The Miami Dolphins went for the win in Sunday's one-point loss to the Washington Redskins on a play that failed so miserably it almost looked as if they didn't really want to score.
Hogwash, says Dolphins offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea, who defended his call, saying he'd make it again if in a similar situation.
"I think it's easy to obviously look back at those decisions, and I've learned from all the decisions I've made," O'Shea said, via the Miami Herald. "I've tried to look back and have confidence in the decisions I've made and try not to second-guess myself. I've certainly learned from the decisions I've made.
"When you put as much preparation and planning as we do on certain plays and certain areas of the game plan, that you have confidence that you shouldn't second guess yourself and I think you always learn from certain things, but certainly you can't second-guess every call that's made in the game."
The call, in this case, was a wide receiver screen to running back Kenyan Drake. Ryan Fitzpatrick's ball-placement was slightly behind target, Drake flubbed the catch, and even if he were to grip the pigskin, the blocking was set up poorly with a host of Redskins waiting to devour the back.
The truth of the matter is that Miami's personnel and execution have been wanting this season. It's fair to question any play-call that throws short of the end zone on a 2-point try, but if the Saints ran that play with Michael Thomas or Alvin Kamara, or the Texans ran it with DeAndre Hopkins, or any number of teams ran it with any number of better players, perhaps the outcome is different. Perhaps.
"It was a play we had talked about and discussed," O'Shea said. "And it was a play that we thought was best for our team at that time. It's no different than any other situation that may come up in a game, whether it's a critical third-down or the play before that was a critical play that Fitz made a great play on that we were able to score to put us in position to run the two-point play. Those things are all discussed at length, prior to the game and even discussed prior to the play."
No, the coaches and players aren't trying to lose. The tanking accusation should be levied at those higher up. It's an organizational philosophy that ultimately undercuts those players and coaches who have to put their bodies on the line every day.
A lot went wrong on O'Shea's final play call Sunday. Agree or disagree with the call, the first-time OC, who hasn't been given a lot to work with, isn't questioning his rationale.