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

[Koma]

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.

Maybe it's just semantics or me nitpicking, but I don't know if "quickly and easily" is the best way to describe the Patriots scoring drives in that game. In the 3rd and 4th quarters, their scoring drives took 13, 12, 5, and 10 plays, respectively. The 5 play drive came after Hightower's sack/fumble of Ryan, started on the Atlanta 25 yard line and still took 2:28 to score a TD. That's one of the remarkable things about the Patriots comeback is that there wasn't a defensive score (of course, the D forcing that fumble was huge) or a 2 or 3 play, 70 yard TD drive that cut the Falcons lead in a hurry. I agree with the point that Atlanta's D couldn't stop them, but they were making the Patriots go on methodical drives.

 

[Simpelton]

That's just Brady's game. He doesn't air it out that often, he tends to live in the 5-15 yard range with his passes, and that's what our offense was optimized for. Mitchell got a couple big gains but they mostly happened when the Falcons D overcommitted in the middle.

 

[captain stone]

...My issue isn't with 4th and 2, its with 3rd and 2. If you know you are going to go for it if you don't get it why did you not run the down before? Sneak Brady if its there worst case scenario its 4th and 1.

Glad somebody finally mentioned 3rd/2...Horrible, HORRIBLE call & execution (same as 4th/2)...Pats actually would've been better-served had that resulted in a pick-6 like it nearly did...

Two draw plays would've ended the game.

 

[captain stone]

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.

...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.

3rd/2 AND 4th/2 were indeed "mistakes" in both concept & execution.

 

[patfanken]

3rd/2 AND 4th/2 were indeed "mistakes" in both concept & execution.

please explain WHY. It would seem that the biggest reason for youf animus is that they both failed. the offense. defense make about 40-50 play calls a game. EVERY ONE of which can be questioned based on the way the play ends up. Plays fail because of execution, concept, and the opposition's call against the respective offense or defensive call. SOOO many factors go into the respective play that can lead to its success or failure. SOOO many factor go into the final call that is eventually made.

Let's take into consideration the GL play in the superbowl vs Seattle. On 2nd and goal these are just SOME of the considerations/

1. The Pats had sent in a defense that gave them an unblocked defender at the LOS making it a lot less likely a running play would succeed.
2. Marshawn Lynch had failed on 6 of 7 3rd and 4th and one attempts that season - this was to get 2yds
3. The Pats were clearly geared up for a run
4, at 2nd down you could always go back do the run on 3rd and 4th downs if you wanted
5. If .you lose a yd or two on 2nd down against a stacked defense you would then be almost forced to throw the ball on 3rd and 4th downs, If the pass failed then you still had a run/pass option on 3rd down.
6. that pick play had a history of being successful that season.
7. Statistically there was an equal chace of a fumble as there was for a an interception (about 2% IIRC)

To me it the way that play ended up was a lot less about the call but rather the extraordinary execution by Browner and Brown and a little bit of good luck (from the Pats perspective) that the ball literally bounced into Brown's arms after his big hit on the receiver. Most of the time that play is merely and incompletion and we move on to the next play.

So could you make a case FOR a run play, sure. Could you make a case that if they were going to pass the ball on the GL a run pass option would have been a better choice, sure. But was this one of the all time bad calls in the history of the game. HARDLY. People conveniently forget that EVERY pass play has a chance of a pick and EVERY run play can be fumbled. When it happens in those small percentages of times it can be caused by a number of reasons. Great execution by the defense, poor execution by a NUMBER of people on the offense. Bad blocking by one or more people on the OL, a poorly run route, and poorly thrown ball, etc, etc. And yes you can even criticize the play call.

My complaint isn't that anyone complains about these calls, but that they make it seem like they were these unbelievably stupid decisions that make NO sense. Take it from me who screams at the TV EVERYTIME Josh lines up in a shotgun on a short yardage play instead of lining up under center to a least making a run a possibility instead of making it easy on the defense. (not so much now with Cam as with Tom, btw) but you get the point.

 

[VectorPrime]

I’m confused. This thread is about a past event focused on players who are no longer currently on the Patriots. This shouldn’t be on the main forum where it might harm innocent eyes.

 

[1960Pats]

How about giving some reasons for your opinion on why it was wrong instead of just saying you are wrong because you are wrong? Personally I agreed with the 4th and 2 call and would have made the exact same one. End the game with your best unit against their weakest unit. Make a safe pass to one of your best pass catchers. Do not let one of the best QBs of all time a man who gives you heart burn every time he touches the ball another opportunity. Faulk got open, had his hands on the ball, with first down yardage. The call was fine unless you think they called for a bobble? That spot still makes me angry I have watched it at least 50 times and it feels like they marked it a yard after his final bobble.

My issue isn't with 4th and 2, its with 3rd and 2. If you know you are going to go for it if you dont get it why did you not run the down before? Sneak Brady if its there worst case scenario its 4th and 1.

I don't know I missed this post originally.

The 3rd and 2 call for a pass was the key. The Pats were acting like they were behind and needed to get two plays in before the 2 minute warning instead of leading and trying to run the clock.

 

[pazrul72]

I don't know I missed this post originally.

The 3rd and 2 call for a pass was the key. The Pats were acting like they were behind and needed to get two plays in before the 2 minute warning instead of leading and trying to run the clock.

It has to be BB was convinced they were going to convert on 3rd down and it wasn't until it failed that he decided to go for it on 4th. I think it was a rare brain fart where BB wasnt thinking 3 moves ahead and got caught up in the moment. He is human, it happens, and it is easy to say after the fact knowing the outcome that the right call for 3rd down was a run but I can easily see how in real time it would have been harder.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

I wonder how much of a say Kyle Shanahan had in the 2021 draft. Probably a lot considering what a horrific decision they made to trade up and not take Mac. As much as BB is in Shanahan's head now, wait until Mac lights it up this season while Trey Lance flops.