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

[MHSL82]

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.

It's like you read my mind and go the other way every time.

The logic of the Westbrook situation was a very different situation. They were up by 4 and needed only a field goal to go up by 7. In other words, even if the Eagles miss the field goal, the opposing team still needs to drive the whole field and score a TD to get back into the game.

If Smith takes a knee and we miss the field goal, we lose. If Smith takes a knee and the field goal is blocked, we lose. If Smith takes a knee and they score a field goal, we lose. If Smith scores, then they have to drive the whole length of the field and get a TD.

Two very different situations. Being ahead by 4 is a very different situation than being behind by 1. Give the ball back to Brees with 40 seconds left at best needing a FG to win (not tie) vs. up by seven needing a TD with 2:11? The mistake Smith made was to change the 2pt conversion attempt to a run.

 

[sayheykid1]

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.

I disagree and Brees marched the Saints down the field in less than 40 seconds and scored a TD.

 

[NinerSickness]

I don't know what Westbrook situation to which you were referring. In fact I don't even remember what the score was in the event in question. Here's what I do know:

Scenario 1: Down by 1 or 2 or up by 6 or more and you have the ability to run the clock down to around 45 seconds or less : Go down on purpose and kick the FG.

All other scenarios: Go for the TD.

I'd just go with the odds.

 

[MW49ers5]

I don't know what Westbrook situation to which you were referring. In fact I don't even remember what the score was in the event in question. Here's what I do know:

Scenario 1: Down by 1 or 2 or up by 6 or more and you have the ability to run the clock down to around 45 seconds or less : Go down on purpose and kick the FG.

All other scenarios: Go for the TD.

I'd just go with the odds.

Sick, if you are up by 6 doesn't going up by 13 with less than two minutes kind of seal the deal?

 

[NinerSickness]

Sick, if you are up by 6 doesn't going up by 13 with less than two minutes kind of seal the deal?

9 or 13: either way they'd need a TD and an on sides kick to win it. That's nearly impossible with less than a minute to go, so I say run the clock down.

 

[MHSL82]

I don't know what Westbrook situation to which you were referring. In fact I don't even remember what the score was in the event in question. Here's what I do know:

Scenario 1: Down by 1 or 2 or up by 6 or more and you have the ability to run the clock down to around 45 seconds or less : Go down on purpose and kick the FG.

All other scenarios: Go for the TD.

I'd just go with the odds.

Going with the odds, I'd still score the TD. Let's be generous and run the clock down to 45 seconds. Let's also play the odds of us in the Red Zone this year, we'd be up by 2. I wouldn't give Brees that long to get to field goal range. TD maybe. Field goal, no.

The second Graham TD in our game was at some point (Rogers approach) a 'prevent the catch or let him score' kind of deal, because if they are that close to scoring (by the time Rogers caught him, time is more important) - again playing the odds that Brees could score within ten yards easily compared to most QBs with giving us no time. So the 34 seconds they took to score is a bit misleading. But I think we would have been Favre'd or Brees'd ala 2010. Those 34 seconds did include one, use-the-clock play sandwiched by passes.

 

[NinerSickness]

You're right; it might have to be like 30 seconds with no time outs...

Obviously in that scenario I wouldn't just kneel on the ball. Maybe on 1st down, but on 2nd & 3rd downs I'd run the ball & try to get in the end zone.

 

[MHSL82]

9 or 13: either way they'd need a TD and an on sides kick to win it. That's nearly impossible with less than a minute to go, so I say run the clock down.

But it isn't a decision of 3 or 7. It's a decsion to take the risk of zero at the expense of 3 or 7. If it were deciding 3 or 7, I'd agree, if up 6. Burn the clock. But down 1-2, nah.

 

[MHSL82]

You're right; it might have to be like 30 seconds with no time outs...

Obviously in that scenario I wouldn't just kneel on the ball. Maybe on 1st down, but on 2nd & 3rd downs I'd run the ball & try to get in the end zone.

I can roll with that. But I don't think we could get it down to 30 seconds.

Flip the question - at what point (clock) would you if you were Payton let us score to get the ball back if you knew we were running the clock out (assuming the Niners, your opponent, wasn't kneeling on 2nd and 3rd)? And how many points (range) would you consider it? There was a Bears/Packers regular season game last year or the year before that had this situation.

 

[NinerSickness]

Flip the question - at what point (clock) would you if you were Payton let us score to get the ball back if you knew we were running the clock out (assuming the Niners, your opponent, wasn't kneeling on 2nd and 3rd)? And how many points (range) would you consider it? There was a Bears/Packers regular season game last year or the year before that had this situation.

