Oakland's two-point gamble was a brilliant move (and not just because it worked)
Play it safe or go bold? Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio and his quarterback Derek Carr apparently never considered the former, opting to attempt a go-ahead two-point conversion in the final minute of their game in New Orleans rather than taking the extra point and trying to win in overtime. Without seemingly any discussion, the Raiders lined up for the conversion right after the touchdown and, after a timeout, converted and won, 35-34.
Everybody obviously loved the gutsy decision; it worked. And when a Saints Hail Mary field goal missed from 61 yards as time expired, Del Rio and the Raiders had the greatest, boldest win of an NFL season that's barely four days old.
Only the honest would cop to originally thinking Del Rio's gamble was a mistake, but the truth is the call would have been the right move regardless of whether Michael Crabtree had caught the ball. The Raiders were engaged in an offensive shootout on the road against future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, who had more than 400 yards and four touchdowns -- one of which was a 98-yard strike. The two options presented themselves clearly, each with its own risks and rewards.
If you kick the extra point, you're bringing chance into a game that has way too much of it already. Sebastian Janikowski could have missed the try -- unlikely, though he did miss one last year in the first year of the 33-yard attempts. Then, assuming overtime, there's a 50 percent chance of kicking the ball to a team that had punted just twice in the game and scored touchdowns on four of 10 possessions.
Then again, with a 50 percent chance to lose the toss comes a 50 percent chance to win. For a team that had just scored touchdowns on three straight possessions -- needing six plays to go 135 yards on the first two and then orchestrating a clinical 11-play, 75-yard drive to set up the conversion -- that had to be an enticing thought. (The flip is that you win the toss, hit a field goal and then give Brees and the Saints four downs every 10 yards to tie or get the win.)
Del Rio appears not to have seriously considered it. With all the touchdowns being scored and the defenses getting gassed (the last nine drives of the game ended in either a touchdown, field goal or missed goal), it's fair to assume the Raiders coach was operating under the assumption that whoever got the ball first wasn't likely to give it back.
Thus, the only way to assure that the game was in his offense's hands was by literally putting the ball in his offense's hands. Del Rio did and was rewarded for the confidence. It's that kind of gutsiness that builds trust, turns around fence-sitting football teams, emboldens a 53-man roster, buys locker-room respect and, in the case of the Raiders, gets a team off quickly in a very winnable division. It's too early for a season saver, but it's a season starter for sure.
Del Rio would have been excoriated had the Saints busted through the line for a sack or if Carr, feeling the pressure, had put too much on the touch pass. But in the locker room, the only place it matters, it's almost certain Del Rio's decision would have been lauded. And isn't that all that matters?
