After this terrible loss today, even after a 14-2 season, I say yes. That challenge lost them the game. What the hell was he challenging? He can not win the big game and the Chargers had the players but were out coached to the max!!
Unfortunately, that's the point. The only time coaches are likely to make a difference is in close games. The challenge was a fundamentally moronic decision, and it clearly cost them the chance to get to overtime. Even before then, the Chargers looked like a high school team out there, with stupid penalties and bonehead decisions, including McCree not knocking the ball down on 4th down (every player on the defense should have been reminded of that before that play). That speaks to poor preparation, which is the fault of the coach. I vote yes, but there's no way it will happen. Edit: I thought Marty had 2 years left on his contract, not just one. That certainly makes it more likely that he could get fired, given his poor relationship with A.J. Smith. If he comes back, I have a hunch he won't get his contract extended a la Coughlin!
I agree with the above post. Ans we should also add the 4th and 11 decision to the list of SD blunders. Kick the FG, or play for field position. Those should have been the only two options.
I'm not sure why two posters are saying McCree should have knocked the ball down. The ball was right to him and he wasn't near the end zone. Players should knock the ball down as opposed to trying to intercept passes on 4th down plays near the end zone. But, between the 20s? You go for the pick. It's just unfortunate he fumbled the ball.
I couldn't disagree more, and what happened shows why. There was NO good reason to try to catch the ball - the miniscule possibility of gain (returning the pick for 20+ yards) was more than outweighed by the risk of something bad happening.
And I vehemently disagree the other way. I'm going now to watch TV, so won't really argue any further. Not now at least.
Then why pick it off at all? If he knocked the ball down, it would've been turnover on downs, and Chargers would've gotten the ball anyway. By picking it off and falling on it, they just lose out on the difference between the LOS where Brady and co. started off with and where he caught the ball. EDIT: Oh, and I would've said to fire Marty even before the season started, and today's game sure didn't change my mind.
Exactly. Picking it off and falling down would have been okay; knocking it down was by far the best play. The worst play was picking it off and trying to return it when there was no good reason to do either.
Because I think it's too much to ask of a guy to knock a ball down when your instinct as a DB is to catch it if it comes to you, but you damn well should be aware enough to just fall down once you have the ball.
Aren't most players taught to do that anyway? It's pretty fundamental rule on 4th down attempts. I know it's against instincts not to catch it if it comes at you, but it shouldn't be that hard to overcome, since they're DBs, and they've been learning to knock down passes for most of their careers. Besides, the coaches should've been alert enough to remind them before the ball was even snapped.
Actually, I think, in that situation, he should've either just knocked it down (best option) or return it. None of that pick it off and fall on it crap. He actually ran into that catch in stride and had a decent launch, so I didn't think it was that bad of an idea to return it. The only thing that bothers me, is that you're up by 8 with 4 minutes or so left, and you have the best RB in the league (and possibly history) running in your backfield. Shoulda just played it safe and knock it down.
I honestly think its a possibility... Than again if it wasn't for that bonehead penalty on Drayton Florence... Or the Marlon McCree fumbled INT, we'd probably be celebrating a Charger win...
I'm a bit suprised at some of the names in the "no" column. Of course there are the usual suspects of Herm defenders that no doubt admire the same incompetence they see in Marty's coaching but I don't know what the others are thinking. I'm not sure how you can defend picking a ball off in the middle of traffic on 4th down either. It's not like he was out on the sidelines and jumped a route and had clear field in front of him, there was clearly nowhere for him to go. While your "instincts" as a DB may tell you to try to pick the ball off you also have to recognize the situation and know that just swatting the ball to the ground is the far better play.
