What’s up with this new fascination of going for it on 4th

It’s like these coaches forgot how to play football Ai does not lose its job for these constant bad decisions 

I dont understand your point here.

Rams going for it on 4th in OT was the right call.

There was little time left for another possesion had they kick the FG. Then needing your defense to stop 49ers for a tie.  Not to mention the kicker missed the xtra point and a FG already. So the FG wasn't automatic.

Choosing to do a run play when all your other plays were throws that drive was the issue. Especially since Williams already fumble at the goalline.

OH i have a great idea. Hey lets give Williams two chances to lose the game.

Not to mention a play that actually might work. The whole defense is up in the box waiting for the run. Yet they give the RB the ball 5 yards deep in backfield. Most of the time, common sense say's the play is not going to work. So many other things these teams can do, but these coaches always try to be too cute. No actually, they're too predictable.

Bring in a 4 WR set. Put two on each side wide out. Let mono vs mono with the linemen. This way, it gets all of the cluster out of the middle. So many options for now the offense to run. QB sneak, easier hole for the RB. A quick pass, a slant. It's just baffling to me. 

Analytics say it's beneficial to go forward on 4th and short and they're right

@Zman55

 All analytics now. I agree there are times I miss strategy and being conservative. Running that ball and controlling the clock. Today's NFL is very loosey Goosey. And VERY penalty happy.

Surprised they didn’t go to Puka. Seemed wide open all game. 

Hand it off to corum and you win

@UnderdogKing

 My favorite is when needing a yard the qb goes in the shotgun and hands off a draw. The idea of needing one yard and snapping the ball 5 yards backwards is nauseating.

@JimmyGape

@Ppkay

 It’s actually the wrong call but all the young kids love going for it on 4th down, SF qb was hurt and had to be helped off the field, I’d take my chances stopping Mac Jones then going for it on 4th and 3? 

@Zman55

 Yes, they are doing it more and more because of analytics.  They certainly lose their jobs for these calls because one or two poorly-placed losses can be crucial to a season and a career.

The problem with analytics in football as opposed to, say baseball, is the very limited times each game and season you will be placed in those situations.

Throughout a 162-game MLB season there will be many, many times to 'play the odds', as it were, with the modern analytics.

The more you play the odds the more you will be correct in the long run.

That is simply not the case in the NFL with the very limited chances.

For example, if the analytics say go for it in a certain situational 4th down and you do not get it the first 2 or 3 times what do you do going forward?

Mathematically, it will make sense to keep doing it because the odds will eventually work out in your favor.

But in the back of your mind you now realize the last 2 or 3 times it did not work out and are now too timid to keep doing it.

You, at some point, have to coach the team to win and not 'manage' the team to a GM's analytic's guy's spreadsheet.

I posted this just earlier about the best example of a coach that does not always do this and is successful at the 'normal' style of coaching:

Saw this earlier in an article about them knocking Tomlin for not going for it on 4th down at the end of the game instead of punting in the Viking game.  The guy was making the point that no matter what the analytics tell you, they do not tell you how your player’s strengths and weaknesses are on that particular day.  
As much as the league has become a league of parity and competitiveness, it is ever more important to win the close games. 

So, they listed this stat:

In his 19th season, Tomlin is 108-65-2 in one-score games. That .617 winning percentage is the best in NFL history,

Since Tomlin became Steelers coach in 2007, his success in these circumstances dwarfs that of his contemporaries. The Chiefs’ Andy Reid has 88 wins in one-score games, and John Harbaugh of the Ravens has 76.

So, when it starts off working for you and you get ahead of the curve early on trying these things -- you look like a genius.

When it does not work and you get behind early -- you might very well lose your job.

Years ago these things were not tried.  But today analytics has such a big influence that they are.

But a coach cannot rely on a 'nerd' to save his job when they do not work out.