This Weekend in NFL Stupid highlights the dumbest moments and decisions in football throughout the season. Coming out of Week 15, we’re focusing on the league’s worst situational coach.
The stupidest of the stupid
It’s amazing we’ve yet to dedicate this section entirely to Vance Joseph. We’ve called him out many times before, but Joseph’s coaching performance Saturday night clinched it: He’s simply the worst at making on-the-fly calls in close football games.
Exhibit 1: Down four points with 4:35 remaining, Joseph settled for a field-goal attempt rather than going for it on 4th-and-6 at the Cleveland 11-yard line.
The math says that’s a bad decision. And the Broncos have a competent analytics department. So … you figure it out.
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) December 16, 2018
Some might suggest that was simply Joseph “trusting his defense.” But that’s ridiculous because he was basically out of healthy cornerbacks. It’s also ridiculous because it makes no sense.
Argument could be made that going for it better represents trust in your defense than the alternative.
— Brad Gagnon (@Brad_Gagnon) December 16, 2018
And it was also stupid because Denver was already down a timeout. Why? Because Joseph did this earlier on before a play at the opposing 21-yard line…
Timeout in the second half of a close game before a 3rd-and-14 LOL
— Brad Gagnon (@Brad_Gagnon) December 16, 2018
As a result, the Broncos got the ball back with way less time remaining than they otherwise would have. And on that last-ditch drive, they…
1. Wasted nearly 15 seconds before spiking the ball on a first down at midfield with 52 seconds remaining…
A lot of questionable decisions by the #Broncos over the last few minutes. The spike at midfield may have been the worst one, which is saying something.
— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) December 16, 2018
2. Ran this play on third down…
What is this play on third and 10???? You need a first down & have two plays to get there, and you know Gregg Williams is going to blitz. Where are these receivers running? Absolutely no one underneath for Keenum to pass to. You are in field-goal range when you get a first down!! pic.twitter.com/F3np4ddCGd
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 16, 2018
It’s been a slice, Vance.
Lightning round
Make that 10 consecutive lost challenges for the clueless Mike Tomlin, who had an entire commercial break to see that the Patriots didn’t step on the goal line on this downed punt but inexplicably threw the red flag anyway…
Mike Tomlin is such a bad challenger. pic.twitter.com/NEYXQjdVM5
— Brad Gagnon (@Brad_Gagnon) December 16, 2018
Come on, Todd Gurley and Gerald Everett. You probably cost your offense two more shots at the end zone with the game on the line. Gotta get out of bounds in these situations…
Very good chance the Rams get to overtime if not for this silliness. pic.twitter.com/brKxcE0FVq
— Brad Gagnon (@Brad_Gagnon) December 17, 2018
We may need to rethink what merits a disqualification…
Imagine being disqualified for doing this twice. pic.twitter.com/2hbcqaahUI
— Brad Gagnon (@Brad_Gagnon) December 16, 2018
Regarding Bill O’Brien and Todd Bowles Saturday night, MDS sums it up well…
So a bad call went against the Jets. But the Jets didn't challenge. Then the Texans called timeout. Now there's enough time for everyone to see five different angles showing it was a bad call against the Jets. And the Jets still don't challenge.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 16, 2018
Final stupid word
This is not the first time this has happened this year…
Broncos drive the field methodically and have it 3rd & short here. Nice work from Coley and Peppers to work down the line on this pin/pull to blow it up short. Nice work from Carrie spilling it inside as well. Broncos kick a FG (yuck). Missed delay of game as well. #BrownsFilmBDN pic.twitter.com/eZNtFLko5X
— BrownsFilmBreakdown (@BrownsFilmBDN) December 17, 2018
What the hell is going on? Delay of game isn’t a hard thing to miss. The back judge needs a moment to move his eyes from the play clock to the quarterback before blowing the play dead, which is why there’s essentially a split-second grace period. This is more than a split-second, and it’s one of several easy, rarely-missed calls that have been missed far too often in 2018.
My theory? Officiating errors are seemingly up across the league because these guys are simply overwhelmed by an increasingly bloated, overly complicated rule book.
This problem won’t go away until major changes are made that enable officials to focus on and remember less.