Few coaches would have considered a field goal. It is probably normal to think about the touchdown first.
The kick would be 41 yards, which happens to have been placekicker
George Blanda's longest successful kick during the regular season. The
chances are not much more than even, if at all. Blanda missed a shorter
kick earlier by kicking long enough but wide to the right. But Blanda
is a 26-year NFL veteran who has handled numerous pressure kicks
successfully in his Hall-of-Fame career.
How much time will be left if is successful? A successful field goal
stops the clock as soon as the ball clears the posts. Given the
distance here, it would take about five seconds.
If the kick crosses the line of scrimmage (where the teams line up) and
misses, the ball goes to the Steelers despite the fact that it is third
down. If the kick is blocked or the snap is bad, the Raiders would
maintain the ball by recovering it.
The Call: Madden sends Blanda to make a 41-yard field goal attempt.
The Play: Blanda's kick splits the uprights.
Result: FIELD GOAL
Score: Steelers 16, Raiders 10
0:12 Kickoff from the Raider 35.
Decision #3: How to kick the ball off? The Raiders' most realistic
option would be to kick an onside kick and recover the ball. But there
are still questions of how to manage that:
Which way to kick the onside kick? There is a lot of ice on both sides
of the field near the sidelines. Maybe someone, preferably a Steeler,
will slip or mishandle the ball.
At which Steeler should the Raiders aim the ball? These are the
Steelers' best players at holding onto the ball. Looking at the Steeler
line of players, is there any one player who might be especially
vulnerable?
Should the Raiders try instead to kick the ball directly to a Raider
player? If they choose this option, the ball must travel ten yards
before a Raider could legally touch it. If a Steeler player touches the
ball first, it does not matter how far the ball goes.
What players to put on the line to try to recover the kick? This team
of players has already been identified by Madden before the game, but
has any member of the "onside" team become injured during this game and
need replacement?
Because the Steelers know the onside is coming, the chances are low
(less than one in four, according to studies) but there simply is no
viable alternative. A long kickoff would only work if the Steeler
player fumbled the ball and a Raider player could get down there fast
enough to make a recovery. A major problem is that a long kick, or even
a squib kick that bounces several times and goes about half the
distance to the goal line, would give the Steelers time to react and to
simply fall on the ball.
Can the Raiders get the kick off before the Steelers get the maximum 11
players on the field? (Note: Sportscaster Curt Gowdy said during the
telecast that the Steelers only had ten players on the field at the time
of the kick).
The Call: Raider kickoff specialist Ray Guy kicks onside to the left at the Steelers.
The Play: The ball ricochets off Steeler Reggie Harrison's leg and Dave Casper recovers it for the Raiders.
The kick would be 41 yards, which happens to have been placekicker
George Blanda's longest successful kick during the regular season. The
chances are not much more than even, if at all. Blanda missed a shorter
kick earlier by kicking long enough but wide to the right. But Blanda
is a 26-year NFL veteran who has handled numerous pressure kicks
successfully in his Hall-of-Fame career.
How much time will be left if is successful? A successful field goal
stops the clock as soon as the ball clears the posts. Given the
distance here, it would take about five seconds.
If the kick crosses the line of scrimmage (where the teams line up) and
misses, the ball goes to the Steelers despite the fact that it is third
down. If the kick is blocked or the snap is bad, the Raiders would
maintain the ball by recovering it.
The Play: Blanda's kick splits the uprights.
Result: FIELD GOAL
Score: Steelers 16, Raiders 10
0:12 Kickoff from the Raider 35.
Decision #3: How to kick the ball off? The Raiders' most realistic
option would be to kick an onside kick and recover the ball. But there
are still questions of how to manage that:
Which way to kick the onside kick? There is a lot of ice on both sides
of the field near the sidelines. Maybe someone, preferably a Steeler,
will slip or mishandle the ball.
At which Steeler should the Raiders aim the ball? These are the
Steelers' best players at holding onto the ball. Looking at the Steeler
line of players, is there any one player who might be especially
vulnerable?
Should the Raiders try instead to kick the ball directly to a Raider
player? If they choose this option, the ball must travel ten yards
before a Raider could legally touch it. If a Steeler player touches the
ball first, it does not matter how far the ball goes.
What players to put on the line to try to recover the kick? This team
of players has already been identified by Madden before the game, but
has any member of the "onside" team become injured during this game and
need replacement?
Because the Steelers know the onside is coming, the chances are low
(less than one in four, according to studies) but there simply is no
viable alternative. A long kickoff would only work if the Steeler
player fumbled the ball and a Raider player could get down there fast
enough to make a recovery. A major problem is that a long kick, or even
a squib kick that bounces several times and goes about half the
distance to the goal line, would give the Steelers time to react and to
simply fall on the ball.
Can the Raiders get the kick off before the Steelers get the maximum 11
players on the field? (Note: Sportscaster Curt Gowdy said during the
telecast that the Steelers only had ten players on the field at the time
of the kick).
The Call: Raider kickoff specialist Ray Guy kicks onside to the left at the Steelers.
The Play: The ball ricochets off Steeler Reggie Harrison's leg and Dave Casper recovers it for the Raiders.
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