Complaining about the playcall is stupid. You have 3 minutes left, the two minute warning, a timeout and RBs averaging less than 3YPC. You need a first down to win.
The next drive Denver went 82 yards in 1:15. What in the world makes anyone think Denver wouldn't have done that if they ran 3 times.
It's not stupid.
The 36-yard pass to Thomas would have happened on the OTHER SIDE of the 2-minute warning (if it even would have happened with the Pats playing 2-deep on safeties, which they could have if they were inside 2-minutes and no Donkey timeouts.
How many seconds come off the clock on that play alone? Thomas makes the catch out by mid-field, 36 yards form the line of scrimmage...they've got to get up there, get set and do something.
This is not Monday-morning quarterbacking on my part - I was screaming at them to RUN RUN RUN before the play. They essentially gave Denver 2 extra timeouts.
And there were 7 seconds left on the play clock when they snapped that ball on the Gronk injury play - the play ended with 2:49 left in the game.
Play the run out and do the math. Remove the 7 seconds (Brady uses all the clock)...2:42 even IF Denver is right to their timeout.
Let's say they gain nothing on the RUN. 2nd and 10, timeout, 2:42. Rinse and repeat - 3rd and 10 AT THE TWO Minute warning.
Rinse and repeat, then punt. Denver gets the ball back, NO TIMEOUTS, somewhere around 1:10 left in the game...you afraid of that scenario?
Even if they then complete that lob-bomb to Thomas, they're at mid-field and we're WAY under a minute left, no timeouts and needing a touchdown.
Yeah, that was bad clock management, sorry, and I'm the biggest homer on this board.