Please never again. This is the worst debate in sport right now. Not LeBron vs Jordan. Not who the true home run champion is. (This is Barry, by the way.) The current worst debate in sports every Sunday has ominously tied generations of NFL fans to arguing and screaming about something they have no control over.
That’s right, the terrifying debate over pit fourth.
NFL teams have more data than ever when it comes to deciding when and when not to play in the fourth game. Overall, teams are aiming for fourth place more often than in the past. Of the top 10 teams with the highest number of attempts to reach fourth in the season since 1991, seven of the 10 are from the 2020 and 2021 seasons. When it comes to pure on-field entertainment, this is a great addition to the flow of NFL games. Trying to lose a fourth immediately adds stakes and tension to any game, and at the end of the day, it’s more fun to watch great players try to cover a few meters to continue riding.
Of course, this was not without debate. As arguments for trying to enter mainstream football discourse, it has become an inevitable part of the NFL broadcast and, man, these guys seem to be the most risk-fearing people in the world. It’s a strange dichotomy when the group of people who put their quality of life at risk to play this game shrinks when it’s time to try to turn the fourth down, but it fits in with the sport’s culture. Soccer policymakers tend to be conservative, so they need a little push to see where they can score more points.
On the surface, the justification for moving to fourth place in a given case is harmless information. Hey, trust your offensive to gain a few yards to increase your chances of winning. Of course, on the other hand, not converting the fourth down can put your defense in tough situations. The decision is not that complicated, just more about how willing some people are to take risks while playing the game.
Here’s where it gets annoying: the math is already settled and the NFL teams are adjusting. Still, the push back of teams that opted for fourth place is loud – and people who opposed more aggressiveness don’t seem to pay attention to the cases where it works. No strategy is infallible, including potting the ball over time and hoping your defense and hidden time limits will help you get the ball back. People who don’t want to understand how it works will never do so at this point.
So why don’t we stop arguing about it? This is not a big political point at which burying it may harm others. This is just a small sample of a soccer game. Let’s all agree to disagree with whatever side you believe in, and let’s move on – because the NFL has already made that decision. Teams will only increase their tries on the fourth try as they are still learning how beneficial holding the ball can be. We all stew in the corners, because no one will change their mind in the near future.
And if you are passionate about your right to argue about the fourth pit decision, meet me at the logo about it. Or not, because I won’t be there.
