It’s being brought up in almost every thread so I went back and watched. There isn’t a perfect shot of the spot, but best I can tell, it would’ve been 4th and 8.
One thing I am 100.0% positive is it was NOT going to be 4th and 11. Lopez did a good job tight roping the sideline and he 100.0% got inside the marker to get inside 10 to go. I think it was about 4th and 8.
So, the decision is 4th and 8, or 3rd and 24? Probably a coin flip, tbh. I have no problem with taking the penalty there. Yes, 4th and 8 is obviously a low percentage conversion, but so is 3rd and 24. You have to think you hold them to a minimal gain, or force an incompletion, and now it’s 4th and 24 or close to it. Instead we miss 4 tackles and let them get 20 yards and it looks dumb.
But I don’t think this is some egregious coaching decision. You can’t criticize it in hindsight. In the moment, it’s probably a coin flip. If they get 8 yards to convert, we’re all sitting here saying Mario is a dumbass for not forcing them into a 3rd and 24.
But it was NOT 4th and 11. Yall gotta chill with that. He was for sure marked out right around 8 yards short. I don’t think there’s a wrong decision there, either way you have the offense in a bad spot and you just gotta get off the field. We didn’t.