Falcons Coach Mike Smith Says Going For It On Fourth Down Was His Call Alone

When Shaun Rogers, Will Smith and a host of New Orleans Saints stopped Atlanta Falcons' Michael Turner on a fourth-and-1 at the Falcons 29 yard line in overtime, Mike Smith became villain No. 1 at the Georgia Dome. And, he's owning it. Smith told reporters after the game that he made the call to go for it, nobody else. "It was something I take full responsibility for," he said. "It's my decision and my decision solely. First we were going to punt the football, then had a change of heart and I wanted us to go for it. I thought that the ball was inside a half a yard and I thought we could get it. I did not want to give the football back to the Saints. In previous games, in close games that we've played them, we've punted the ball and they've gotten the ball back with three minutes to go in the ballgame. We never saw it again, and they ended up winning the ball game. That was the decision process I went through."

Source: The Times Picayune

 

I agree with the call to go for it. It was fourth and an inch. The play that was called though was moronic. Sneak the damn ball, don't run a draw.

 

Especially when that play was at you OWN 30 YARD LINE. Talk about a dumbass of the year call.

 

Dumb play

 

Yep. Right call, dumb play.

 

there's a couple of people in this thread that agree with the call and i've heard some of the media pundits backing the decision. I don't agree and here is why.

typically, teams that go for it on 4th and 1 'make it' about 60% of the time (depending on the year). where the field position was, it was almost guaranteed that if they didn't make it (40% odds), the game was over, and EVEN IF they MADE it (only 60% chance), they STILL had to go another 40 yards just to get into reasonable field goal range. Therefore, he was basically conceding that he believed his poor odds of converting the 4th down AND driving the ball another 40 yards + AND making a field goal were BETTER than his defense stopping the Saints on a long field.

Very bad decision because of the field position. IF he had been mid-field or better, I would understand more debate but where the ball was and his odds of everything happening perfectly makes this a very poor decision.

The Falcons 'may' have still lost the game if he had punted, but he lessened his team's chances of winning by going for it and that is his ONLY job when he makes in-game decisions.