Timeout at 2:03

[Scott7975]

I'm not sure if anyone has brought this up, but I am surprised if no one did.  I believe Belichick made a critical clock management error.  At the end of the game Belichick used his last time out at 2:03.  That saved his team 3 seconds on the clock.  He should have saved it and just let the 2 minute warning happen.  He cost his team 46 seconds of clock by not saving it for after the 2 minute warning.

[Thurman#1]

Hunh?

 

No, that's a standard move. You don't lose anything by it, and you gain three seconds or so. 

 

If you call it before the two minute warning, you have two clock stoppages and it's third down with 1:56 left. Here's the play-by-play.

 

1. 1-10-NE 31(2:09) 29-L.Blount left guard to NE 29 for 2 yards (93-L.Guy; 37-J.Richards).
2. Timeout #3 by NE at 02:03.
3. 2-8-NE 29(2:03) 29-L.Blount right tackle to NE 26 for 3 yards (93-L.Guy).
4. Two-Minute Warning
5. 3-5-NE 26(1:56) 73-I.Seumalo reported in as eligible. 29-L.Blount right tackle to NE 27 for -1 yards (70-A.Butler, 90-M.Brown).

 

 

If you don't call it, the two minute comes at 2:00, and it's 2nd and 8. Actually they ran the ball and got 3 yards on 2nd and 8. Assume they do the same thing. That play takes, what? Six seconds?  And you call timeout. Now you have the same amount of timeouts, it's 1:54 instead of 1:56. And the same situation, 3rd and 5, but with two extra seconds gone.

 

So if they call it after the 2:00 warning you've now had two clock stoppages, there's 1:54 left. And you have the same number of timeouts, as you only used one.

Edited February 6, 2018 by Thurman#1

[Buffalo_Stampede]

23 minutes ago, Thurman#1 said:

Hunh?

 

No, that's a standard move. You don't lose anything by it, and you gain three seconds or so. 

 

If you call it before the two minute warning, you have two clock stoppages and it's third down with 1:56 left. Here's the play-by-play.

 

1. 1-10-NE 31(2:09) 29-L.Blount left guard to NE 29 for 2 yards (93-L.Guy; 37-J.Richards).
2. Timeout #3 by NE at 02:03.
3. 2-8-NE 29(2:03) 29-L.Blount right tackle to NE 26 for 3 yards (93-L.Guy).
4. Two-Minute Warning
5. 3-5-NE 26(1:56) 73-I.Seumalo reported in as eligible. 29-L.Blount right tackle to NE 27 for -1 yards (70-A.Butler, 90-M.Brown).

 

 

If you don't call it, the two minute comes at 2:00, and it's 2nd and 8. Actually they ran the ball and got 3 yards on 2nd and 8. Assume they do the same thing. That play takes, what? Six seconds?  And you call timeout. Now you have the same amount of timeouts, it's 1:54 instead of 1:56. And the same situation, 3rd and 5, but with two extra seconds gone.

 

So if they call it after the 2:00 warning you've now had two clock stoppages, there's 1:54 left. And you have the same number of timeouts, as you only used one.

Only problem I see with calling timeout a few seconds before the 2 minute warning is you allow the offense a run pass option because no matter what the clock stops. 

[Thurman#1]

15 minutes ago, TheTruthHurts said:

Only problem I see with calling timeout a few seconds before the 2 minute warning is you allow the offense a run pass option because no matter what the clock stops. 

 

 

Yup, it does make a run on that play a possibility.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

18 minutes ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Yup, it does make a run on that play a possibility.

A pass. They did run. NE had to defend both run and pass on 2nd and 8.

Edited February 6, 2018 by TheTruthHurts

[Thurman#1]

10 minutes ago, TheTruthHurts said:

A pass. They did run. NE had to defend both run and pass on 2nd and 8.

 

 

Ah, spacing out. Sorry. Yeah, it makes a pass more possible for the Eagles.

[Doc Brown]

32 minutes ago, TheTruthHurts said:

Only problem I see with calling timeout a few seconds before the 2 minute warning is you allow the offense a run pass option because no matter what the clock stops. 

Which gives the Pats the opportunity to potentially intercept the ball.  Patriots were desperate at that point in the game.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

5 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

Which gives the Pats the opportunity to potentially intercept the ball.  Patriots were desperate at that point in the game.

I mean I guess. So you think Belichick wanted the Eagles to attempt a pass? 

[vincec]

37 minutes ago, TheTruthHurts said:

I mean I guess. So you think Belichick wanted the Eagles to attempt a pass? 

That does often play into things. It’s why teams without three timeouts always use their them on first and second down. They bait the offense into throwing a pass on third down to try and pick up the first and win the game.

 

But in this case it was probably about saving a couple of extra seconds as mentioned above.

[Rochesterfan]

2 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

Hunh?

 

No, that's a standard move. You don't lose anything by it, and you gain three seconds or so. 

 

If you call it before the two minute warning, you have two clock stoppages and it's third down with 1:56 left. Here's the play-by-play.

 

1. 1-10-NE 31(2:09) 29-L.Blount left guard to NE 29 for 2 yards (93-L.Guy; 37-J.Richards).
2. Timeout #3 by NE at 02:03.
3. 2-8-NE 29(2:03) 29-L.Blount right tackle to NE 26 for 3 yards (93-L.Guy).
4. Two-Minute Warning
5. 3-5-NE 26(1:56) 73-I.Seumalo reported in as eligible. 29-L.Blount right tackle to NE 27 for -1 yards (70-A.Butler, 90-M.Brown).

