McKelvin Wasn't Totally Dunb, Here's Why

[Synovia]

I dont know for sure, but I think he was held up by a patriot player preventing him from going down to the ground. When he fumbled the ball he was on his way down, so he was trying to get down to the ground but the patriot player was behind him holding him up, while another patriot player came in and stripped the ball away.

Nope. Merriweather hit him, and then he tried to go around Merriweather and get additional yards, which is when Merriweather wrapped his arms around him and held him up. Merriweather was trying to knock the ball out with an initial jarring hit, and then when he didn't, held him up so someone else could. Merriweather was already off of McKelvin when Woods showed up.

He had 2 opportunities to go to the ground: between Merriweather's hit and being wrapped up, and between Merriweather falling off and Woods getting there, but he tried for additional yards.


Considering that it was McKelvin's SECOND fumbled kickoff of the game, it was an incredibly stupid decision to not go down when Merriweather drilled him.