Exactly six years ago today, October 8th, 2018, I published one of my first FanPosts at Hogs Haven, “Why We Should Go For It More on 4th Down.” Among statistically-minded followers of football, that had been the growing suggestion for years, but it was still a novelty both among most NFL coaches and fans who had grown up with a more conservative approach to the game, steeped in decades of conventional wisdom.
For a brief moment, there was hope that when Ron Rivera was hired here, things might change. For all the discussion about “Riverboat Ron” taking chances on unconventional decisions, it became clear after a year or two in DC that the appellation was intended ironically, something which was actually clear by the time he left Carolina.