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During the Arizona Cardinals' Week 13 meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, a decision to kick a field goal instead of going for it on fourth down might've been a game-losing choice by Jonathan Gannon. Before kicking the field goal, analyst and former Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen explained why the Cardinals should've gone for it.
“I would consider going [for the fourth-down conversion], Olsen said before the Cardinals lined up for a 23-yard field goal to extend their lead to six points. “Being up six [points], Minnesota has to say, ‘Okay, it's touchdown or bust.' They're going for fourth downs, they're putting the pedal to the metal to go down to beat you. Even if you failed here going for it on fourth down trying to make it 10, you remain only up three. [The Vikings] are a little more cautious. They're saying, ‘I have a field goal in my back pocket to tie the game,' so this is an interesting decision.”
The Cardinals faced a fourth-and-goal from the five-yard line with a three-point lead. Kicker Chad Ryland nailed the chipshot field goal, making the score 22-16 with just under three-and-a-half minutes remaining. So, the Cardinals essentially made a one-score game a one-score game with their fourth-quarter field goal. Instead of needing a field goal to tie this game, the Vikings would now need a touchdown and an extra point to win.
Greg Olsen's 4th-down philosophy reigns supreme in Cardinals loss vs. Vikings
In a game where the Cardinals out-gained the Vikings by nearly 150 yards, their end-of-game decision-making might be why their record is 6-6 rather than 7-5.
Had the Cardinals followed Olsen's philosophy regarding the decision to attempt a fourth-down conversion with three minutes left, there's a chance the Cardinals aren't finding a way to bounce back after a Week 13 loss.
The reasoning behind wanting to go for it on fourth down in this instance is relatively simple.
For the sake of this argument, let's say the Cardinals attempted the fourth-down conversion and weren't successful. Instead of the Vikings knowing their only way of staying alive is a touchdown to win, they're now coaching under the idea that a field goal sends this game to overtime.
Instead of coaching for a touchdown or a field goal, the Cardinals' choice to kick a field goal forced the Vikings to only care about scoring a game-winning touchdown.
Now, had the Cardinals gone for the fourth down and successfully converted, they would hold a 10-point lead, requiring at least two scores from the Vikings to be beaten or sent to overtime.
This isn't a case of hindsight being 20-20, either. Olsen was saying this before the Cardinals even attempted the kick. And considering the results of this game, Olsen appears to have been correct.
