When all the Falcons needed was one more score, Matthews knocked the Falcons out of field goal range with two of the worst second half penalties in NFL History.
Holding #1: 1:30 left in 3rd quarter; Atlanta up 28-9. 2d and 1 on Pats 32 and he gets called for a hold on a running play...on 2d and 1!!! - Not only would Falcons have gotten easy first down, they probably score a TD and ice the game. That play is followed by an incomplete pass and a God-awful Ryan sack to push ball back to pats 49 yard line. Falcons blow field goal chance and punt.
Holding #2: Leading 28-20 with 4:40 left in game, the Falcons, after great Julio Jones catch, have first and 10 at Pats 22 yard line. Atlanta loses 2 yards on first down with with run. On second down Falcons inexplicably try to throw and Ryan takes another sack moving ball back to Pats 35 - still well within Matt Bryant range. But then on third down, Matthews tackles Chris Long and his penalty nullifies 7-yard pass to Sanu and moves ball back to Pats 45 and then (3rd and 33) Ryan misses a short throw. Falcons punt and the rest (as they say) is history.
Matthews two penalties cost the Falcons two make-able field goals and ultimately the Super Bowl.
A hold on a 2d and 1 running play? Tackling Chris Long with Falcons in field goal range? Can you imagine if that was Eric Flowers? He would have been run out of town before the game ended...
Horrific coaching, worst I've ever seen.
This
Give me a big EFFING break!
There are some on BBI that think he just has to upgrade his technique....
But lots of small things added up to the loss anyway
Lack of experience
A single voice on the sideline to say... run clock
smh
before nodding off, I made several comments to my buddies that I thought the refs were trying to keep the Pats in the game.
Holding calls are always suspicious because holding happens virtually all the time, and it seems to be arbitrary when they're called and not.
It took a perfect storm of Pats coming alive, Falcons choking, and (IMO) the refs looking for a closer game. No doubt that the Pats came alive and the Falcons choked.
If you want to blame one play / player, how about the RB that let the Patriots LB get to Ryan and cause the fumble? Huge game changing play.
That's ridiculous.
Another factor was the missed facemask call, which would have offset the holding and given ATL another chance to get into FG range.
before nodding off, I made several comments to my buddies that I thought the refs were trying to keep the Pats in the game.
Holding calls are always suspicious because holding happens virtually all the time, and it seems to be arbitrary when they're called and not.
It took a perfect storm of Pats coming alive, Falcons choking, and (IMO) the refs looking for a closer game. No doubt that the Pats came alive and the Falcons choked.
They were both legit calls. The one on the running play was right at the POA so it had to be called (as supposed to a legit hold on the backside of the play).
You're looking for the proximate cause of the epic free-fall? There it is (the second and 1 hold). Ain't laughable at all. The way they were running the ball up to that point, if Atlanta gets a first down and scores there, they probably don't have to pass again for the rest of the game. Like Belichick says - its about execution in situational football. One play can completely change the tenor of the game. (Not dissimilar to the Kevin Boothe hold in second Giants-Pats game which almost swung the game)
Plenty of blame to go around, but if you don't think Matthews fucked up in a huge way, you're not watching. These are the plays that absolutely kill you. You expect more from your best players. Everyone's killing Quinn, Shanahan and Ryan (all justifiably). No, Matthews wasn't alone, but with a chance to ice the game, he fucked up twice and it was a huge part of the Falcons losing.
But lots of small things added up to the loss anyway
^^^^ THIS
But lots of small things added up to the loss anyway
100% agreed on Freeman. That missed block was the turning point.