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Something funny to me is that the importance of that off sides call at the end didn't strike me until I read something about it here this morning. I didn't realize if Brady took a knee it was a safety. Wow! terrible time for an off sides penalty.
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Exactly. Encroachment was the worst possible thing the Seahawks could have done at that point. That was the nail on the coffin--and they did it to themselves(or, at least we're baited into it by Brady's hard snap count). Take the safety Brady's giving to you, draw within 2 points, and then get the ball punted back to you. Then even a FG would win the game for you. Improbable, but possible. But an encroachment penalty gives the Pats the ball at the 6 yard line, and allows Brady to take a knee safely to end the game.
That was brilliant sneakiness by the Pats at the end to get the Seahawks to jump offsides. Took all the risk out of the end. (And somewhat ironic, as a safety is what the Pats **should** have done 2 weeks earlier at the end of their game against the Ravens to seal the win in a near risk-free manner instead of punting from their own endzone with 7 seconds to go.)