Best coached play of the game....the safety

[ChippewaJoe]

OK...I know there were more important and better plays, but.......note how Ed Dickson put both arms around the 49er he was 'blocking' and did the ultimate hug and hold. It helped a few more precious seconds elapse. A penalty in the end zone for a safety did not matter, since that was the desired outcome of the call.

It's the little things at the crucial moments that the Ravens do better than most.

It's also rather odd that one of the most blatant, intentional, designed holds I have seen....didn't draw a flag.

[mythoughts]

I think they all should've held the people they were blocking...even tackled them if neccessay...anything to run out those final 4 seconds.

[mythoughts]

Having seen the highlights it looks like all the players WERE holding and tackling....NICE JOB !!!

[elj1201]

Both teams were holding all game. They knew what they could get away with. Dickson's hold was crazy. I don't know who the other ones were next to him blocking for kock on that play but they had specific instructions and they followed them.

I think they all should've held the people they were blocking...even tackled them if neccessay...anything to run out those final 4 seconds.

Wouldn't work like that coach.

[Peej7245]

Would not matter. Even if they had called a holding penalty (or a few) in the end zone, it would be a safety (only one BTW) and the Ravens would give up two points and have to kick the ball away.

Wait. That's what they did anyway! So I guess the Ravens coaching staff know football pretty well.

[mythoughts]

Both teams were holding all game. They knew what they could get away with. Dickson's hold was crazy. I don't know who the other ones were next to him blocking for kock on that play but they had specific instructions and they followed them.




Wouldn't work like that coach.

Actually it did work.
If you watch a replay of it you can see they were actually tackling the players. The Ravens had nothing to lose by doing exactly what they did.
Clearly the Ravens took additional seconds off the clock. Had they not held, which used up more time, the 49ers likely would've had time for 1 more play after the Free Kick return. Brilliant!

[Peej7245]

Whether or not the officials throw a flag, the play still had to be completed to the whistle. And there STILL would have been only 4 seconds left.

[RavnFreek]

Whether or not the officials throw a flag, the play still had to be completed to the whistle. And there STILL would have been only 4 seconds left.

So here is a question.

Game cannot end on a penalty right? So if the clock was able to run to 0:00, and they threw a flag. How many seconds would be put back on the clock in order to run one more play?

EDIT.. or is that only for defense?

[Passarino]

So here is a question.

Game cannot end on a penalty right? So if the clock was able to run to 0:00, and they threw a flag. How many seconds would be put back on the clock in order to run one more play?

EDIT.. or is that only for defense?

Only for defense. The reasoning is that the offense is not to be rewarded with an additional play after time has expired for committing a foul.

[mythoughts]

So here is a question.

Game cannot end on a penalty right? So if the clock was able to run to 0:00, and they threw a flag. How many seconds would be put back on the clock in order to run one more play?

EDIT.. or is that only for defense?

...only Defense

[ChippewaJoe]

Here would be an even crazier, yet within the rules procedure (and I guarantee no one has done this, and probably never will).

Same scenerio, but the Ravens do not call time out. Let the play clock run down to 1 second, and then have a lineman move. Illegal procedure. In the last two minutes of a half, ten seconds is taken off the clock for an offensive procedure penalty while the clock is running.

That leaves three seconds on the clock. Ravens then call time out. Then run around the end zone as the game ends. No need for a free kick.

Sorry....too much free time and adrenaline today.

[RavnFreek]

Either way.. Harbs found a good way to burn clock without giving up the win. He knew we only need to win by 1 point. That's all that matters.

[mythoughts]

....Let the play clock run down to 1 second, and then have a lineman move. Illegal procedure. In the last two minutes of a half, ten seconds is taken off the clock for an offensive procedure penalty while the clock is running.

That leaves three seconds on the clock. Ravens then call time out. Then run around the end zone as the game ends. No need for a free kick.......

There would be no run-off in that case.
If the rules allowed that you would in fact see that happen all the time.

[mythoughts]

I wonder if the rules cover whether the Ravens would've had to do a Free Kick had the clock run out.

Imagine if the clock had run out and there wasn't anything specific about whether the free kick had to occur as a continuation of the penalty. And if the free kick was required and the 49ers had called for a fair catch, which by rules, awards them a free kick (and potential FG attempt) would that be a continuation of the fair catch and be allowed even with no time on the clock? That is why in my original post I suggested that the not hold in the endzone. I'm not sure what the rules would dictate. Fortunately someone on the Ravens coaching staff knew the rules and was brilliant enough to come up with in on the spot in a pressure situations. The addition seconds the Ravens were able to take off the clock may have been enough to prevent the 49ers from attempting 1 hail mary after the return.

[steve_o_2]

I wonder if the rules cover whether the Ravens would've had to do a Free Kick had the clock run out.

Imagine if the clock had run out and there wasn't anything specific about whether the free kick had to occur as a continuation of the penalty. And if the free kick was required and the 49ers had called for a fair catch, which by rules, awards them a free kick (and potential FG attempt) would that be a continuation of the fair catch and be allowed even with no time on the clock? That is why in my original post I suggested that the not hold in the endzone. I'm not sure what the rules would dictate. Fortunately someone on the Ravens coaching staff knew the rules and was brilliant enough to come up with in on the spot in a pressure situations. The addition seconds the Ravens were able to take off the clock may have been enough to prevent the 49ers from attempting 1 hail mary after the return.

Absolutely true! Best coaching decision of the entire game. I don't think the fake field goal was that bad of a decision, others are quite critical of it though. Thoughts?

[The Eternal White Belt]

Well the announcers called the play before it happened, so it was obviously the right play call, if not the obvious one. It's not like it was some big surprise to everyone (unless you were watching the game on mute). I mean, I guess it was a good play.

[mythoughts]

Absolutely true! Best coaching decision of the entire game. I don't think the fake field goal was that bad of a decision, others are quite critical of it though. Thoughts?

I had no problems with the fake FG. Plays like that are always BRILLIANT if they work and DUMB if they don't work. I credit Patrick Willis and the other LB for making a GREAT read and play. Watching a replay I think Willis was looking for the fake there. He didn't make the tackle but he slowed down Tucker and made him turn into the tackle. But both LBs dropped back as soon as the ball was snapped so either they performed their assignments precisely or they sniffed out the fake at the snap.

But I thought it was a high gain, reletively low risk play at the time.

[mythoughts]

Well the announcers called the play before it happened, so it was obviously the right play call, if not the obvious one. It's not like it was some big surprise to everyone (unless you were watching the game on mute). I mean, I guess it was a good play.

The BRILLIANT part of the call was having the Lineman hold and even tackle there counterparts. And if you watch a replay you'll see that they all blantantly grabbed and tackled their blocking assignments. None of them even attempted to "block". That is why it took them so long to get to Tucker ---- 8 seconds. This allowed SF only time for a return. Had the gotten to Tucker in the standard 4-6 secs then the 49ers may have had time for a hail mary after the free kick.

[jessup270]

I don't recall the TV folks mentioning the Ravens intentionally holding on the safety.

Good observation by the fans here on the board.

[Rael]

My daughter was a big fan of the safety call. She had 4 and 1 in the pool.