5 Plays That Decided It
Every NFL game comes down to critical moments, and on those plays, the game is decided. Certainly the other plays serve to set the table for these moments, but it is the execution of these plays that loom larger, and determine which way the cookie will crumble.
1. Spikes At The Goal Line - Brandon Spikes was an absolute beast in this game. I don't expect him to be able to cover a TE without Safety help, but he might be the hardest hitter in the NFL. With the game on the line (or so it felt) at the end of the first half, Spikes cracked CJ Spiller so hard that I had to cringe when I heard the sound of the collision. I would have been excited to hold Buffalo to a FG here, but this forced fumble totally changed the momentum heading into the half at only 14-7 Buffalo.
2. Mesko's Perfect Punt - I have to give credit to Marquis Cole and Matthew Slater for making a perfect play in coverage, but this was a perfect punt by Zoltan Mesko. It was downed at the 1 yard line, and led to a nice series on Defense. On 2nd and 8, Fitzpatrick was pressured in his own endzone, and threw short to Stevie Johnson, only to be intercepted by Devin McCourty. It was a nice catch by McCourty, but this was all set up by the field position. Slater and McCourty as captains needed to step up in a huge division game, and they did.
Ninkovich uses his speed and athleticism to beat Pears on a speed rush. He gets by the tackle, who pushes him around the corner. Ninkovich beats the block, but certainly the pressure from the other rushers left Fitzpatrick nowhere to run. I don't think Fitz saw him though because Ninkovich not only got the sack, but he forced a fumble. As you can see here, Chandler Jones and Vince Wilfork leave Fitzpatrick no room to step up, but this is just a great play by Ninkovich to use his speed and justify his role as a hybrid DL-LB in this Defense.
1. Spikes At The Goal Line - Brandon Spikes was an absolute beast in this game. I don't expect him to be able to cover a TE without Safety help, but he might be the hardest hitter in the NFL. With the game on the line (or so it felt) at the end of the first half, Spikes cracked CJ Spiller so hard that I had to cringe when I heard the sound of the collision. I would have been excited to hold Buffalo to a FG here, but this forced fumble totally changed the momentum heading into the half at only 14-7 Buffalo.
2. Mesko's Perfect Punt - I have to give credit to Marquis Cole and Matthew Slater for making a perfect play in coverage, but this was a perfect punt by Zoltan Mesko. It was downed at the 1 yard line, and led to a nice series on Defense. On 2nd and 8, Fitzpatrick was pressured in his own endzone, and threw short to Stevie Johnson, only to be intercepted by Devin McCourty. It was a nice catch by McCourty, but this was all set up by the field position. Slater and McCourty as captains needed to step up in a huge division game, and they did.
3. Wilfork & Mayo Set The Table - This was a 3rd and 7 with The Bills driving in the first quarter, approaching midfield. Wilfork absorbs a double team, and gets in the passing lane to tip the pass. Mayo is in the right place, and he makes a relatively diving tough catch. This moment was critical to stop Buffalo for second consecutive time. The Offense and Special Teams were not able to capitalize on the play, but The Defense gained a huge spark from seeing 2 team captains combine for a turnover.
4. Brady Across His Body To Woodhead - The Patriots were down 21-7 in the third quarter, and Brandon Bolden gained 51 yards on 2 carries and a catch from a WR position on the first three plays of the drive. Stevan Ridley gains some hard fought yardage, Gronk dropped a play action pass, and all of a sudden The Pats are looking at 3rd and 9. Brady is flushed out of the pocket, and ends up throwing across his body, but on target to Danny Woodhead who takes its in for a TD, 21-14 Buffalo still ahead. Not only was this a great play by Brady, Woodhead did well to find space and make himself a target. Also, this drive was a big response to being down by two scores. Without a 3rd down conversion here, The Bills keep a two score lead at 21-10.
5. Ninkovich Double Feature - Lots of people have been getting down on Rob Ninkovich because he is playing as a down lineman despite being undersized. When Ninkovich dropped Fred Jackson in the backfield, Gumbel and Dierdorf said, "Number 50?.... uh.. yep Rob Ninkovich," as if they had never heard of him. Well, if you leave the guy un-blocked he's pretty dangerous.
#79 RT Pears leaves Ninkovich unblocked by design. Apparently The Bills thought they could trick him with a WR-screen fake, but he wasn't buying it. In this picture you can see that Jackson almost gets a juke on him, but Ninkovich wraps up for Spikes to finish the job. Ninkovich is undersized as a down lineman, but that may have helped him in not over-running the tackle on Jackson's cutback. Nice play by Ninkovich.
And on the very next play:
Ninkovich uses his speed and athleticism to beat Pears on a speed rush. He gets by the tackle, who pushes him around the corner. Ninkovich beats the block, but certainly the pressure from the other rushers left Fitzpatrick nowhere to run. I don't think Fitz saw him though because Ninkovich not only got the sack, but he forced a fumble. As you can see here, Chandler Jones and Vince Wilfork leave Fitzpatrick no room to step up, but this is just a great play by Ninkovich to use his speed and justify his role as a hybrid DL-LB in this Defense.
Although these two plays did not force a turnover, Ninkovich turned in a tackle for a loss and a sack leaving Buffalo in a 3rd and 17 situation. The Bills couldn't convert, and The Patriots got the ball back with the score 21-21. The Offense would take the lead from here, and the Defense only surrendered 7 more points (in garbage time).
*All photos and graphics are property of The NFL and CBS. I have add effects for educational purposes.
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