The 1 play that changed the inevitable outcome

[mb6592]

You could argue the 3rd and 1 drop back that led to the Hightower sack (and fumble) or the 2nd and 11 from the 24 drop back that led to the sack - both those plays HAD to happen for the Patriots to win. But the under the radar - absolutely essential - play was the loss of two yards on the run on 1st and 10 from the Patriots 22 after the Jones miracle catch. It was a dumb decision to try a sweep instead of a straight ahead run on that play. I absolutely believe, that play's outcome led to the decision to throw on 2nd down. Had they even gained one yard, Shanahan would have, almost certainly, run on 2nd down. Losing those two yards put the idea in his head to abandon the safe (correct) route of "three runs, kick a field goal, let's get out of here". That play goaded him into resuming the petal to the metal approach that got them to within an inch of winning Super Bowl LI. Thank God!!!

 

[SVN]

In vacuum yes. But way too many plays which changed the outcome.For e.g. pats went for 4th down from their own side of the field in mid 3rd Quarter!. The game is pretty much over if they dont get it and they werent actually humming on offense at that time.

 

[sb1]

The game was over when the Pats won the coin toss in OT. There was no doubt at all that the Falcons weren't going to get the ball again.

 

[sarge]

You could argue the 3rd and 1 drop back that led to the Hightower sack (and fumble) or the 2nd and 11 from the 24 drop back that led to the sack - both those plays HAD to happen for the Patriots to win. But the under the radar - absolutely essential - play was the loss of two yards on the run on 1st and 10 from the Patriots 22 after the Jones miracle catch. It was a dumb decision to try a sweep instead of a straight ahead run on that play. I absolutely believe, that play's outcome led to the decision to throw on 2nd down. Had they even gained one yard, Shanahan would have, almost certainly, run on 2nd down. Losing those two yards put the idea in his head to abandon the safe (correct) route of "three runs, kick a field goal, let's get out of here". That play goaded him into resuming the petal to the metal approach that got them to within an inch of winning Super Bowl LI. Thank God!!!

Absolutely agree and thought about it myself after watching the game the second time.

 

[Vindicate]

I keep going through the plays to address which one was most important and eventually you come to the conclusion that there is seriously no one more important play in the other. Sure, you could argue that you couldn't have had the Trey Flowers sack without the HT strip sack, but without the Flowers sack, the HT strip is moot. Without the holding, the sack would've been moot. Literally every single converted pass and stop on defense was the most important play in their respective contexts.

The chances of that game playing out the way it did are as outrageous as the chances that (and this is speaking from a specific school of though, and should you disagree I certainly respect your views as much as my own) the earth being placed the perfect distance and position relative to the sun and our solar system that we reside in to have the genetic mutations that resulted in human beings at the surface level radiation of earth and every variable that follows. Simply using that theory as a comparison.

It's seriously a once in the lifetime chain of events. You could play that exact situation, from 25-3 towards the end of the 3rd, over 2000 times and the Pats still only pull it off once I'd argue.

But then again, Brady is a wildcard in the eyes of slim chances.

 

[fxmallon]

I think you could say that that was the worse coaching decision in the game--and, as you say it could arguably be the most pivotal play of the game, given the two plays that followed it.

Atlanta should have played that series just as if it were a final drive and all they needed was a field goal to win it. Run the ball, force the Pats to use their timeouts and then kick the field goal. Then the only way we could have tied was with a quick 8 point score and a onside kick.

 

[convertedpatsfan]

Brady talked about it in the presser after the game, how it's not one play, but 20 or 30 plays that can decide it.

Sure, take the run stuffs. But after the Julio catch, they get stuffed. Run it twice more, kick the FG, game over. It doesn't matter if they get stuffed 2 more times.

This was literally dozens of things needing to go right, which only seems fair because almost EVERYTHING that could go wrong did go wrong in the first half. But you could pick 10 different plays, and without that 11th, and 12th, and 13th, and 14th going the right way, we still lose, albeit by a closer score.

It would almost be impossible to replicate this result.

