I wonder if Bill thought about this play at the end of regulation

[RobertWeathers]

I suppose the two big advantages to an 'uncontested' free kick would be.......

1.) As someone pointed out, with it being uncontested the kicker could go low trajectory.

2.) Instead of putting a FG blocking group (lineman and TEs) they could put a kickoff coverage group out there (in case Atlanta had an opportunity for a return).

I had the exact same thought. Why take the chance?

But we are not BB.

BB has the exact same logic as he did in SB36.

If you have the ball and a chance to end the game and win a championship.....you go for it.

If Jules busts one to mid-field everything changes.

 

[Ring 6]

I brought this up in another thread, but wanted more discussion...


One of the most obscure rules in the NFL rulebook is the fair catch free kick. Basically, any time that you make a fair catch, you have the option of trying a totally uncontested, undefended field goal (well, everyone is 10 yards back, like on a kickoff), with no snap, but with a holder.

Here is one such attempt, by Harbaugh's SF team:

San Francisco 49ers kicker Phil Dawson 71-yard fair catch kick attempt

Last night, Edelman fair caught the ball at the 35 yard line & 3 seconds left.

Gost could have tried a 75 yard FG. Impossible? Maybe. But remember, there is no defense. Low trajectory is fine. It's like a kickoff, and Gost has kicked at least an occasional KO through the uprights.

Downsides? The clocks starts on the kick, so it will run out, make or miss. The only downside is that ATL could conceivably return a short kick (think Auburn's "kick 6").

I am not saying that BB SHOULD have done this, but it would have been a bizarre way to end it, for sure!


There was discussion of this in the Cowboys game too: Cowboys passed on a chance for a fair catch free kick

I actually think that they were prepared to do exactly that if the kick was short. In fact, I think Edelman looked at BB after faircatch and kind of put his arms up like he thought it was in the range. Of course a lot was going on so don't hold me to that reaction.

 

[Ring 6]

Honestly, with 11 seconds left and Atlanta punting I figured there was NO WAY the Pats would have a realistic shot at scoring.

With that in mind, I was absolutely horrified to see Edelman even back there to field the punt. What good would come from it? Just tell him and the rest of the team to run away and let it bounce around.

Obviously Edelman made a clean catch and there was nothing to worry about.....but I saw little gain and a lot to lose by doing that.

What about returning it for a TD?

 

[Ring 6]

Yes, it is like a kickoff (which are technically called "Free Kicks" in the rulebook).

The biggest difference (besides the 3 points you get if it goes through the uprights) is you can't use a tee. Another difference is they start the clock at the kick. However, like a FG, if you miss and the defense doesn't field the ball, the defense takes over possession at the spot of the kick. (It is not like a kickoff in the sense of recovering an onside kick or a regular kickoff where the receiving team has to field the ball). Yesterday, of course, wasn't enough time for a Gostkowski miss plus another play with Atlanta getting the ball on the NE 35.

Are we certain the clock would run?

 

[XLIX]

Are we certain the clock would run?

Assuming the refs knew the rulebook, it would run.

RULE 4 SECTION 3 ARTICLE 3. FAIR CATCH KICK DOWN. The game clock operator shall start the game clock for a fair-catch kick down when the ball is kicked.

 

[brdmaverick]

What about returning it for a TD?

Risk vs Reward

The likelihood of something going wrong was far greater than getting the winning score.


....and speaking of risk vs reward, what was Chung thinking when he made an over the shoulder punt catch? That was an incredible catch, but one that I prefer he not attempt in the future.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Risk vs Reward

The likelihood of something going wrong was far greater than getting the winning score.

You would use your regular kickoff coverage team, with the exception of one person holding for Ghost, so the risk basically involves them fielding the kick short (presumably in the endzone) and running it back for a TO against people who are trained to stop that from happening: Slater, Ebner, Mingo, Grissom, et. al.

It would not be your FG protection unit, which it is a group that is generally terrible group at tackling.

So unless Ghost pulled Sean Landetta and totally whiffed at the football or something, it seems low risk.

But low reward too. How often does Ghost send a kickoff through the uprights? I think I've seen him do it 2-3 times in his career. So it would be like a 3/4-court shot in basketball. But then so is the fake end-around to Lewis for a TD

 

[h0c2000]

Sad that I remember that freaking game.

Sad, no. Old, yes.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

an article on this is now up at boston.com and they confirm that BB was asked about it, postgame:


Bill Belichick confirms he wanted to go with the fair catch free kick but it was just too far.

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) February 6, 2017




Bill Belichick passed up an opportunity to end Super Bowl 51 in the weirdest possible way

 

[SVN]

the play they ran with dion lewis was kinda risky. Some fumble or slip and we wouldve been toast.

 

[brdmaverick]

You would use your regular kickoff coverage team, with the exception of one person holding for Ghost, so the risk basically involves them fielding the kick short (presumably in the endzone) and running it back for a TO against people who are trained to stop that from happening: Slater, Ebner, Mingo, Grissom, et. al.

It would not be your FG protection unit, which it is a group that is generally terrible group at tackling.

So unless Ghost pulled Sean Landetta and totally whiffed at the football or something, it seems low risk.

But low reward too. How often does Ghost send a kickoff through the uprights? I think I've seen him do it 2-3 times in his career. So it would be like a 3/4-court shot in basketball. But then so is the fake end-around to Lewis for a TD

I should clarify. I don't necessarily see the risk being with a potential kick return.

I see the risk from a muffed punt return. That would have been an awful ending.

 

[brdmaverick]

I'll admit though it would have been cool to see a realistic attempt, but as many have pointed out...........75 yards was just too far

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

an article on this is now up at boston.com and they confirm that BB was asked about it, postgame:


Bill Belichick confirms he wanted to go with the fair catch free kick but it was just too far.

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) February 6, 2017




Bill Belichick passed up an opportunity to end Super Bowl 51 in the weirdest possible way

IF..and a big IF, it had happened and worked. That rule would be gone next year....

 

[LuRkeR1978]

IF..and a big IF, it had happened and worked. That rule would be gone next year....

Sadly but with much schadenfreude, I think you are correct on this.