Standard Operating Procedures are exactly what they say, standard procedures to follow when something standard happens.
Dealing with non-standard emergencies is called airmanship and is the way that a captain earns his keep. If the captain make the right decisions he gets to live and fly again another day.
Exactly - and it even says that in the front of the QRH and the manuals for most aircraft.
Unfortunately in these days of blind adherance to SOP's to suit the lowest common denominator such 'airmanship' is frowned upon my many.