In BYU's case, we were already up, they hadn't moved the ball on us all day, and a simple dive would have been safe and not questionable. In Anae's defense, the play he called SHOULD have been pretty safe. Hill rolls and has a run pass option. If JSWAG is not open, tuck it and either get the first down or don't. JSwag was open. If he catches it, it's a first down and the game is over. Hill, with underclass jitters, rifles it in like a Nolan Ryan fastball. The ball, likely feeling like a medicine ball goes through JSWAG's hands. Yes, he should still catch it...but those are some big mitigating factors. Dry he either catches it or likely slows the momentum enough that it just drops rather than cutting through his hands like a knife through butter. Then it basically nails the defender who catches it more in self-defense than anything. Brutal.
In the Vikings case, they are already in field goal range...long...but in range. They call a very similar play. Favre rolls right...and in his defense the Saints had gone bountygate on him all game long. The bruises he had after that game were unreal. But again, he has space and if he tucks and runs likely gets the first down or if not, a few yards closer for a game winning field goal. Favre goes Favre, see's his go to receiver down the middle, makes the pee-wee league mistake of throwing across his body in the middle of the field, and of course the ball is intercepted. Game goes into overtime and the Vikings never see the ball.
Sometimes it's one tiny decision by a QB that is the difference between a win and a loss.