The clock management situation that bothered me was punting it away down 7 with about 3:30 to go in the game on 4th and 2. Come on! I don't care how much better your defense is than your offense that is a losing move all the way.
There are very few coaches that wouldn't have gone for that 4th and 2. It's not a 3 point game. If Stafford brings the Lions 35 yards and they hit a FG the game is over.
For members of a message board to realize this, it says everything we need to know about Rex as a HC. He just isn't...
No, it wasnt smart at all. 6+ minutes left with an injury doesnt cost you a timeout. That timeout could of been killer if the defense woulda held them but kinda a moot point though since they can never get a big stop in clutch situations.
Except it had NO CHANCE of being overturned. It was a desperate attempt that had zero chance of happening. A complete waste of a timeout. Who on that coaching staff was deluded enough to think there was any clear evidence to overturn that call?? Or even unclear evidence?? There was nothing on any replay. Zilch. Just ONCE I like to see us go into crunch time when we're behind, and still have all three timeouts to work with. That was horrendous. Rex is among the worst coaches in football when it comes to properly using the challenges and timeouts. Challenges aren't supposed to be a lottery tickets. Rex should take a lesson from Tom Coughlin.
While you are right that Rex handled it badly you are wrong in the correct sequence to save the greatesr amount of time. The greatest time savings would come from; 1. 2:49 player tackled. Call second time out. 2. 2:49 First Down run play 2:44 left let it run down. 3. 2:04 2nd down run play 4. 1:59 3rd down Lions run a play 1:54 left call 3rd TO 5. 4th down with 1:54 It is only 4 seconds but to maximize the time left you always use your timeouts before the 2 minute warning as it leaves a few extra seconds.
That's what is so disconcerting. When the coach can't even get clock management right when it's the most easiest thing to control in the game it speaks volumes. You can't control what the players will do or what the opponents will do, but you have complete control of your timeouts. It's not always going to be the difference in the game, but I want my coach to give my team every single advantage and when he doesn't have the knowledge or make the effort to improve it I get upset. I might be wrong, but I equate caring about clock management more of an offensive aspect of the game and Rex doesn't seem to get the details on the offensive aspects as much as a head-coach should in today's NFL (my opinion).
