Fourth and One Offense

NFL 2009 Sammy Morris RB, New England Patriots
Sammy Morris RB, New England Patriots

A fourth-and-one situation is one of the most exciting moments in football. It is an opportunity for each team to assert that it is the more dominant force on the field, and also an intriguing matching of wits between the opposing coaches.

It is often a difficult decision for a coach as to whether or not he should go for it on fourth down. He needs to balance the risk versus the reward, knowing that momentum can shift from one side to the other on the outcome of this single play. So when a coach decides to roll the dice, all eyes are glued to the field.

"What happens on that play is going to change the momentum of the game," says Pittsburgh head coach MIKE TOMLIN, who led the Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XLIII. "It's a calculated risk to go for it on fourth-and-one."

One of the most successful teams when it comes to converting on fourth-and-one is the New England Patriots, who over the past two seasons have been successful on 20 of 22 chances (90.9 percent) when attempting to gain that crucial yard (11-for-11 in 2007, 9-for-11 in 2008).

The key to their success may lie in the mentality of their confident offense.

"All running backs think they can make it," says Patriots running back SAMMY MORRIS. "We want to go for it."

Teams from last year with the most attempts on fourth-and-one

Team Attempts Converted .Pct
Source: National Football League
New Orleans12758.3
New England11981.8
Minnesota11763.6
Houston10880.0
Chicago10660.0

 

NFL 2009 Preview | Fourth and One Offense