When you see your kicker rushing to the placement spot with 13 seconds on the play clock, you should probably use that last time out to calm things down. I'm guessing it's why Belichick didn't use one of his time outs to ice him. And why put the blame on Cundiff? What about Lee Evans dropping the pass? What about not going for it on 4th inches near the goal line in the first half?
Why Billy Cundiff was rushed on the fateful field goal tryBy MJD
PostsWebsiteEmailRSSBy MJD | Shutdown Corner – Mon, Jan 23, 2012 8:31 PM EST
No one has provided more information on Billy Cundiff's miss than Stefan Fatsis, author of "A Few Seconds of Panic," a book about his brief stint as a backup kicker with the Denver Broncos in training camp. For Deadspin, Fatsis has talked with Cundiff and has his own uniquely qualified perspective on the yank.
To summarize — and you should go read the whole thing — Cundiff has a specific routine he follows when the Ravens get into field goal range. On first down, he does one thing. On second, something else. Third, something else. Unfortunately, the Patriots scoreboard had the down wrong, which threw Cundiff out of whack.
On Sunday, during what would be the Ravens' final set of downs, Cundiff completed his first-down prep and checked the scoreboard: second down. He ran through his routine and looked up at the scoreboard again: third down.
Then, suddenly, chaos on the sidelines.
Coaches were screaming—from the opposite end of the field to where Cundiff was thinking his third-down pre-kick kicker thoughts—for the field-goal unit. The play clock was ticking and Cundiff, as per normal, was back from the sideline and farther from the line of scrimmage than his teammates. As he was not expecting to go in yet, he had to run to get into position for a game-tying kick.
So there it is. The scoreboard was wrong, Cundiff was rushed, and his mechanics on the kick went goofy. I don't pass this along as any kind of an excuse for Cundiff — you can decide for yourself if his miss is excusable or something that even needs excusing — but it's an explanation.
Here's another question, though: Is it possible that the Patriots did this on purpose? Did they have their scoreboard operator display the wrong down, to mess with Cundiff's routine? Ravens kicking consultant Randy Brown is wondering that same thing. Via CBS Philly, Brown said to Angelo Cataldi on WIP in Baltimore, "I don't think you can rule anything out in New England, can you?" It seems like a tremendous stretch to me. Since it's the Patriots, some level of dishonesty and underhandedness will be assumed, but I'll be surprised and more than a little impressed if it's somehow uncovered that they hatched a scheme with knowledge of Billy Cundiff's pre-kick routine and a scoreboard operator as a confederate.
I'm much more likely to believe it was an honest mistake. The Ravens thought they had a first down a few plays prior, when Anquan Boldin fumbled the ball out of bounds. They didn't. The ball was placed at the spot of the fumble, not the spot where it went out of bounds. The Ravens themselves were confused about the down, and it's far easier to believe that the scoreboard operator was, too.
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 8:52 pm Posts: 2647 Location: Where gila monsters meet you at the airport
I Hail Randy Moss wrote:
I Hail Randy Moss wrote:
When you see your kicker rushing to the placement spot with 13 seconds on the play clock, you should probably use that last time out to calm things down. I'm guessing it's why Belichick didn't use one of his time outs to ice him. And why put the blame on Cundiff? What about Lee Evans dropping the pass? What about not going for it on 4th inches near the goal line in the first half?
Why Billy Cundiff was rushed on the fateful field goal tryBy MJD
PostsWebsiteEmailRSSBy MJD | Shutdown Corner – Mon, Jan 23, 2012 8:31 PM EST
No one has provided more information on Billy Cundiff's miss than Stefan Fatsis, author of "A Few Seconds of Panic," a book about his brief stint as a backup kicker with the Denver Broncos in training camp. For Deadspin, Fatsis has talked with Cundiff and has his own uniquely qualified perspective on the yank.
To summarize — and you should go read the whole thing — Cundiff has a specific routine he follows when the Ravens get into field goal range. On first down, he does one thing. On second, something else. Third, something else. Unfortunately, the Patriots scoreboard had the down wrong, which threw Cundiff out of whack.
On Sunday, during what would be the Ravens' final set of downs, Cundiff completed his first-down prep and checked the scoreboard: second down. He ran through his routine and looked up at the scoreboard again: third down.
