Who deserves the blame for Super bowl XLVI?

Super Bowl XLVI- Flickr- stephen_d_luke

With the New England Patriots in the lead with 4:06 remaining left in the game, Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker dropped a 23-yard pass that could have secured the win for the them. As a result of this, the blame of the Patriots loss was placed on his back; however, the pass was overthrown by Tom Brady.

Welker is only 5’9” and had to jump and turn around while sprinting to the pass. Pulling off a move like this is not easy and even though Welker got his hands on the ball, this drop was only a small portion of why the Patriots lost on Sunday.

The Patriots defense failed to do their job and let Eli Manning get the ball down the field to score, but this is no surprise. During the regular season, the Patriots defense was ranked 31st in the league against passing. Even if Welker was not able to make the catch for a first down, Manning was still able to get past the defense to score the game winning touchdown.

This play should be looked at nothing more than a bad pass. Brady’s pass was thrown over the wrong shoulder. A pass like that was not fit for Welker’s size and ability, which is why he does not deserve the blame. The Patriots loss should not be blamed on Welker and the New York Giants were able to make something of their last drive.

Who should take the heat?



Super Bowl 2012- Marsmet543- flickr

In Super Bowl XLVI, there were many instances where the New England Patriots could have put the game away. The most crucial and controversial play in the Super Bowl was in the fourth quarter. Tom Brady, the quarterback for the Patriots, threw the ball behind a running Wes Welker. This resulted in Welker trying to make a difficult pass but in the end he dropped the pass. Welker, who caught 122 passes for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season, probably missed the most important catch of the season.

During the fourth quarter, the Patriots were leading 17- 15 with about four minutes remaining in the game. The Patriots were on their second down with 11 yards to go when Wes Welker ultimately dropped the ball. This incomplete pass then led to the New York Giants getting the ball with four minutes to get a touchdown. The blame may be all on Welker but Brady should be blamed just as much. (Click here to see the slow motion video of the play.) At the time of the play Brady had at least three more seconds to settle himself before making the throw which could have resulted in a more accurate pass. Also when the pass was finally made, Welker tried to spin in order to catch the ball but seems to misjudge the ball's speed and reach for it early which resulted in him losing control and dropping the ball.

This play could have made all the difference in whether the Giants won, but the blame should not all be entirely on Welker. Both Brady and Welker had faults on that play and should take the heat equally. If Brady took a bit more time to make the pass then Welker might catch the ball and if Welker tracks the ball correctly then maybe he could have made the play that lead in the Patriots to win the Super Bowl.