 

 

If you don't call it, the two minute comes at 2:00, and it's 2nd and 8. Actually they ran the ball and got 3 yards on 2nd and 8. Assume they do the same thing. That play takes, what? Six seconds?  And you call timeout. Now you have the same amount of timeouts, it's 1:54 instead of 1:56. And the same situation, 3rd and 5, but with two extra seconds gone.

 

So if they call it after the 2:00 warning you've now had two clock stoppages, there's 1:54 left. And you have the same number of timeouts, as you only used one.

 

Correct - that was not an error - that was good clock management.  

1 hour ago, TheTruthHurts said:

Only problem I see with calling timeout a few seconds before the 2 minute warning is you allow the offense a run pass option because no matter what the clock stops. 

 

This is the issue and The Eagles did not take advantage and I thought they would.  

 

The stoppage just before means means any play gets to the 2 minute warning and you are not penalized for an incomplete pass.  This play is missed by too many coaches weekly.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

28 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:

 

Correct - that was not an error - that was good clock management.  

 

This is the issue and The Eagles did not take advantage and I thought they would.  

 

The stoppage just before means means any play gets to the 2 minute warning and you are not penalized for an incomplete pass.  This play is missed by too many coaches weekly.

I'm surprised Pederson played it conservative there also. 1st down wins the game. 

[SinceThe70s]

3 minutes ago, TheTruthHurts said:

I'm surprised Pederson played it conservative there also. 1st down wins the game. 

 

What a difference a year makes. Falcons pretty much did the opposite last year and. I'm not saying the Eagles were right and the Falcons were wrong because I think there's room for a judgement call by the coach but it is an interesting and difficult choice to make.

[row_33]

It wasn’t an issue to make the TO call in the moment

 

Edited February 6, 2018 by row_33

[Buffalo_Stampede]

24 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

What a difference a year makes. Falcons pretty much did the opposite last year and. I'm not saying the Eagles were right and the Falcons were wrong because I think there's room for a judgement call by the coach but it is an interesting and difficult choice to make.

Not really the same situation. Atlanta should have been conservative because they were in FG range with 3 minutes left already up 8. They chose to pass and got sacked and penalties taking them out of fg range. 

 

It's amazing to me how many coaches don't understand clock and game management. 

Edited February 6, 2018 by TheTruthHurts

[mead107]

He did it right. 

[SinceThe70s]

22 minutes ago, TheTruthHurts said:

Not really the same situation. Atlanta should have been conservative because they were in FG range with 3 minutes left already up 8. They chose to pass and got sacked and penalties taking them out of fg range. 

 

It's amazing to me how many coaches don't understand clock and game management. 

 

No, not the same exact situation but similar in nature. I still maintain that Atlanta's problem was taking the sack more than the play call..although I do agree run was the safer option. One thing that sometimes gets over-looked in these decisions is the assumption that the FG will be made. Atlanta would have iced the game with a FG assuming they made it. For Philly all it did was force a 2 point attempt if they gave up the TD, not inconsequential but not a game ender. A first down would have ended the game.

Edited February 6, 2018 by SinceThe70s

[row_33]

52 minutes ago, mead107 said:

He did it right. 

 

But after the fact you can argue it wasn’t a perfect decision.......  some find that a good way to kill a few hours.

 

[cba fan]

2 hours ago, TheTruthHurts said:

I'm surprised Pederson played it conservative there also. 1st down wins the game. 

Falcons and Seahawks tried to "go for it" win the last two Super Bowls vs the Cheats? He did not want to be that guy.

 

Pedersen had many go for it moments in this game, no reason to push your luck there. He made the right call. IMO.

Edited February 6, 2018 by cba fan

[Chuck Wagon]

Agholor running out of bounds was a potential killer for the Eagles.

[Scott7975]

6 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

Hunh?

 

No, that's a standard move. You don't lose anything by it, and you gain three seconds or so. 

 

If you call it before the two minute warning, you have two clock stoppages and it's third down with 1:56 left. Here's the play-by-play.

 

1. 1-10-NE 31(2:09) 29-L.Blount left guard to NE 29 for 2 yards (93-L.Guy; 37-J.Richards).
2. Timeout #3 by NE at 02:03.
3. 2-8-NE 29(2:03) 29-L.Blount right tackle to NE 26 for 3 yards (93-L.Guy).
4. Two-Minute Warning
5. 3-5-NE 26(1:56) 73-I.Seumalo reported in as eligible. 29-L.Blount right tackle to NE 27 for -1 yards (70-A.Butler, 90-M.Brown).

 

 

If you don't call it, the two minute comes at 2:00, and it's 2nd and 8. Actually they ran the ball and got 3 yards on 2nd and 8. Assume they do the same thing. That play takes, what? Six seconds?  And you call timeout. Now you have the same amount of timeouts, it's 1:54 instead of 1:56. And the same situation, 3rd and 5, but with two extra seconds gone.

 

So if they call it after the 2:00 warning you've now had two clock stoppages, there's 1:54 left. And you have the same number of timeouts, as you only used one.

Sigh you guys are right. I looked at the downs wrong. 

 

Sorry people. I had 4am brain farts.