Even Nantz And Simms Think Lane Kiffin Has Lost His Mind
Monday, September 29, 2008
I've seen some crazy coaching moves over my years, but this one takes the cake. Shutdown Corner wrote yesterday about how the Raiders called timeout with one second left in the first half to attempt a 76-yard?!?! field goal and we now have the video evidence. Lane Kiffin actually had timeouts left in the first half of yesterday's game against the Chargers. With :20 seconds left in the stanza, Jamarcus Russell hit Michael Bush over the middle to get to the Oakland 42. Much to Jim Nantz and Phil Simms surprise, Kiffin decides against a spike, or calling a timeout right away, just to then decide to use a timeout with :01 left so Janikowski could attempt this ridiculous kick....
"The wind is in his face."- Phil Simms
"Unimaginable."- Jim Nantz
I still can't stop laughing. After adding seven yards for the snap, the ball was spotted just shy of Oakland's 35-yard line! That's further than an f'ing kickoff!!! Either Lane Kiffin absolutely had no idea where they were on the field, or he was just completely trying to piss off Al Davis. Either way, the result was awesome. Janikowski didn't even get it to the goalline and with Cromartie back there, that just heightened the idiocy of the decision. Unbelievable.
When Norv Turner is out-coaching you on the other sideline.....it's time to just quit.
12 Comments:
It's just Cromartie (Antonio). Dominik Rodgers-Cromartie plays for the Cardinals...
Kiffin must have thought that he had "The Boot" cheat card from Madden. Honest mistake.
Good for Lane, keep some insanity in the game.
We rely on Herm Edwards too much for dumb shit in games.
I'm pretty sure Lane Kiffin is smart enough to not try that kick in a normal situation. However, since his employment status is constantly in flux, why not try a ridiculously impossible kick? What's Al Davis going to do? Fire him twice? He's playing with house money at this point. It's also likely that the Raiders wore white at home for the same reason. Good for Lane.
Raider Nation, way to choke away a 15-0 lead. A committment to excrement (to quote Willie in KC of Jungle fame) is always nice to see.
it's a good thing cromartie didn't get the ball because he would have terminated everyone on his way to the end zone.
-dan
BTW, the 35 yard line isn't further than a kickoff. You kick off from the 30.
I was watching the game (God bless Direct-TV) and couldn't believe it when the kicker Trotted out. In the perfect scenerio in Denver maybe, with the wind) SeaBass might have been able to at least reach on that kick, but not in that situation. I have sen him put kickoffs out of the endzone though.
Don't understand, when you have a QB with a rocket launcher, why you don't just let him heave one.
Still a better idea than Mornhinweg's "taking the wind" after winning the coin toss in overtime.
What is this, NCAA with 30 mph winds and a cheat?
I expected to see a free kick, as that has been tried several times, but against the wind? What a stupid choice.
It wasn't against the wind. Watch the visual evidence.
Phil Simms is just an idiot.
You say bad playcall. I say, muted cry for help.
Wow...Linehan's no longer in St. Louis and I'll be shocked if Lane Kiffin isn't in the unemployment line in the next couple of hours.