[Elvis]

https://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-s ... story.html

Ask Farmer: Why are more teams choosing to defer after winning the coin toss?

By SAM FARMER
NOV 18, 2018 | 5:00 AM

Have a question about the NFL? Ask Times NFL writer Sam Farmer, and he will answer as many as he can online and in the Sunday editions of the newspaper throughout the season. Email questions to: sam.farmer@latimes.com.

Why do the Rams always defer after winning a coin toss? Why let their opponent have the chance to dominate the first quarter and put Rams behind so that they are forced to play catch-up? The Rams’ offense is so potent that they should start the game with the opportunity to score first.

Farmer: It seems that more and more teams choose to defer if they win the coin toss. For the rationale, I turned to former St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz, among the more innovative offensive minds in NFL history.

“Offensively, when you take the ball at the beginning of the game, you have an idea how the defense is going to play you, but you really don’t know,” Martz said. “By deferring, it allows you to open up the second half after a full half of seeing what the adjustments are. So now you can come back out knowing exactly what you’re going to see, and begin the game that way.

“People will come up with a different plan for you, maybe something that you’re not prepared for. So instead of trying to adjust on the fly with the first series, you go ahead and let them start off. Then you get the ball and make your adjustments. Now, when you get the ball in the second half, you’ve made all your adjustments that you want to do, so you should get a real good solid series coming out.”

However, Martz said he wouldn’t defer.

“You just want to get out and go,” he said. “I want to press them and see what their adjustments and changes are going to be. To me, you want to set a pace and go.”

So he prefers an offense impose its will, instead of going through a feeling-out process.

“If teams have changed a great deal for you, which happens, and guys come out with scripted plays based on what other teams have done,” he said, “then you get into a lot of bad plays early.”

[Hacksaw]

Wait, I thought there were no half time adjustments.. ?

[HAL 9000]

The less Rams D the better. I would start the games on offense.

[sloramfan]

i always thought it was because if you're trailing, you know you get the ball first to start the 2cd half...

martz theory doesn't make sense because teams are adjusting series to series, if not play to play...

it's win-win if you defer, because if you're trailing, you get the ball to start the 2cd half, with a chance to build/change momentum,and if you're winning, you have a chance to go up even bigger, thus possibly taking the wind out of the opponents sails...

anyways, that's my take on taking the defer...

go rams

slo

[Flash]

Also on the road you can take advantage of the home team fans not being in their seats while using the concession stands restrooms, visiting etc... during halftime.

[Elvis]

By deferring, you get the ball more times in the 2nd half when presumably you've had a good look at how the defense is going to play you.

Still, after all that, Martz would rather have the ball, that's the best part...

[actionjack]

Funny I have been deferring for years playing Madden. I always wanted the ball more in the second half.

In Rams case I see both sides. I think I actually like the Rams taking the ball first as they can put pressure on the other team. I think it was a big reason the Rams beat KC, they jumped on them and had them reeling a bit.

[Elvis]

Martz's AAF team has won the toss in both their games and deferred both times...

[snackdaddy]

I do prefer deferring. But I hate it when the other teams starts quick against our defense. And I also hate it when we waste the first possession of the 2nd half with a punt. I suppose you just gotta execute either way for it to work.

[rams74]

I do prefer deferring. But I hate it when the other teams starts quick against our defense. And I also hate it when we waste the first possession of the 2nd half with a punt. I suppose you just gotta execute either way for it to work.

I do think our defense has a tendency to start slow and figure things out as the game goes on. And I think that can be a problem at times. This past season we only lost 4 times total, so it couldn't have been too awful.

On the other hand, I think there's nothing better than starting the game with a touchdown drive. The image in my mind of the GSOT is that with 5 minutes gone in the game, we would have a 14-0 lead, and the game would be over, for all intents and purposes.

But despite all that, I think it's hard to start games fast. It's easier to start the 2nd half fast. And because of that, I prefer to defer.