As a couple of readers have accurately pointed out, the Saints made a significant late-game clock management blunder during Monday night’s 35-27 win over the Falcons.
Fortunately for the Saints, it didn’t blow up in their faces.
With 102 ticks remaining on the clock and the Saints with an 11-point lead, possession of the ball, a first down, and only one time out available to the Falcons, New Orleans coach Sean Payton opted not to order quarterback Drew Brees to take a knee.
If the Falcons had called their last time out after the first kneel down, 100 seconds would have remained. After second down, the remaining time after the running of the play, the resetting of the ball, and the exhausting of the 40-second clock would have been roughly 55 seconds, maybe a second or two less. After third down, there might have been maybe a dozen seconds left when the Saints punted to the Falcons with that same 11-point lead.
Instead, the Saints ran the ball on first down — and then had to sweat out a knee injury to center Jonathan Goodwin.
And if Payton had planned to line up in victory formation after the Falcons had burned their last time out, that strategy was scuttled because the Goodwin injury forced the Saints to use a time out.
So the Saints later fumbled, the Falcons drove for a field goal, the Falcons recovered an onside kick, and Atlanta had a chance at forcing a tie with a Hail Mary pass.
After the game, Payton said that Goodwin has only a knee contusion, which suggests that he’ll be fine.
Still, because of Payton’s decision not to take a knee, he had to spend time worrying about Goodwin’s knee — and he had to spend a lot more time sweating out the closing moments of the game.
Hate to nitpick (actually, that’s a lie, I love to nitpick), but the 40-second clock starts the moment the previous play ends. They do not wait until the ball is set. This rule change took place at least 10 years ago, probably longer.
So, the Saints could have burned about 42 seconds with a kneel down, not about 55.
7-0. Enough said!!!!
Screw the injury I mean I am not a Falcons or Saints fan but I did watch the game last night and I believe that Atlanta was cheated an opp. to get the ball back and try a game winning drive with 3 minutes left in the game down by 4. What was up with that D-holding call that was called on the Falcons on 3&3 with N.O. on their own 20 yard line? That was not even close to defensive illegal contact besides the reciever was only 1 yard past the line of scrimmage which means even if he was touched,which he obviously wasn’t, it was within the 5 yards of scrimmage and before ball was thrown(obviously or it would of been called interferance.) What bothered me the most is the fact that it may have cost Atlanta the game abd that it wasn’t thrown by the official until WAY after the play when Drew Brees and the reciever asked for one from the officials. WHO THE HELL IS OFFICIATING FOOTBALL GAMES ANYMORE MIKE P? And WHY CANT THEY CHALLENGE A PENALTY CALL? Especially sense so many of them are determining the outcome of important football games these days!
Where is the Falcon Poet of the off season??? WHO DAT? WHO DAT!!! Get the knee on ice Goodwin we need you back ASAP.
the NFL is turning into the WWF/WWE: FAKE. Some of the penalty calls are so bad and on game winning key plays that either the officials are beeing paid off like NBA officials have in the past or they are just completely incompitant. Think about why else can’t you challenge a penalty call.
J,
The entire ref crew sucked last night, so don’t just point out one play that extended the Saints’ drive.
The Falcons were gifted a TD on a long pass to Roddy White where he had his hands all over Jabari Greer and looked to be giving him a hernia examination, yet no offensive PI was called.
thunderdog, isn’t 100-40 close to 55 ?
Regardless of whether it was 55 or 42 seconds between plays, the new Saints looked a lot like the old Saints during that final 102 seconds. But the old Saints would have lost the game.
of course, if you were laying 10 points with the saints then payton’s blunder affected more than your nerves.
The officiating was horrible last night on both sides. The better team won the game, so anybody who wants to pick one call that went against the Falcons can be sure that another bad call went against the Saints. The Roddy White offensive interference call that was not called was so obvious that it was ridiculous, especially given that an offensive interference call had earlier been called against the Saints.
On the Goodwin injury play, it sure looked like one of the Falcons continued to maintain contact with a Saint after the play was over and pushed him into Goodwin causing the injury. It should have been a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Falcons.
I just have a feeling Vegas called up at the end and said to keep the game within the spread.
As a Saints fan I couldn’t be more proud of the team. That being said, the Falcons are a fantastic team that is WAY better than their record. I sweated this game more than any other this season. I do believe that the Falcons have the best chance of breaking the Saints winning streak when we see them again later. Congrats to Atlanta on a well played game, the next couple of years in the NFC South should be interesting.
@MGN
Very well put. I am a 40+ year Who Dat. There is no team I despise more than the Dirty Birds. But, you gotta give them credit. They are a good team, with a good QB and running game. Shore up the defense with 1 or 2 FA pickups and they could be very dangerous. Let’s keep it classy. Good game Falcons.