Going for Two Isn't Bold, It's Common Sense.

I was absolutely baffled by the end of Sunday's 39-38 shootout between the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers. And not because of official Ed Hochuli's botched call at the end of the game that saved Jay Cutler from the embarrassment of losing the game because he couldn't hold on to a perfectly dry ball when no one was around him.

No, I was baffled because, once they were done talking about Cutler's fumble, the post-game analysis crew could not stop praising Denver coach Mike Shanahan for his "gutsy" decision to go for the two-point conversion with less than a minute left to put the Broncos up 39-38.

One broadcaster gushed, "It takes real guts to make a call like that, especially in September!"

What? Is a two-point conversion worth more later in the year, or something?

The truth is, the only gutsy thing about Shanahan's decision is that he was willing to deal with the wrath of the media and fans if Cutler didn't deliver on that final play. The actual decision to go for two wasn't bold--it was common sense.

Assume Denver plays it safe, kicks the extra point, goes to overtime. Overtime in the NFL is a crapshoot; the team that wins the coin toss has a monumental advantage. In sudden death, all San Diego needed was a favorable flip at midfield, a decent kick return, and a few first downs before they're in field goal range and the game is over. There wasn't a whole lot of defense being played throughout the game, so the chances of San Diego moving the ball were pretty good.

Why leave that up to chance? Shanahan realized he had one chance to go three yards to end the game right then and there. He also realized that the football gods had just given his team a gift, and it would probably be wise to end the game before his team fell out of favor with pigskin deities.

Shanahan made a logical, rational decision, not a bold, daring maneuver. Going for two was not the "safe" option, especially in the eyes of the media and fans. It was, however, the smart choice, and here's what most people fail to grasp: it would still be the right call to make, even if it hadn't worked.