Super Bowl Safety: Tom Brady Flagged For Intentional Grounding, Results In Giants Safety (VIDEO)

About a week before Super Bowl XLVI, Bill Barnwell, formerly of Football Outsiders and lately of Grantland, addressed betting on a safety occurring. He wrote "Betting "No" here, even at -1300, is one of the best prop bets you can make this year."

In their own "Prop Bet Extravaganza," Mike Kurtz and Tom Gower of Football Outsiders, apparently didn't even think the safety bet was worth mentioning. And these guys allotted ample space to discussing the wagers available on Madonna's hair color and choice of head gear during the Super Bowl halftime show.

But, according to both Deadspin and National Football Post, at least one guy went ahead and bet that there would be a safety in the Super Bowl. Even worse, at least it would have seemed, his bet specified that the Giants would be the team to score the safety and that it would account for the first two points of the game.

Did anyone else have this bet?

The Patriots made Super Bowl history on the very first play of their very first possession of the game.. but it wasn't the history they probably wanted to make. Pinned on his own 6-yard line, Tom Brady dropped back to pass, under heavy pressure from the Giants' front four. Just as Justin Tuck got into the backfield and almost sacked the Patriots star, Brady launched a pass deep down the center of the field. The ball soared through the air and hit the ground near midfield, but no Patriots receiver was in the area.

The referees briefly looked at each other as Brady got up and one threw a flag for intentional grounding since he hadn't left the pocket. Because he let go of the ball in the end zone, the play resulted in a safety.

The only other Super Bowl to open with a safety was Super Bowl IX, when Pittsburgh's Dwight White sacked Minnesota quarterback Fran Tarkenton in the end zone in the second quarter. It was only the sixth safety in Super Bowl history and according to Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, the odds of the first score being a grand total of two points were 100 to 1.

"It is a referee's judgment call," Brady said after the game about the call. "I was looking down the middle of the field and (Justin) Tuck was looking to come get me and I tried to get rid of it. The referee made the call."

The Patriots could have used those two points late in the game, as the Giants would go on to win 21-17. But New England had a chance to win the game after allowing Ahmad Bradshaw to score what would be the game-winning touchdown so they could get the ball back with a minute left. Had the Pats not given up those two points, the game may have come down to a field goal at the end.

But who likes playing the "what if" game? Well, probably the sort of person who wagered on that safety.

Comments

[truthinperson]

01:58 PM on 02/10/2012

Amazing how many patsy fans don't know the rules.

[B0700]

01:37 PM on 02/07/2012

The 9 point swing cost the Pats the game. I knew this would be the outcome after that call. That
call should have not been made to give the Giants the 2 points and the ball. ROBBED AGAIN!

[nygcruz80]

02:02 PM on 02/07/2012

Robbed?? Really?? C'mon Man!!

[Jackandcoke]

05:57 PM on 02/07/2012

The play call was predictable, Tuck was all over it. Why not run the ball to give yourself space? As for ROBBED AGAIN, first see calls made against the G's in GB, SF and the SB that they overcame. Furthermore, why didn't the Pats D stop the 2 TD's, that's where the game was lost. Just say you wanted your desired outcome to override the rules.

[MBG-9]

12:09 PM on 02/07/2012

It's a fact that that play has NEVER been called a safety in the history of the NFL.

[jasonadelia]

12:25 PM on 02/07/2012

Really, because it was called against Manning in the wild card game.
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2012/1/8/2691845/eli-manning-intentional-grounding-safety-video

[MBG-9]

12:50 PM on 02/07/2012

I mean a downfield pass, not GROUNDING. PS - Your link is broken.

[libr045]

11:53 PM on 02/06/2012

Intentional GROUDING?? does anyone proofread these things????

[dmoongo]

09:40 PM on 02/06/2012

I was hyped for the game. Had 6 squares on a football board and they were all good combinations. After the safety, I turned off the TV, kicked the dog and took a nap.

And, note to proofreader, Intentional Grouding in the headline is not acceptable.