If it were 1st down and the 2 minute warning had already expired and the Niners were in the Red Zone and I had 1 time out and I were up by 1 or 2 I'd fake like I were trying to stop 'em and just let 'em score.

 

[numone9er]

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

This must of been written by La Canfora. Doubters keep doubting.

 

[Jikkle]

I agree with Alex's decision of punching the ball in.

I think you take the knee and milk the clock down if

A) The FG puts you up by at least 3
or
B) You can milk the clock to under 20 seconds
or
C) You already have the lead

The FG would've only put us up by 2 and 30ish seconds is enough time for Brees to get the team into FG range to kick a FG to win that could win the game.

BUT that's not to say that kneeling and kicking the FG wouldn't be a viable strategy and workable strategy.

Also what's not being mentioned is if we convert the 2 point conversion the worst the Saints could've done is drive it down and tied the game.

And I think we're forgetting the human element of it all. Nobody was expecting the play to score so it's not like Harbaugh was telling Smith "Hey if you somehow are able to take this play 28 yards don't score and take a knee at the 1". And it wasn't for sure that he was going to take score the play till Staley's last second chop block down the field so I doubt game management situations were running through Alex's head as he was running down the field.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

This is bullshit.... you run the ball in and score. You score when you can get points. Nothing is given in the NFL. There is no guarantee that the Niners get in after that, or that Akers makes the kick. We've had what, 4 blocked this season?? Look at what happened early in the game with Thomas getting KTFO and losing the ball. Who's to say that doesn't happen.

Westbrook was winning at the time he did that, with only kneel downs to take the game. The situation is different. Smith made the right choice and now people are nit picking things that he could have done better. Fuck that. Like I said before, legends aren't made by going out at the 1. I'm not trying to overstate the significance of "the catch 3" but if could be a franchise turning play. The game could have been. We never know. Look at what The Catch did for them in the 80's.

 

[tallglassofwater007]

Also, check out some NFL tweets after the game. Notice T.O.

Davis draws quite the Twitter reaction after TD catch

 

[dredinis21]

This is bullshit.... you run the ball in and score. You score when you can get points. Nothing is given in the NFL. There is no guarantee that the Niners get in after that, or that Akers makes the kick. We've had what, 4 blocked this season?? Look at what happened early in the game with Thomas getting KTFO and losing the ball. Who's to say that doesn't happen.

Westbrook was winning at the time he did that, with only kneel downs to take the game. The situation is different. Smith made the right choice and now people are nit picking things that he could have done better. Fuck that. Like I said before, legends aren't made by going out at the 1. I'm not trying to overstate the significance of "the catch 3" but if could be a franchise turning play. The game could have been. We never know. Look at what The Catch did for them in the 80's.

Tall, TOTALLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU JUST PUT HERE! Sick, with all due respect, you are out of your mind if you truly think that Alex takes a fucking knee at the 1 with over two minutes left. That is playing NOT TO LOSE as opposed to PLAYING TO WIN. If you have the opportunity to score to go ahead and allow your all-world defense to shut down Brees, you take it.

 

[EKmane]

On top of whatever else has been said in this thread (didn't read it), your not thinking about going down in that situation. I 100% don't think for one minute Alex or anyone on the staff prepared for that play to be a td. That was a 3rd and 7, probably designed to get a first down. I'm not sure if you seen Smith's face after the Staley block? It was either from him being shocked from how fast Staley was running or the most logical reason, he was shocked that play turned into a td. No way he was thinking I should go down at the one.

 

[threelittleturds]

I disagree and Brees marched the Saints down the field in less than 40 seconds and scored a TD.

That right there is why I cannot understand why anyone would argue that Smith left too much time on the clock.

 

[Crimsoncrew]

The way the D was playing, I think you take it in. That said, if he had gone out at the 10 or 15, we'd run three more plays and then kicked a gimme, that might have done it. Though that would give Brees 40 seconds - granted no TOs - to drive 40-odd yards for the winning FG. I don't love those odds, either.

 

[h0ckeysk83r]

The way the D was playing, I think you take it in. That said, if he had gone out at the 10 or 15, we'd run three more plays and then kicked a gimme, that might have done it. Though that would give Brees 40 seconds - granted no TOs - to drive 40-odd yards for the winning FG. I don't love those odds, either.

We know Akers is a beast, but there are no gimmes in sports.

 

[MW49ers5]

That right there is why I cannot understand why anyone would argue that Smith left too much time on the clock.

LOL...If anything it can now be said that Brees & Co. left too much time on the clock, although at the time nobody on the planet knew that...