Bills' ST coaching FAIL: how they set up McKelvin's fumble

[ctpatsfan77]

Here's a tidbit that deserves mention, from the folks at NESN:

After Tom Brady’s touchdown pass to Ben Watson cut Buffalo’s lead to 24-19 with 2:06 remaining in the fourth quarter, McKelvin committed an unfathomable sin. To start, the Bills’ hands team took the field during the ensuing kickoff, meaning they were prepared for an onside or squib kick. When Stephen Gostkowski kicked the ball into the end zone, McKelvin should have taken a knee and given Buffalo’s offense a chance to run out the clock and seal the victory.

Instead, McKelvin found his hero gene and brought the ball out of the end zone, and he fumbled the ball away just seconds later. Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather made the initial hit, and linebacker Pierre Woods ripped the ball out of McKelvin’s hands. Gostkowski hit the bottom of the pile and scooped up the fumble to give the Patriots possession at Buffalo’s 31-yard line with 1:56 to play. Brady threw another touchdown pass to Watson, and the Patriots won 25-24.

After the game, McKelvin didn't have many regrets.

“If I ever had another chance, I would probably do the same thing,” said McKelvin, who is actually an extremely talented kick returner. [. . .]

McKelvin also said he was unaware of where his feet were when he caught the ball, and he was afraid he’d get called for a safety if he took a knee in the end zone. Still, in that situation of a football game, McKelvin should absolutely be conscious of every last detail.

It's amazing that a KR doesn't even know the rules for a safety on kickoffs. :singing:

[Heck, as we Pats fans know, a KR can catch the ball and run out of the back of the end zone without getting a safety, so long as he didn't take it over the goal line first.]

 

[DaBruinz]

Here's a tidbit that deserves mention, from the folks at NESN:



It's amazing that a KR doesn't even know the rules for a safety on kickoffs. :singing:

[Heck, as we Pats fans know, a KR can catch the ball and run out of the back of the end zone without getting a safety, so long as he didn't take it over the goal line first.]

Actually, they mentioned last night that, at first glance, McKelvin might have thought his momentum took him backwards over the goalline with the ball and that's why he brought it out..

I think its more of a fail on McKelvin.. He should have known exactly where he was..

 

[BelichickFan]

With 2:06 remaining, a good argument can be made for bringing it out and getting to the 2 minute warning on the change of posession timeout. A touchback means the Patriots get a free timeout 6 seconds later and a 3 and out would leave us with 1 timeout instead of zero (assuming three runs). Of course, having the chance to do it over he'd stay there but there was a significant advantage to bringing it out IF he held onto the ball and stayed alive for 6 seconds.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Actually, they mentioned last night that, at first glance, McKelvin might have thought his momentum took him backwards over the goalline with the ball and that's why he brought it out..

I think its more of a fail on McKelvin.. He should have known exactly where he was..

Doesn't matter.

Note: It is not a safety if a defensive player in the field of play intecepts a pass; catches or recovers a fumble, backward pass, scrimmage kick, free kick [= kickoff], or fair catch kick and his original momentum carries him into his end zone where the ball is declared dead in his team’s possession. Instead the ball belongs to the defensive team at the spot where the ball was intercepted, caught or recovered. (11-4-1)

A safety requires that the team giving up the safety have given the ball "impetus." Until the receiving team tries to advance the ball outside the end zone, that impetus must belong to the kicking team.

 

[Patriot_in_NY]

I don't fault him for taking it out. Not diving to the ground once swarmed over it what cost him the fumble. There are times you need risk it all for that extra yard or two, but up by five and inside 2 minutes is not one of them. That extra churning cost him the football.

Just run it out and when everyone starts converging, look for the right opportunity to get that ball safely to the mat and kill the play. DOUBLY so when you know that the hands team is out there and NO ONE on your team has set up return coverage.

 

[letekro]

This thread is a fail. Downing in the end zone would have been the WRONG PLAY, even without considering the safety issue. If he downs it with 2:06, the Pats can save a timeout because of the 2 min. warning. If he takes it out, most likely the clock runs down to the 2 min. warning, so the Pats can't take advantage of it after 1st down. Now, he should've taken better care of the ball (two hands on the ball when he saw BM). But, the decision to bring it out was a good one.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

This thread is a fail. Downing in the end zone would have been the WRONG PLAY, even without considering the safety issue. If he downs it with 2:06, the Pats can save a timeout because of the 2 min. warning. If he takes it out, most likely the clock runs down to the 2 min. warning, so the Pats can't take advantage of it after 1st down. Now, he should've taken better care of the ball (two hands on the ball when he saw BM). But, the decision to bring it out was a good one.

I agree. I was hoping Gostkowski could kick it 5 yards deep, forcing a touchback and saving those 6 seconds. Bringing it out to kill those 6 seconds was key, but the moment someone came near him he should have slid and downed himself. How he could allow himself to get tackled was a boneheaded play of epic proportions.

Regards,
Chris

 

[ctpatsfan77]

This thread is a fail. Downing in the end zone would have been the WRONG PLAY, even without considering the safety issue. If he downs it with 2:06, the Pats can save a timeout because of the 2 min. warning. If he takes it out, most likely the clock runs down to the 2 min. warning, so the Pats can't take advantage of it after 1st down. Now, he should've taken better care of the ball (two hands on the ball when he saw BM). But, the decision to bring it out was a good one.

I'm not criticizing him for his decision to bring it out. I'm criticizing the Bills for having a KR who doesn't know what constitutes a safety.

 

[BTTA]

I'm not criticizing him for his decision to bring it out. I'm criticizing the Bills for having a KR who doesn't know what constitutes a safety.

And, coaches who didn't say to him, at least three times, "if you can, bring the ball out and kill six seconds, but at all costs, don't let them tackle you - get to the ground on your own and cover the ball."

 

[bresna]

A safety requires that the team giving up the safety have given the ball "impetus." Until the receiving team tries to advance the ball outside the end zone, that impetus must belong to the kicking team.

If the referee ruled that the ball was caught on the goal line and that McKelvin stepped back into the end zone afterward, *he* was the impetus to putting the ball into the endzone. I think that is what he was worried about.

I've watched the play over and over and it does look like he's straddling the goal line when he catches the ball so his concern was justified.

His failure to go down when hit was not.