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Agree or disagree with the punt over the field goal.

Coach

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We were at the Cincinnati 35 yard line. Tomlin decides to punt ( Berry was having a bad day ) instead of try a 53-yard field goal where Boswell has been money all year from 47, 49, and even 51. He has not missed any kicks and his kicks have been very good with plenty of leg. So we punt it instead to their 18-yard line getting a net of 17 yards, that was a huge gaffe I believe. That FG would have been huge for us!

Just another one of Tomlin's gut calls that looks poor in hindsight. The defense was playing well.

#SHOULD HAVE TRIED THE FIELD GOAL

Agree or disagree?
 
While I was watching the game I wanted the FG, but after the game and I was talking with friends that were at the game, they told me that the kick was into the open end of the stadium and there was a relatively strong wind blowing. Based on that information I would say the punt was the right play.

Papillon
 
I'm not a big Tomlin fan and I'd go punt.
 
Given the distance of the kickoffs I that direction during the game, I would punt. Looked to me like there was a decent wind in that direction.
 
Would've been good spot for a fake punt or kick
 
Yep, the kicker is doing well. Don't mess with his head. I don't want to give the kid a complex by setting him up to fail.
 
I was hoping for a FG, but I understand the punt. Particularly since our defense had been stopping them up to that point. I'm not a fan of Tomlin AT ALL, and I think there's many things to criticize him for, but that decision isn't one of them.
 
The bigger question is why on the previous play were we sending receivers deep on a 3rd and very long which led to the sack instead of a run or dink and dunk for a few extra yards into FG range. That would put us up by 7 in the 4th and put the pressure on the Bungles.
 
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I didn't have much of an issue with the punt. The wind was pretty strong throughout the game and Berry had been very good at pinning the ball inside of the 10. Combine that with the play of the defense and there was little to complain about. I had a bigger issue with the offense scoring just 10 points and our franchise quarterback throwing three bad interceptions in a game when you can't turn the ball over.
 
I said it during the game thread. We should go for the FG. Boswell has been money. And, then we got a ****** punt out of it. Two bad punts in a row when we needed them most.
 
Have already said I would have tried the 3. Team needed points and the D was playing well and you had a kicker with confidence.
 
No. If he misses it the Bungles get GREAT field position and the fans begin the process of turning on the kicker. (something Steeler fans excel at, by the way...)
 
We handed the Bungles good field position most of the game (at least in comparison to what we got). I absolutely would have tried the kick. Boz hasn't missed yet. Give him a shot from 53. He easily made a 51 yarder already.
 
The bigger question is why on the previous play were we sending receivers deep on a 3rd and very long which led to the sack instead of a run or dink and dunk for a few extra yards into FG range. That would put us up by 7 in the 4th and put the pressure on the Bungles.


This, 4 yards and you got points. Almost like the "bruce" was OC again. Maybe the team went nolstogic, with the throw back uniforms and all......



Salute the nation
 
Would've been good spot for a fake punt or kick

I actually was fully expecting that at that point......an entire game with no trickeration? But that was not to be as we got to see the ever so exquisitely planned out and successful WR screen/fake spike later. Ah, trickery.....you are a fickle *****.
 
It was a defensive battle, I didn't have a problem with the idea of pinning them back.
 
Yep, the kicker is doing well. Don't mess with his head. I don't want to give the kid a complex by setting him up to fail.

No. If he misses it the Bungles get GREAT field position and the fans begin the process of turning on the kicker. (something Steeler fans excel at, by the way...)

I think it's just the opposite, actually. Tomlin may have well messed with the kid's head and/or given him a complex by NOT showing enough confidence in him to make an important long kick like that.

And I don't believe even fickle Steelers fans are going to turn on the guy for missing a 52- or 53-yarder after he made his first 8, and how the fans may or may not react shouldn't even factor into Tomlin's decision to begin with.
 
Wasnt it 10-6 at that point?

In any case, it was definitely a defensive battle where field position was paramount.

Rookie/young kicker? Open end of the field? Swirling winds? 50+ yards? Several legitimate reasons not to mess with the guys confidence.
 
If you dont take the field goal, then you ate least line up to go for it and try the hard count... if they jump, which they had been all game, then the field goal shot is totally in play, if they dont it doesnt affect the punt
 
Wasnt it 10-6 at that point?

In any case, it was definitely a defensive battle where field position was paramount.

Rookie/young kicker? Open end of the field? Swirling winds? 50+ yards? Several legitimate reasons not to mess with the guys confidence.

Yep, it was 10-6 and the Steelers lost by 6. Imagine if they only needed 3 on that last ditch drive instead of a TD. Hmmm, if only they were able to manufacture points some how earlier...I wonder how they could have done that, hmmm, let me think.

The Bengals had 4 drives that started in Steeler territory. Plus, they started two or three other drives that were very similar to where they would have been starting (their own 42) had the kick been missed. The D was playing very well. Actually, 13 out of the Bengals 16 points came only when they started drives in Steeler territory, 2 of which were deep in Steeler territory. The lone exception was the Bengals opening drive for 3. Put same faith in both your kicker and your D, don't live in your fears, Shades!
 
That wasn't the coaching fuckup. The coaching fuckup had to do with field selection. Bengals won the toss and deferred to the second half. We took ball in the first half and Bengals chose the side to defend. Second half, Bengals of course chose ball, and for some unfucking believable reason we chose to defend the open end in the 3rd?!?!? That was just ******* stupid, and I didn't notice it until we had to kick toward the open end in the 4th. That's just bad strategy.
 
I would have run better plays to get back into FG position after the holding penalty.
 
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