No one manages a game better in the NFL than Titans coach Jeff Fisher. He always preserves his timeouts and rarely makes mistakes at the end of the half. I received many emails from fans this week about his decision to let the clock run down before overtime. Here is the breakdown: The Titans had three timeouts when they started their drive and the Dolphins had one.
Tennessee Titans at 1:34, (1st play from scrimmage 1:27)
1-10-TEN 32 (1:27) (Shotgun) V.Young pass incomplete deep right to N.Washington.
This stopping of the clock allowed the Dolphins to gain a timeout and helped in the event they were able to get the ball back.
2-10-TEN 32 (1:22) (Shotgun) V.Young pass incomplete short right to N.Washington.
The Titans need a completion here or else the Fins gain another timeout, which they did with the incompletion.
3-10-TEN 32 (1:15) (Shotgun) V.Young pass short right to B.Scaife to TEN 39 for 7 yards (V.Davis).
Timeout #2 by MIA at 01:08.
Smart timeout. Now, with field position, they might be able to get a long field-goal attempt.
4-3-TEN 39 (1:08) (Punt formation) B.Kern punts 59 yards to MIA 2, Center-K.Amato, downed by TEN-J.McCourty.
Miami Dolphins at 0:56
1-10-MIA 2 (:56) R.Williams right tackle to MIA 6 for 4 yards (C.Finnegan).
Why no timeout here by the Titans? They had three of them remaining. At this point, trying to get a punt attempt might be a course of action. But having seen the Dolphins make a great play to wide receiver Brain Hartline, I’m sure the Titans would rather take their chances in overtime than give up a deep ball. Dan Carpenter and his long field-goal range was another factor. In the end, I’m sure there were merits to calling a timeout, but I think the Titans would have rather been safe than sorry. Also, the Titans defense was very tired at this point in the game since it had given up nine first downs in the quarter and was reeling. The break was needed — Fisher wanted to play it safe, and having been at the game and on the field for the end of the game, I could see the Titans were tired and needed a break. Overtime was a better option than having to deal with the threat of the Dolphins. But both sides have merit.
2-6-MIA 6 (:12) L.Polite up the middle to MIA 9 for 3 yards (G.McRath).
The Titans lost the toss, then won the game with a play in overtime. So it worked out well for Fisher and his team. He was smart to be cautious at the end of the game, especially when his defense was tired and reeling.
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And if Miami had taken the KO in OT and marched down the field to win the game, everyone would be excoriating Fisher......I get tired of all these so-called experts constantly second-guessing guys who have dediccated their lives to what they do and whose instincts are 10 times better than the people who can string a few words together.
He is not referred to as Field Goal Fisher. I live in Nashville and I have never heard that.
Before ragging on Fisher you should know that Bud Adams (the owner of the Titans) rarely spends money on Free Agents (either to keep them or to bring them in). Yet Fisher is still able to build teams through the draft, getting to one Superbowl (and losing by one yard) and then building the best team in the league last year (in my opinion at least, and I am a Giants fan) and losing to the Ravens because of a few bad fumbles.
As a Dolphins fan, I can tell you that I was thanking my lucky stars that Fisher decided to let the game go to OT. If he studied the Dolphins tendencies at all this year, he would know there was no way they were actually going to try to score in that situation. Miami has struggled with their two minute offense all year and have repeatedly given up points at the end of halves. Plus they're one of the most conservative offenses in the league.
He missed out on a big chance to win the game in regulation. Tennessee had a great chance to force Miami to punt, as they'd been stuffing the run pretty well all game. I'm sure they would've had little problem stopping the run if they suspected it was coming as they should have. They would have gotten the ball around midfield with a minute left.
They lost the coin flip, then got lucky that Henne made a horrible throw. I don't credit Fisher's strategy for the win. His decision gave the Dolphins a better chance to win.
Wait until they're about to snap and call it, like the recently changed kick rule. That way the clock is still on your side but you can prepare for items. With Miami having a young passer I think Jeff was a bit more confident of his team being able to catch him in the adjustment game, don't give Sporano's guys control of prepping a young passer during a play stoppage.
So, if the Titan defense was tired, how would calling three timeouts in a row not provide a bit of rest before the game ended in regulation? Likely the Dolphins would have run three times and punted. The Titans would have been close to midfield with 40 seconds left, leaving the entire field open for a mid range pass. With Bironas, the Titans have an excellent kicker. This was a no lose gambit to take the time outs. The Dolphins had no time outs and couldn't have gotten into scoring position.
I like the clock management things you do, but this one isn't as persuasive as most.
Normally I'm a drink-the-kool-aid kinda Mike lombardi fan but clearly he is too close to his story subject with this one ( Considering that by all accounts Fisher is a likeable guy and its hard not to root for titans remarkable turn @ and also considering Lombardi was actually at the game ...it's impossible for him NOT to be biased on this one )
The Titans had their visiting opponent pinned on their own two , with all three of their Defensive time-outs remaining and never tried to win the game ?....
One of the most gutless coaching descisions of the year .
( As stated above by others ~ Lucky thing Henne bailed Fisher out with that OT INT or the Titans amazing Heckle & Jeckle season would have been over )
Mike , sorry but this is one of those rare occasions where you are flat out wrong .
I watched the game and the announcers were questioning Fisher but I think reasonable people could differ. I probably would have called the timeouts because it looked to me that the Dolphins were not going to be aggressive and go down the field so the risk of getting burned deep was pretty small. Had Fisher called the timeouts I bet the Dolphins would have ran the ball or tried a very safe pass play--its not like Henne is Peyton Manning.
Fisher is a very good coach overall, not the greatest in history but certainly in the top five active coaches. Frankly, after the Hoodie he's arguably the second best coach in the league. (Personally I'd say Reid, but Fisher is close.)
No way the Dolphins were going to get risky on their own 6 yardline, Titans have to call a TO there.
He has been the best at one thing, holding onto his job while being mediocre. If he was in a larger market, with his record he would have been fired a long time ago.
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Dec 22, 2009
05:56 PM
Mike Jeff Fisher is the most overrated coach in the NFL. There is always someone out there that states how he is one of the best coaches in the league, I disagree. To me you are what your reocrd say they are and his track record is mediocre at best. Has never won a superbowl, yet he gets mentioned as one of the best. He has been the best at one thing, holding onto his job while being mediocre. If he was in a larger market, with his record he would have been fired a long time ago. There have been several coaches fired lately (gruden, shanahan, billick) who all have better winning percentages than him and SB rings to boot.
The reason he elected to go to overtime is because he always plays things close to the vest, he is a grind it out play it tight and kick a filed goal to win type of coach. I hear in Nashville he is referred to as Field Goal Fisher.