The Victory Play

[hburgcuse]

Here is a solution: Don't waste all of your timeouts prior to the 2-minute warning, so that you are still able to stop the clock and avoid the victory formation being run against you. I see so many timeouts being called at really bad times, usually by QB's who are running out of time on this already very long play clock. Delays of game, or near delays of game, are inexcuseable.

I do not like the idea of making the rules any different within the last 2 minutes than they are for the rest of the game, though the NFL already does have different rules in place for the last 2 minutes that differ from the rest of the game.

I have no problem whatsoever with the wise decision of a winning team to take a knee, but I also am the rare person that has no problem with the defense still playing & trying to knock the ball loose - the offense running the victory formation should still be prepared for that and not be so relaxed.

 

[mantonio]

Here's something else to think about:

Someone said that forcing the leading team to attempt positive yardage is punishing them for having the lead... Really?

What would happen if they took a knee on every down during the game? They would never score, & their defense would have to come up with scoring turnovers for any chance to win. Not a winning scenario, right?

So, if you look at this from a different angle, the current set-up allows the leading team to actually CHANGE their play calling for the final two minutes, which punishes the trailing team instead. Why should we allow one team to do something completely different than what they have been doing for most of the game?

My contention is, these current rules make NO SENSE. Football was meant to be played the same way, from start to FINISH. Taking a knee in the final two minutes is FOREIGN to the spirit of competition in sports.

 

[mantonio]

Here is a solution: Don't waste all of your timeouts prior to the 2-minute warning, so that you are still able to stop the clock and avoid the victory formation being run against you. I see so many timeouts being called at really bad times, usually by QB's who are running out of time on this already very long play clock. Delays of game, or near delays of game, are inexcuseable.

I do not like the idea of making the rules any different within the last 2 minutes than they are for the rest of the game, though the NFL already does have different rules in place for the last 2 minutes that differ from the rest of the game.

I have no problem whatsoever with the wise decision of a winning team to take a knee, but I also am the rare person that has no problem with the defense still playing & trying to knock the ball loose - the offense running the victory formation should still be prepared for that and not be so relaxed.

Sometimes, you need those timeouts to challenge a bad call, or for a myriad of other reasons, so you can't make that argument. The bottom line is, the final two minutes of a game should have meaning in every game, & right now they do NOT.

AND, why does the clock stop with an incomplete pass? What's the point? We can change the rules to make a voluntary knee stop the clock, if we can stop it for incomplete passes or running out of bounds.

Why is it good for some things & not good for others?

 

[hburgcuse]

Here's something else to think about:

Someone said that forcing the leading team to attempt positive yardage is punishing them for having the lead... Really?

What would happen if they took a knee on every down during the game? They would never score, & their defense would have to come up with scoring turnovers for any chance to win. Not a winning scenario, right?

So, if you look at this from a different angle, the current set-up allows the leading team to actually CHANGE their play calling for the final two minutes, which punishes the trailing team instead. Why should we allow one team to do something completely different than what they have been doing for most of the game?

My contention is, these current rules make NO SENSE. Football was meant to be played the same way, from start to FINISH. Taking a knee in the final two minutes is FOREIGN to the spirit of competition in sports.

So the prevent defense shall also be banned? Good, I hope so!

 

[hburgcuse]

Sometimes, you need those timeouts to challenge a bad call, or for a myriad of other reasons, so you can't make that argument. The bottom line is, the final two minutes of a game should have meaning in every game, & right now they do NOT.

If you challenge a bad call, then it does not count as a timeout (only if you're wrong on the challenge). Also, the 2-minute warning is basically like giving the losing team a timeout. It seems like those that are proponents of having more timeouts in this thread are also the same who want to get rid of the 2-minute warning - I can see that as a viable solution, as there would be balance in giving an extra timeout but getting rid of the 2-minute warning. Coaches would still find a way to spoil that extra timeout!

I have never once felt slighted as a football fan in the final 2 minutes (in terms of not getting the bang for our bucks). The only way it would ever impact me is that kneeling on the ball takes away from potential fantasy football points that could have been earned by my players!

 

[mantonio]

So the prevent defense shall also be banned? Good, I hope so!

The point is, our goal should be to make the game more exciting, & squeeze every second out of the game possible. When the leading team has the ball in the final minutes, let's do one thing or the other:

Either END the game right there, to save time.

OR

Force the leading team to attempt positive yardage to keep the game interesting.

Keeping the game going when we know the outcome already is a waste of time, so let's just end the game then as soon as the leading team gets the final possession & the trailing team has no timeouts remaining...

if you compare the present rules to basketball, it would be like giving the leading team two free throws AND possession whenever they get fouled.

 

[mantonio]

If you challenge a bad call, then it does not count as a timeout (only if you're wrong on the challenge). Also, the 2-minute warning is basically like giving the losing team a timeout. It seems like those that are proponents of having more timeouts in this thread are also the same who want to get rid of the 2-minute warning - I can see that as a viable solution, as there would be balance in giving an extra timeout but getting rid of the 2-minute warning. Coaches would still find a way to spoil that extra timeout!

I have never once felt slighted as a football fan in the final 2 minutes (in terms of not getting the bang for our bucks). The only way it would ever impact me is that kneeling on the ball takes away from potential fantasy football points that could have been earned by my players!

Remember, I have seen refs completely cheat a coach out of the call AND his timeout, because they get the replay wrong often too. So, again, you can't use that argument.

 

[hburgcuse]

But you can't just end the game at the 2-minute warning, while you're preaching the spirit of competition.

In the spirit of competition, the offense still needs to execute the snap, and the defense still has the right to try to knock the ball loose - even though they will be called dirty by the rest of the crybabies in the league.

You can't compare football rules to basketball rules - it's apples and oranges. You may as well equate it to track - when a runner is way out in front because he is much faster, by x number of meters, should he be stopped so that the runners finishing behind him can move up closer to him, in order to give them a better chance of winning the race?

Why should a football team who did not do enough to win a game be given a better chance to win the game? Just to entertain us for an additional couple minutes?

 

[mantonio]

But you can't just end the game at the 2-minute warning, while you're preaching the spirit of competition.

In the spirit of competition, the offense still needs to execute the snap, and the defense still has the right to try to knock the ball loose - even though they will be called dirty by the rest of the crybabies in the league.

You can't compare football rules to basketball rules - it's apples and oranges. You may as well equate it to track - when a runner is way out in front because he is much faster, by x number of meters, should he be stopped so that the runners finishing behind him can move up closer to him, in order to give them a better chance of winning the race?

Why should a football team who did not do enough to win a game be given a better chance to win the game? Just to entertain us for an additional couple minutes?

You are not giving the trailing team an unfair chance to win by telling the other team they must actually continue to play the game. It's actually unfair to the trailing team, because you are ending the competition before the clock has expired.

Remember, the leading team still has the big advantage in the final minutes anyway, even if the clock stops with a knee drop, or if they actually try to advance the ball. Odds are, the leading team will pick up at least a yard per play, which would keep the clock running, and RARELY would a fumble happen. But at least the competition will line up with the clock.

If you want to keep the V formation & the running clock, then eliminate clock stoppage for out of bounds and incomplete passes too. Let's keep the running clock consistent.