If there was one game in nfl history where the football gods were arrayed against one team with all force, it was this one.
It wasn't just "the play" either. It's just not so often that you see a team's star RB get stopped short of the goal line on 4th and short by tripping over the blocking OLineman, players dropping as many easy first down catches, and a HC passing up another easy 4th and short at the opponents 40 all in one game like that.
We struggled in the SS department for a while there after LeRoy Butler retired just a couple years before for sure. But personally I was done with Mike Sherman after this game with how bad his incompetence was put on display. He single handedly ruined the defense and set it back about 7 years in the aftermath of this.
Granted, he should not have been made the General Manager of the team on top of being a head coach. But he failed in both counts both in this game and after.