[mark121029]

09:36 PM on 02/06/2012

no, its a shame Huffpost can't spell

[Clay Dreslough]

09:19 PM on 02/06/2012

It's a shame the refs cost the Patriots the game on their very first play:
http://thegamedesigner.blogspot.com/2012/02/worst-call-in-super-bowl-history.html

[Ronbulk]

09:32 PM on 02/06/2012

Sorry but the call was correct. Brady was under pressure about to be sacked, he was between the tackles, and there wasn't a receiver within 20 yards. It's the rule so don't blame the refs. They did the right move. Blame the rule if you don't like the call. It doesn't matter how far the ball is thrown.

[largo100]

11:35 PM on 02/06/2012

Did the Pats lose by two?

[WebSloth]

10:35 AM on 02/07/2012

no, they just lost two to the Giants.

[iriemon203]

08:36 PM on 02/06/2012

Just as wierd was the Giants player trying to NOT score a TD in the final minutes , due to fear the TD would cost them the game!
I understand the strategy, but try explaining it to a female!

[alto2]

09:43 PM on 02/06/2012

Wait a second, bub. I'm a female, I watched the game, and I understood the Giants' "no touchdown" strategy. Left the Pats with about 57 seconds in the final quarter (if I remember correctly) -- plenty of time to score the necessary TD, had everything worked perfectly. It's not all that esoteric.

[iriemon203]

09:55 PM on 02/06/2012

LOL My apologies, Ma'am!
I should correct my statement to say "...try explaining it to a non-fan!"
PEACE?

[Susan1964]

10:50 PM on 02/06/2012

It's funny you should mention that, because not being a football fan, I had a tough time with that myself. I mean, it's a touchdown! How can that be bad??(my exact words). Luckily, the BF is a very patient man....lol.

[iriemon203]

05:24 AM on 02/07/2012

In all my years watching football, I don't recall seeing a scene like that.
Imagine someone who had just tuned in seeing that? They would have to assume the player had been 'paid off' to throw the game!
And Bradshaw's (the runner) thoughts : " I DO NOT WANT TO SCORE A WINNING TD IN THE SUPERBOWL. I MUST STOP"!
And if the Patriots DID manage to get another TD, he would be the scapegoat for having lost the game by scoring a TD!
A true classic. Gotta love it!

[FirstGame72]

06:00 PM on 02/06/2012

Correction to this article: The safety in SB IX was not a Dwight White "sack" of Tarkington in the endzone but the result a bad lateral by Tarkington that went off the leg of Chuck Foreman and into the endzone. Tarkington was first to the loose ball in the end zone and fell on it and White fell on him.
This was the third time the Giants were involved in a SB safety. In '87 George Martin sacked Denver's John Elway in the end zone and in '91 the Bills Bruce Smith did the same to Jeff Hostetler.

[Jackandcoke]

02:57 PM on 02/06/2012

It's not the Ref's call but Brady's play call that sealed thier fate. Why not run the ball and give yourself some space? The Pats have become so predictable at times and this was one of them. The G's pass rush was contained for the most part except that first play and one near the end where they sacked him. The G's showed up and their will to win made it all happen.

[Jason1953]

01:10 PM on 02/06/2012

That was a chickenshit call. Overall though, the refs did a pretty good job.

[Lardin]

01:26 PM on 02/06/2012

But its still the right call

[silive]

03:24 PM on 02/06/2012

OHH so that was a lousy call but the refs did a good job otherwise. Wrong on so many levels. You must have been rooting for or bet on the Pats. What about the phantom holding call against the giants in the second quarter, or the non face mask call ..or the pass interference call that they didnt make.....the saftey call was one of the only the refs got right!!

[Jason1953]

04:08 PM on 02/06/2012

I guess you, along with the refs missed the Giants face mask against the Pats. That's how the game goes. Phantom holding? You aren't partisan at all. haha

[Leto II]

12:31 PM on 02/06/2012

If you wagered on the prop bets, a safety paid 8:1 on your money.