I won't argue that momentum can be a game changer, but if the team is SB bound, 2 mistakes won't be enough to knock them out of the running. It's illogical to put all that blame on JacJo, or all of it on T.J. GK shares some of it, as well as the rest of the offense. And I wouldn't put more blame on JacJo than I do anyone else. Mainly for the fact that I imagine that he has enough guilt for what happened already, he doesn't need others to be pointing the finger at him to make him feel any worse.
Personally, I think us losing in the playoffs is a blessing in disguise (though that wasn't my original thought/feeling). If we had made it into the SB, consider the amount of pressure we'd have to return this year, and to win it this year. Personally, I still think we're a season or two away from being real contenders, and continue to prefer to have a gradual improvement instead of an explosion and immediate decompression. Crawl, walk, run, as it were.
I posted a clip of the opening game in 2011 between Maryland and Miami (FL). It's in the Davin Meggett thread.
Maryland won the game 32 to 24--Maryland wins that game by eight points.
In that game, Maryland was the lucky recipient of TWO touchdowns via two turnovers that were both returned for TDs. In essence, had Miami not had those two untimely turnovers that led to two immediate Maryland TDs, Miami wins the game 24 to 18.
Tell me how Jacoby Jones' bad decision making and its immediate consequences did not impact the playoff game? It absolutely did. Someone else in this same discussion detailed how that 7 points dictated how the Texans approached the final few possessions we had in that game. Without the JJ fumble and subsequent TD by the Ravens, we could have played the final few possessions differently and only needed a FG. Instead, we had to go the length of the field and get a TD.
What is ironic, as well, is that Arian Foster fumbled the ball late in the game and Jacoby Jones was luckily in the right spot at the right time to pounce on it and recover it for us. Jacoby was also in the right place at the right time in the last Colts game (at Indy) when a pass ricocheted off of one of our other WRs (or a TE, can't remember which) and he plucks it out of the air for what was truly a miracle catch and allowed us to continue the drive.
However, his two fortunate recoveries do not outweigh the singular bad moment he had in a pivotal game in the playoffs that really cost us. In addition, he never really progressed to the point that he was a consistent and reliable part of our offense. A couple years back, IIRC not sure on the exact timeframe here, Kubiak let Kris Brown finish the year even after we all knew it was over for him. He let Jacoby continue to field punts in the Ravens playoff game, too, and so I admire that the HC lets his guys finish out. But when it comes to beginning a new year, we did the right thing by signing Rackers to take over for Kris. We did the right thing by letting Jacoby go too. It wasn't going to get better for Kris nor for Jacoby. A favor was done to both guys, IMO.
Buckner for the Red Sox had an equally bad moment that determined the outcome of a World Series game vs. the Mets. Players have these moments, and unfortunately I think they have to own those moments for all its worth. Good or bad, decisive or non-decisive, the player has to own the moment. it's what all of sports depends upon, IMO, the idea that great moments of triumph and great moments of defeat are balanced upon the singular efforts of a player and his team.
