"I felt like if we could get it into overtime, we would win this game. I was very sure about the decision and don't regret the decision," Martz said.


Martz has never made a decision that he hasn't liked. However, he remains the ONLY coach who not only makes decisions that I disagree with, but decisions that are WITHOUT QUESTION dumb. The above quote is the only mention of the call on espn.com. It's a shame, b/c that should be the entire focus of the game recap.

Down by 11 with little time left, the rams score a td, get the 2 point conversion and then recover the onsides. They move the ball into field goal range, and with over 30 seconds left, get the ball to about the 16 yard line. Martz then decides to let the clock run out, take his final time out, and then kick the game tieing field goal. Appparently, he thought that the "homefield advantage" (there's that theme again) would be enough to pull the rams through in OT. Did he forget that it's sudden death in OT and they could lose the game w/o ever getting the ball?

Here's what martz had going for him with 30 seconds left and on the 16 yard line.

1) enough time to spike the ball, and take 2 shots at the endzone.
2) a RB who NEVER, EVER fumbles.
3) a high powered offense that was
4) moving the ball well to that point.

It's a no brainer that you can, should, and MUST attempt to get in the endzone in that situation. They are close enough where Bulger has the option to just throw the ball in the back of the endzone if nothing is there. What martz is saying by not going for it is that he doesn't trust his team to not turn the ball over.

Even if you were the much better team, you shouldn't play for the tie b/c anything can happen in OT. Carolina almost scored on their opening drive. A stupid delay of game penalty cost them what would have been the game winning field goal. Had that kick counted, i really think that Martz would have been fired this offseason. The problem is that so much happened in OT that his decision at the end of regulation was forgotten. But it shouldn't be. It was the dumbest call I think I've ever seen, and players like Faulk are too smart to tolerate it. The rams (players, that is) did everything possible to win this game, and their coach wouldn't allow it.

I really didn't want Carolina in the nfc championship until Martz made that call. Then I had to root against them. Martz is by far the worst coach I've ever encountered. There have been coaches that have been over their head before, but he is so bad that he's a liability to the team. He takes a great team and makes them medicore. And he's arrogant about it.

I hate him.