The Book of Challenges

Brian and I have always talked about writing a book called the Book of Challenges.  The book would center on how to properly use your coach's challenges in a NFL game.  This subject comes up because in the Pittsburgh-Ravens game Mike Tomlin used a challenge on the opening play of the game for approximately 15 yards of field position.  On the play the return man, Webb, was tackled at the 35 yard line, but the referees ruled he was not down.  He got up and ran to the 50 yard line before being tackled again.  Tomlin challenged the play and won.  The announcers, Dierdorf and the guy I always mix up with Bryant Gumble, praised Tomlin for challenging the play.  They are both idiots.

Here is how the Book of Challenges looks:
Chapter 1 - Turnovers
Chapter 2 - Touchdowns
Chapter 3 - Turnovers that lead to Touchdowns
Chapter 4 - That's it.  You do not challenge anything that does not result in a turnover or a touchdown. The only possible exception being third down plays that would result in a fourth down, which are essentially turnovers.

The point is simple.  With only two challenges those challenges must be reserved for plays that result in points.  Turnovers result in points.  Touchdowns result in points on the board.  Herm Edwards once said something smart (it might be the only time) "You play to win the game."  Well, points win the game.  15 yards does not win the game.  In fact, it wins nothing.

If you blow your challenges on 15 yard plays then you might end up running out of challenges.  You only get 2, unless you are right about both.  Even then you only get three.  Any time there is a questionable turnover a coach should use their first challenge in order to save points or gain points, depending on your prospective.  However, if you've used one of your challenges on the first play of the game then you really can only afford to risk a challenge if it is a turnover that leads to a touchdown.  You cannot challenge a regular turnover and must rely upon your defense to make it up.  Either your defense gets a stop after turnover they caused or they make a stop after your offense turns it over.

In the aforementioned Pitt-Baltimore game Tomlin had to use his second challenge in the first quarter when Big Ben coughed up the ball and everyone except Corey Redding stopped playing.  Redding scored a touchdown on the turnover and Tomlin had to try to stem the tide.  Now if this game comes down to a questionable call in the subsequent three quarters Pittsburgh has to live with whatever call happens on the field.

This is especially dangerous because so many NFL officials have adopted a wait and see approach to fumbles and other calls.  Rather than blow the whistle and risk depriving a team of the fumble recovery or extra yardage, the officials rely upon replay to sort it.  The replay of plays when a whistle makes a challenge impossible has trained the referees to swallow the whistle rather than make the right call immediately.  It is a matter of preventing them from embarrassing themselves.

Turnovers.  Touchdowns.  Turnovers that lead to Touchdowns.  That's it.