On the final play Sunday, do you think if Dallas had thrown the ball in the middle of the field instead of running it then they would have been able to spike it? The middle of the field was wide open so Dak could have hit whoever he wanted and the ball gets down field a lot faster than Dak running it. — MARK SOMMA / GAINESVILLE, VA
Nick: I can actually say that I told a guy next to me before the snap that I would throw it to Pollard in the slot and then hurry up and spike it. I think he could get 15 yards much faster than Dak. So yes, I agree with you. Probably would've given everyone, including the ref, time to get up there a little quicker.
David: It's a valid point. The Niners were clearly giving up the middle of the field, knowing Dallas would be hard pressed to spike it in time. It would've been similarly risky to the draw, but perhaps it would've bought them two or three extra seconds to clock the ball. I've said it already this week: I admire Kellen Moore for thinking outside the box with a play that the opposition definitely didn't see coming. But far too many things had to break the right way for it to work.
Let's look to the future. Which upcoming free agents do we have a good chance to keep, and who will we probably lose? — JEFF PARSONS / AMARILLO TX
Nick: I wish I had a better answer for you. Right now, I think that it'll be tough to re-sign a lot of these free agents. The one guy I think will be here for sure is Randy Gregory. I just don't think Jerry Jones would've stood by him for so long and then let him go when it's time to sign. He'll make sure he's still around. Something tells me Dalton Schultz might stick around too, although it won't be easy to re-sign him. As for the other defensive guys, it'll depend on what happens with Dan Quinn and if there's a new coordinator coming in.
David: Woof, that's a tough thing to figure out so quickly. What's this coaching staff going to look like? Are the coaches and the schemes going to stay the same? It's hard to say. And stuff like that matters. For instance, will Jayron Kearse want to re-sign in Dallas if Dan Quinn isn't here? Or will Michael Gallup's unfortunate ACL injury make him more willing to re-sign in a familiar environment during his rehab? That's all stuff we've got to wait to find out. I will say this: I think Randy Gregory needs to be one of their top priorities in 2022, and I'd like to think his long history with the organization gives them a chance to make something work.
