The coach and I agree that going for it is the thing to do here, but you may be thinking it makes sense to attempt a field goal. That would be the right call if you think the Steelers’ chances of converting on fourth down are less than 53 percent. But based on my analysis, I’d give the Steelers a 67 percent chance to get a first down here.
Here's the full breakdown of my calculations:
| Option | Chance of converting |
Chance of winning
Before play
|
After play | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go for it4th and 1, opp. 29 | 67% | 46% | 47% | +1% | |
| Field goal try46 yard kick (est.) | 77% | 46% | 45% | –1% | |
| Punt | 46% | 41% | –5% |
Along with some circuitry to come up with a win probability for every game situation, all you need to figure out what you should do next is an estimate of how likely you are to make a field goal or convert a first down.
My estimates for these are based on the results of thousands of similar plays, but you may think you're smarter than I am. This chart shows you how changing those estimates would change my recommendation.
| Go for it | 65% of the time |
| Field goal try | 29% of the time |
| Punt | 6% of the time |
Ben Roethlisberger pass to the left to Antonio Brown for 29 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.
To estimate a team’s chances of winning, I use a mathematical model that accounts for a whole lot of variables — including the difference in score, the time remaining in the game, and the number of timeouts each team has left. On top of that, I have models for the likelihood that a team makes a field goal and the likelihood that it will convert a first down.
By combining all of this information, I can come up with the best decision a team can make, according to math.
If you want even more details about the numbers behind my decisions, my full model is available on GitHub. Help make me better!