Ahmad Bradshaw Video: Watch Super Bowl Brain Cramp Give Tom Brady a Chance

Normally rushing for a touchdown is a good thing. In this case of Ahmad Bradshaw in the closing moments of the 2012 Super Bowl, it was not. 

The New England Patriots were content to concede the touchdown to the Giants and Bradshaw. They were 17-15 and the clock was hovering around the 1:00 minute mark. 

Bradshaw took the handoff, and had a wide open lane to the endzone. He began to take a knee, but his momentum took him into the endzone. Had he stopped, the Giants would have been able to run the clock down and kick a field goal with time expiring. 

Instead, it left Tom Brady and his offensive teammates with :58 left and a chance to score the go ahead TD. The Giants missed the ensuing two-point conversion. That left the score as 21-17, Giants. 

This is a controversial strategy all the way around. Should the Patriots have tried to play tough defense and force a turnover or block a field goal? And conversely, should the Giants take the points when they can get them instead of risking the chance of coming up empty handed?

A similar situation occurred in 1998 when Mike Holmgren instructed his Packers' defense to allow the Broncos to score. There was a 1:45 left in the game when that score occurred. That decision did not pay off for the Packers, and this one did not pay off for the Patriots.

A decision like that comes down to percentages, and obviously both sides felt the greatest percentage of a Giants came with them winding the clock down and going for a chip shot field goal. 

However, Bradshaw was unable to execute this strategy, and ultimately it worked out perfectly for the Giants. The Patriots ended the game with a failed Hail Mary attempt and the Giants escaped with a thrilling 21-17 victory.