It is the best game that we have seen so far this season, and it will take some beating. The New York Giants put together another legendary fourth quarter comeback to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But no one is paying much attention to that. Eli Manning threw three interceptions in the first half and appeared appallingly inept; he ended up with 510 passing yards, leading three touchdown drives in the final seven minutes of play. But no one is paying much attention to that. Instead, let’s all focus on the final five seconds.
First, we set the scene. Up a touchdown and with the ball, the Giants took to the field in the Victory Formation and looked to take a knee. It was game over. However, this was not the way that Bucs’ rookie coach Greg Schiano viewed events. Instead, Schiano instructed his team to play hard and attempt to force a fumble. This is not against the rules or without precedent, but it certainly goes against tradition. Giants Coach Tom Coughlin took great exception to this play, and he made Schiano aware of this when he lambasted him during the post-game handshake. Coughlin told the press:
“I don’t think you do that. You don’t do that in this league. Not only that, you jeopardise the O-line, you jeopardise the quarterback. Thank goodness we didn’t get anybody hurt… that I know of. A couple of linemen were late coming in.”
Eli Manning was quick to call Schiano’s move a “cheap shot”. Most analysts have come down on the side of Coughlin, the veteran, who defends the virtues of the unwritten rules of the game. Conversely, Schiano is a classless rookie; a college coach, out of his depth, looking to make a name for himself in this league by any means.
However, some context is needed here. The Buccaneers were only trailing by one touchdown. If this were a blowout game then Coughlin’s indignation would be justified, as Schiano’s actions could not be said to have a genuine purpose. Also, is this not a case of confirmation bias? We say that this is something that is not done in the NFL, but that is largely because it has a negligible chance of success. In this instance, the play was ineffective and we scold the attempt. What if it had been successful, and actually caused an Eli Manning fumble that gave the Bucs another chance? Schiano would be a shrewd revolutionary, praised for his attitude of playing until the final second has elapsed.
The Giants were well prepared to deal with Schiano’s onslaught. The quarterback kneel is a play that is practiced during the week. There are also three quick players surrounding the quarterback whose job it is to recover a potential fumble. Eli Manning was not rested for this play because the backup was not trusted for this task. The bottom line is that the quarterback kneel is not an insignificant play that neither side takes seriously. Schiano’s call may be unconventional but this does not automatically mean that it should be criticised. Miracles can happen in the NFL, and the Giants encapsulate this sentiment perhaps more than any other franchise in recent years.
Writing rules down adds some clarity. However, even with written rules there are problems with interpretation depending on the context of their application. Here, the context simply cannot be ignored. Baseball is a sport laden with unwritten rules and it suffers with the reputation of a game that takes itself too seriously. Regardless of the validity of Schiano’s call, it is ridiculous for us to spend more time and energy on those 5 seconds of action than the captivating and mesmerising 59 minutes 55 seconds that preceded it.
Speaking of incessant distractions that pull focus – why so much continued talk about the replacement officials? Yes, games have been taking slightly longer so far as the officials acclimatise to their new environment. However, these officials are yet to determine the outcome of a game. Although their decisions are more protracted, they are often still right. The previous officials may have been more professional but they were hardly infallible. Officials are never popular, but this added spotlight is doing an injustice to the league. There are genuine arguments for both sides, and this issue is a complicated one. The NFL will not look to expedite a resolution on the basis of these first two weeks. After all, it is not as if we, as the public, will stop committing our time and money unless they do.
Incredibly, twenty teams stand at 1-1 after two immensely entertaining weeks. But no one is paying much attention to that. It is time to rethink our priorities.
Oggy’s Quick Slants
– The Arizona Cardinals are flying high at the moment. Their defense looked extremely impressive as they harassed Tom Brady all game long. The Cardinals are 2-0 to start the season, despite Larry Fitzgerald only amassing 5 total receptions. Furthermore, the Cardinals are 9-2 in their last 11 games.
– Former Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall gained more receiving yards (119) in Week 1 than all Dolphins receivers and tight end combined (117). That trend was reversed in Week 2, as Marshall’s 24 yards was dwarfed by his counterpart’s 173 yards.
