BAD CLOCK MANAGEMENT

by Mac G, Mac G's World

My biggest problem with football coaching today, other than coaches continuing to use the outdated “field position game” strategy, is clock management. This could be as simple as using your timeouts on defense to set up a possible field goal at the end of the first half or not calling timeouts earlier in the game so you have the ability to use them late.

When most NFL games are decided by a late FG, wise clock management is crucial to maximizing opportunities to win or limiting your opponents’ chances. This is equally important in college as the recent run on long overtime games has displayed.

It seems every weekend that several pro or college coaches are messing up the clock at the end of half or game. This is downright aggravating for fans and especially, when most head coaches do not call plays and one of their main responsibilities should be managing the clock.

Skins head coach Joe Gibbs has been criticized all year for bad clock management. The Skins seem to burn timeouts faster that a bar tender rips through booze at an Irish open bar wedding reception. I personally want to pull my hair out watching Kirk Ferentz constantly mismanage timeouts for my beloved Hawkeyes.

Here are two major examples of bad clock management that I witnessed over the weekend.

Les Miles- LSU loss to Arkansas
I know everyone in Michigan is screaming for their prodigal son Miles to return home. It is so crazy that LSU fans are hosting marches to keep Miles and Wolverine fans are tracking planes in and out of Louisiana.

Miles is a good coach and his record speaks for itself but LSU’s recent loss to Arkansas should have actually taken place in regulation and not the 3rd overtime as a result of awful clock management by Miles.

LSU is down by seven, driving to tie the game as the clock is running down under two minutes. Arkansas sees no need to stop the clock but LSU calls two timeouts for no reason at all except to leave time for Arkansas to possibly kick a field goal.

The announcers were even questioning Miles’ rationale, figuring LSU would run the clock down all the way. So LSU scores to tie the game and now Arkansas has enough time left on the clock for a potential game winning FG.

Houston Nutt’s own puzzling play calling on the Razorback’s drive squandered their golden opportunity and the game moved to OT but they never should have had the chance to win the game. If Arkansas would have won the game in regulation, people would be focusing on Miles’ bad clock management.

Herm Edwards- Chiefs loss to Radiers
Edwards might be the poster boy for bad clock management by football coaches after his checkered tenure as the head man with the New York Jets. The Chiefs’ loss to the Raiders on Sunday only further cemented his lowly reputation on the topic.

The Chiefs are down three, facing fourth-and-one at the Oakland 23 with 4:26 remaining. Edwards calls a timeout to decide whether or not to go for it.

I would have tied the game with a field goal but the Chiefs kicker had missed a short FG earlier so I understand the decision to go for it. Edwards somehow is convinced during the timeout to challenge the spot of the ball, thus risking another timeout if he loses, which they do and the Chiefs end up burning two timeouts on one play.

I hate the challenge of the spot as it is too subjective and it has a low percentage of challenge success. The Colts lost a key down on the reversal of a spot at the end of their loss to the Chargers but this a very rare example.

These two timeouts may have proved essential after the Chiefs were unable to pick up the first down on the 4th down play. The Raiders were able to run the clock out so the bad clock management seemed inconsequential in the outcome.

However, if the Chiefs would have stopped the Raiders on their last 3rd&11, they could have had the ball one more time but not being able to stop the clock would have made it near impossible for the Chiefs to have any time to drive for a game tying field goal. Overall, Chief fans are not happy with Edwards' decision making and style of play.

These are two cases of bad clock management that did no directly cost their teams victory but truly lowered their percentages to win. I am sure everyone can relate to watching their favorite team's coaches blow managing the clock.