One Giant Victory: An oral history of the game-winning drive

...always missed in these 'Drive' analyses, is Toomer's fantastic pick-block on the 3rd and 11 that Steve Smith converted.

Without that pick, he gets tackled in the backfield.

In comment 14037950 x meadowlander said:

Quote:

...always missed in these 'Drive' analyses, is Toomer's fantastic pick-block on the 3rd and 11 that Steve Smith converted. Without that pick, he gets tackled in the backfield.

Do you have video of this? I don't know what you're referring to. Who gets tackled in the backfield? Steve Smith caught the ball like 7 yards in front of the LOS.

special moment.

The long-time Giant Toomer with a couple nice catches including at key 3rd down pickup.

The rookie Steve Smith (who had experience being a national champion at USC) with the catch on 3rd and 11.

Of course Tyree.

B. Jacobs on the 4th and 1, and also his awesome blitz pick up on the winning TD play.

Plaxico's game winning TD.

Eli escaping a sure sack (and of course leading the entire drive).

...on the link provided in the initial post.

Shows Toomer taking out TWO db's with one pick.

I misremembered the play - correct, wouldn't have been tackled in the backfield, but I doubt he'd have gotten the first.

He seems to be simply trying to split the DBs to get out and run his route, while 31 just gets caught in the wrong place, then is left to badly trail Smith.

All great stuff that - simply put, is crazy, all packaged on one drive - led to the win.

Like we're living in an age before the invention of cuneiform.

Thanks for posting!

In comment 14038012 Beezer said:

Quote:

He seems to be simply trying to split the DBs to get out and run his route, while 31 just gets caught in the wrong place, then is left to badly trail Smith. All great stuff that - simply put, is crazy, all packaged on one drive - led to the win.

It's a fun video to roll repeatedly - but part of the reason you put a player in motion is to create the exact scenario that unfolded - Merriweather (31) was trailing Smith across the formation, Eli snapped it before he crossed Toomer's path - part of Toomer's job there IS to obstruct that DB, and he did his part perfectly, throwing enough of a shoulder to turn Merriweather - the amount of time it took him to recover enabled Smith to JUST make it.

I don't believe it was by chance that Toomer picked him - that is a designed play.