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Wow - Bears pulled a Stoops at the end of their game today vs Lions

gamecockcat

All-SEC
Oct 29, 2004
9,887
11,483
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Lions were all over the Bears, leading 16-0 at half. Bears come back and are within 3 points with a little over 3:00 to play and the ball deep in their own territory. They make some plays, get to DET 25 with 46 secs to go and ONE timeout remaining. Good shape for at least a fairly easy opportunity to take the game into OT, right? Well, hold the phone, Cawood.

Incomplete on 1st, holding on 2nd down. Now, it's 2nd and 20 at DET 35 with 36 secs to go. Williams gets sacked at the DET 41 with right at 31 secs showing. The Bears run up to the line, a couple of guys shift, Williams is motioning the play, they snap the ball with 6 secs to go (25 secs elapsed). Williams doesn't go short over the middle or to the sideline to pick up some yards and get back into FG range. He lofts a deep ball to the end zone that falls incomplete and ends the game. STILL HAD ONE TIMEOUT REMAINING!!!! Did not call TO after the sack to get organized, did not get set very quickly allowing 25 precious seconds to tick away, did not call two plays in the huddle so that they could get one more play off to get back into FG range. I mean, it was very Stoopian. Even my wife, who rarely watches football and is only marginally familiar with the game, asked me, 'Shouldn't they have called a timeout instead of wasting all that time?'. Uh, yeah.

Unbelievable someone at the top of their profession can be so inept in a critical situation.
 
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The Bears suck for now. Williams might be better sooner than later. Something tells me he will be good eventually.
 
I figured that would be the 'official' excuse. But, not calling two plays in the huddle for just this situation is inexcusable. Taking 25 seconds to line up and get a play run in this situation is, again, inexcusable. Would it have been better to call timeout with 31 seconds to get organized, have a couple of plays called in the huddle, remind everyone to get out of bounds, line up quickly, etc? You can't just fiddle around and let 25 seconds run off in that situation.

I'm sorry. The coach did NOT handle the clock the correct way in any universe. Why throw deep with 6 seconds? Why not 8 yard out pattern to have maybe a 52 yard FG attempt? Lots of ways that those last few plays could have gone and the way the Bears played it was quite possibly the worst, imo.
 
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