Kyle Shanahan details play-calling regret in Falcons’ Super Bowl LI loss to Patriots

[One-If-By-Sea]

Didn't get stuffed, he got stuffed multiple times. Get a first down, game over. Period. No faith in the rb to do it.

Why do you need faith in the running back to get a 1st down? You don't need a 1st down or a TD. Why try for something that is more risky if it is not needed? That is what "playing the percentages" means. Reduce your risk and win the game. Ignore the 1st down or a TD or being stuffed multiple times previously, and run the ball three times with two arms on the ball, and kick a FG. Game over unless the FG fails. Throwing the ball is the highest risk - sack, holding call, or Int, as the game demonstrated. It is all about playing the percentages which means the lowest risk option (which is a FG) since Jones catch put them in FG range.

 

[Pape]

Why do you need faith in the running back to get a 1st down? You don't need a 1st down

of course you need a first down. get one, its game over

first and ten, freeman gets stuffed. 440 on the clock

instead of trusting his back, he throws, sets up the sack/loss

if he trusts his backs, they run it. if the falcons convert 1 first down in that drive on the ground, its game over. there is no time left, regardless if they score or not.

 

[patfanken]

To quest

The whole sequence was a mistake. They had the ball with 2:11 left and passed the ball incomplete on 3rd and 2. They then called their last TO before they went for it on 4th and 2. That left them with no timeout and still 2 minutes on the clock and no way to challenge the spot on the completion to Faulk. Belichick doesn't make many mistakes but he did make one there.

To question Bill's decision is fine, but to, with crystal 20-20 hindsight as a "mistake" is simply lazy thinking. There were a whole host of factors that went into that decision that I can think of just from my own remembrance of it. let alone the other possible factors that as mere fans we weren't privy to.

Contrary to revisionist history, the Colts offense WAS having its way with the Pats defense as the game wound down. Bill would have had a much better idea of just how his defense was looking to him than DI in his august wisdom sitting in front of his TV. Maybe it not what DI thinks, but we all know he thinks he's smarter than Bill for starters. But I recall that the Pats had contended with an outbreak of the flu that week. That the dome "for some reason" seemed to be inordinately hot as the game went on( along with the piped in crowd noise).

So here is what Bill was faced with. He could come close to ending the game by gaining just 2 yds. or he could punt it back to Colts and likely give them good field position going against a tiring defense weakened by the flu against one of the best offenses in the league at home. So again, does it seem so "outrageous" for Bill to think he had a better shot at getting 2yds than holding off the Colts. Our offense didn't suck BTW.

The same goes for Shanahan's thinking. First of all, 46yd FG's are NOT gimmees. A lot of things could have gone wrong. 2nd Shanahan was pretty unlucky. His players didn't exactly help him out. He knew that HIS defense was on its last legs. He knew his run game wasn't going anywhere. So Ryan took a bad sack. But if his LT had executed and not so obviously held he would have gotten back to at least long FG range. Was it such a bad call or just bad execution?

Same goes for Seattle game. That was not NEARLY as bad a call as it has been made out to be. The Pats were in a defense that gave them a clear advantage vs the run. Not to mention the fact that the pick play they designed for man coverage the Pats sent in was a good one. It took great execution by Brandon Browner as well as Butler to pull off that miracle. Sure the Pats might have stopped it, but to pick it off was nothing short miracle. No on would have predicted THAT. It was tantamount to a one outer in poker. Butler make a strong move to the ball, but the collision was such that it knocked the receiver on his ass.

So on all of these it is fair to second guess the calls, but NONE of these calls were "mistakes" but rather just one of hundreds of decisions coaches make during the course of a football game. All made with a LOT more info than we fans. the media or "experts" have on hand, and like all decisions, some work out and some don't.

 

[p8ryts]

Yeah, it was a comedy of errors. Really, when you look back at it, it's a pretty good microcosm of the season as a whole.

Players execute, players did not execute.

 

[sean10mm]

It was less about a specific play or even drive in 51, and more about not understanding the 2nd half game situation to the point where they basically saved time on the clock for the Pariots to come back. It's kind of missing the forest for the trees.

Run out the play clock before every snap and the Pats are probably dead in the water.

As for the Butler pick, the best criticism is not that they passed, but that they staked the entire season on a scripted pass to a special teams scrub. They bet everything on a guy they don't even want to play receiver very much winning a fight for the ball in traffic.

To me that was a great situation to run play action (we had to respect Lynch there, right?) or an RPO.

 

[Sicilian]

But I recall that the Pats had contended with an outbreak of the flu that week. That the dome "for some reason" seemed to be inordinately hot as the game went on( along with the piped in crowd noise).

I agree with your overall post, but I think the flu game and turned up heat was the AFCCG in 2006/07, while the 4th and 2 call happened in a regular season game in 2009. The piped in crowd noise was probably still true though

 

[1960Pats]

it was a first down

It looked like it but we'll never know for sure because the Pats burned their last TO (couldn't call for a replay) and failed to get the clock under 2 minutes (would have led to an automatic replay). They should have run the ball on 3rd and 2.

