BBQ vs. Cheesesteaks: Super Bowl LVII running thread

Thing is, Bradberry would have been better off getting burned and letting him score.

 

If no one touched Smith-Schuster, it would have been a catchable ball. It landed three or four yards short of the corner with JSS standing on the goal line. But yes, it was my-guy-or-no-one pass.

 

Agreed. That I think the call was weak in no way detracts from the stupidity of trying to get away with a hold there.

 

It's pretty apparent from watching the play. He takes a 5-step drop and is looking toward the left entire time, which is where Smith-Schuster also was. No. 94 (Sweat?) is a half-step from a sack when Mahomes throws off his back foot to the pylon. I believe the receiver on the play was in the left slot running under the safeties (which would be Watson or Kelce, both of whom were on that side but covered). Mahomes was looking that way because the Chiefs were looking to pick up the first down and not score (made clear on the next play when their RB went down at the 1). I didn't fall for anything. Mahomes wasn't looking anyone off. You don't do that on the 15-yard line because you don't have time. The safeties are too close to you the entire time to look them off. You clearly don't understand offensive football as well as you need for this discussion.

Also, the official who threw the flag didn't even reach for the flag until after the ball landed in the end zone. Or 3-4 seconds after he saw the alleged foul. If it was so clear, that flag should have been out before the ball was. What was he waiting for?

 

No. Smith-Schuster was running free before the ball was thrown. Mahomes overthrew him by 5 yards, pure and simple. He was throwing it away.

 

Throwing the ball away. In bounds. Not out of the back of the end zone. Or out of bounds. Where every other QB throws it. Because, you know, you throw it where no one can catch it and throwing it in bounds is where someone could catch it. But sure, I don't know anything. /OKJan.gif

 

I think that it’s an NFL strategy in most high-profile games to have at least one questionable, but seemingly pivotal call. Otherwise fans just figure “Yay! We won!” or “Meh. We lost.” and move on to other sports or interests. This way Eagles fans are still fired up and Chiefs fans have to defend their honor. Perhaps they’ll sell a few more jerseys.

 

This "analysis" reminds me of my favorite quote from the great Jim Mora.

 

So if I grant you everything you say here and he was throwing the ball away because his primary option is covered. Why did he throw it in JuJu's direction? If you throwing the ball away, why bother even throwing to that side of the field? It was to the back corner, but it falls three or four yards short. He isn't looking that way the entire time so he has to trust that there is no one in the corner to intercept it. Why doesn't he throw it out the back of the end zone to the right? Or out of bounds to the right?

And if he isn't looking at JSS the entire time and had no intention of throwing it to him the entire time so he couldn't possibly know that JSS was held, why did he immediately start gesturing that JSS was held and there should be a flag? JSS wasn't even protesting that he was held.

So granting everything you said that the play was never to JSS, how does anything you "logically" state account for everything I just said? Maybe I'm wrong and JuJu was the "if nothing is open" option, but it's still based on timing. Because, and I can't stress this enough, Mahomes threw the ball and it landed in bounds in the end zone. No QB of Mahomes' level is throwing a ball away in the red zone where it lands anywhere in bounds unless it is at someone's feet and even then.

 

Why, that there is a pretty damning angle.

 

I was listening to a UAB podcast with an interview of Dilfer today, and he said this on the subject:

"It was a hold. It happens a lot, and I can't argue this one with them. Refs are learning football pretty well. If they see that on a primary player in the play design, and he's being held, which he was, they're going to throw. If it's a secondary player in a critical moment like that they're typically not going to throw. They might call it midgame but not in a critical moment like that. If it's on a primary player, and JuJu was on that play, they're gonna throw it."