Coughlin's Inexplicable Field Goal Decision Dooms Giants Against Bears
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--What, exactly, was Tom Coughlin thinking?
The New York Giants faced a fourth-and-15 play at the Chicago 34-yard line early in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's showdown game at Giants Stadium between the NFC's two top teams. The Bears led, 24-20.
Coughlin, essentially, had two viable options. He could leave his offense on the field and go for it on fourth down, or he could punt and try to pin the Bears deep in their own territory.
A field goal wasn't a realistic option. His kicker, Jay Feely, doesn't have the strongest leg and this kick would be into the wind on a damp, chilly night.
But Coughlin inexplicably sent Feely in to try a 52-yard field goal, and the decision ended up clinching the game for the Bears.
Feely's kick fell predictably short. The ball was fielded eight yards deep in the end zone by Bears rookie cornerback Devin Hester, who hesitated, walked to the front of the end zone and then raced to the opposite end zone for a 108-yard touchdown that tied the NFL record set last Nov. 13 by Chicago cornerback Nathan Vasher against the San Francisco 49ers.
Game over.
"That definitely put the game out of reach a little bit," Bears quarterback Rex Grossman said.
The Bears led, 31-20, en route to a 38-20 triumph that reestablished them as the team to beat in the conference.
"I chose to go for it," Coughlin said, "and that ended up being the determining factor."
Coughlin said he considered a punt but never thought about going for it on fourth down.
"I wrestled with it, yeah," he said.
Hester said his hesitation was by design to see what the Giants players would do.
"If anything opened up," he said, "I was given the green light to go.... It was a close game and both teams were scrapping to get points. I probably would have downed it if I'd seen defenders coming towards me. But I saw all of them just walking off the field like the play was over."
He said he looked forward to joining Vasher in the Hall of Fame.
"Records are made to be tied, in this case," Hester said.
By Mark Maske |
November 13, 2006; 1:13 AM ET
| Category:
Bears
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Posted by: WTF? | November 13, 2006 11:23 AM
I remember when Brett Favre threw a 90 something yard TD pass to Robert Brooks on MNF 9 or 10 years ago against the Cubs...no wait, it was 107 yards. My bad...
BTW....Coughlin is an idiot.
Posted by: AKfaust | November 13, 2006 6:48 PM
Dorsett's run is actually more amazin when you consider there were only 10 Cowboy's on the field at the time of the play.
Posted by: 99 Yards | November 13, 2006 8:46 PM
Yeah, yeah, yeah..so Grenn caught TD and tackled him from behind back in Sep 1983...fast forward to 1991 when Emmitt Smith broke his first TD run against the Deadskins...Green caught up with ES running free down the sideline just like a repeat of the famous TD run down....except Emmitt turned and punched DG right in the head a-la stiffarm and knocked Green down and ran into the endzone for the touchdown.
Green was a great pass cover guy but he could be had by a determined runner like ES.
There is a reason Emmitt is the greatest running back of all time. He never stopped playing...ever.
BTY...the best runners of all times are as follows:
1) Emmitt Smith
2) Tony Dorsett
3) Earl Campbell
4) All The Rest
Posted by: Redskin Hater | November 13, 2006 8:56 PM
Around 1985 I remember Darrell Green intercepting a pass in the end zone against Detroit,hesitating,then taking it back about 105 yards.The play was called a touchback,however,because the hesitation caused the officials to rule the play over.I don't understand how Devin Hester can wait to see what everyone is doing before deciding to run.The play strikes me as a little bogus.
By the way,Redskin Hater,I'm sure Emmitt Smith's career avg. is better than Jim Brown's or Barry Sanders,who were at 5.2 and 5.0.
Posted by: seang | November 14, 2006 1:30 AM
Hey seang, You can't argue with numbers...
Smith's Career Totals 17,162-4.2 TDs 153
Payton's Career Totals 16,726-4.4 TDs 110
Jim Brown Career Totals 12,312-5.2 TDs 106
Not to mention Emmitt has Three Super Bowl Rings and was a multiple NFL MVP, and a Super Bowl MVP.
Payton and Brown never led their teams to multiple NFL Championships like Emmitt Smith did, you can add up all their Super Bowl wins and the one they have betwen them pale in comparison.
Brown played with smaller less well paid players. He'd be a star in today's NFL...but not a super star like he was.
The stats tell all.
Emmitt rules!
Posted by: Cowboys Rule | November 14, 2006 8:56 PM
WTF...you'll probably never read this since it's already archived but...
The NFL field is 100 yards long. Not 99 with a "neutral strip". Where on earth did you get that from? Ever have seats on the 49.5 yard line?
Dorsett's run was 99 yards because the rush starts from the line of scrimmage. For a person to have a rush of more than 99 yards is impossible because the NFL does not measure half yards, and a full 100 yard rush would mean the scrimmage line would be on the goal line which is equally not possible. You are correct that Dorsett's record cannot be broken, because it is a rush. Just like no one can ever have a receiving play longer than 99 yards for the same reason - not because the field is only 99 yards long. Again, it is 100 yards.
Posted by: Anonymous | November 15, 2006 1:39 PM
Alright Sizzlechest...
Either way, it does not detarct from my original complaint.....100+ yard runs or returns should not be allowed into the record books. The field is not 108 yards long. It stops at the end zone line.
WTF?
Posted by: WTF? | November 15, 2006 8:05 PM
It's not either way, it's MY way. 100+ yard RUNS are impossible. Your way was just plain wrong.
I agree that 100+ yard RETURNS should be treated as they are in NCAA, measured from the goalline if started in the endzone. It is ridiculous to treat passes and returns differently (if Brunell passes from the 10 yard line to the back of the endzone - wait, better make that more realistic...if Manning does that, he isn't credited with a 19 yard pass)
Posted by: Sizzle | November 16, 2006 2:39 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
This nonsense of 106, 107 & 108 yard returns needs to end. A football field is actually 99 yards long, 49 yards on each side with a neutral midfield strip one yard wide.
That is why Tony Dorsett's record run against Minnesota in 1983 is listed as 99 yard's, end zone to end zone. From NFL.COM
Longest Run From Scrimmage
99 Tony Dorsett, Dallas vs. Minnesota, Jan. 3, 1983 (TD)
Dorsett's record can only be tied, never broken. There are no yard markers inside the end zone. The yardage starts when a player crosses the goal line.
PS...Good thing Darrell Green wasn't in Minnesota that night!