Does Norv Turner decide to lose?

By Anthony Carroll  |   Monday, December 19, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Oakland Raiders
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Another Sunday, another winnable game, another disappointing loss. The Oakland Raiders dropped to double-digit losses against the Browns at home on Sunday, losing 7-9. The Oakland defense held the Browns' offense to no touchdowns on the day, but it wasn't enough. Norv Turner showed once again his inability to drive offensive talent and efficiently coordinate his team.

Browns' kicker Phil Dawson booted the Oakland Raiders' season deeper into a hole with three field goals-respectively: 44 yards, 24 yards, and a game-winning 37-yarder. Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski did much of the same, as he missed a 51-yard field goal early in the second quarter and had a 46-yard attempt blocked in the fourth quarter. Turner's choice to attempt the 46-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter was yet another failed coaching decision that fans have become accustomed to over the last two years. Let's consider the circumstances:

1. Sebastian Janikowski is 19/27 kicking on the season, and only 60% from 40-49 yards. Add these struggles with slippery field conditions, and the equation shouldn't be a very difficult one to solve.

2. Your team's punter is statistically the best punter in the history of the National Football League. Shane Lechler has 134 career punts inside the 20-yard line, 20 of these punts came this season, and he has only four touchbacks on the year.

3. Your opponents have yet to score a touchdown in a game that has just over three minutes remaining and are led by a winless rookie quarterback. The probability of Sebastian Janikowski missing his field goal is higher than Charlie Frye taking his team from inside the twenty-yard line down to field goal range in under three minutes.

I suppose if Sebastian Janikowski did make his fourth quarter attempt, the likelihood of the Browns scoring a game-winning touchdown would have been exceptionally low. However, if that were the case, it still wouldn't have been a good coaching decision. Instead, you would have just read an article about Rob Ryan and the remarkable performance of the Oakland defense.

Any comments on this article? Contact Anthony Carroll at acarroll@realfootball365.com
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About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
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