Chargers Win Overtime Coin Toss, Jamal Williams Promptly Announces 'Game Over'

Jamal Williams is no Matt Hasselbeck. Five years ago, the Seahawks took the Packers to overtime and after Seattle won the coin toss, Hasselbeck announced, "We want the ball, and we're going to score." A few minutes later, he threw a pick-six, game over.

Last night, Chargers nose tackle Jamal Williams stood at midfield as Ron Winters explained the nuances of overtime (no ties!). Indianapolis, eschewing the theory that tails never fails, lost the toss, which was followed by Williams very matter-of-factly stating "game over" (around the 0:23 mark above). Darren Sproles instills that sort of confidence in his teammates, apparently.

Williams' impressive prognosticatory powers aside, the game wasn't without controversy. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning may or may not have been reading the Chargers defensive signals, and then there was the phantom defensive holding call that kept San Diego's fateful overtime drive alive. Video, courtesy of TSB, after the jump (around the 7:20 mark).

Yeah, that's a brutal call. I'm not willing to say that it cost the Colts the game -- Norv just wins, after all -- but it's probably worth pointing out that Indianapolis, after being manhandled by the Patriots during that '03 playoff loss, had a lot to do with the NFL tightening the rules on defensive holding.

Even when he loses, Bill Belichick somehow manages to find a way to win. Evil genius, indeed.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-04-2009 @ 1:44PM

Wayne said...

1. Does the visiting team call the overtime coin toss as they do at the start of the game? If so, the Chargers had nothing to do with choosing tails.

2. The defensive holding call was appropriate. The defender was lucky pass interference wasn't called.

1-04-2009 @ 2:00PM

ryan said...

Wayne,

Yep, you're right. I've reworded it above.

Thanks.

1-04-2009 @ 2:10PM

Kay said...

There willl always be disputes re: the refs calls. I do however agree that the Chargers this season had some wrong costly calls against them and it is refreshing to see the way they have risen to defy the odds and be back into the playoffs and be such a strong team and able to win with or without star players such as LT and Merimen.

1-04-2009 @ 2:13PM

MEC said...

You are so right and I was glad to see they won the coin toss.

1-04-2009 @ 2:28PM

CAROL said...

THE COIN TOSS WENT THE CHARGERS WAY-BY A LUCKY TOSS OF THE COIN-AND I FOR ONE AM GLAD TO SEE A CALL GO THEIR WAY THIS SEASON!

1-04-2009 @ 3:59PM

leslie shepherd's flock said...

stdcarriers.com??

1-04-2009 @ 10:08PM

sandgaijin said...

penalties or not in OT, kaeding defnitely could have come out and pounded out that 50-some yard field goal on a fourth down. however, like wayne said that holding penalty was probably beneficial over a pass interference with jennings hanging all over chambers like that.

if not, scifres would have pinned the colts back within 5 yards again and give them yet another long field drive to work with which hadn't worked in their favor all game long.