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View Full Version : Cowher critical of Mike Tomlin's decision to try an onside kick



Shoes
01-14-2018, 10:53 PM
Bill Cowher (https://247sports.com/coach/Bill-Cowher3314) joined the many members of Steeler Nation who didn't understand Mike Tomlin (https://247sports.com/coach/Mike-Tomlin-3362)'s decision to try an onside kick late in Sunday's loss to he Jaguars.
Tomlin made the decision to try an onside kick with down 42-35 with 2:18 remaining and with two timeouts and the two minute warning coming up. Chris Boswell (https://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Boswell-57640)'s onside attempts fell woefully short of the mandatory 10-yard distance, setting up the Jaguars' game-clinching field goal with 1:45 left.

https://247sports.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/Bolt/Pittsburgh-Steelers-Bill-Cowher-critical-of-Mike-Tomlins-decision-to-try-an-onside-kick-113720896

Mojouw
01-14-2018, 10:58 PM
Cool. Cowher has opinions. Interesting coming from the guy who opened the second half of a SB with an onsides kick because his team was trying to mount a comeback and his vaunted defense hadn’t stopped anyone all game.

Tomlin played full throttle to win and pulled out all the stops. Rather that than playing not to lose.

Shoes
01-14-2018, 11:04 PM
Cool. Cowher has opinions. Interesting coming from the guy who opened the second half of a SB with an onsides kick because his team was trying to mount a comeback and his vaunted defense hadn’t stopped anyone all game.

Tomlin played full throttle to win and pulled out all the stops. Rather that than playing not to lose.

I don't care about Cowher's opinion, but I would have kicked it deep. I think it would have given us more of a chance but we'll never know. If Tomlin didn't have faith in the defense, he better talk to Rooney about Butler's sleepwalking.

st33lersguy
01-14-2018, 11:31 PM
They needed to do an onside kick. Time was running out and the defense couldn't stop a nosebleed with a wet towel

j-d-s
01-14-2018, 11:35 PM
I do agree with the onside kick there, at least generally. In particular, it seems like we didn't have any concepts or practices on onside kicks whatsoever (and has been that way for years), thus our really poor record there. That is also why I think Smith needs to leave.

As a proponent of an aggressive approach, I even thought that we should've done an onside kick earlier, I really thought that sometime in the second or third quarter (can't remember exactly when). Similar to what the Saints did in their Super Bowl against the Colts.

hawaiiansteeler
01-15-2018, 01:39 AM
Tomlin doesn't live in his fears

Count Steeler
01-15-2018, 05:05 AM
Onside kicks are poorly designed. If I were coach, I would have plays where the ball is kicked 20-25 yards in the air to a specific spot. The receiving "hands" team would be back peddling to try and catch the ball, while our guys would know where the ball is being placed, and they charge to the ball like WRs. If the "hands" team lines up deeper, than you just drop it in front of them.

This kicking the ball on the ground leaves way too many variables. May work in practice on a smooth field, but a game field will be a lot bumpier and uneven.

pczach
01-15-2018, 05:36 AM
I thought he should have kicked deep and tried to defend, but I understand the decision. This game wasn't decided because of that call. He's a coach who watched his defense fail the entire game. He made a call. I have no problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the game plan trotted out on both sides of the ball to start the game, and the defense getting their asses kicked physically for the entire game and what seemed like a lack of adjustments to do anything to slow them down. I don't care if you have to bring in McCullers and Alualu with Hargrave, Heyward, and Tuitt with everyone playing at the LOS. You do whatever you have to do to make them stop running the ball and dumping off short passes that are destroying your defense. Get them out of their comfort zone and make them do something else. Anything is worth a try when what you're doing isn't working in any way. They didn't force Blake Bortles to do anything out of his comfort zone all game.

pepsyman1
01-15-2018, 06:06 AM
I thought he should have kicked deep and tried to defend, but I understand the decision. This game wasn't decided because of that call. He's a coach who watched his defense fail the entire game. He made a call. I have no problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is the game plan trotted out on both sides of the ball to start the game, and the defense getting their asses kicked physically for the entire game and what seemed like a lack of adjustments to do anything to slow them down. I don't care if you have to bring in McCullers and Alualu with Hargrave, Heyward, and Tuitt with everyone playing at the LOS. You do whatever you have to do to make them stop running the ball and dumping off short passes that are destroying your defense. Get them out of their comfort zone and make them do something else. Anything is worth a try when what you're doing isn't working in any way. They didn't force Blake Bortles to do anything out of his comfort zone all game.

Exactly, You've got to change a losing game plan. This has been a problem with the defense and the coaching for years... They decide the defensive game plan and they blindly follow it regardless of it's effectiveness or lack of. Same thing with the game against NE last year. EVERY football fan in the country new before that game that if the Steelers played their normal zone coverage scheme there would be no chance of stopping the Patriots but the game progressed, Tomlin let them run that same lame approach with no changes or adjustments and just took it on the chin.

86WARD
01-15-2018, 07:19 AM
I thought he should have kicked deep and tried to defend, but I understand the decision. This game wasn't decided because of that call. He's a coach who watched his defense fail the entire game. He made a call. I have no problem with that.

Same thing I said. It would be nice, however, if they could execute it correctly to give themselves a chance at recovery...

lipps83
01-15-2018, 08:18 AM
Onside kicks are poorly designed. If I were coach, I would have plays where the ball is kicked 20-25 yards in the air to a specific spot. The receiving "hands" team would be back peddling to try and catch the ball, while our guys would know where the ball is being placed, and they charge to the ball like WRs. If the "hands" team lines up deeper, than you just drop it in front of them.

This kicking the ball on the ground leaves way too many variables. May work in practice on a smooth field, but a game field will be a lot bumpier and uneven.

Hey, that sounds just like Cowhers surprise onside kick in the Super Bowl against the Cowboys.

zulater
01-15-2018, 10:19 AM
When a team is defending against the onsides kick the success rate league wide is under 5% I believe. That's less than 1-20. Specific to the Steelers, they haven't successfully converted an onsides kick since 2007. 0 for their last 14. The percentages simply weren't there.

Now I get that the defense was horrible all day. But's not forget if you kick away there you're not putting the ball in Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers hands. It's Blake freaking Bortles! Yeah I know he did better than expected. But turn the equation. First road playoff game ever for him. You need at least 1 first down to seal the win. Give him the ball at or inside the 25. Stacked box. Get him in to 3rd and long. Good chance he goes Blake Bortles there. Even better chance they don't even throw. Anyway my point you're putting the pressure on them to make a first down. Force a 3 and out and you're getting the ball around your own 30-35 yard line with 1.45+ on the clock.

I'm not saying that decision cost us the game. But it cost us our last real chance. In my opinion if you kick it away you're going to get the ball back with a real chance to take it to OT.

Anyway an equally horrible decision by Tomlin was not kicking the fg with a stopped clock at about the 49 second mark. Bleeding the clock down and scoring with 1 second remaining was just cosmetics. Did nothing to give you a chance to win. Kick the chip shot at 49 seconds, then go with your onsides kick. Yeah you probably don't recover it. But if you do you've got at least 3 or 4 plays to get it in the end zone and tie the game.