Then, suddenly, chaos on the sidelines.
Coaches were screaming—from the opposite end of the field to where Cundiff was thinking his third-down pre-kick kicker thoughts—for the field-goal unit. The play clock was ticking and Cundiff, as per normal, was back from the sideline and farther from the line of scrimmage than his teammates. As he was not expecting to go in yet, he had to run to get into position for a game-tying kick.
So there it is. The scoreboard was wrong, Cundiff was rushed, and his mechanics on the kick went goofy. I don't pass this along as any kind of an excuse for Cundiff — you can decide for yourself if his miss is excusable or something that even needs excusing — but it's an explanation.
Here's another question, though: Is it possible that the Patriots did this on purpose? Did they have their scoreboard operator display the wrong down, to mess with Cundiff's routine? Ravens kicking consultant Randy Brown is wondering that same thing. Via CBS Philly, Brown said to Angelo Cataldi on WIP in Baltimore, "I don't think you can rule anything out in New England, can you?" It seems like a tremendous stretch to me. Since it's the Patriots, some level of dishonesty and underhandedness will be assumed, but I'll be surprised and more than a little impressed if it's somehow uncovered that they hatched a scheme with knowledge of Billy Cundiff's pre-kick routine and a scoreboard operator as a confederate.
I'm much more likely to believe it was an honest mistake. The Ravens thought they had a first down a few plays prior, when Anquan Boldin fumbled the ball out of bounds. They didn't. The ball was placed at the spot of the fumble, not the spot where it went out of bounds. The Ravens themselves were confused about the down, and it's far easier to believe that the scoreboard operator was, too.
The biggest issue is still why the Ravens didn't just call a timeout. When the play clock is ticking down and the kicker isn't even on the field yet ... what the hell? You have a timeout! Even if it wasn't rushed, why not call the TO just to be sure everything is calm and ready?
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 3:38 pm Posts: 20059 Gender: Male
mray10 wrote:
I Hail Randy Moss wrote:
I Hail Randy Moss wrote:
When you see your kicker rushing to the placement spot with 13 seconds on the play clock, you should probably use that last time out to calm things down. I'm guessing it's why Belichick didn't use one of his time outs to ice him. And why put the blame on Cundiff? What about Lee Evans dropping the pass? What about not going for it on 4th inches near the goal line in the first half?
Why Billy Cundiff was rushed on the fateful field goal tryBy MJD
PostsWebsiteEmailRSSBy MJD | Shutdown Corner – Mon, Jan 23, 2012 8:31 PM EST
No one has provided more information on Billy Cundiff's miss than Stefan Fatsis, author of "A Few Seconds of Panic," a book about his brief stint as a backup kicker with the Denver Broncos in training camp. For Deadspin, Fatsis has talked with Cundiff and has his own uniquely qualified perspective on the yank.
To summarize — and you should go read the whole thing — Cundiff has a specific routine he follows when the Ravens get into field goal range. On first down, he does one thing. On second, something else. Third, something else. Unfortunately, the Patriots scoreboard had the down wrong, which threw Cundiff out of whack.
On Sunday, during what would be the Ravens' final set of downs, Cundiff completed his first-down prep and checked the scoreboard: second down. He ran through his routine and looked up at the scoreboard again: third down.
Then, suddenly, chaos on the sidelines.
Coaches were screaming—from the opposite end of the field to where Cundiff was thinking his third-down pre-kick kicker thoughts—for the field-goal unit. The play clock was ticking and Cundiff, as per normal, was back from the sideline and farther from the line of scrimmage than his teammates. As he was not expecting to go in yet, he had to run to get into position for a game-tying kick.
So there it is. The scoreboard was wrong, Cundiff was rushed, and his mechanics on the kick went goofy. I don't pass this along as any kind of an excuse for Cundiff — you can decide for yourself if his miss is excusable or something that even needs excusing — but it's an explanation.
Here's another question, though: Is it possible that the Patriots did this on purpose? Did they have their scoreboard operator display the wrong down, to mess with Cundiff's routine? Ravens kicking consultant Randy Brown is wondering that same thing. Via CBS Philly, Brown said to Angelo Cataldi on WIP in Baltimore, "I don't think you can rule anything out in New England, can you?" It seems like a tremendous stretch to me. Since it's the Patriots, some level of dishonesty and underhandedness will be assumed, but I'll be surprised and more than a little impressed if it's somehow uncovered that they hatched a scheme with knowledge of Billy Cundiff's pre-kick routine and a scoreboard operator as a confederate.
