[OddLane]

Tynes almost missed the two field goals-both under forty yards-so missing the chip shot was not out of the realm of possibility.

He is last on the depth chart when I'm looking for a Giants player to seal a game.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

You have all made references to what could go wrong if the Giants milk the clock and attempt the field goal. But you have avoided the analysis of what could go wrong by giving Brady the ball with a minute to play and a timeout in hand. Merely saying that Tynes might miss or there might be a bad snap or they could fumble on the next play are all true. But what about the other side of the equation?

An article in Slate analyzes the probabilities of each strategy. The probability of the Giants' winning by killing the clock and attempting the field goal is calculated at 98%. The probability of the Giants' winning by scoring the uncontested touchdown and giving the Patriots a minute and a timeout to answer with a touchdown was computed at 88%. In other words, milking the clock gave the Pats a 2% chance of winning, while letting the Giants score gave them a 12% chance. That's a six times greater probability of New England winning the game. Here's the link.