Sick of the Alex Should Have Gone Down at the 1 Nonsense

[sayheykid1]

This is such bullshit. The situations weren't exactly the same and 40 seconds is a lot of time to give Brees to get 40 yards. Lots of "experts" have brought up this point and it is nitpicky at best.

Mike Florio:
While perusing Peter King’s always-indispensable Monday Morning Quarterback column, I remembered a point that got lost in the frenzy of weekend football action.

The thrilling finish we enjoyed on Saturday shouldn’t have happened.

In MMQB, King takes a great look at the bowling-ball block from 49ers tackle Joe Staley on Saints safety Isa Abdul-Quddus that cleared the final portion of Alex Smith’s path to the end zone for a 28-yard go-ahead touchdown run. But Smith arguably should have gone Brian Westbrook, taking a knee at the one with 2:11 to play. (And, yes, 2:11 was left on the clock when Westbrook infamously sacrificed a touchdown.)

The clock would have trickled to two minutes, the Saints had only one timeout, and the Niners would have been able to milk the clock under 40 seconds before kicking what would have been the game-winning field goal.

Instead, the 49ers left the Saints and quarterback Drew Brees way too much time — and Brees took full advantage of it. Fortunately for the 49ers, Brees took too much advantage of it.

It all worked out in the end for the 49ers, providing San Fran fans with “The Catch, Part III” and everyone watching the game with an unforgettable memory. But it shouldn’t have created quite as many gray hairs and/or ulcers for our pal Sam Francisco and the rest of the 49ers fans. Instead of having to pull the latest Dwight Clark/Terrell Owens rabbit out of their hats, the 49ers merely should have had to keep the Saints from scoring a field goal with roughly 30 seconds on the clock.

Saturday’s exciting finish shouldn’t have happened | ProFootballTalk

 

[NinerSickness]

I actually agree in some situations; if you're down by 1 or 2 go down at the 1. If you're down by 3 or more take it in.

 

[Mozart'sGhost]

Not with the way the 49ers struggle to get the ball in the end zone from inside the 5. With two timeouts and the two minute warning left, the Saints most likely would have stopped the 49ers and given up the FG and be down by two with about 1:45 on the clock. That is all day for the Saints to get in FG range.

 

[zman1527]

That is unbelievably stupid. Penalties never happen? Blocked kicks never happen? Crazy things never happen?

What if Alex had done that and for some reason the niners had not gotten the FG. He would be the all time goat and fool, the butt of endless jokes and ridicule.

Take the points and tell the D to stop them. That's their job.

 

[NinerSickness]

That is unbelievably stupid. Penalties never happen? Blocked kicks never happen? Crazy things never happen?

They happen a lot less than Drew Brees scoring a TD on a 2 minute drill.

What's the percentage of missed extra points? A FG inside the 10 is essentially an extra point.

 

[threelittleturds]

Wow, Yeah, I guess Peter King is upset that with 2 minutes left, when Brees got the quick strike well under 40 seconds... the 49ers still had time to win.

What a douchebag

*edit*, Oh my bad, Florio is the one being the douche

 

[zman1527]

They happen a lot less than Drew Brees scoring a TD on a 2 minute drill.

What's the percentage of missed extra points? A FG inside the 10 is essentially an extra point.

If you are Alex do you take that risk? How epically bad does he look if they do not get the FG? That would be laughed at for decades.

And what is the strength of the team? The D. They effed it up thats for sure but to say Alex should not have scored. Ridiculous to the nth degree.

 

[MW49ers5]

<jsmh>

 

[ViperVisor]

I thought about it after the fact and with the clock on the other side of 2 min it shouldn't be done.

Maybe if NO had no timeouts.

 

[shouldakepowens]

So should graham have let rogers bring him down around the 5. I know saints situation was different but look how much time it left 9ers. Alex did what needed to be done get the td.

 

[Flyingiguana]

2 min warning and 1 timeout still can leave brees far too much time. i think the d could have held but at some point we have to go for it. all season we settled for field goals, it was time to win a game

 

[zman1527]

So should graham have let rogers bring him down around the 5

Of course he should have. That is sound strategy that is employed all the time to win games.

This is one of the silliest ideas I have heard in awhile. :clock:

 

[shouldakepowens]

Of course he should have. That is sound strategy that is employed all the time to win games.

This is one of the silliest ideas I have heard in awhile. :clock:

I was saying that sarcastically because I think it would have been idiotic for smith to go down

 

[MHSL82]

So should graham have let rogers bring him down around the 5. I know saints situation was different but look how much time it left 9ers. Alex did what needed to be done get the td.

I know that Alex Smith didn't exactly scare anyone about scoring with little time, but why the hell wasn't this mentioned in the same article? I mean, it was mentioned, in passing, but they should state it in as critically as they did for Smith.

Plus, the whole point of the article is assuming that we would have punched it in, AFTER running one play (first down, to get the NO timeout), running another play (second down) to run out more clock), presumably running another play (third - to run more time out), and rely on the kicker or go for it on fourth?

Alex's TD should have been combined with a successful 2-pt conversion, giving us a 7 point lead. With a 7-point lead, we'd put pressure on them to score and challenge them to go for 2 or go to OT. I've heard of Monday night quarterbacking but this is no better than armchair QBing.

Then, we'd get people saying NO should have let us score earlier (if we had downed it at the one and ran the clock out).

 

[MHSL82]

Of course he should have. That is sound strategy that is employed all the time to win games.

This is one of the silliest ideas I have heard in awhile. :clock:

That's why Rogers let him score. I don't have a link but that was one of the questions Harbaugh answered hypothetically when he took over. He said he'd let them score and get the chance to respond. I'm looking for the link, but if you don't believe me, it's ok.

 

[MW49ers5]

That's why Rogers let him score. I don't have a link but that was one of the questions Harbaugh answered hypothetically when he took over. He said he'd let them score and get the chance to respond. I'm looking for the link, but if you don't believe me, it's ok.

The question was asked by Mac & Murphy. Green Bay invoked this strategy in their Super Bowl vs. Denver with Terrell Davis. They just parted to allow Davis to essentially walk into the end zone.

 

[Kinzu]

So is there a Jimmy Graham should have gone down at the 1 argument as well? I mean he scored so fast it left Alex a 1:37 which was just about 9 secs to much. Man if only he had dropped down at the 1 instead of dunking the ball over the goal post the Saints would be in the NFC Championship game.

When you are behind in points and have a shot at scoring 6 you take it everytime. The only time you drop at the 1 is if you have the lead. You don't milk the clock when you're losing.

 

[MHSL82]

So is there a Jimmy Graham should have gone down at the 1 argument as well? I mean he scored so fast it left Alex a 1:37 which was just about 9 secs to much. Man if only he had dropped down at the 1 instead of dunking the ball over the goal post the Saints would be in the NFC Championship game.

When you are behind in points and have a shot at scoring 6 you take it everytime. The only time you drop at the 1 is if you have the lead. You don't milk the clock when you're losing.

+1. This is what I should have said. Simple concept but well said.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

History isn't made by going out at the 1.

 

[NinerSickness]

If you are Alex do you take that risk? How epically bad does he look if they do not get the FG? That would be laughed at for decades.

And what is the strength of the team? The D. They effed it up thats for sure but to say Alex should not have scored. Ridiculous to the nth degree.

Hell yes you take the risk! (only if they're down by 1 or 2 of course). It's a risk either way. The risk is much greater, however, if you put the ball back in Brees' hands.

Down by 3 or more? Take it in. And you have to take into consideration how many time outs the other team had of course.