Horrible choice, 56 yd FG?!

[DieHard23]

Why on earth did Bulger spike the ball after the 1st down completion to Bennett with 1:20 left to go?? No idea...that play (minus the Hall muffed punt) lost the game. The 56 yard field goal would have instead been an easy 3rd and 2 play call.

Horrible clock management.

My thoughts exactly. you cant put this oen on wilkins at all. his inability to actually make the kick is the least of the reasons we lost. we gave up way too many opportunities to score more than field goals all game. its sad that we basically dominated the game on offense and dare i say defense (minus the 4&1 TD run) and still managed to find a way to lose. at least the team played with some heart this week.

[Nick]

Wilkins hasn't made a 56 yard field goal in the regular season since 1998. I simply don't see any reason to ask him to do it here when your high-powered offense is moving the ball well and only needs a handful of yards. It's not hindsight, as most of us were questioning this decision prior to the kick in the chat.

[ramsplaya16]

No your wrong. It was a gutless decision that had a very low chance of working. If we go for it we have more than a 50% chance of making it. That FG was probably around a 10% chance. I'm so mad I'm going to step away from the computer before I trash it.

I can almost garuntee you that people would have been on scott linehans case if we went for it and didnt get it.

[blood85]

Dudes, we didn' t give up, we got the ball back caused turnovers and all we get are 16 measley PTs???? Don't blame Wilkins either, if anything he kept us in the game. Who's to blame? Holt for fumbling,Hall for fumbling and way to go Linehan....you dolt, way to save the 50 or so seconds left before the half and NOT try to at least get 3 pts, the same ones we needed at the end of the GaME.
BLLLAASSSTTT IIITT!!!

[SavageRam]

No win situation. Not make it on 4th n 2, and you'll have those angry Money (Wilkins) wasn't given the chance to win it.

Plus, even if they did go for it and make it, there's no guaranty someone wouldn't have fumbled it away anyway. :\

[Rambos]

We gave this game away long before that missed FG. IMO

[stlramman]

Stupid call!! Wilkens is good but that was too far. I am disgusted w/ this loss, the Rams dominated this game on defense, bulger played his a** off with little protection, bruce was a mad-man and the Rams still lose! its gonna be a long week:\

[RamDez]

your dammed if you do and your dammed if you dont with fans, its as simple as that.

[blood85]

Why In the Heck did Bulger Spike the Ball with like a Minute and seconds left, when we were moving the ball on their side of the field, Nice call again, Linehan. Great we lose to the Whiners.

It's already a long week, my phone is ringing off the hook with all these whiner fans calling me.

[TekeRam]

No, if we went for it and didn't make it I would credit the whiners for shutting down our run game. A 56 yarder is a hail mary kind of kick. If it was 4th and 5 or more, fine, take the kick. But 4th and 2? How can you say that you have one of the best runners in the league and not go for it? How can you think you have a chance at anything but a .500 season if you can't get Jax to give you two yards. I don't care the Bulger spiked the ball on first, that's a standard play. But you're in 4 down territory when you're there, as in going for it on 4th and short! Yes you're in a dome and Wilkins has made a 56 yarder before, but still, that was a horrible call. kickers make one 56 yarder in their life if they're lucky! Prove you have some and give the rock to Jax.

[81~BIG-GAME]

age isnt normally a factor with kickers.....

Of course it does, with age leg strength declines even Wilkins would admit it. Have you not noticed his kickoffs getting shorter over the season's? BTW I'm not blaming Wilkins he is a terrific kicker and the game should have been well won by that stage of the game..

[BigGameMN]

I understand what some of you are saying about how it shouldn't have come down to that choice, but the fact is it did. I could pick out plays from the 1st quarter that would have changed the ending but the fact is we were left with what we were left with.

I was begging Linehan to go for it, and I wouldn't have jumped on him if we didn't make it. Wilkens leg isn't what it used to be and he already made one from 53. Your just asking to much of him in that situation.

[Nick]

Prove you have some and give the rock to Jax.

Even if you don't hand it to him, take advantage of the Niners aggressive pass rush and call a screen to Jackson or something. There are plenty of ways you can try to pick up those two to three yards, but this coaching staff simply did not want to take that risk and instead decided a 56-yard field goal was safer. I guess they saw something from Wilkins in warm-ups at that distance, because I'm finding it hard to justify that decision...

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

Couple things I want to "get off my chest", after watching that game..

1). Why did Holt step out of bounds when he was sooo close to getting the first down, before we went for the FG? Sure, his momentum was taking him out-of-bounds, but for crying' out loud, run the route to get the first down, and/or make an EFFORT to get the first down. (I guess I know why Holt and Bruce hit the deck whenever they feel pressure, and after watching Holt cough up the ball in what was a game-changing turnover, I see why they catch and drop) Gutless.

2). Why did Bulger spike the ball on first down? there was plenty of time remaining. Run a freakin' play!

3). A 57 yard FG? WTF? We outgained them, what? ...I'm guessing 2-1, and we can't even TRY to pick up the first down? If the Whiners had that kind of confidence in their offense, we would have won the game because Gore doesn't break the long run if they don't go for it. If you can't get two yards, you don't deserve to win the game. Again, gutless.

[BigGameMN]

I just have one question to all of you, especially those who liked the FG attempt.

What is more likely to succeed, a 56 yard FG or a 4th and 2?

I don't even think the percentages are close.