What if.......?

[Tyrion Lannister]

A long FG attempt would have been the worst risk.

Punt the ball.

Agreemo.

Plus, the field wasn't in good shape. Lots of dirt. Footing was an issue. Players weren't falling, but, on Adams TD, he literally jogged into the endzone while Dallas DBs literally jogged after him.

[Smidgeon]

thats weird. i thought i remembered kickoffs going out of the back of the south endzone, and coming up short of the north endzone

The field is sloped.

[mraynrand]

The field is sloped.

I repped you because I was going to post the same thing

[Bossman641]

Boykin was open (he had a step on his defender while running a corner or crossing route) and he was traveling in the same direction Rodgers had rolled. I think he had a good look and set to throw from minus the tip.

Only possible downside is that AR said it was harder to move right than left; hard to say if that affects the throw. But Boykin had a lot of open undefended space in front of him, so you could lollipop it too.

Are you sure on that? This is the only video I can find.

Quarless looks to have a step but Boykin is nowhere to be seen in the film until he comes running back to celebrate. Boykin would have had to been outside the numbers at the point Rodgers released the ball. Rodgers was putting some air under it too, so I believe the throw most likely would have carried out of bounds. Hard to believe Rodgers could have thrown it 45 yards at that trajectory and hit Boykin on a corner route.

[Smidgeon]

I repped you because I was going to post the same thing

Repped back because it's an underused function.

[pbmax]

I saw a GIF yesterday of Cobb's catch but it was the same angle as Bossman's video, I just assumed I saw 81 and it must have been Boykin.

With the extended look, its clear that it was Quarrels behind Cobb and Boykin was down the sideline. I have no idea if he was open. Quarless was though.

[hoosier]

Stubby was quoted as saying he really doesn't like to punt in that situation. Crosby was hitting from 55 in warmups. I get the feeling he would have trotted him out there. We were going over options in the stands before the pass play. I was thinking Stubby would run something shorter to guarantee at least 5 yards to get a more manageable FG. It looked like the short stuff was covered and that's why he went deeper for Boykin.

Did anyone see the all 22s? The network coverage was terrible on that play. Was Boykin open? What if it wasn't tipped? I'm guessing first down deep in Cowboy territory. Great play by the Dallas DE to tip that pass.

Boykin had single coverage around the 15. He was not especially open, but he was between the defender and the LOS so I suppose he might have been able to come up with an accurate throw. The guy who was most open was Nelson on a cross, but he would have been tackled five yards short of the first.

[hoosier]

Quarless ain't open.

[hoosier]

[hoosier]

Looks to me like Adams and Nelson are open-ish but are going to have to do some fancy footwork to get anything more than five yards. Short of a defender falling down or having the ball go right between his hands, the tipped pass might have been the best possible scenario for the Packers here.

[pbmax]

Please tell me that was going to be back shoulder because Boykin is not open deep.

[Bossman641]

Thanks for the images Hoosier.

Ya Boykin has nothing there. Even a back shoulder would have been tough as the defender appears to be looking at Rodgers.

[denverYooper]

Repped back because it's an underused function.

m = (y-b)/x

[wist43]

m = (y-b)/x

It was my understanding that there would be no math...??

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=It+Was+My+Understanding+That+There+Would+Be+No+Math&Form=VQFRVP#view=detail&mid=3EFDE49AFDB471E3877E3EFDE49AFDB471E3877E

[hoosier]

To answer the original question...If I remember correctly the Packers were moving against the wind in the 4th, and it was substantial enough so that Crosby's kickoffs were not even making it to the goal line (whereas with the wind they were carrying out the back of the EZ). A 53 yarder into the wind on that field is precarious at best, and if he misses than Dallas has a short field and almost 2:00. I don't know what MM would do but I think I would punt and challenge my defense to make the stop.