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naraburns  nihil supernum  2yr ago (text post)   4297 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 12, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Can the Chiefs come back down 14? Or is the Eagles?

Is that not already a common tactic?

I’ve been to a lot of games that ended with running down the clock. Mostly in college football, which is generally more chaotic than pro. It’s usually done to defend a lead, rather than technically before getting one, just because teams aren’t usually down by 0-2 points in the last minutes.

And going for a field goal over an unsure TD is definitely normal.

Point is, if the practice is already common, it’s not going to change perceptions of the sport.

Point is, if the practice is already common, it’s not going to change perceptions of the sport.

I agree with this. When @DoctorMonarch was describing what happened I was thinking "this is just normal clock management in the NFL, I don't think there's anything to really write home about here". I can agree that it makes the game less exciting to watch to some extent, but for better or for worse it's accepted as standard practice.

I'm not a diehard NFL fan, I've seen a lot of games end with winding down the clock but it's the first time I remember seeing someone intentionally dive in front of the open end-zone to avoid a touchdown.

It’s become pretty common practice but it requires a smart head coach and a disciplined player. There are many examples where the player was told to go down before the end zone but instinct took him in.

Ohhhhhhh. I missed that detail (and didn't watch the game cause no Packers = I sleep). I thought that the issue was with running out the clock and then kicking a field goal, not that someone intentionally avoided scoring to run the clock out more. I agree that's pretty suspect - I would guess that if it becomes common the league will crack down on it.

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