Eric Adelson | Columnist
Yahoo Sports
Morgan Scalley watched the Minneapolis Miracle and his heart sank.
He is not a New Orleans Saints fan, per se. But he is a big fan of Marcus Williams, the Saints safety who made – or failed to make – the unforgettable play. It was Scalley who recruited Williams to Utah.
“Oh shoot,” the defensive coordinator thought. “He didn’t know what to do.”
The highlight that lives on is of Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs coming down with a third-and-10 pass from Case Keenum and scampering 61 yards unbothered into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown in the playoffs. Almost immediately, there was a national outcry over Williams’ error. He missed the tackle and indirectly impeded a teammate from stopping Diggs. There was the typical social media inferno, a combination of outrage and some sympathy. Until that moment, most football fans had no idea who Williams was. Quite a few figured he would be ruined by the moment.
Scalley knew better.
To those who understand the sport and the position, Williams’ predicament on that play was the constant risk that comes with the job of safety. Do you launch yourself and risk pass interference? Or do you take a safer route, and time a tackle? Williams was actually in that position because of good instincts: he had correctly anticipated and arrived early on the play. That, in a way, made it tougher. He was too aggressive and he made a mistake that happens from time to time. But that nuance was lost in all the mourning and memes. ...
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