 

[Sicilian]

It was less about a specific play or even drive in 51, and more about not understanding the 2nd half game situation to the point where they basically saved time on the clock for the Pariots to come back. It's kind of missing the forest for the trees.

Run out the play clock before every snap and the Pats are probably dead in the water.

As for the Butler pick, the best criticism is not that they passed, but that they staked the entire season on a scripted pass to a special teams scrub. They bet everything on a guy they don't even want to play receiver very much winning a fight for the ball in traffic.

To me that was a great situation to run play action (we had to respect Lynch there, right?) or an RPO.

Yeah, it's way more fair IMO to question which passing play they chose, rather than questioning the choice to pass itself. But even then, the play that Butler made to actually hang on to that ball was one in a million... I'm guessing they figured the worst case scenario there was an incompletion, and wanted a quick play so they had time to run whatever they wanted on 3rd down if it came to that. Still, totally fair to ask, "Why THAT throw!?", especially when you have a QB that can scramble and throw on the run.

 

[Pats1971]

Yeah, it's way more fair IMO to question which passing play they chose, rather than questioning the choice to pass itself. But even then, the play that Butler made to actually hang on to that ball was one in a million... I'm guessing they figured the worst case scenario there was an incompletion, and wanted a quick play so they had time to run whatever they wanted on 3rd down if it came to that. Still, totally fair to ask, "Why THAT throw!?", especially when you have a QB that can scramble and throw on the run.

Because that throw was successful for them all year, to the point the pats practiced against that throw. Teams like to use plays that work for them all year, it worked for seattle all year. That was why that throw. Wilson has taken a ton of sacks scrambling, it was too risky. That was a quick throw with little risk. Butler made a great play. People forget that execution also plays a major factor in wins and losses.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I’m one of the few who puts that INT almost solely on Wilson. Bad decision and bad pass. The receiver did nothing wrong.



Would he have even caught the ball anyway? Look at the split second Lockette gets knocked off his route…the ball is already past him. Maybe would have snagged it…maybe not. Throw is clearly wide.

 

[Tony2046]

Because that throw was successful for them all year, to the point the pats practiced against that throw. Teams like to use plays that work for them all year, it worked for seattle all year. That was why that throw. Wilson has taken a ton of sacks scrambling, it was too risky. That was a quick throw with little risk. Butler made a great play. People forget that execution also plays a major factor in wins and losses.

I don't think that's true. If I recall correctly the "Do Your Job" or the "Three Games to Glory" video mentioned that Seattle hadn't run that play all season.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

I don't think that's true. If I recall correctly the "Do Your Job" or the "Three Games to Glory" video mentioned that Seattle hadn't run that play all season.

I forget how Ernie Adams identified this as a key play to practice against over and over. I had assumed it was because Seattle used it in the past. Would be even more incredible if it was merely a hyporthetical he saw someone would try to exploit.

 

[patfanken]

I don't think that's true. If I recall correctly the "Do Your Job" or the "Three Games to Glory" video mentioned that Seattle hadn't run that play all season.

I think you got it switched up Tony. IIRC the do you job film mentions that the Pats hadn't played THAT particular GL defense before that season.

 

[Tony2046]

I forget how Ernie Adams identified this as a key play to practice against over and over. I had assumed it was because Seattle used it in the past. Would be even more incredible if it was merely a hyporthetical he saw someone would try to exploit.

@Pats1971

Well I guess I misremembered it.

It was the goal line package that the Pats used that had not been used all season.

The explanation of the play starts around 33:00.

 

[Simpelton]

if execution is perfect, it shouldn't matter what plays you call............since execution is rarely perfect, you have to consider other things......there's a bunch of coaches on the sideline......it must be that none of them realized that even in the first half, their defense was on the field for 43 plays....their offense was on the field for 19.....they were prime to get steamrolled......they should have seen it and with a 25 point lead, they should have done everything possible to just make the clock keep moving.......they didn't

Sure, in a vacuum. But their offense wasn't built to run that way. Didn't have the pieces for midrange passing and their running game was silent all night. You don't move much clock by going 3 and out along the ground.

Are there default tactics you use in given situations? Yes. but any given roster also has its own intrinsic strengths and weaknesses and if you ignore them in the name of doing the conventional thing, especially when you don't have the pieces to do that thing at a high level, then your team suffer.

The Falcons simply weren't trained to play possession football, they weren't put together as a possession team, and to expect them to suddenly change htier stripes in the dying minutes of the Superbowl was even more likely to result in disaster than continuing to play shootout football with a team that's literally designed for shootout football.

If the best offense in the NFC scores a single point in the dying minutes of SB51 we talk about how bad the Patriots D was in the opening minutes, and that it put us impossibly behind, and all the criticism aimed at Shannahan would be aimed at BB instead.

 

[Pats2000]

I’m one of the few who puts that INT almost solely on Wilson. Bad decision and bad pass. The receiver did nothing wrong.



