Earlier today, we pointed out that the Panthers missed an opportunity to keep the point that made the third-quarter score 17-10 while ensuring the next drive would have started at the San Francisco 25.
We missed an opportunity to point out another opportunity the Panthers missed.
As a head coach with another team observed this afternoon, the Panthers could have tried an onside kick from the 50. Failure of the attempt would have most likely resulted in the 49ers getting the ball somewhere between the San Francisco 35 and 40.
(For those who play Madden, that was a very common move after any roughing the kicker fouls after a PAT — before the new formation was adopted.)
Last year, the Panthers wouldn’t have been able to do it, because the team trailing couldn’t attempt an onside kick until the fourth quarter. This year, the team that is trailing can try an onside kick at any time.
Which raises another point: Why is the onside kick limited to the team that is trailing? After a 15-yard penalty on the try, the kicking team should be allowed to try an onside kick from the 50, if it wants. Regardless of the score.
Looking at it more broadly, any team should be allowed to try an onside kick, whenever it wants. There’s never been, in the history of the game, a rule that limits options based on the score.
Regardless, the knee-jerk decision by the Panthers to take one point off the board and attempt a two-point conversion from the one (with a pass from shotgun formation) seemed to disregard the flexibility they would have had on a kickoff from the 50. They could have ensured that the next drive would have started from the 25, and they could have rolled the dice on an onside kick that wouldn’t have given the 49ers a short field, if the onside attempt had failed.