Super bowl LI

[muwarrior69]

Aww, come on guys we know the game was fixed.

[Tums Festival]

I'd take my chances kneeling the ball 4 times (meaning an intentional turnover on downs) over what the Falcons did.  At least they would've forced the Pats to take their timeouts and you're still up 8 with around 3 minutes left.

I'll take my chances that my NFL kicker can make a 40-46 (if you assume 0 to negative 2 yards per carry after the Jones catch) yard field goal to go up 11 and leave NE with 0 timeouts and a little over 3 minutes left.  If the kicker misses and it's an 8 point game that's on the kicker, not on the coach.  Nobody is blaming Mike Zimmer for not getting the football into the end zone against the Seahawks last year.  They're blaming Blair Walsh for missing a 26 yard field goal, and rightfully so.

Exactly. Matt Bryant was 9-9 on field goals from 40-49 yards this season.

[Eldon]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/falcons-key-offensive-philosophy-came-051152761.html

Article nicely sums up the Scoopers' complaint:

The Falcons' play-calling was immediately questioned. Why attempt to pass the ball, with the lead, time on your side, while in range of a field goal that could have effectively ended the Patriots' comeback attempt? It seemed wiser to run the ball, run out the clock, and attempt the field goal. With a field goal, the Falcons would have gone up 11, forcing the Patriots to go for two and kick a field goal just to tie the game.

Matty Ice responds:

After the game, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan explained that by throwing a pass, the Falcons ultimately stuck by their offensive philosophy all season: be aggressive.

"That's very much in character with what we did all year," Ryan said of the passing play that led to the sack. "We were aggressive. We felt like it was the right thing to do at the time.

As does Shanahan:

"You always want to run the ball. You don't want to just run the ball and make your guy take a 50-yard field goal."

And the justification:

[The Falcons] were third in passing yards on the season and first in yards per attempt. Matt Ryan steered the ship and ultimately won MVP because of his arm. This was their identity all season.

[GGGG]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/falcons-key-offensive-philosophy-came-051152761.html

Article nicely sums up the Scoopers' complaint:

The Falcons' play-calling was immediately questioned. Why attempt to pass the ball, with the lead, time on your side, while in range of a field goal that could have effectively ended the Patriots' comeback attempt? It seemed wiser to run the ball, run out the clock, and attempt the field goal. With a field goal, the Falcons would have gone up 11, forcing the Patriots to go for two and kick a field goal just to tie the game.

Matty Ice responds:

After the game, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan explained that by throwing a pass, the Falcons ultimately stuck by their offensive philosophy all season: be aggressive.

"That's very much in character with what we did all year," Ryan said of the passing play that led to the sack. "We were aggressive. We felt like it was the right thing to do at the time.

As does Shanahan:

"You always want to run the ball. You don't want to just run the ball and make your guy take a 50-yard field goal."

And the justification:

[The Falcons] were third in passing yards on the season and first in yards per attempt. Matt Ryan steered the ship and ultimately won MVP because of his arm. This was their identity all season.

But it wasn't a 50 yard field goal.  It was a 40+ yard field goal from where the Jones' catch was made.

And I do understand the philosophy.  Ryan just can't take a sack there.

[GooooMarquette]

We felt like it was the right thing to do at the time.

I think Ryan and Shanahan were the only two people on earth who felt that way.  Well, them and every Patriots fan....

[MerrittsMustache]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/falcons-key-offensive-philosophy-came-051152761.html

Article nicely sums up the Scoopers' complaint:

The Falcons' play-calling was immediately questioned. Why attempt to pass the ball, with the lead, time on your side, while in range of a field goal that could have effectively ended the Patriots' comeback attempt? It seemed wiser to run the ball, run out the clock, and attempt the field goal. With a field goal, the Falcons would have gone up 11, forcing the Patriots to go for two and kick a field goal just to tie the game.

Matty Ice responds:

After the game, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan explained that by throwing a pass, the Falcons ultimately stuck by their offensive philosophy all season: be aggressive.

"That's very much in character with what we did all year," Ryan said of the passing play that led to the sack. "We were aggressive. We felt like it was the right thing to do at the time.

As does Shanahan:

"You always want to run the ball. You don't want to just run the ball and make your guy take a 50-yard field goal."

And the justification:

[The Falcons] were third in passing yards on the season and first in yards per attempt. Matt Ryan steered the ship and ultimately won MVP because of his arm. This was their identity all season.

I have no problem with being aggressive, but a team can remain aggressive while also avoiding being stupid. Aside from a turnover, the worst thing that could happen in that situation was a sack for a significant loss. The most probable way for that to happen is with a deep drop. Therefore, it seems logical to avoid plays that involve a 7-step drop. There's a time and place to be aggressive. When you have an excellent kicker, you're in FG range and a FG all but ices a championship for your team, that's the perfect time to play conservatively.

That said, I wonder if McClellin's penalized hurdle on a PAT along with another near-block on a PAT was in Shanahan's mind while calling that pass play.

[MU82]

This is easy to say with hindsight.

Suppose that ATL runs 3 straight plays and gains a few yards.  Or perhaps they run three straight times and each results in a negative carry.  Say the kicker misses the field goal (or are perhaps pushed out of FG range from the negative carries).  And then Brady et al storm down field, score, etc.

