Four Plays

[JoePats]

At Indy
1) Gaffney's drop
2) Thomas' late hit personal foul

Vs Jets
3) Vrabel's Hold (which wasn't)
4) 3rd and 15 to Keller

That's the way it goes. There were a few in our wins (Seattle or St Louis specifically). But basically if any one of those four plays were different, we probably win the division. Of course, we all saw 2001 and 2003 where we won some weird ones. But just to boil it down to those four this year, it's frustrating.

 

[fgssand]

At Indy
1) Gaffney's drop
2) Thomas' late hit personal foul

Vs Jets
3) Vrabel's Hold (which wasn't)
4) 3rd and 15 to Keller

That's the way it goes. There were a few in our wins (Seattle or St Louis specifically). But basically if any one of those four plays were different, we probably win the division. Of course, we all saw 2001 and 2003 where we won some weird ones. But just to boil it down to those four this year, it's frustrating.

Not including the # ONE play of course..............you know, the one.

 

[dtbrks]

Of course, we all saw 2001 and 2003 where we won some weird ones. But just to boil it down to those four this year, it's frustrating.

exactly. I still remember the fumble that patten had in indy when he laid out of bounds (out cold) with his body touching the football on the ground. it just didn't bounce that way this year

 

[BlueCoats]

Blame the helicopter crash by Sage.

 

[JoePats]

exactly. I still remember the fumble that patten had in indy when he laid out of bounds (out cold) with his body touching the football on the ground. it just didn't bounce that way this year

That was in Buffalo. Strangest play I've ever seen.

 

[dtbrks]

That was in Buffalo. Strangest play I've ever seen.

oh yeah.. buffalo.. shows how good my memory is

 

[JoePats]

Not including the # ONE play of course..............you know, the one.

True. Ugh.

 

[hallfamebrady]

I sill have a hard time with not going for 2 at the end of the regulation in the Jets game.

At Indy
1) Gaffney's drop
2) Thomas' late hit personal foul

Vs Jets
3) Vrabel's Hold (which wasn't)
4) 3rd and 15 to Keller

That's the way it goes. There were a few in our wins (Seattle or St Louis specifically). But basically if any one of those four plays were different, we probably win the division. Of course, we all saw 2001 and 2003 where we won some weird ones. But just to boil it down to those four this year, it's frustrating.

 

[AFPatsFan12]

Yeah, a bunch of plays could have gone either way. That, unfortunately, is the nature of the beast. Someone mentioned Sage's whirlybird against Indy, and that's a good one. There were a bunch of plays in the Indy-Minnesota game that swung that one, as well as Garrard crapping the bed last Thursday night.

How about the Cowgirls forgetting to, you know, TACKLE, against Baltimore? Or the bad overturning of a fumble against the Redskins when they played Baltimore, which Ed Reed took to the house? Or Shaun Hill killing the clock with a minute left against the Dolphins? Or Carpenter's 40 yarder as time expired to beat Oakland? Or St. Louis failing to pick up a first down on fourth down against the Dolphins?

For the Pats, there's Cassel's errant pass on fourth down to start the second half in San Diego, the bad INT at home against Miami in the first quarter, Slater's kickoff fumble against Pittsburgh, the Leon Washington kick return for a TD, etc...

If you change ANY ONE of those plays, this season may have had a very different result. Consequently, there were some breaks the Pats got that, if you change those results, this season may have been over a week or two earlier.

You can take literally any one play from any one game, change it, and change the complexion of the entire season for most, if not all teams. Chaos theory at its finest. How about this: Let's say that the referee (Riveron?) in Week 1 coughed before the coin toss. Let's say this causes him to lose a little bit of focus for the coin toss, so he flips it with ever so slightly less oopmh then he might have normally. This causes it to land on Heads instead of Tails (or vice versa). Thus, the outcome of the toss is different, and the Pats don't open with possession of the ball. Then, the game progresses differently, and maybe the Pats don't call that same fateful play, and Tom Brady is leading this team into the playoffs next week. Is this a ridiculous example? Kind of, but it could have happened. Chaos theory entails an extreme dependence on initial conditions, a "butterfly flaps its wings in China" type deal.

That's why it's so tough to play this game, kicking ourselves about Gaffney, or 3rd and 15, or David Thomas (although that's a different level of angst). Should be blame the Week 1 ref for the coin toss playing out the way it did? Of course not. If Gaffney had caught that TD, maybe Manning drives down the field and scores. Maybe Cassel throws a pick-6 to end the Jets game. You just don't know.

It sucks... bigtime... but that's the way the ball bounces sometimes...

 

[Canada's #1 Pats Fan]

Yeah, a bunch of plays could have gone either way. That, unfortunately, is the nature of the beast. Someone mentioned Sage's whirlybird against Indy, and that's a good one. There were a bunch of plays in the Indy-Minnesota game that swung that one, as well as Garrard crapping the bed last Thursday night.

How about the Cowgirls forgetting to, you know, TACKLE, against Baltimore? Or the bad overturning of a fumble against the Redskins when they played Baltimore, which Ed Reed took to the house? Or Shaun Hill killing the clock with a minute left against the Dolphins? Or Carpenter's 40 yarder as time expired to beat Oakland? Or St. Louis failing to pick up a first down on fourth down against the Dolphins?

