[MicroBob]

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It's because they're afraid of getting criticized in public if they do anything that could lead to an immediate loss. As I was watching the game, I was thinking "The Cardinals should go for it here" but you are the only other person I've heard say this, and you can bet that if they'd gone for it and gotten stuffed, every armchair coach in America would be all over it.

To be fair they have a slightly better than 50% chance of winning in OT because they're a better team than the 49ers but it's obv nowhere near 70%.

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didn't see the game or know about this but yeah, it's pretty damn obvious you should go for it there.
While there would be some reprecussions in they failed I do think some of the public is in love with the 'gutsy' play-calling. Some really stupid fans scream to "go for it!!!" on 4th and goal from the 6 when their team is up by 7 and silly stuff like that.

Above everything else, coaches want to give games and don't give a crap what the fans think of their play-calling.
I think a coach who actually understands the math there is not gonig to be talked out of going for it just because the fans might boo him.
They get booed all the time. They get booed when they screw up in their own end-zone to lose the game anyway.

I reeally don't think that some of the conservative play-calling is done to appease the fans and keep the criticism to a minimum. It's just how they've learned the game. And in many situations they are correct in their decision-making...but in stuff like this they have tendency to get it REALLY wrong.