Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

It's really a simple concept when it's all said and done. In a NFL football game between two teams who are executing well and end up down by in a tied or down by a score football game late in the 4th quarter, the easiest way to get the win, is to score last.

When you can handle the pressure as a quarterback, there is no easier time to score a touchdown than in the final minutes of a football game. Not only is the defense usually at its weakest point but they too also have to deal with the same type of pressure your offense faces. That pressure gets to the defense just as much as it does to the offense and they are also at a huge disadvantage because their job is to react, not act.

Both, the previous Super Bowl loss as well as the regular season loss, showed the same blueprint. Both quarterbacks are fully capable of scoring late in the game, but the one who succeeds is usually the one who gets the time and opportunity to do so.

Super Bowl 2007. NY Giants vs NE Patriots:
FIRST QUARTER
FG 05:01 Lawrence Tynes 32 Yd 3 0
SECOND QUARTER NYG NE
TD 14:57 Laurence Maroney 1 Yd Run (Stephen Gostkowski Kick) 3 7
FOURTH QUARTER NYG NE
TD 11:05 David Tyree 5 Yd Pass From Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes Kick) 10 7
TD 02:42 Randy Moss 6 Yd Pass From Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski Kick) 10 14
TD 00:35 Plaxico Burress 13 Yd Pass From Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes Kick) 17 14


The NY Giants scored first and last in that football game. It left the Patriots with only 35 seconds to try to tie or win the football game.

NY Giants vs Patriots 2011:
THIRD QUARTER
FG 10:09 Lawrence Tynes 22 Yd 3 0
TD 09:10 Brandon Jacobs 10 Yd Run (Lawrence Tynes Kick) 10 0
FG 05:29 Stephen Gostkowski 32 Yd 10 3
FOURTH QUARTER NYG NE
TD 14:28 Aaron Hernandez 5 Yd Pass From Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski Kick) 10 10
FG 07:08 Stephen Gostkowski 45 Yd 10 13
TD 03:03 Mario Manningham 10 Yd Pass From Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes Kick) 17 13
TD 01:36 Rob Gronkowski 14 Yd Pass From Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski Kick) 17 20
TD 00:15 Jake Ballard 1 Yd Pass From Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes Kick) 24 20


Same exact blueprint. NY Giants scored first and last leaving the Patriots with only 15 seconds this time. In both games, they were able to "sneak" in the final score right there at the end. This is why you should be classless and blow out every team given the opportunity. The Patriots left them with too much time on the clock in a one score game and the Giants were in full control of the clock to score and end the game by being on offense.

Conclusion: Score first and try to be the last one with the football to score again and enough time on the clock. Don't leave the Giants in a position to score with 1 minute or more if you are up by less than 7 points. Timeouts or no timeouts. That's poor clock management. If they have an opportunity to get the ball again, especially if they have timeouts, make sure you are up by more than 1 score.

You can analyze the minor stats all you want but in the end the strategy is just that simple. Easier said than done but it remains as simple a concept as ever.

PS: Just because the defense defended against the Ravens successfully, doesn't mean you should put it all on them again. Defenses are always the weaker side because they suck at scoring. Give adequate time and the ball last to the side who can put up points and to your best player: Tom Brady.

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

You are over thinking it. The goal is to score more points than your opponent. The place in the game where the points are scored does not matter, as long as you score more. I'm OK with the Giant's scoring a Field Goal to start and end the Super Bowl, as long as they never score any other points.

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

The way I see it, don't leave the game in the hands of the defense. Prevent D=losing!

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

It does matter, because there's only one point in a football game where you can guarantee victory by scoring. And that's just before the clock runs out.

That's the only time you can go from a 99% favorite to 100%. That's the only time where you can actually get a check-mate in football.

No different than basketball. In close games, usually whichever team handles the final minute minute best wins.

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

But that is situation dependent. The Broncos could have scored last in our divisional game with them, and we would not have given a crap.

I'd take scoring 49 points in the 1st half, and letting NYG score first and last. I'd take my chances they wouldn't put up 50.

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england-...ak-broken.html

Advanced NFL Stats: Super Bowl XLII and Team Possessions

Needless to say I think the OP is on point.

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

We made key mistakes on the go ahead drives in each game. In SB 42 I felt on 1st down we should have ran the ball which could've left the Giants with under 2 minutes for their last possession. In the regular season matchup this year, Danny Woodhead ran OOB on a run couple plays before the go ahead TD, that gave the Giants 40 extra seconds. Gotta have better clock awareness in those situations.

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

I disagree re: SB 42. In that situation, you have to run your best plays. If you don't score a TD and instead have to kick a FG to tie it at 10-10, it really doesn't matter how much time you took off the clock.

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

I didn't come out and mention that, but yeah, that has a lot to do with ti. If you can get an extra possession on offense then even if both offenses are perfect, the team with the extra possession will win every time.

If you can deffer after winning the coin flip and stop them on the first possession(something John Fox does a lot) then you really can have an extra advantage for the remaining of the game especially if you are the last one with the ball before the half too.

You get a lot of extra tries to score. In fact if you had a perfect offense that could score on every drive, you don't even need a defense. Just manage the clock so you end up last with the ball and you can have a perfect season all the way to the super bowl win.

Re: Facing your past: How the Giants beat the Pats. Clock
 

Yeah it's a balance. The protection against this doesn't come from playing conservative and try to leave them with less time on the clock. The correct and logical way of protecting yourself against this is to go up by two scores, or worst case, a full 7 points.

Blow them out! Don't let it come down to a last possession type game. 6 points, or 2 FG's, is not a true lead. You need a full score to really be in control of the football game.