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There was an old game for Sega Genesis called Joe Montana Sports Talk Football. It was in no way notable for having super-realistic game play or ahead-of-its-time graphics. What set this game apart is that from the opening kick to the final gun, there was an actual announcer calling the action.
It turned an otherwise average football video game into something you’d willingly jam away at for three to nine hours without worrying about things like food, water, fresh air, or family.
One of the main “bugs” of the game was that the best offensive sets were usually found in the Special Teams part of the playbook. Yes, the fake punt and fake field goal were oftentimes the most dangerous way for an offense to operate. And as an added bonus, when you’d call these plays on an early down, it would make the robot play-by-play guy have a complete panic attack.
Toggle through the options, select “Fake Punt,” and when the huddle would break, the on-air meltdown would commence.
“The kicking team comes on. It’s first down. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!”
The best part is that even after calling this same play (or the Fake FG) 25 consecutive times, he’d still be just as surprised (and angry) on each snap. A sharp memory was not the strong suit of this virtual gentleman.
Shenanigans on Fourth Down
Why do I bring up this long-forgotten video game? Because the same thing seems to be playing out with the Detroit Lions in the Jim Caldwell era. Only, the shenanigans take place on fourth down, not first, and instead of amping up the creativity to move the ball down the field, he prefers to boot it away to the other team.
As the head coach for a franchise that is often dealing with a paper-thin margin for error, that lack of aggression is ill-afforded; and often represents the difference between winning and losing.
The loss to Tennessee on Sunday, and the loss to Dallas in the playoffs two seasons ago, are almost identical twins.
Both games saw the Lions jump out to an early lead. Both games had controversial bouts of officiating. And most disturbing, both contained a play-not-to-lose punt on fourth down that came back to bite the Lions right on the fuzzy part of the tail.
It’s something that is rarely mentioned when discussing that heartbreaker at JerryWorld in the 2014 playoffs. Ask any Lions fan about that game -- the response you’ll get 99% of the time will be something related to Brandon Pettigrew and a picked-up flag and how all the forces of the world were aligned to make the Cowboys win that afternoon.
But we all seem to forget; that was not a 4th-and-1 incompletion. It was third down. The Lions were still in control of the ball, on the Dallas side of the field (the 46), and needing just a single yard to maintain possession. Not only that, but the Lions defense was obviously tiring; the Cowboys had driven for scores (1 TD, 1 FG) their last two turns on offense.
There was every reason in the world to play for that yard. But Jim Caldwell, quite possibly the least dynamic in-game coach in the NFL, elected to punt. The rest is history.
The game this past Sunday did not carry nearly the same weight. This was only Week 2 and the playoffs are still very much in the distance. But it was still very important. On the rare occasion that the Lions qualify for the post-season, it is usually by a hair over their next closest competitor. After all, they have not had a playoff bye since 1991.
So while the game against Tennessee was in the middle of September, and not late-December, it was still critical. And the Lions landed flat on their faces again.
But could the outcome have been different? Did it have to be another Sunday where the team blamed the zebras without acknowledging they could have done more to take control of their own destiny?
Again, there was a key fourth down decision. This one came on the Lions third possession of the game.
After a 3-and-out to open the contest, the Lions marched down the field the next time out. It was a surgical drive that took eight plays and spanned 79 yards. Coming on the heels of a safety, the Lions were firmly in charge and quite possibly on the verge of putting the punchless Titans in a serious hole.
The home team began this key possession at their own 27. After a handful of touches for Theo Riddick mixed in with some surprising Stafford scrambling, the Lions had traveled to the Tennessee 39-yard-line. But alas, it was the dreaded Caldwell kryptonite -- fourth down.
Thankfully, the Lions needed just three yards for a new set of downs. And in actuality, this was right in the powerful Matt Prater’s field goal-kicking range. Plus, the game was indoors, ideal conditions for a long boot.
All that being said, there was no way Caldwell would think about a punt. Sure, he coaches the game very carefully with little to no risk; but willingly releasing the football with just three yards to gain inside of the other team’s 40? When trying to become 2-0 for just the second time in nine years? Even that level of offensive dullness seemed like an impossibility.
But again, it was not. Caldwell called for the punt team. All I could think of was that robot announcer from the mid-90s. “I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” Poetically, the Lions would eventually lose the game by a single point.
Football seasons, compared to all other major sports, are strikingly short. Playing just 16 games and likely needing 10 wins to do anything of significance leaves very little room for gaffes or slip-ups.
These were two heavy decisions, ones that had a major impact on each game.
Each time, Caldwell opted for safety over spirit.
The results were predictable, and ultimately, deadly.
