In a season defined by offense, scoring, and record-breaking quarterback play, it's special teams play that propels the Giants and Patriots into the Super Bowl.
Jan 24, 2012 - Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis will feature a rematch of Super Bowl XLII, which took place in Arizona, between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. Amazingly, while offense has defined the Patriots and the Giants this season, they will both go dancing together in Indy due to the play of their special teams (and inept special teams play of their opponents).
Last week I picked the Baltimore Ravens to walk into Foxboro and kick the snot out of the Pats. I said, barring an implosion, it will be Baltimore playing in Indy.
Enter Bill Cundiff, Ravens kicker.
The old cliche is that there are no easy field goals in the NFL. Sorry, but there are. 32-yard field goals are easy. I don't care what kickers, coaches, or anyone else says. There is a reason everyone in and around the NFL refers to them as chip shots.
Heck, any shot that looks like a pro can do it blindfolded is called a "chip shot," and in the case of the NFL, kickers should make 32-yard field goals blindfolded with one arm tied behind their back. Cundiff didn't. After Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense drove deep into Patriots territory with 11 seconds left, Cundiff lined up for a 32-yarder that would have sent the game into overtime.
Wide left. Ravens lose. The Patriots are going to Indianapolis.
All season long, special teams had been the Achilles' heel for the Ravens. Football Outsiders' DVOA ranked them 29th in the league. While one cannot help but feel a little sympathy for Cundiff, the reality is he now joins the pantheon of choke artist kickers that have provided so much joy for some and a whole lotta heartache for others. I'm talking about Scot Norwood, Lin Elliott, Mike Vanderjadgt, and Nate Kaeding, just to name a few. Each had their moments, but all are remembered for kicks they missed in postseason play rather than all the ones they hit to get their in the first place.
Such is the life and legacy of an NFL kicker.
The irony of Baltimore playing so poorly on special teams in 2011, and having it effectively end the season, is that head coach John Harbaugh is a special teams guy. He coached the unit in Philadelphia with Andy Reid for years prior to landing the Baltimore gig in 2008. Now, he has to go into an offseason wondering.
While special teams played a significant role in the outcome of the Ravens-Patriots game, it was the reason the NFC is sending the Giants to Super Bowl XLVI and not the San Francisco 49ers. If Billy Cundiff is the goat for Ravens fans, Kyle Williams is public enemy No. 1 in the Bay Area. Filling in for the injured Ted Ginn Jr. at punt returner, Williams' two muffed punts (one in overtime) punched New York's ticket to Indy. Giants quarterback Eli Manning was bold, decisive, and delivered in the clutch once again. He had to do this while the 49ers defense essentially beat him silly. Yet, it was not Eli's clutch throws or his tough play under duress that defined the game. It was Kyle Williams and the Niners' special teams mistakes. Interestingly, DVOA had San Francisco ranked second overall in special teams, but that's with a healthy Ginn Jr. returning punts.
On some level, you can forgive Williams for the fumbled punt in overtime that set up Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes to nail a 31-yard chip shot in rainy, wet conditions to win the game. Williams fielded the punt clean and simply ran upfield. A heads up move by No. 57 of the Giants, Jacquian Williams, knocked the football loose. It was recovered by the Giants Devin Thomas. A few plays later, Tynes booted the pigskin through with 7:07 left in sudden death.
And speaking of Tynes, he's a player many fans seem to forget even exists, but is starting to make a bit of a name for himself as a clutch kicker. Tynes' field goal in overtime of the 2007-08 NFC Championship game propelled the Giants to the Super Bowl that year. Four years later, he repeats the feat.
But for Kyle Williams, it wasn't the muff in OT that has the goat horns planted squarely on his forehead. That gaff could be attributed to just a heads up play by Jacquian Williams knocking the football loose. Kids who play on special teams in Pop Warner football, take note.
No, this game shouldn't have even gone to OT in the first place. The reason it did? Kyle Williams' first muffed punt early in the fourth quarter.
San Fran had a 14-10 lead and momentum at the beginning of the fourth quarter, forcing the Giants offense into a three-and-out. Their team was poised to get the ball back with good field position. A David Akers field goal made it a one touchdown game, and puts all the pressure on the Giants. Instead, Williams did not clear away from Steve Weatherford's shaky punt, allowing the ball to touch his leg as it bounced past him.
Live ball. Anyone can dive on it, and it was Devin Thomas, the man who recovered Williams' muffed punt later that game. After reviews confirmed that the punt did, in fact, touch Williams' leg, it was Giants football inside the 30 yard line.
Williams was so flabbergasted, he was seen looking at a referee saying, "Are you kidding me?"
Six plays later, Eli Manning hits Mario Manningham for a 15-yard touchdown. For all intents and purposes, the game swung New York's way, right then and there, thanks to special teams.
One of the great attributes of the NFL is that what is predicted or expected rarely comes to be. In a season defined by offense, scoring, and record-breaking quarterback play, it's special teams play that propels the Giants and Patriots into the Super Bowl. It's the kind of unpredictability that can drive you crazy as a fan and put gray hairs on your head if you're a coach.
In the end, it's only fitting that the most overlooked aspect of football, special teams, ends up being the deciding factor as to who will play in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
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