when that same situation arises again, for any team, the guy will run it out of the end zone.
1:40 left with the pats having 3 time outs, they would end up giving the ball back to a hungry tom brady at the 40 or 50 yard line. Better to run it out to the 25 and then make them punch it in from their own 20 yard line. 95% of the time, the guy ain't gonna fumble it.