For the Pats, there's Cassel's errant pass on fourth down to start the second half in San Diego, the bad INT at home against Miami in the first quarter, Slater's kickoff fumble against Pittsburgh, the Leon Washington kick return for a TD, etc...

If you change ANY ONE of those plays, this season may have had a very different result. Consequently, there were some breaks the Pats got that, if you change those results, this season may have been over a week or two earlier.

You can take literally any one play from any one game, change it, and change the complexion of the entire season for most, if not all teams. Chaos theory at its finest. How about this: Let's say that the referee (Riveron?) in Week 1 coughed before the coin toss. Let's say this causes him to lose a little bit of focus for the coin toss, so he flips it with ever so slightly less oopmh then he might have normally. This causes it to land on Heads instead of Tails (or vice versa). Thus, the outcome of the toss is different, and the Pats don't open with possession of the ball. Then, the game progresses differently, and maybe the Pats don't call that same fateful play, and Tom Brady is leading this team into the playoffs next week. Is this a ridiculous example? Kind of, but it could have happened. Chaos theory entails an extreme dependence on initial conditions, a "butterfly flaps its wings in China" type deal.

That's why it's so tough to play this game, kicking ourselves about Gaffney, or 3rd and 15, or David Thomas (although that's a different level of angst). Should be blame the Week 1 ref for the coin toss playing out the way it did? Of course not. If Gaffney had caught that TD, maybe Manning drives down the field and scores. Maybe Cassel throws a pick-6 to end the Jets game. You just don't know.

It sucks... bigtime... but that's the way the ball bounces sometimes...

Good analysis, thank you for your time in typing and thinking that one out. I feel the same way. What if's abound everywhere. What if Harrison would have pulled on that WR's arm a little more in the 4th in the SB last year, would the ball not have been caught?

 

[cavtroop]

Yeah, a bunch of plays could have gone either way. That, unfortunately, is the nature of the beast. Someone mentioned Sage's whirlybird against Indy, and that's a good one. There were a bunch of plays in the Indy-Minnesota game that swung that one, as well as Garrard crapping the bed last Thursday night.

How about the Cowgirls forgetting to, you know, TACKLE, against Baltimore? Or the bad overturning of a fumble against the Redskins when they played Baltimore, which Ed Reed took to the house? Or Shaun Hill killing the clock with a minute left against the Dolphins? Or Carpenter's 40 yarder as time expired to beat Oakland? Or St. Louis failing to pick up a first down on fourth down against the Dolphins?

For the Pats, there's Cassel's errant pass on fourth down to start the second half in San Diego, the bad INT at home against Miami in the first quarter, Slater's kickoff fumble against Pittsburgh, the Leon Washington kick return for a TD, etc...

If you change ANY ONE of those plays, this season may have had a very different result. Consequently, there were some breaks the Pats got that, if you change those results, this season may have been over a week or two earlier.

You can take literally any one play from any one game, change it, and change the complexion of the entire season for most, if not all teams. Chaos theory at its finest. How about this: Let's say that the referee (Riveron?) in Week 1 coughed before the coin toss. Let's say this causes him to lose a little bit of focus for the coin toss, so he flips it with ever so slightly less oopmh then he might have normally. This causes it to land on Heads instead of Tails (or vice versa). Thus, the outcome of the toss is different, and the Pats don't open with possession of the ball. Then, the game progresses differently, and maybe the Pats don't call that same fateful play, and Tom Brady is leading this team into the playoffs next week. Is this a ridiculous example? Kind of, but it could have happened. Chaos theory entails an extreme dependence on initial conditions, a "butterfly flaps its wings in China" type deal.

That's why it's so tough to play this game, kicking ourselves about Gaffney, or 3rd and 15, or David Thomas (although that's a different level of angst). Should be blame the Week 1 ref for the coin toss playing out the way it did? Of course not. If Gaffney had caught that TD, maybe Manning drives down the field and scores. Maybe Cassel throws a pick-6 to end the Jets game. You just don't know.

It sucks... bigtime... but that's the way the ball bounces sometimes...

Yes, very well said, and I agree completely. I think what bothers/annoys some people about these 4 plays, is that they are all plays that *should* have been made - the Gaffney catch was a gimme - statistically, a 3rd and 15 is a long shot - Thomas' personal foul was a brain dead move - Vrabels hold which wasn't should never have been called. Thats what bothers most people, not so much the 'Caldwell out cold while holding onto the ball' type strangeness.

Oh well, going to take some time off from the game, ready to go next June. That will make my wife happy anyways

 

[PittPatriot]

Good analysis, thank you for your time in typing and thinking that one out. I feel the same way. What if's abound everywhere. What if Harrison would have pulled on that WR's arm a little more in the 4th in the SB last year, would the ball not have been caught?

The 11 months have had so many close plays that have altered Patriots history. Whether it was Manning to Tyrese or Asante's near INT or any of the 4 plays id'ed in this thread...very strange. I guess people still bring up the Snow Bowl but whatever. It is what it is. I thing I know is true is that Brev Farte is a gaping arsehole.