A recap of all that was stupid during the 13th weekend of the 2014 NFL season…
The stupidest Mike Smith moment
We’ve decided that the Atlanta Falcons head coach deserves his own category. He simply makes too many stupid decisions to be ignored.
This week, the Falcons had the ball at the Cleveland 35-yard line, 3rd-and-2 with 55 seconds left in a game they trailed by two. In field goal range, the Browns were probably going to have to start using their timeouts, either right away or after the next snap. But for some reason, Smith called timeout after the second-down play. One incomplete pass later, Atlanta was settling for a field goal that was good but left 44 seconds on the clock.
With all three timeouts still in their back pocket, the Browns charged back down the field and won in walk-off fashion.
Smith defended his decision to take the timeout by saying the Falcons had a specific play in mind for that third down call. But why not just call the play as per usual? Why was an immediate timeout necessary? Smith gave the Browns too much time, either because he is incompetent or he was under-prepared. Or both.
The guy just baffles me.
The stupidest quarterback decision
But Atlanta might not have even been in that position had Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer not thrown this ridiculous interception…
The stupidest quarterback decision, final minute edition
C’mon, Shaun Hill. You throw this away or in a safe spot and you probably still win the game, or at least go to overtime…
The stupidest timing for a celebration
On Thursday night, the Oakland Raiders won for the first time all season. But that nearly didn’t happen because Oakland decided to start celebrating far too early.
Leading by four with just over half a minute to play in the fourth quarter, Sio Moore sacked Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith on third down. And then — in the ultimate example of a team not acting like it has been there before — Moore and teammate Khalil Mack put on an elaborate celebration deep in the Kansas City backfield while the Chiefs prepared to snap the ball on fourth down.
Had they not been bailed out by a timeout, Moore and Mack would have given the Chiefs a free play against a shorthanded defenses on fourth down. It truly could have cost them the game.
Veteran defensive end Justin Tuck was pissed off and called the timeout, possibly saving his silly young team.
The stupidest penalty spree (of the year?)
This goes to Dolphins cornerback Jimmy Wilson, who was flagged for two personal fouls — a heat butt and a horse collar — as well as defensive holding on three separate Broncos scoring drives. That can’t happen.
The stupidest string of fourth-down decisions
Jim Caldwell has to have bigger cojones on fourth down in big games against superior teams. Sunday against the Patriots, Caldwell…
1. Settled for a field goal on 4th-and-6 from the New England 30-yard line on the first possession of the game
2. Settled for a field goal on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line down 7-6 in the second quarter
3. Opted to punt on 4th-and-3 from the New England 39-yard line down 14-6 in the second quarter
4. Opted to punt on 4th-and-1 from his own 27-yard line down 24-6 in the third quarter
Coaching scared rarely pays off.