People would have then said this about the ATL playcalling: "I just don't get it...ATL took its foot of their throats...they should have just played their game, stick with what was working...they stopped playing football and started playing clock management."

Well, you weren't in the room with me so you'll have to take my word for it, but I didn't just say it in hindsight. After yet another incredible catch by Julio gave Atlanta the ball at the 22 with less than 5 minutes to go, I told a roomful of people that all the Falcons had to do was run it 3 times up the middle or at worst attempt a "safe" pass like a screen. Stay inbounds. Don't stop the clock with incompletions. Force the Pats to burn their TOs and let Bryant, one of the best kickers in the world, make the kind of kick he has his entire career.

Would some have second-guessed had that backfired? Of course, but the odds were far better doing it that way. Much less risk of a turnover. No clock stoppage. Burn the timeouts. Force a TD, 2-pt conversion, onside kick recovery AND FG just to tie, all with 1 or no TOs remaining. No-brainer.

For those that say, "Well, the Falcons were just trusting Ryan to do what he did all year," how about also trusting the kicker do what he has always done his entire career?

I agree with TAMU that it was indefensible.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Didn't help that in the 4th quarter with game clock running, Falcons consistently snapped the ball with 15 seconds to go on the play clock.

This was driving me nuts

[brandx]

Didn't help that in the 4th quarter with game clock running, Falcons consistently snapped the ball with 15 seconds to go on the play clock.

This. I commented about it at the time. One time they snapped with 19 seconds left on the play clock. A couple others were in the 15-18 second range.

[GooooMarquette]

This. I commented about it at the time. One time they snapped with 19 seconds left on the play clock. A couple others were in the 15-18 second range.

It really is amazing when something so obvious totally escapes the notice of the QB and coaching staff.

[MU82]

Yeah ... I thought I was the only one who noticed that. I was screaming at the TV, "Take the clock down to 1 second."

They absolutely deserved to lose. And they did!

[jsglow]

This is easy to say with hindsight.

Suppose that ATL runs 3 straight plays and gains a few yards.  Or perhaps they run three straight times and each results in a negative carry.  Say the kicker misses the field goal (or are perhaps pushed out of FG range from the negative carries).  And then Brady et al storm down field, score, etc.

People would have then said this about the ATL playcalling: "I just don't get it...ATL took its foot of their throats...they should have just played their game, stick with what was working...they stopped playing football and started playing clock management."

No, I said it out loud immediately as Ryan dropped back to pass, even before he got dumped on his rear.

[brandx]

It really is amazing when something so obvious totally escapes the notice of the QB and coaching staff.

Ryan absolutely choked in that regard. But where were the coaches????

[DegenerateDish]

24 hours later, I'm still stunned. Falcons ran it five time (5!!!!!) after they got up 28-9.

It will never cease to amaze me that a billion dollar business routinely makes horrendous coaching blunders at the most crucial periods of games. It's almost not even funny anymore. The Falcons had the perfect loss.

[brandx]

24 hours later, I'm still stunned. Falcons ran it five time (5!!!!!) after they got up 28-9.

It will never cease to amaze me that a billion dollar business routinely makes horrendous coaching blunders at the most crucial periods of games. It's almost not even funny anymore. The Falcons had the perfect loss.

So now NE has won 2 SBs where a team failed to run the ball on obvious running plays at the end of games.

[MerrittsMustache]

So now NE has won 2 SBs where a team failed to run the ball on obvious running plays at the end of games.

Yep. Brady could easily be 3-4 in Super Bowls...then again, he could also easily be 7-0.

[warriorchick]

65 posts and not one comment on how Lady Gaga killed at halftime?   

[Eldon]

65 posts and not one comment on how Lady Gaga killed at halftime?   

Is this sarcasm or some inside joke?  I thought the show was great.  Very entertaining.

[warriorchick]

Is this sarcasm or some inside joke?  I thought the show was great.  Very entertaining.

No sarcasm at all.  I just thought I would get roasted for posting what might be considered a girly comment.

She was awesome.  Even if her style of music is not your thing, I think most people can appreciate her talent.

[StillAWarrior]

No sarcasm at all.  I just thought I would get roasted for posting what might be considered a girly comment.

She was awesome.  Even if her style of music is not your thing, I think most people can appreciate her talent.

Actually commented at the time (to my wife and three teenage daughters) that I enjoyed her halftime show more than any other in recent memory.  I thought she did great.  And I wouldn't really say that I'm a fan.

[tower912]

Lady Gaga has never really been my thing, but she absolutely nailed the halftime show.   

[MU82]

No sarcasm at all.  I just thought I would get roasted for posting what might be considered a girly comment.

She was awesome.  Even if her style of music is not your thing, I think most people can appreciate her talent.

Oh chickadee, you're such a girly girl!

[GoldenDieners32]

In OT, Vic Beasley dropped a INT in the end zone. Would have been a hard catch but it was in his hand

[MerrittsMustache]

In OT, Vic Beasley dropped a INT in the end zone. Would have been a hard catch but it was in his hand

I wouldn't go so far as to say he dropped an INT. Had he gotten his head around a half-second sooner, he would have had a very good chance to pick it off but as it was, he got one hand up and deflected the pass. Perhaps OBJ makes that one-handed snag but that's a lot to ask of a rush linebacker.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The Edelman catch should have been a pick. Bad throw, corner was right there.