Boldest SB call ever?

[Triumph]

Giants Patriots Super Bowl: The ballsiest call in Super Bowl history. - Slate Magazine

 

[Satchboogie3]

As soon as they were at the 20 with just under 2 minutes I was calling for them to let them score quick (but not make it too obvious as to let the player just take a knee at the one) so we could keep the 2 timeouts and have as much time as possible to make a drive.

Trying to keep them to a FG would be bad because it's a chipshot at that spot and 4 downs would mean no time and burning timeouts. Obviously if they are going to score, you want it as quick as possible. Oh well.

 

[Fball]

It was the most surreal for sure.

But not the boldest. The boldest imo was Payton doing the onside kick in Saints/Colts. If Baskett recovers that for the Colts, it would have likely been a big hole for the Saints to dig out of.

 

[Mogamedogz]

Sean Paytons onside kick after halftime. /thread

 

[Onedaful]

As soon as they were at the 20 with just under 2 minutes I was calling for them to let them score quick (but not make it too obvious as to let the player just take a knee at the one) so we could keep the 2 timeouts and have as much time as possible to make a drive.

Trying to keep them to a FG would be bad because it's a chipshot at that spot and 4 downs would mean no time and burning timeouts. Obviously if they are going to score, you want it as quick as possible. Oh well.

I completely agree with this. They should have tried to let them score way earlier and not wasted a timeout. Try to give Brady 2 mins instead of 57 seconds.

 

[SpaceOdyssey]

After the Nicks catch (before the two minute warning), it feels weird, but the defender should've laid low and let him get in for the TD. That gives Brady less than 2 mins with 2 timeouts. That's plenty of time for a drive to score a TD.

 

[jnug]

Refs Safety call in the SB

Funny, when I saw the thread here about "boldest SB call" reading the title I did not think it was about BB's let the Giants score call at the end. I thought it was about the refs safety call on Brady. This is water over the dam now but the title did make me think about this again.

I have to admit that I was so devastated by the safety call when it happened that I forgot that the refs really did not make that call until the Giants sideline and defensive players started screaming about it.

Now kudos to them for pointing it out. However, the call totally hinges on whether in the refs judgement Brady is under pressure or not. Since Brady was standing there all day, I really think that any sort of grounding call really had not occurred to the refs at that point until the Giants started screaming for it. Yes I think it was Tuck that finally broke for Brady late in the play but Brady did not even make a move to avoid him having stood there all day long.

Once you have let that call go by in the normal course, I think it is difficult at that point for the refs to huddle and try to come to a decision. Was Brady really under pressure or not? Given that we are talking about the Super Bowl here I really think the refs should have let it go. Letting it go might not have been the right call either. But Brady was not dancing around looking for a hole in the ground to hide in either.

In retrospect and lets face it, as a Pats fan I wanted it to go a different way, I really think the refs could have justified swallowed their whistle on that one. That was a call that put points on the board. Might have been the wrong call but might not have been as well. Are judgement calls ever really wrong or right?

 

[upstater1]

After the Nicks catch (before the two minute warning), it feels weird, but the defender should've laid low and let him get in for the TD. That gives Brady less than 2 mins with 2 timeouts. That's plenty of time for a drive to score a TD.

You don't want to tell your defender anything but knock the holy hell out of him at that point. I mean, at the 23 yard line, that's a 40 yard FG, it's got a 70% chance of going in. You take that chance. It would be hard to say, if he catches it at the 10, let him in. The first thing I want my defender to do is pound him if he can or strip the ball away.

 

[jbb9s]

I completely agree with this. They should have tried to let them score way earlier and not wasted a timeout. Try to give Brady 2 mins instead of 57 seconds.

Let's take this a step further. Why challenge the Manningham catch? So clearly in bounds.

 

[MP-Logick]

I know no coach would ever do it, but I wanted them to just send the house after Manning after they crossed midfield. Either we sack him, or they get a deep pass for quick touchdown, and then the game is in Tom Brady's hands with four downs and all the time he needs, which is right where it should be, not the defense's.

 

[Harry Yelreh]

I know no coach would ever do it, but I wanted them to just send the house after Manning after they crossed midfield. Either we sack him, or they get a deep pass for quick touchdown, and then the game is in Tom Brady's hands with four downs and all the time he needs, which is right where it should be, not the defense's.

This makes a lot of sense, honestly.

Like a lot of fans, I'm sure, I had that "uh-oh" feeling the very moment Welker didn't make the catch. After the Manningham catch, it was all but certain that the Giants were going to score; it was just a matter of how much time was going to be left on the clock for the Patriot offense. I also agree with Satch on the 20-yard line thing. By then I also was yelling to just let them score; people in the room with me couldn't believe it. But it's just taking into account what Belichick himself so often calls "situational football."

 

[randomk1]

It wasn't all that ballsy...that was pretty much our only option given the situation.

 

[Batman]

I don't think Bradshaw ever intended to stop himself from scoring that may have been the call and what he tried to make it look like but if he didn't want to score why not slide foot first and declare yourself down.

 

[olschool]

Sean Paytons onside kick after halftime. /thread

No contest. Ballsiest play ever.

 

[Steve102]

Let's take this a step further. Why challenge the Manningham catch? So clearly in bounds.

The Giants were coming to the huddle quickly so BB and the staff couldn't get a good look at it on the replay. He was right on top of it and knew it was a game changing moment. He threw the flag before he or Ernie Adams got a look at the replay.

 

[The Brandon Five]

I know no coach would ever do it, but I wanted them to just send the house after Manning after they crossed midfield. Either we sack him, or they get a deep pass for quick touchdown, and then the game is in Tom Brady's hands with four downs and all the time he needs, which is right where it should be, not the defense's.

No, no, no. You send the house in the SB with less than 2 minutes to play when they have the ball at the 11 and the other team is down by 4. Works every time...if you want lose, that is.