[actionjack]

It also could have been FG - FG. Same thing. Getting the ball first after swapping equal scores gives SF the advantage. By the time OT arrived, they were both gonna score, there was no doubt about that. After scoring just a TD and 3 FGs between them in the first 17 possessions, they scored 3 TDs and 3 FGs in the last 7 possessions. At that point in the game, it wasn't hard to score at all.

To your point the niners got that FG, but because the Chiefs knew that, they were able to use 4th down they were to achieve a TD and win the game. You just give too much power and an easier way to score to the team that gets the ball second. I would 100% want to see what Mahomes/Reid would do first, then try and match vs vice versa. Mahomes/Reid with the luxury of 4th down is setting yourself up for disaster.

[Elvis]

I agree the 4 down thing is an advantage but probably not as much as in a non overtime game.

The reason teams will go for 2 if they score a "tying" TD on the 2nd possession is because giving the other team the ball tied in a sudden death situation is a distinct disadvantage. The odds are against you, you're likely to lose. Better to go for 2 and win or lose with the attempt, better odds of winning.

Well that carries over to other things in OT.

The Chiefs had the ball down 3, knew all they had to do was kick a FG to tie. But that would've put them in that likely to lose situation being tied and SF having the ball in a sudden death situation. KC would've been more likely to go for it on 4th rather than kick a FG, depending on the circumstances of course.

And same for the first possession. Do you really want to punt to a team that now just needs a FG to win? You'd be more likely to go in those situations too than in regulation...

[PARAM]

To your point the niners got that FG, but because the Chiefs knew that, they were able to use 4th down they were to achieve a TD and win the game. You just give too much power and an easier way to score to the team that gets the ball second. I would 100% want to see what Mahomes/Reid would do first, then try and match vs vice versa. Mahomes/Reid with the luxury of 4th down is setting yourself up for disaster.

"Because the Chiefs knew that, they were able to use 4th down...."?

They used 4th down once.....on their own 34. But what were they supposed to do, punt? There's no telling if they'd have used 4th down once they were in FG range. Elvis makes a good point that they would have gone on 4th down, eschewing the FG because tying it there gives SF the ball back but I think we'd probably agree, that depends a lot on whether it was 4th and 2 or 4th and 12. If they were on the niners 25 and faced a 4th and 10 or 4th and 12 or 4th and 15, would they have gone for the first or tied the game? The idea is to win but if the odds are long on making the first, tying it up would be the 2nd best scenario. I seriously believe too much is being made of the decision to receive. I think the bigger question is why didn't they run it on 3rd and 4? Because McCaffrey got stoned on 2nd and 4? If they got 2 or 3 yards, maybe they go on 4th? Or maybe they just get the first right there. And another question is, deciding to pass did they not expect a blitz from Spagnuolo? That's his calling card. Why not have a screen called? Or some other blitz beater? IMHO, there are a lot of questions that should be asked but receiving isn't the top of the list.

[Elvis]

[max]

To me, the most revealing part of the OT decision was the difference between how Reid handled it compared to Shanahan.

Chiefs players all seemed to be well aware of the new rule and how they were going to approach it in OT. The niners players, OTOH, seems in the dark about how Shanahan was going to handle OT.

It gives me the impression that Shanahan is not tied closely to his players, and doesn’t clue them in to what his thinking is on strategic issues like OT.

SF had the better roster, and Shanny is a great Xs and Os guy, but there’s a disconnect somewhere between the coach and players. Maybe it’s because I see how McVay relates to players, but man, Shanahan just seems robotic and antiseptic during the game. In todays NFL you’ve got to connect with your players big time.

[rams1974]

I'm strongly in the camp of "always elect to kick in playoff OT," but will allow that it's not 100%, you can have extenuating circumstances like injuries .. wind in outdoors .. exhausted defense (everyone was exhausted by the end of that game) .. other factors.

But apparently his players did not know the overtime rule and they never went over it as a team. That's a bit of an embarrassment.

Right?? They thought if they had gotten a TD they'd have won. Now imagine the circus and awkwardness playing out if they had gotten the TD there. Everyone clearing the bench, maybe dumping the Gatorade ... then the ref saying nonononono, everyone go back.

[actionjack]

"Because the Chiefs knew that, they were able to use 4th down...."?

