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Thank You For Not Coaching: Rivera Makes Right Challenge, Harbaugh Makes Wrong Call

fieryprophet

By fieryprophet,
in Carolina Panthers

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fieryprophet

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http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/82072/thank-you-for-not-coaching-week-10

 

 

 

When a red zone pass to Vernon Davis was ruled incomplete, Rivera (and a fair amount of the people watching who weren't wearing red at the time) saw a play that looked a lot like a catch and a fumble. The announcers even initially called the play as a fumble. It's always tough to get a judgment call like that overturned on review, but the upside was enormous, particularly in a low-scoring game: It would take a minimum of three and possibly even seven points off the board by ending a threatening San Francisco possession on the Carolina 6-yard line. The reward is so high that you should challenge, even if you're not sure, just on the hope you'll get lucky. I don't know that this technically qualifies as a Riverboat Ron moment, but it was the right call from Rivera.

 

In a vacuum, the 49ers should have gone for it in this situation if their chances of succeeding were greater than 35 percent. Given the value of field position in a low-scoring game, I would suspect their breakeven point was probably even lower. They kicked a field goal, allowed a touchdown to Carolina on the ensuing drive, later allowed a field goal to give Carolina the lead, and never even got into field goal position again the rest of the game. San Francisco could have picked up a first down or a touchdown by going for it, and even if it failed, it would have backed Carolina up on its own goal line, likely producing another possession with better field position than the field position it would have the rest of the way. It was a mistake when the decision was made, and the 49ers ended up punished by the outcome.
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fieryprophet

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Harbaugh would have went for them if they had more than 1 TE. Davis got a concussion and the other one was injured during a special teams play. They only had 1 rookie TE over and they can't go in jumbo formation. I think that we're lucky. 

 

I thought they had the best run-blocking offensive line, an analogous quarterback to Cam Newton, and Frank Gore?

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Montsta Rising Star

Montsta

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I thought SF's decision to kick a FG was the correct one. Our D was dominant. They didn't stand much of a chance of picking up that 1st down and points were at a premium on Sunday.

Hindsight is always 20/20. Ron could have used the same exact logic against Buffalo, and it bit him in his asshole.

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