Today’s Mike McCarthy Award For Putting the Points on the Board in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
By 
Goes to Mr. Dan Quinn.
It is really, really hard for a decentish team to lose to a team that’s starting Blaine Gabbert at quarterback. But not impossible! One way of helping to accomplish this is with some old-school strategery. Say, kicking a field goal on 4th-and-goal from inside the 2 yard line down by four points with 3 minutes left. It worked! (I mean, Gabbert is terrible for an NFL QB, but he’s not “it is impossible for his team to get a single first down” terrible.) Perhaps it was Quinn’s homage to his old friend Darrell Bevell’s most recent Super Bowl play call.
Besides, as Jim Caldwell would point out, the optimal play call there is clearly a quick punt. Quinn will never be able to win unless he really learns to trust his defense. Mere idiotic decisions to kick field goals don’t quite show a full commitment.
…the anti-Mike McCarthy award goes to Chip Kelly for going for it on 4th-and-short in OT. Sure, it was the right percentage play, and sure it worked — but how will he ever recover the trust of his defense?