Let’s set the scene. It’s fourth and three from the opponent’s 37-yard line. Your offense has been driving down the field and has two minutes before halftime. Do you go for it? Do you kick a field goal. Do you punt it away and play the field-position battle?
These are the decisions NFL coaches need to make in real time in NFL stadiums. We have seen a trend over the last several years of NFL coaches becoming more aggressive in going for it on fourth down. According to the 33rd Team, coaches are going for it on fourth and five or shorter around 35 percent of the time in the last few years, compared to 21 percent as recently as 2017.