Here we go (I will start with the negatives and go to the positives):
- Slater screwed up. I thought he wanted to receive and just said it wrong, but he should have elected to defer the decision. I think the rules still apply in overtime where he can defer the decision to the Jets and select the end zone to defend. But once you select to kick off, you have made a choice. I could be wrong there.
- That said, I don't get the strategy. I can understand if weather was a factor, but it didn't appear to be. I mean even though the defense had been playing well since the Jets' opening drive of the second half, don't know if you can guarantee stopping a TD on the opening drive in overtime.
- ....
RE BB's Decision: I support BB's decision in OT. The offense was having trouble moving the ball...only driving for one TD all day and with Brady getting knocked down or hurried on every other play. The defense hadn't given up a TD since 9 minutes of the third quarter. It was a reasonable gamble to play for field position, depend on the D to stop the Jets and get the ball back on the 35 or so, with Brady only needing to take them 35 yards to set up a Gostkowski FG attempt. It didn't work out that way, but it says that he had no trust in the ability of the offense to move the ball for a TD on an initial possession and was wary of their ability to get a FG twice, considering that they had only done it twice in the first 60 minutes. How might the GOAT feel about that? Probably not so good, but, IMO, it was the best decision for the team given the physical condition of the offense.
Re Slater: When a team "defers" after winning the coin toss, it is deferring its opportunity to receive the ball until the beginning of the second half. Since there is no additional OT in a preseason or regular season game, where the game is reset as it is at halftime, there is, by definition, nothing to which the team that wins the toss can "defer." So, the correct thing to say was "Kick" or "Receive."
Slater said exactly the right thing. He also said it on direct instructions from BB. He was just confused momentarily about the fact that he did not also get to choose the goal the Patriots would defend.
The official handled the situation correctly. Once he said, "Kick," Slater's role was over. The official was right to ignore him; he's the Referee of a high stakes transaction between adults, not a nanny who has to explain the rules to one of them.
Here's what the rule book says:
Rule 16, Section 1, Article 2:
ARTICLE 2. END OF REGULATION
At the end of regulation playing time, the Referee shall immediately toss a coin at the center of the field, in accordance with rules pertaining to a usual pregame toss (
4-2-2). The visiting team captain is to again call the toss. [
my emphasis in bold]
Rule, 4, Section 2, Article 2 (see bold above)
Rule 4, Section 2, Article 2: Not more than three minutes before the kickoff of the first half, the Referee, in the presence of both team’s captains (limit of six per team, all of whom must be uniformed members of the Active List) shall toss a coin at the center of the field. Prior to the Referee’s toss, the call of “heads” or “tails” must be made by the captain of the visiting team, or by the captain designated by the Referee if there is no home team. Unless the winner of the toss defers his choice to the second half, he must choose one of two privileges, and the loser is given the other. The two privileges are:
a) The opportunity to receive the kickoff, or to kick off; or
(b) The choice of goal his team will defend
However, unless it is a postseason game, in OT there is nothing to which to defer.
The arrangements are different only in the postseason (Rule 16, Section 1, Article 5):
ARTICLE 5. OVERTIME IN POSTSEASON
The following shall apply to overtime games in the postseason:
- If the score is tied at the end of a 15-minute overtime period, or if the second team’s initial possession has not ended, another overtime period will begin, and play will continue, regardless of how many 15-minute periods are necessary.
- Between each overtime period, there shall be a two-minute intermission, but there shall be no halftime intermission after the second period. At the beginning of the third overtime period, the captain who lost the coin toss prior to the first overtime period shall have the first choice of the two privileges in 4-2-2, unless the team that won the coin toss deferred. [my emphasis in bold again]
