Rather than kick a chip-shot field goal that would have tied the game and extended overtime, the Detroit Lions went for a first down on fourth-and-1 from the eight-yard line midway through the extra session of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans. When a Shaun Hill quarterback sneak was stuffed, the Titans had the turnover on downs and a walk-off victory.

Why did Jim Schwartz choose to go for a fourth-down conversion instead of kicking the field goal? Turns out he didn't.

The coach said after the game that his team went to the line of scrimmage in an attempt to get the Titans to jump offsides.

"If they didn't jump, we were going to take the timeout and the ball ended up getting snapped." Schwartz told reporters after the game. "We need to obviously make sure that all 11 guys get the calls right there. That's as clear as I'm going to get. When it all comes down, that's the coaches fault."

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When coaches say it's their fault, they invariably mean it was the fault of an unnamed, very-specific person. In this case, Detroit's center is the most logical candidate. If the snap was accidental, it stands to reason that the snapper is to blame.

But Schwartz had it right. Even if the snapper messed up, the coaches and quarterback had to make clear that the hard court ruse was on. Better yet, just go out and kick the field goal in the first place Be smart. Play it safe. Don't get cocky. That's what post-game handshakes are for.