Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Don’t blame the kicker — Saints could have gone for two

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Dec. 26, 2003 | 9:52 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4076.

One of my favorite parts about sports betting is preparing for the unlikely, and what to do when it happens.

I've seen just about every possible way to win -- or lose -- a bet, so after a while, this becomes almost second nature.

Such was the case Sunday with the insane Saints-Jaguars finish.

With a parlay riding on the Saints plus a field goal, I watched New Orleans line up for the final play of regulation from its 26.

I surely wasn't expecting the Saints to score, but I'd seen stranger things happen. The long touchdown that included several missed tackles, four lateral and everything but a marching band on the field was amazing. But while the officials reviewed the play -- that's when I started thinking ahead. And calling my neighbor.

"The Saints should go for two here," I told him, presuming the replay officials would uphold the score. "That's the smart play. They were left for dead and pulled off a miracle score. They have the Jaguars on their heels, completely stunned. Go for the win."

He was quick to point out that the only reason I wanted the Saints to go for the win, and not kick an extra point to tie the game, was purely financial: The only way the Jaguars could cover would be if the game went into overtime. Whether the Saints made the two-point conversion would be immaterial to the point spread.

He's right, of course, but I stuck to my guns. In baseball, the phantom managerial "book" says you play for a tie at home, and the win on the road, right? I countered that that New Orleans should be the aggressor while Uncle Mo was still eating jambalaya.

Sure, the two-point conversion is successful only 40 percent of the time, but a similar percentage of overtime games end without one team ever getting a chance on offense.

So which is the better option? Go for a win while you still control the opportunity -- or play for overtime, on the road, and hope the coin lands the way you want it so you get another chance.

Houston faced a similar decision earlier this year, opting to go for a win from the 1-yard line on the game's final play when a short field goal would have forced overtime. The Texans gambled and won. The opponent? Jacksonville.

But New Orleans coach Jim Haslett took the "safe" route. Except for one small detail. If you play for the tie, you have to make the extra point. Whoops.

You can't blame Haslett for having confidence in his kicker. John Carney had only missed five extra points in 14 seasons, and none since 1999. But Carney missed the Big Easy, and consequently, the Saints missed a shot at the playoffs.