Would he have even caught the ball anyway? Look at the split second Lockette gets knocked off his route…the ball is already past him. Maybe would have snagged it…maybe not. Throw is clearly wide.

The throw wasn't wide, Butler got to where the ball was supposed to be faster than Locket. Butler slammed into him, throwing him back. That was a money pass and if they didn't diagnose the play like they did, it would have been game over right there.

 

[Biffins]

But no team is going to do that. When you are coaching you go by the flow of the game, the falcons felt they needed another TD, they did not have the time to say, ok let me take a day and think this through and oh yeah I will also know the results of each play I call and they run as well. Its easy to say what they should have done because it didnt work, mostly because the pats executed and atlanta didnt.

What do you mean no team is going to do that? Teams run the ball into a wall all the time when they are ahead and are just trying to kill the clock. Yeah they don’t literally take the knee (you lose a few yards each time) but in effect this happens all the time that teams give up trying to score when they are ahead.

 

[Simpelton]

What do you mean no team is going to do that? Teams run the ball into a wall all the time when they are ahead and are just trying to kill the clock. Yeah they don’t literally take the knee (you lose a few yards each time) but in effect this happens all the time that teams give up trying to score when they are ahead.

Looking at how quickly and easily the Patriots were scoring on the Falcons D, I can't fault them for trying to make offensive plays Brady was beating Ryan at his own game, but it as still Ryan's game to win, huge credit for the Patriots front 7 for taking the offense away from them. They would have done the same thing along the ground.

 

[IllegalContact]

Sure, in a vacuum. But their offense wasn't built to run that way. Didn't have the pieces for midrange passing and their running game was silent all night. You don't move much clock by going 3 and out along the ground.

Are there default tactics you use in given situations? Yes. but any given roster also has its own intrinsic strengths and weaknesses and if you ignore them in the name of doing the conventional thing, especially when you don't have the pieces to do that thing at a high level, then your team suffer.

The Falcons simply weren't trained to play possession football, they weren't put together as a possession team, and to expect them to suddenly change htier stripes in the dying minutes of the Superbowl was even more likely to result in disaster than continuing to play shootout football with a team that's literally designed for shootout football.

If the best offense in the NFC scores a single point in the dying minutes of SB51 we talk about how bad the Patriots D was in the opening minutes, and that it put us impossibly behind, and all the criticism aimed at Shannahan would be aimed at BB instead.

WTF do you mean in a vacuum? dismiss the idea that you have some deeper understanding

The falcons were a pretty good rushing team.
Defensive time of possession and snap count killed their defense.

even though they were perfect throwing to their backs, they went to them less than half as much as their per game targets.

the RB’s were simply not utilized enough down the stretch. They didn’t even try.

now you may be entitled to your own opinion, but don’t act like you’re the expert

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Sure, in a vacuum. But their offense wasn't built to run that way. Didn't have the pieces for midrange passing and their running game was silent all night. You don't move much clock by going 3 and out along the ground.

Are there default tactics you use in given situations? Yes. but any given roster also has its own intrinsic strengths and weaknesses and if you ignore them in the name of doing the conventional thing, especially when you don't have the pieces to do that thing at a high level, then your team suffer.

Their running game was silent all night?

The Falcons ran 10 times for 88 yards in the first half. Their first run of the game was 37 yards.

The Falcons ran 8 times for 16 yards in the second half.

The difference? In the second half, two things happened. First, Alex Mack’s broken ankle became a factor. Second, the Patriots sold out against the run, knowing their only chance to win was by forcing the Falcons into passing mistakes/turnovers.

The Falcons simply weren't trained to play possession football, they weren't put together as a possession team, and to expect them to suddenly change htier stripes in the dying minutes of the Superbowl was even more likely to result in disaster than continuing to play shootout football with a team that's literally designed for shootout football.

If the best offense in the NFC scores a single point in the dying minutes of SB51 we talk about how bad the Patriots D was in the opening minutes, and that it put us impossibly behind, and all the criticism aimed at Shannahan would be aimed at BB instead.

I don’t think you have any clear definition for possession football other than some vague, subjective view of it that undergoes confirmation bias based on the final score.

The 2016 Falcons were entirely built on a stretch running game, a modified offensive from Mike Shanahan, which explains why Belichick had difficulty defending it; it is used to some degree now by the Rams and Packers. It isolates a linebacker on a quick cut and run and the entire offensive and defensive schemes are built around the permutations that follow from that one concept. The passing game is setup by the threat of the run; it’s a continuation of those Mike Shanahan offenses that used to give the Patriots fits. The main reason is it’s reactive in nature and gives the defense less flexibility…and it breaks defenses into linebacking athleticism/speed.

If you‘re saying their running backs were quicker, less powerful and their linemen were more athletic, less maulers, then maybe…but still more of a narrative than reality. Mack’s injury was big; the pressure of the Patriots breathing down their neck was big. Remember also the 2016 Patriots were the league’s #1 scoring defense.