To open the game: receive the kickoff, or defer?

[Tunescribe]

This will be an interesting call whoever wins the toss. If you're the Pats, you want to eat up clock and keep Brady off the field. If you're the Bucs, you want the ball in Brady's hands early and often. I'm thinking if the Pats win the toss they might defy convention and receive, whereas the Bucs might be more apt to figure their defense can stymie Mac out of the gate. If the Pats win the toss and BB defers, that would be pretty ballsy.

 

[Midship]

defer 100%

 

[Guts]

I think receive would be perfect if we score. It's a little risky though cause if the Bucs make us go 3 and out or just 1 first down, We will be putting more pressure on our defense

 

[Tottie]

I think both teams will take the ball if they win the toss.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Take the ball and go score a td.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Do what the Giants did in SB 42...take the ball and eat up clock. Their first drive that game was what, 9 minutes long?

 

[Rob0729]

I feel you always should defer unless the weather is such a factor that choosing which end zone you defend could be a big factor in the game. But this is extremely rare, but Belichick has done it in the past. Granted it was in overtime and wouldn’t really apply to this scenario.

The benefit of potentially have back to back scoring opportunities trumps most if not all reasons to take the ball first.

 

[Schmo]

Always defer. Get your defense on the field right away and get them that extra rest at halftime.

 

[Ring 6]

Always defer. Get your defense on the field right away and get them that extra rest at halftime.

If you defer and are trailing at half you get the ball to get back in it. If you are leading you get a **** to extend the lead before they can score.
If you took the ball first it’s just the opposite, being behind at half can get you buried on the first drive and if you have a lead they get first crack at catching up.

 

[venecol]

Does it really make any difference? Either way do you somehow get an extra possession? Isn't the # of possessions what gives you the chance to score. Whether you get the ball first or last and then first again, does it matter if you don't score? I'm not sure it does.

 

[Schmo]

Does it really make any difference? Either way do you somehow get an extra possession? Isn't the # of possessions what gives you the chance to score. Whether you get the ball first or last and then first again, does it matter if you don't score? I'm not sure it does.

For the most part, I agree with you. It comes down to minor perceived advantages.

For one, and maybe stats would prove me wrong, but it always seemed like Brady would always get better as the game went on. Give him the ball first and hopefully he wastes that possession.

The way I was looking at it is that there's a concrete advantage to how much rest your D gets. Your defense starts the game rested. Assuming time of possession is the same regardless of coin flip outcome, the D either takes the field at 640pm (defer) or, say, 700pm (receive). The game ends at the same time either way. That gives you 20 extra hypothetical minutes of rest added onto halftime.

 

[Joker]

Take the ball first and ATTACK!!!

 

[venecol]

I think both teams will take the ball if they win the toss.

The Bucs for sure will take the ball and "attack."

 

[fnordcircle]

D) Concede

 

[farn]

Take the ball.

 

[slash83]

Yeah let’s take the ball only to go 3 and out and punt the ball to a jacked up Brady. Kick the damn thing come out cause a 3 and out and set the tone.

Think we’re more likely to force a punt more than March down the field on offense and get points on the first drive.

 

[FCB02062]

defer. believe it or not I have more faith in the defense in preventing a 75 yard td drive than I do in the offense mounting a 75 yard td drive

 

[sb1]

Defer and then onside kick

 

[reflexblue]

Defer and then onside kick

has anyone ever tried it, and is it even legal

 

[sb1]

has anyone ever tried it, and is it even legal

Don’t think anyone has. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be it’s like any other kickoff.