As fans, we’re always hoping our teams will gamble just at the right time.  We’re constantly rooting for coaches to ‘go for it’ on 4th and short almost any time our favorite offense creeps over the other teams’ 50 yard line.  It’s in our nature…we’re fans, as excited about the potential for championship glory as any actual player or coach.  And in this two week down time between conference championships and the Super Bowl – I won’t count the Pro-Bowl here – even lukewarm fans are choosing sides and hoping to see high flying, gun slinging, riverboat betting antics on February 6th.

According to Vic Carucci at NFL.com, the Super Bowl tends to reward teams that take chances.  And Carucci sets the losers aside and takes a look at eight of the greatest gambles – that paid off – in NFL History:

No one saw it coming. Not the 74,059 fans in Miami’s Sun Life Stadium. Not the millions watching on television. And, certainly, not the Indianapolis Colts. It came off exactly as its name, “The Ambush,” implies it should.

The New Orleans Saints truly blindsided the unsuspecting Colts when they opened the second half of Super Bowl XLIV with an onside kick. They recovered the ball and quickly turned a halftime deficit into a 13-10 lead. Although they would fall behind again, the play provided the momentum boost necessary to carry the Saints to a 31-17 victory and their first Super Bowl championship.

And here are some others – quite a few in recent memory – that make the list:

The Washington Redskins‘ fourth-and-1 handoff to John Riggins that resulted in a 43-yard gallop to the end zone, the pivotal score in their 27-17 triumph over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII.

The New York Giants’ flea-flicker that produced a 44-yard gain and set up a touchdown to open the flood gates in their 39-20 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI.

The Giants’ decision to use only two defensive linemen, essentially daring the Buffalo Bills to run, an approach that was key to their 20-19 victory in Super Bowl XXV.

The New England Patriots choosing to go for the win with a young quarterback named Tom Brady — rather than playing it safe and going to overtime — in the final moments of their 20-17 upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

The Steelers using wide receiver Antwaan Randle El to throw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass off a reverse in their 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

Carucci includes Former Kansas City Chiefs’ coach Hank Stram’s use of kicker Jan Stenerud and the legendary “65 Toss Power Trap” play in Super Bowl IV and Chuck Noll’s decision to run on 4th and 9 with 1:29 left in the game against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl X.

Now, this is an impressive list.  However, Noll could have punted on 4th and 9, pinning the Cowboys deep.  Instead, the got the ball on the 39 yard line.  He actually put the Steelers in a worse position with that gamble.  That Steelers’ free safety Glen Edwards intercepted Roger Staubach a few plays later has little to do with the 4th down call.  I suppose Noll thought, since Dallas was out of timeouts, running 30 more seconds off the clock was more important.

I take serious issue with Carucci’s idea that using a young Tom Brady – with the score tied 17-17, 1:20 left in Super Bowl XXXVI – to move his team into field goal position against the Rams was ‘gutsy’.  Isn’t that what your quarterback is supposed to do?  Even if Brady were a rookie at the time, all he did was dink and dunk the ball to receivers who had the presence of mind to get out of bounds.  Playing for overtime is rarely, if ever, a good decision.  Playing to ‘win the game’, as Herm Edwards famously said, is how you play in the NFL.

Well, there you go.  A trip down memory lane; a couple of controversial plays; everything a good top 10, er, 8 list needs to stir up the fan in all of us.  I wonder what kind of gambles this year’s game has in store.

[Source: WIRED]

According to Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Denver Broncos have requested permission to interview Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for Denver’s vacant head coach position.  Hiring Williams would be an interesting move for Denver considering the Broncos’ offensive proclivities.  But maybe owner Pat Bowlen thinks it’s time for a change.

Williams has some head coaching experience.  He coached the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2003.  During that period, the Bills were known for very conservative play calling and the team mustered a anemic 17-31 record.  Williams was fired at the end of 2003.  So, again, this seems an odd fit for the Broncos.  They would need a excellent offensive coordinator with considerable authority to counter Williams on offense.  I hear Josh McDaniels is available.

[Source: neworleans.com]

Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams, an original founder of the AFL, went nuts at the end of the Titans game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Adams started by flashing the ‘Hook’m Horns’ sign from high above in his luxury suite.  He then flipped the bird (middle finger) towards the Bills sideline…and then the other hand…and back and forth in a machine gun fashion.

It was must see TV and likely Bud telling the world “EFF YOU” for doubting his selection of Vince Young as quarterback.  The Titans are 3-0 since Young was named the starting QB three weeks ago.

Retired NFL player Rodney Harrison, who currently is an analyst on NBC Sunday Night Football, took an on-air shot at Buffalo Bills WR Terrell Owens when he described Owens as a:

“straight-up clown more interested in stats than winning.”

Owens wasted no time, immediately going to his Twitter account (@terrellowens) to call Harrison out on his use of steroids (actually busted/suspended for HGH use for the first four games in 2007 ). Owens took a tweet shot at Harrison last night and has continued non-stop all morning against Harrison, who won a NFL Super Bowl while a member of the New England Patriots.

Owens Tweets Hitting Harrison High and Hard:

I could less about Rodney Harrison! Anybody tht using steroids, yes STEROIDS rodney, is a cheater & cheated the game!

Is tht Y u used steroids b/c u were worried about ur stats or ws it b/c u were losing it? Lol! U’re a loser & a cheater? Got any steroids I cn borrow?

Hey rodney! Send me sum steroids 2 the Bills facility next week!

Since I kno the media reads my tweets, will sum1 ask rodney how long the cycles take b4 I feel results of the steroids whn he sends em? Lol!

So Rodney, I’m thinking if u overnite it 2day, I’ll get em by 2morr @ noon. Better yet, mark it Priority!! I “really” wanna b a CHAMPION like u!!

Hey Rodney if I really considered using them, could u please lv instructions on how & where 2 stick the needle just like u did 2 assure I do it rite!

My bad Rodney! I hv been corrected by ur supporters, u used HGH nt steroids! So, every1 go ahead & use HGH!! Geez, I guess tht makes it better 2 use!!

Harrison was voted the ‘dirtiest player’ in the NFL several times by fellow players in Sports Illustrated polls. He was suspended and fined several times for dirty and illegal hits on the field.

More power to Owens for busting Harrison’s chops. NBC is dumb for putting Harrison on the air. Harrison is an idiot for taking shots against active players. To me it breaks the player code a bit.

Owens might be goofy and an extremely selfish player, but no one can doubt his talent or achievements on the field over the years. He is a Hall-of-Famer and by all accounts has worked hard in the gym to sculpt his greek god-like body.

Harrison was a dirty player, cheating on the field and likely just as much off of it to obtain every advantage he could to dominate on it.

No way this saga is over yet. Stay tuned for updates from Owens and to see if Harrison gets in a rebuttal as well.

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