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It is interesting what an emotional reaction people instinctively have to 4th down. Going for it on 4th down and failing feels like a catastrophe. But punting w
by dfan 13y ago
It is interesting what an emotional reaction people instinctively have to 4th down. Going for it on 4th down and failing feels like a catastrophe. But punting would have given the ball away anyway, so all you've done is give the opponent an extra 40 yards or so. Which is bad, sure, but it's a hell of a lot less bad than, say, throwing an interception on 1st and 10. But somehow giving up the ball on downs has come to be seen as a massive failure, on par with an regular turnover.
- snowwrestler 13y agoTurning it over on downs is a turnover, as sure as fumbling is. It's not accounted that way in the box score, but in terms of impact on the game it is the same. An interception is better or worse than turning it over on downs by the field position delta. If it is returned past the line of scrimmage, then it's worse. If it is not returned, it's better. A deep interception with no return is like a punt in terms of impact on the game.