Dan from Zillah, Washington asks, "Why did the Seahawks decided to kick a field goal instead of go for it on fourth and short late in the game?"
A: If you need a refresher, the situation this question is referring to came late in the fourth quarter when the Seahawks, after a 6-yard Sam Darnold completion to Cooper Kupp, were facing fourth-and-1 from the San Francisco 19-yard line with 3:28 left on the clock and the score tied at 10-10.
Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald had a choice to make at that point, which was to take a high-percentage field goal attempt to take a 13-10 lead, or to go for it on fourth-and-1, potentially extending the drive to take more time off the clock before kicking a field goal, or ideally, scoring a touchdown to go up by seven points.
Macdonald, having watched his defense hold the 49ers to a single field goal over the span of eight possessions following an opening-drive touchdown, opted to take the (almost) sure points in the moment and trust his defense. With San Francisco holding all three time outs, it was no sure thing that the Seahawks would have been able to bleed out much more clock had they gotten the first down, which as Macdonald explained on Seattle Sports 710AM, factored into their thinking.
"It was in favor to go (for it) for us on our model," Macdonald said on the Brock and Salk Show. "You are making these things in real time, but it was a full yard, probably a little bit more so. And I felt like if we took the lead right there, we were playing well on defense, it wasn't four-down territory for them yet. If kick the ball off to them, it's not four-down territory for them yet. I think they would still punt it if we got a three-down stop in minus territory and get into four-minute mode, which I felt good about the way we ran it that drive. And if they get in plus territory, they're still in three-down mode to kick a field goal, which, what are we, six inches away from being able to go down and kick a field goal with ample time on offense.
"So that was the thinking, If you go and you get the first down, you're not guaranteed a touchdown," he added. "You're going to knock some time off the clock, and ultimately you'll probably end up with a score on that, and then San Fran's going to be in a four-down situation coming down the field, … which is a difficult situation too on defense. I think the numbers are about 40, 50, 60-percent score rate in that situation. So that's what was going through my mind."