The Extra 52 Seconds

As LargeBill first pointed out to me - the Patriots benefited from an extra 52 seconds in Sunday's win over the Steelers. ESPN.com puts it this way:

Tom Brady, among the leagues best in late-game drives, led the Patriots down field for the winning score against the Steelers in 1:21 on Sunday.

But could he have done it in 29 seconds?

I say "yes" but we'll never know. I do know a couple of things though:

1. The game was tied and the chances were very good that Brady would have driven the Pats to a winning score in either those 29 seconds or in over-time.

2. The Steelers may fall trap into becoming like the Raiders whose fans cries of "if it wasn't for the tuck rule" can be heard carried by the wind on dark and stormy nights. Now New England fans will get to hear Pittsburgh fans talk about the extra 52 second conspiracies and how the NFL front office and officials are against them.

3. The Celtics used to have this kind of aura. People would blame Red Auerbach or leprechauns for any sort of mishap. Now the Patriots have the aura.

4. The extra time was a problem and this problem will be fixed. Chances are we don't see this problem again.