All valid points, mi_keys.
A similar line of reasoning was why I questioned our coaching staff's decision not to go for the touchdown on 4th-and-goal from the 1 in the Panther game. Had we failed to convert, the worst that would have happened is we would have given Carolina the ball back inside the 5 -- better than a punt, and
far better than giving it back to them on the 45, which is what our lousy return coverage units had been doing all day.
Then, had the Panthers tossed the long bomb, it would have landed them around midfield, rather than the goal line.
I don't understand why coaches so often fail to see that added value in aggressive goal-line plays. The potential advantages far outweigh the possible risks.