Jeff Fisher on fake punt: I liked the look

[tavian]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/10/09/jeff-fisher-on-fake-punt-i-liked-the-look/

Jeff Fisher on fake punt: I liked the look
Posted by Josh Alper on October 9, 2016, 8:59 PM EDT

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The Rams faced a couple of fourth down decisions on offense late in their game against the Bills on Sunday and coach Jeff Fisher faced questions about both of them after the 30-19 loss.

The first decision came on fourth-and-goal from the four-yard-line with just under six minutes to play in the game. The Rams trailed 23-16 at the end of a drive spanning more than eight minutes and Fisher opted to kick a field goal rather than try for a touchdown. A failure to score a touchdown would have left the Rams in need of driving for a touchdown to have a chance to tie the game while kicking the field goal meant having to score a touchdown to win it.

“The reason for [taking] the points is I was playing to win,” Fisher said in his postgame press conference.

Decision No. 2 came a couple of minutes later when the Rams faced a fourth-and-five from their own 23-yard-line. Fisher sent out the punt, but called a fake that had the ball snapped to wide receiver Bradley Marquez. Marquez was swarmed by Bills and a touchdown a few plays later put the game out of reach for Los Angeles. Fisher said he “liked the look” they got from Buffalo, but a good look wasn’t enough.

“I wouldn’t have called it if I didn’t think it would work,” Fisher said. “That’s how those things are. We practiced it all week, we had the look and it didn’t work. I’ll take that. They executed it in practice, they didn’t execute it there. If that thing works, it’s good stuff. It’s really good stuff. It didn’t and they don’t always work. That type of approach in special teams has taken us a long way.”

There’s no doubt that catching the Bills sleeping in that situation could turn into a huge gain, but it’s not a great look when you prefer a fake punt to your regular offense when you absolutely have to get a first down. That offense will need to build more confidence to build on a 3-2 start to the season and upping their touchdown rate — six in five games — would be a good place to start.
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How do you like" the look" when they had 3 defenders lined up in the hole we were trying to run through?
Fisher should have called a time out when he saw that.
"They executed it in practice, they didn’t execute it there."
Love how our head coach accepts responsibility for his Dumb blunders.

 

[raised_fisT]

"That type of approach in special teams has taken us a long way.”

Really, Fish? If "a long way" means under .500 year in and year out , then well, I guess you're right.

 

[OntarioRam]

Jeff Fisher needs to go. If you want to gamble, do it when you're knocking on the door of the end zone. Instead he gets conservative and kicks the FG, only to fake a punt around his own 20. Gtfo.

 

[-X-]

“I wouldn’t have called it if I didn’t think it would work,” Fisher said. “That’s how those things are. We practiced it all week, we had the look and it didn’t work. I’ll take that. They executed it in practice, they didn’t execute it there. If that thing works, it’s good stuff. It’s really good stuff. It didn’t and they don’t always work. That type of approach in special teams has taken us a long way.”

He's probably right. And if it actually worked, we would have commented on the size and metallic compound of his balls. Just like we did on other trick plays that worked. I still disagree that it was a smart risk though with the way the defense had been playing up to that point. Still plenty of time (and timeouts) to get the ball back again and do it the traditional way.

 

[RamsFlash80]

 

[Florida_Ram]

View: http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Jeff-Fisher-Postgame-Press-Conference---109/4df08591-c187-459a-a8f4-22ebddba195c

 

[gabriel18]

Did anyone else wonder why Fisher accepted the 5 yard penalty on second down after we stuffed the run for a loss of 2 yads . I thought it was a poor decision to give them another down for a difference of a couple yards . Turns out it didnt matter but another head scratcher

 

[Picked4td]

personally I dont really mind the call. Punt it or not, you would still need a defensive stop and a td, only difference is whether the td wins it or ties it (assuming the fg is made). Missing 3 dline starters, so you got backups that are probably stupid tired, and just lost your top CB.

Fakes are a gamble and part of gambling is knowing you arent going to win them all. Theres been times where the gambles have paid off and times like today where they havent. Its the reason its a gamble. Im more upset that they didnt go for it on 4th in the redzone

 

[kurtfaulk]

He's probably right. And if it actually worked, we would have commented on the size and metallic compound of his balls

But it didn't work. You know the drill. Further, it never looked like it was gonna work. He liked the look but why did it fail? He definitely needs to take all the heat he gets because of that call.

.

 

[-X-]

But it didn't work. You know the drill. Further, it never looked like it was gonna work. He liked the look but why did it fail? He definitely needs to take all the heat he gets because of that call.

.

I know. I'm not excusing it. I'm just stating the obvious.
Had it worked, he would have gotten the praise.
But it failed, so he's getting the heat.
Nature of the beast.

 

[tavian]

But it didn't work. You know the drill. Further, it never looked like it was gonna work. He liked the look but why did it fail? He definitely needs to take all the heat he gets because of that call.

.

That's what I'm saying.Once everyone lined up you knew it was a bad look.Should have called a timeout
and changed the call.

 

[ramfan46]

I just wish he would be that aggressive and creative on Offense for once! How can you scheme up something like The Mountaineer and can't do squat X and O wise on Offense??? There is more to be squeezed out of this cast if used properly IMO.

 

[kurtfaulk]

I know. I'm not excusing it. I'm just stating the obvious.
Had it worked, he would have gotten the praise.
But it failed, so he's getting the heat.
Nature of the beast.

I failed to comment on the second part of your post. This call showed he had no faith in case to drive the Rams for a td with no timeouts left on the clock. That's why he took such a game ending risk.

.

 

[tavian]

I just wish he would be that aggressive and creative on Offense for once! How can you scheme up something like The Mountaineer and can't do squat X and O wise on Offense??? There is more to be squeezed out of this cast if used properly IMO.

We didn't scheme "The Mountaineer".It had been done by other teams before us.

 

[-X-]

I failed to comment on the second part of your post. This call showed he had no faith in case to drive the Rams for a td with no timeouts left on the clock. That's why he took such a game ending risk.

.

Maybe. It's a different way to look at it.
Don't know that it's true, but good take.

 

[RedRam]

We didn't scheme "The Mountaineer".It had been done by other teams before us.

Perhaps copying some other touchdown producing plays used by other teams is in order...

 

[tavian]

Perhaps copying some other touchdown producing plays used by other teams is in order...

Nice.lol

 

[lordbannon]

Did anyone else wonder why Fisher accepted the 5 yard penalty on second down after we stuffed the run for a loss of 2 yads . I thought it was a poor decision to give them another down for a difference of a couple yards . Turns out it didnt matter but another head scratcher

It was a pre-snap penalty. There wasn't the option to take the 2 yard loss, as the play should have been whistled dead.

 

[12intheBox]

I know. I'm not excusing it. I'm just stating the obvious.
Had it worked, he would have gotten the praise.
But it failed, so he's getting the heat.
Nature of the beast.

Normally it is. Normally when a coach wins - it means extensions and when they lose - it means pink slips. Normally Accountability lives and dies on the coaches shoulders but not so for some reason with Fisher. He takes heat in this forum and to some extent with the media but he doesn't take the kind of heat that matters.

 

[99Balloons]

The fake punt would have worked had Hekker thrown the ball instead of a run play by Marquez. Too bad Benny Cunningham was not available. Otherwise, it would have been Hekker to Cunningham fake punt for a first down.