Unless your name is Rodgers, Brady or Brees, there's nothing easy about polishing off a game-winning drive in the NFL. Two of the league's young quarterbacks, Jake Locker and Joe Webb, learned that lesson Sunday during one crazy minute of football drama.
First, facing a five-point deficit in Tennessee, Locker led the Titans to third-and-goal at the 5-yard line with five seconds remaining. Locker had one final shot, but the Saints sacked him as he rolled right, and Tennessee's comeback bid fell short, 22-17.
In real time, not even one minute later in Detroit, Webb had the Vikings in a first-and-goal situation at the 1 with nine seconds left, but he failed to finish and fumbled the game away, giving the Lions a 34-28 win.
This isn't meant to knock Locker and Webb for failing in the final moments. After all, Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck exited early because of a calf injury, and Vikings rookie Christian Ponder was benched in the third quarter. That Locker and Webb nearly pulled out comebacks in a pinch is reason for a gold star. Close-but-no-cigar is nothing to be ashamed of.
Then again, Texans rookie T.J. Yates did come up clutch against the Bengals. But so what? You can't win them all.