I'm much more likely to believe it was an honest mistake. The Ravens thought they had a first down a few plays prior, when Anquan Boldin fumbled the ball out of bounds. They didn't. The ball was placed at the spot of the fumble, not the spot where it went out of bounds. The Ravens themselves were confused about the down, and it's far easier to believe that the scoreboard operator was, too.
The biggest issue is still why the Ravens didn't just call a timeout. When the play clock is ticking down and the kicker isn't even on the field yet ... what the hell? You have a timeout! Even if it wasn't rushed, why not call the TO just to be sure everything is calm and ready?
yeah i don't get this one...
_________________ stop light plays its part, so I would say you've got a part
Cundiff missed all kinds of kicks this year did he not? A kick like this is the same reason vanderjagt is gone now. If he can be thrown off that easily, he won't make it in the nfl for much longer.
_________________ The folks just call him Buckethead...
We are trapped in the belly of this horrible machine, and the machine is bleeding to death.
Your team is living proof it's better to be lucky than good.
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
Your team is living proof it's better to be lucky than good.
Give me a break. Teams don't make five out of the last ten Super Bowls, six out of the last ten AFC championships, and eight out of the last ten years' playoffs (and missing one year despite having an 11-5 record without Tom Brady) by being lucky. At least, not exclusively.
Of course they've had some balls bounce their way. But no team wins a championship without getting a few breaks. David Tyree caught a ball with his fucking helmet for Christ's sake.
Your team is living proof it's better to be lucky than good.
Give me a break. Teams don't make five out of the last ten Super Bowls, six out of the last ten AFC championships, and eight out of the last ten years' playoffs (and missing one year despite having an 11-5 record without Tom Brady) by being lucky. At least, not exclusively.
Of course they've had some balls bounce their way. But no team wins a championship without getting a few breaks. David Tyree caught a ball with his fucking helmet for Christ's sake.
That might have been your most successful troll yet.
No troll, though it was certainly successful. Lucky and good aren't mutually exclusive, and this incarnation of the Patriots is more the former than the latter. Obviously they're good. They were 13-3 and played well enough to beat a better team last weekend. So there's no denying that. I just don't think they are Super Bowl good. That's where luck has come in. (I'm not trying to begrudge "luck here either) I think everything from their schedule to other playoff results and the Championship game itself has broken in their favor. Hey, it happens. And they've taken advantage of it. I'd give my left nut for the Dolphins to be either that lucky or good once in my lifetime.
I'd say they're a good team that's here more out of luck than some mystical "resilient" quality that this 2011 version of the Pats supposedly has that the 2007 version was lacking. Basically, I hated that article you posted a few days ago. The Giants aren't here because they know how to close or are resilient or wanted it more or somesuchnonsense like that. They're here because the 49ers backup punt return fumbled away the game. Just like this Patriots team doesn't know how to win and all that BS compared to an '07 team who supposedly didn't win because they hadn't been pushed during the regular season. I hate stupid sports cliched platitudes like that. That Pats team lost because their o-line wasn't as perfect/healthy as it had been all year long and hadn't faced a pass rush like that all year. (Yes, I know they played the Giants one month before).
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
Whining about the referees or the other team being lucky truly is a loser's lament.
Well you wouldn't expect the winner to bring up the fact that they were lucky, would you?
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
Dismissing the randomness that is often the difference in a game between two equally matched teams is as foolish as saying "the only reason we lost is because of the refs/they got lucky."
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
I should have said the Giants are here in part because the 49ers backup punter, etc.
That's obviously not the only reason, but it's certainly the biggest reason they won on that given Sunday.
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
Lucky and good aren't mutually exclusive, and this incarnation of the Patriots is more the former than the latter.
LOL
Coming from somebody who spent the better part of a 13-3, AFC Championship winning season lamenting "woe is me Belichick needs to evaluate defensive talent better, our defense is horrible, I have a bad feeling about this season"?
_________________ "Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." -- John Steinbeck
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