. It did. Very much.

I love Tony, and I think he's a great QB most of the time. Today he played 99% of the game as good as a QB could play.

It's just that his head is ****** from his gaffes at the worst possible time. He's never recovered from that play in Seattle all those years ago, and that's sad.

But before the haters start chiming in.....name a better option for Dallas at QB than Romo. Trust me, if they cut him, there'd be 25 teams fighting to sign him as their starter.

Don't kid yourself.

[opie1988]

disagree, who cares about fg/td... They haven't stopped your offense all day long. The cowboys should of known that peyton would kneel down after wards.

You gave up 600 yards and now you going to make a defensive stand with your back against the well on 3rd and a foot? PLease

This game was about offense and with a dez bryant you always have a chance to score. There was 1:47 on the clock, I was saying let 'em score before the play...

So in summation, your post makes zero sense...

Tough loss opie, get'em next time

You're completely wrong here.

Why would you possibly not care if it's a TD or a FG in that spot??

Wouldn't you think the success rate of needing to only get in FG position versus scoring a td would be significantly higher?

No one with a clue allows a team to score when it's 3rd and 1. That's not even in the discussion.

[Vegas39]

You're completely wrong here.

Why would you possibly not care if it's a TD or a FG in that spot??

Wouldn't you think the success rate of needing to only get in FG position versus scoring a td would be significantly higher?

No one with a clue allows a team to score when it's 3rd and 1. That's not even in the discussion.

way day had gone you weren't stopping them so made most sense to let them score to have any shot

[BriGuy]

disagree, who cares about fg/td... They haven't stopped your offense all day long. The cowboys should of known that peyton would kneel down after wards.

You gave up 600 yards and now you going to make a defensive stand with your back against the well on 3rd and a foot? PLease

And yet, they almost did exactly that. Fact is there was a 1 yard window where Denver gets the 1st down but not the touchdown and while they weren't deliberately trying for that, that's what they got.

[Louisvillekid1]

BEcause the odds of you stopping them on 3rd and a foot are < then the odds of scoring a td in over 1:30. Shit they scored 2 in 56 seconds.

That just the pure math of it.

But the important issue is the feel of the game, my guess is it never crossed Jason Garfunkel's mind. He Probably said if they get it , I'll let 'em score the next play. Then said 'oh shit, I didn't think about that they would kneel it.

[dbear808]

Coaches have to be capable of thinking outside the box. Mr opie, you could not be more wrong in your opinion. This is a perfect example of using your time outs to give the team a chance to at the very least, tie the game. Nit pik the actual details if you must, but the Broncos had the ball inside Dallas' 10 yard line with about 1:30 remaining in the game and Dallas had one or two of their time outs left. If the Cowboys let the Broncos score, they have over one minute and their timeouts in order to get a touchdown to tie the game up. I mean, the Broncos' defense showed they could not consistently stop the Cowboys' offense, so it is not a hopeless thought that the Cowboys could score a touchdown in that situation. This tactic has been used countless times; it has even been used in the most important game of the season. But coaches are fearful to embrace this thought process; it can give the impression to fans and players alike that the defense cannot be trusted to properly do their jobs. People who are watching the game (or have followed the team for a reasonable period of time) already have that opinion anyway, so how is it better to lose the game by 3 points and not use the entire arsenal of available strategies or lose by 7 points and give your team a realistic chance to extend the game?

[ZetaPsi808]

theres no way dallas was gonna stop denver on 3rd and a foot there

denver was gashing them all game long

dallas should have let them score

i rather be down 7 with 1:30 left then down 3 with 1 second left

[ZetaPsi808]

to be honest either result was cool with me i had dallas +7.5 -105

[InTheDrink]

cowboys werent making that stand if fukkin too tall jones and randy white ran out on to the field

[jjgold]

Romo's claim to fame is throwing critical interceptions and losing ball games he has great stats and has a great arm and a good quarterback but he can just barely get the 500 every year

[InTheDrink]

Romo's claim to fame is throwing critical interceptions and losing ball games he has great stats and has a great arm and a good quarterback but he can just barely get the 500 every year

da fuk?

[lakerboy]

da fuk?

what you confused about? romo has great stats but he is mostly a .500 qb.

[opie1988]

cowboys werent making that stand if fukkin too tall jones and randy white ran out on to the field

They made that first down by about 2 fukkin inches. We all saw the measurement.

If it had been 1st and goal, no question you let them score. But you don't do it on 3rd and 1.

If you don't think its a better % play to get yourself only into field goal range vs having to score a td, then you just don't get it.

How they had scored earlier in the game has nothing to do with that situation. It completely changes the way Denver had to defend, when a you care about is not allowing the td.

[pologq]

i think peyton was purposely telling the rb to just do enough to get the 1st down. when watching the play he is yelling at the rb before the snap and the rb runs into his tackles and actually goes down on his own. manning managed the game better than the cowboys did. by right the broncos should have let thomas walk right into the endzone on that 13 yard pass play. i think they had all their timeouts at first and would have had all 3 and the ball back with like 1:35 left.

[King Mayan]

cowboys