 

[mb6592]

I think you could say that that was the worse coaching decision in the game--and, as you say it could arguably be the most pivotal play of the game, given the two plays that followed it.

That's it - it was the most pivotal play. And to be more specific - since there came a point where we needed the Falcons to do something wrong to climb back into this - it was the most pivotal play which led to the Falcons self destructing.

Someone should ask Shanahan if he would have called a pass play if they had not lost yards on 1st down. I maintain the losing of those two yards goaded him into going dumb. Just like we needed Butler to, not only break up that pass, but we needed the interception or we most assuredly lose, likewise, we needed a loss on the play to entice the Falcons to disregard common sense/situational football.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I think the one play above all was Brady almost getting sacked for a safety and he managed to get rid of the ball ...
A split second and the season was over .......

 

[hellolin]

That's essentially what happened at the redzone when we played the last superbowl, stopping Lynch short of the goal line made Carroll hesitant to run again, thus he decided to pass which lead to the game winning interception. I guess if it's not broke it does not need to be fixed and we could do it again over and over and it will work until someone figures that out.

 

[PatsFan2]

You could argue the 3rd and 1 drop back that led to the Hightower sack (and fumble) or the 2nd and 11 from the 24 drop back that led to the sack - both those plays HAD to happen for the Patriots to win. But the under the radar - absolutely essential - play was the loss of two yards on the run on 1st and 10 from the Patriots 22 after the Jones miracle catch. It was a dumb decision to try a sweep instead of a straight ahead run on that play. I absolutely believe, that play's outcome led to the decision to throw on 2nd down. Had they even gained one yard, Shanahan would have, almost certainly, run on 2nd down. Losing those two yards put the idea in his head to abandon the safe (correct) route of "three runs, kick a field goal, let's get out of here". That play goaded him into resuming the petal to the metal approach that got them to within an inch of winning Super Bowl LI. Thank God!!!

That was not a miracle catch by Julio Jones did you see his Toe Drag and extension?? Jones does that all the time...thought it was game over right there but HC Dan Quinn didn't over rule his OC on the subsequent plays. There is no way McDaniels could pull something like that with BB.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

It was a dumb decision to try a sweep instead of a straight ahead run on that play.

Not sure I agree. They had been gashing us to the OUTSIDE, but INSIDE runs were not working as well due to Branch.

 

[Big Bucks]

i havent seen much said about the Roberts tackle on Freeman because all he had infront of him was daylight. Saved a certain TD imo

 

[obgod3]

I dont disagree, but the point the OP points out that NE had gotten inside the Falcon's head and they really wanted a TD to be sure. I think it is very similar to the Seattle SB, Brady and the whole team was carving them up and it got in the other coaches head. BB and Crew never flinched. Total mind game.

 

[NormZauchin]

The phrase, from mathematics, for all these plays, considered individually, is "necessary, but not sufficient" to result in a Patriot victory.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I feel the tipped pass that Bennett caught hasn't been talked about enough... probably because it happened so early in the game. But NE was deep in their own territory. ATL catches that and scores even a FG and maybe the improbable comeback falls short.

But yeah, a comeback like that leaves many key plays to be discussed for sure.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

There was no 1 play that changed anything. We started taking over when Brady started going to James White and Malcolm Mitchell in the 4th qtr.

The Falcons defense was gassed and pretty much everything had to go PERFECTLY for us, and it did!

 

[mb6592]

Not sure I agree. They had been gashing us to the OUTSIDE, but INSIDE runs were not working as well due to Branch.

But they didn't need to gain anymore yards. The risk/reward should have dictated the play call - especially if a two yard loss would cause you to lose your mind.

 

[Dagg]

All they had to do is take a KNEE 3 times and kick a 39 yd FG. I like my chances winning that game with 3 kneel downs. No risk of fumble, Bryant is a pretty darn good kicker.

 

[bigballas]

as many have said not one play, but a play that i feel is getting overlooked is the brady 15 yard run. he had just thrown a bad pass play before, but after that run (where he looked surprisingly fast(er) ) he was a machine