Coaches get too cute

Those are all solid points but contextually and situationally, the smart call is to run - because in that particular moment, the Falcons couldn’t stop the clock and time was a factor.

If Atlanta still had a time out left, then that play call is less risky because you have already lost the element of running out precious time on a running play.

So again, the old “no risk it, no biscuit” saying is true in a lot of cases but situationally, it wasn’t the best decision.

Conservative play really annoys fans - but there are times when it really works - so long as it’s not the overall philosophy of the team.

I agree that the smart call is to run and that's what I would have done. I'm just saying that there are some good reasons to call that play and if it works, and it did other than Barkely dropping an easy ball, they might win the game right there. It was a aggressive call by a team that regularly goes for it on 4th down so it kind of fits what they do. He went for the win on that play, but the safe move would have been to run the ball.

Still, given how quickly they gave up the TD on Atlanta's last drive, I'm still not sure they would have won if they ran the ball and kicked the FG.