They used 4th down once.....on their own 34. But what were they supposed to do, punt? There's no telling if they'd have used 4th down once they were in FG range. Elvis makes a good point that they would have gone on 4th down, eschewing the FG because tying it there gives SF the ball back but I think we'd probably agree, that depends a lot on whether it was 4th and 2 or 4th and 12. If they were on the niners 25 and faced a 4th and 10 or 4th and 12 or 4th and 15, would they have gone for the first or tied the game? The idea is to win but if the odds are long on making the first, tying it up would be the 2nd best scenario. I seriously believe too much is being made of the decision to receive. I think the bigger question is why didn't they run it on 3rd and 4? Because McCaffrey got stoned on 2nd and 4? If they got 2 or 3 yards, maybe they go on 4th? Or maybe they just get the first right there. And another question is, deciding to pass did they not expect a blitz from Spagnuolo? That's his calling card. Why not have a screen called? Or some other blitz beater? IMHO, there are a lot of questions that should be asked but receiving isn't the top of the list.

Again its just much better to know the result, that allows you to dictate how aggressive you need to be. It is just too much of an advantage, not 100% but substantial.

I dont have much issue with the niners play calling down there, they had a wide open Aiyuk, but the backup OG (forced into action due to injury) messed up the protection and Jones gets home.

Speaking of Shanny, he also messed up the clock and the end of the 1st half, he should have called timeouts to steal a possession.

[rams74]

Again its just much better to know the result, that allows you to dictate how aggressive you need to be. It is just too much of an advantage, not 100% but substantial.

I dont have much issue with the niners play calling down there, they had a wide open Aiyuk, but the backup OG (forced into action due to injury) messed up the protection and Jones gets home.

Speaking of Shanny, he also messed up the clock and the end of the 1st half, he should have called timeouts to steal a possession.

I'm pretty close to 50/50 on this issue. Sure, it's good to know the result. But if the result is that you're playing from behind again, I'm not so sure that's a great thing. I'd rather get the lead. At the time the Niners scored that FG, after an 8 minute drive, it sure felt to me like they had taken all the momentum back. It felt to me like, with a rested defense, they would probably win.

Fortunately the Chiefs had Mahomes with all his experience, and they didn't flinch and won anyway. Once they got rolling again they were impossible to stop, but those first few plays of their possession didn't seem so smooth. It was close.

As for Shanahan at the end of the first half, I thought he was right to not call timeouts there. I get frustrated with McVay calling too many defensive timeouts under 2 minutes, when it's not at all clear that the Rams' defense will hold. It can backfire.

[actionjack]

I'm pretty close to 50/50 on this issue. Sure, it's good to know the result. But if the result is that you're playing from behind again, I'm not so sure that's a great thing. I'd rather get the lead. At the time the Niners scored that FG, after an 8 minute drive, it sure felt to me like they had taken all the momentum back. It felt to me like, with a rested defense, they would probably win.

Fortunately the Chiefs had Mahomes with all his experience, and they didn't flinch and won anyway. Once they got rolling again they were impossible to stop, but those first few plays of their possession didn't seem so smooth. It was close.

As for Shanahan at the end of the first half, I thought he was right to not call timeouts there. I get frustrated with McVay calling too many defensive timeouts under 2 minutes, when it's not at all clear that the Rams' defense will hold. It can backfire.

So you felt comfortable with a FG with Mahomes, ability to go to 4th down and a kicker like Butker? I mean a tie was a given, but KC wasnt playing that way. They were playing to win the game. To the victor go the spoils. If anything I felt it gave KC momentum to only need a FG to tie. Again does KC go for it on 4th down on their own 30?

I much rather know what I need to do with the best player in the NFL at my back.

As far as the end of the half, you have one of the best defenses in the NFL, KC was floundering offensively and was clearly not going to get into any kind of real scoring position. Again play to win when the odds are in your favor. Look what happened when Kyle went for it on 4th earlier in half, he got a TD out of it...

[rams74]

So you felt comfortable with a FG with Mahomes, ability to go to 4th down and a kicker like Butker? I mean a tie was a given, but KC wasnt playing that way. They were playing to win the game. To the victor go the spoils. If anything I felt it gave KC momentum to only need a FG to tie. Again does KC go for it on 4th down on their own 30?

I much rather know what I need to do with the best player in the NFL at my back.

As far as the end of the half, you have one of the best defenses in the NFL, KC was floundering offensively and was clearly not going to get into any kind of real scoring position. Again play to win when the odds are in your favor. Look what happened when Kyle went for it on 4th earlier in half, he got a TD out of it...

Those two cases are kind of contradictory, don't you think? End of the half, the best player in the NFL was floundering and one of the best defenses in the NFL was "clearly" not going to let the best player in the NFL get into any real scoring position.

Yet in OT, it's all reversed and the result is "a given."

Hindsight is a beautiful thing.

At the time, however, I just didn't think all those things were all that clear. Clearly, you did. So, cool.