East Coast Bias Bowl -- Running Super Bowl XLVI Thread

There are certainly a few examples of last-minute field goals and place kicks going horribly wrong. (My favorite is the New Orleans kicker missing the extra point to leave them out of the playoffs a few years ago, forget the exact details, but the announcer yelling "How could he DO that?!" was classic).

But there are a *ton* more examples of great quarterbacks being given a minute to create a touchdown drive, and doing so.



On Belichick vs. Coughlin, it's quite possible that Belichick is a better coach against the field, but that Coughlin owns him head to head.

 

I think it's just the Romo one that everyone remembers, and the fact that if it had been third down they would have had another chance. Not that the game strategy lent itself to that option at the time, though.

It's not worth leaving time on the clock to take that precaution, but if you already have control of the clock and an extra timeout, it can't hurt.

 

Myrna Kraft would have blocked a field goal attempt.

 

I'm asking for a specific example of a third-down attempt going wrong, thus redeeming the decision to kick on third down instead of fourth.

 

Coughlin is kind of the Tom Izzo of the NFL -- might stumble through a regular season now and then, but with the value of the regular season so diminished in the NFL these days, it's all about how you're playing at the end.

 

Are you including Cleveland and Jacksonville?

I agree, Belichick is the better coach, but he did fail miserably in Cleveland while Coughlin took the Jags to the playoffs in their second season of playing tackle football.

I don't think the gap is as wide as you think.

 

The weekly open love letters from Nantz and Simms don't help much either. The backlash from that is at least as bad as that from McCarver / Jeter.

 

1999, Redskins beat Eagles. On third down from the 2, Brad Johnson drops the snap, falls on it at the 9, and Brett Conway kicks the winner on fourth down.

http://articles.mcall.com/1999-11-29/sports/3274298_1_eagles-10-yard-line-brad-johnson-eagles-safety-brian-dawkins

Admittedly it is exceedingly rare. But you know coaches, always planning for the worst.

 

November 27, 1999: #16 Georgia Tech 51, #21 Georgia 48 (OT)
In the highest scoring game ever in the series, Georgia overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half to tie the game and appeared to be within easy victory after driving all the way to Tech's 2-yard line with nine seconds left in regulation. Rather than kick a game winning field goal, Georgia coach Jim Donnan called a running play that resulted in a controversial fumble by Jasper Sanks which Georgia Tech recovered in the end zone. In overtime, after intercepting a Georgia pass in the end zone, Tech attempted a field goal on third down in its possession. The kick was blocked, but Tech holder George Godsey recovered the ball. Tech kicker Luke Manget's second chance at the kick was good. The Georgia Tech student section rushed the field and tore down the goal posts.

Yeah, it's Wikipedia. So sue me.

 

Lost in all the debate about taking the TD or kneeling for the FG is the fact that Tynes had to bank his kick from 37 off the left upright and his 31-yarder snuck inside the upright as well. I'm not saying that the Giants/Coughlin wouldn't have trusted Tynes to make less than an XP in that situation, but he hardly looked sharp yesterday. And the Boise St. kicker from last year is pleased to know that everyone thinks that a chip shot is a sure thing.

Also, I'm amused that Belichick isn't taking more flack after this game. Yes, I agree that you let the Giants score and take your chances with Brady. But having 12 men on the field is a dumb-dumb move - especially when it nullifies a turnover and the other team proceeds to score a touchdown. And not having that extra time out changes things - I know that it's close and that the Giants were (wisely) trying to get the next play off as quickly as possible, but Belichick was two feet from Manningham when that catch was made, and the decision to challenge/not falls on him.

 

If you miss the FG on 3rd down you can try again on 4th[/STEPHENASMITH]

 

Come on. You can't blame Belichick for that challenge. The Giants went hurry-up and the world still hadn't seen a replay by the time he had to throw the flag. Plus he had all three timeouts at that point, there was almost four minutes left and the Giants were still on the minus side of midfield. There is no logical way to tie that decision to how the final minute of the game went.