ATLANTA — Mike Tomlin had three choices to protect a late three-point lead, with his Steelers stalled at the Falcons’ 36, facing fourth-and-6 and seeing only 40 seconds left:
1. Go for it
2. Try a 53-yard field goal
3. Punt
The latter felt like the least appealing to me, since the likely result of any punt would be placement on the 20, a modest territorial gain when compared to the benefits of three additional points or even just a first down. But Tomlin didn’t delay in summoning Pressley Harvin in this pivotal moment.
In turn, now, Harvin had three choices of his own:
1. Angle one out of bounds
2. Boom one crazy-high
3. Magic
In this case, I preferred out of bounds. Seemed like the best chance to avoid a return and get the ball inside the 20. I also would’ve been fine with the boom. By the time the punt returner aligns under the falling ball, he’s meat on a stick.
But hey, I can’t say I’d considered that third option:
Oh, my.
And be sure to pay special attention to the backspin on that ball once it plops a couple yards in front of the goal line. Because, my friends, that's very much the magic in the mix.
Enjoy the minute-long explanation I got from Harvin afterward:
"Yeah, I mean, it's just the perfect rep, man," he'd begin. "We can't get much better than that. We know we got the short field. Don't pull any punches. You just gotta execute it."
Easier said than done. Harvin sought one of these a week ago in Indianapolis, and bounced it in for a touchback.
"But, you know, we made up for it," he'd add. "We just went to work in practice. Got after it all week, man."
Fine, but what?
How much of how that ball behaves once it's airborne is within any human's control, never mind which part of an oblong spheroid bounces off the turf?
Well, the first phase is staking out the best distance. And as it was, Harvin didn't like punting from the 36, so, as he told me, the Steelers took a deliberate delay-of-game penalty to back it up 5 yards.
"We just needed an extra bit of room to get that ball in the air."
And the rest?
"Yeah. I mean, sometimes it's the luck of the draw. Or the luck of the bounce of the ball. But the biggest thing is just trying to get the rotation right, and to get the right placement. And, you know, the ball just made that play for us down there."
Wait, the ball?
He grinned.
"Obviously."
Obviously, I guess, since the very next play saw Minkah Fitzpatrick's own long-trademarked brand of magic:
Or was it the ball again?
