Marty's call to challenge the fumble.?

Question

Okay remember the interception in the second half which was promptly fumbled, giving the ball back to the Patriots. Although it was an obvious fumble, Marty challenged and lost, therefore losing a timeout that could've been used to gain more ground before kicking the game-winning field goal... Was the decision to challenge a good call at the time but ended up hurting them badly, or just a total screw-up?

Answer 1

it was probably the worst decison a coach has made in football in the last 10 years! it was OBVIOUSLY a fumble...every one watching the game saw it...what i thought was even worse was the 20 second fisrt play on the last drive...the chargers were standing around and let 20 seconds tick off the clock w/ no t/os...poor game and clock management by the coaching staff...

Answer 2

At first, I thought it was a bad call, but after the play was intercepted and fumbled and recovered by the patriots and now it was 1st down for them, if he didn't request a review, people would be criticizing him for not throwing a flag.

Just a note, Marty is a great coach. You don't go 14-2 being some hack coach regardless of who you have on your team. I do believe that he is the only coach to wim division titles on three different teams... him and Bill Parcels. If you get rid of him, you can only go worse. Who would you get to replace a coach like Schottenheimer?

Answer 3

First of all it would have been a game tieing FG, not a game winner. Next, I think it was a huge screw up for Marty. Looking at the reply, and he can see it on the gumbo-tron as well as we did, it was obvious a fumble. A very bad playoff decision by Marty, but then that's his history....

Answer 4

Dumbest challenge i ever seen what was he even challenging. It made no sense at all i think he wanted to be a genius coach or something but it was rediculous and waisting a time out that they could've used later in the game. That was so stupid the fumble was clear as day.

Answer 5

Marty shouldn't have thrown the red flag. It was obviously stripped by Troy Brown and recovered by the Pats. It hurt us badly too. We could have bought some time with that timeout. Poor calling by Marty. Next year...

Answer 6

I'm surprised the officials didn't rule the "fumble" a forward pass. Vincent Jackson knows all about fumbling and having the refs state "it's a forward pass, not a fumble." I'm glad to see this team finally get the recognition it deservers...and that's the recognition of being highly over rated.

Answer 7

that was a stupid decision. therefore proving many ppl's opinion about him in the playoffs. if he saved the timeout and maybe they could have pulled off with a win over the patriots. but no, one stupid decision cost his team the superbowl run and maybe even his job. too bad. a total screw up is what that call was. so too bad. again Schottenheimer may be out of the job. Go Patriots!

Answer 8

That was the worst call to challenge that play! That extra timeout that ended up being wasted could have made a world of difference in that final drive.

Answer 9

How this guy is still a coach in the NFL is amazing. He seems to keep getting jobs throughout the years and he is a terrible coach. Bad calls and no control over his players.

200 wins in the regular season, but the guy can't get a win in the playoffs to save his life!

Answer 10

Marty listened to Rivers - talk about he blind leading the blind. That sort of decision needs to be weighed more critically than one man's opinion, esp. since the consequences were dire.