Fake Field Goal was Actually Fake Aggressiveness
Aggressiveness in a football coach is a desirable quality, but there is a time and place for said chance-taking. The circumstances of the game and preceding action should in part dictate the choice, or lend reason to it.
Coach Jim Schwartz/Lions photo.
In the Lions-Steelers tilt yesterday afternoon, Jim Schwartz took a gamble that seemed more arbitrary than anything else. Facing a 4th-and-5 from the ten, nursing a four point lead in the final quarter, Schwartz got frisky and sent his holder/punter Sam Martin on a wild ride to FumbleTown; a gutsy call at a time when no such courage was required. Kick the ball, go up a full touchdown, and hope the defense can take you home. After all, DeAndre Levy and company hadn’t given up a TD since early in the first quarter.
This wasn’t a game where offenses were motoring up and down the field at will for the full 60 minutes. The weather was getting progressively worse and points were at a premium in the second half. Schwartz boasted of his approach after the game, claiming he “plays to win,” and that you “can’t call him scared.” Okay, but I’m not calling him smart, either.
This move was not one backed by logic or calculations. It was merely a random attempt at doing something splashy and different.
You can’t help but be reminded of 9-1 Michigan State and their lone blemish on the season at Notre Dame. In that game, the score was tied late in the third quarter with the Spartans on the move near midfield.
Mark Dantonio, the leader of this team built on ferocious defense and conservative offense, decided to get wild for a brief moment, letting his freshman tailback heave the ball downfield. The pass was picked off, the Irish went on to score a touchdown, and a very winnable game became a loss.
Much like a baseball manager that pulls his starter too early so he can start the mix/match game, sometimes the best course of action is just to sit and watch. Your team will win you the game if you let them; just don’t get in the way.
Misfiring Pistons
- The Pistons were clobbered by the Lakers on Sunday night, due in part to another horrific effort at the foul line. The visiting ‘Stones went 7 for 17 from the stripe, which included a combined 2-12 out of the starting front court. Greg Monroe did his best Andre Drummond impression by converting one in eight attempts. This never looked like a game the Pistons would win. Their defense was nonexistent, it was the last game of a western swing, and the Lakers were shooting the ball extremely well. But having said that, 41% from the free throw line is simply unacceptable. The Pistons rank 30th out of 30 in this category, and would be well served to bring in a shooting guru to somehow ignite even the slightest of improvements. For a squad that will not blow many teams out, leading to a number of tight fourth-quarter affairs, the mounting points sacrificed at the line will be very costly -- and possibly too much to overcome.
- Luigi Datome, the Pistons’ Italian rookie, can definitely shoot. He sank 4 of 6 last week in Golden State, his best performance of the year. But boy oh boy, it sure gets scary when ‘Gigi’ has to put the ball on the floor. When defenders close out and make the Ponytailed Assassin dribble, all sorts of zany things happen. It’s like a little mini-adventure. He either travels immediately, gets trapped by multiple defenders, or puts together an awkward series of moves in which he alternates pivot feet at least a half dozen times on his way to the basket. It’s a lot like watching Dirk Nowitzki . . . except not like that at all.
- After a Brandon Jennings three-pointer brought the Pistons to within 12 late in the game, the Lakers called timeout. There were just a couple minutes left, and the outcome was all but decided. As Jennings trotted to the bench, the camera caught him passing by Tom Gores, the Pistons’ owner. Gores was up on his feet, clapping, with a look of approval on his face. Judging by his expression, there was a 75% chance he had no idea which team was leading at the time. Feels good to have an owner that’s so involved!
Ann Arbor Struggles
- When is the last time Michigan had a dangerous kick returner? Dennis Norfleet is speedy and looks the part, but never seems to dramatically change the game with a runback. You might have to go back to Steve Breaston to find a guy that actually put fear in the other team when he had the ball. At least it’s not like the year Lloyd Carr used burly Anthony Thomas to return kicks. The 230-pound A-Train would start to lose steam at about the 15. If he managed to get out to the 30, an oxygen tank was rushed onto the field; along with half a salami on rye from Zingerman’s.
- In a game that flew under the radar on a football-filled weekend, the Wolverines‘ hoops squad traveled to Ames to take on a talented Iowa State team. Despite the Cyclones‘ being unranked, and the Wolverines coming in No. 7 in the country, the ‘Clones were slight favorites in the ballgame. John Beilien’s crew led for much of the second half, but ultimately came up short in a sloppy early-season contest. The Wolverines hoisted 29 times from long range, connecting on just eight. The year is obviously just getting underway, but the early returns on Glenn Robinson’s supposedly improved perimeter game have been less than inspiring. Twelve tries from outside the arc, with a scant two conversions. Big Dog Junior either needs to either remedy the issue or simply come to the realization that his strength lies elsewhere. Three-pointers are glitzy and pretty, but that doesn’t mean everyone can shoot them. Robinson has probably been told that his ticket to the NBA lottery will be stamped when he shows he can knock down the 3 consistently. I say, work on mastering the things you are good at (rebounding, defending, slashing) and leave the shooting to the shooters. (This paragraph is for you too, Rodney Stuckey.)
