Earl Thomas tried to swipe the snap

Is this legal? I'm thinking it might be if he timed it right.

http://zippy.gfycat.com/PassionateEquatorialDikdik.webm

Edit: Never mind, apparently it's encroachment. Though I wouldn't trust the refs to call it.

Rule 7, Article 3: Encroachment . It is Encroachment if a defensive player enters the neutral zone and contacts an offensive player or the ball prior to the snap, or if he interferes with the ball during the snap. The play is dead immediately.

Dora says

I actually applaud the effort even if its encroachment.

New England Pride said:

I actually applaud the effort even if its encroachment.

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Absolutely. Its the final play of the final game, and the only possible way for your team to win. I'd be pissed if the situations had been reversed and one of our guys hadn't tried it.

patfanken said:

Absolutely. Its the final play of the final game, and the only possible way for your team to win. I'd be pissed if the situations had been reversed and one of our guys hadn't tried it.

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Plays like that are why Seattle was such a worthy opponent. That's a championship defense right there. A potential hall of fame caliber safety not ready to go quietly into the night. I really like that type of player/attitude.

New England Pride said:

Plays like that are why Seattle was such a worthy opponent. That's a championship defense right there. A potential hall of fame caliber safety not ready to go quietly into the night. I really like that type of player/attitude.

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100%. Froma Pats fan view that's a scary angle I hadn't seen before. But Stork isn't one to be intimidated.

These guys have 3 future Hall of famers in the secondary

I can't get the link to work.

ive never seen that before, wow

obviously would have been agaisnt the rules had he touched the ball while being snapped...but what if it messes w/ the center just enough to screw up the snap himself? or the refs **** up the call after?

like others have said, real smart play

This compromises the integrity of the game!

#SWIPEGATE!

I would be surprised if Bill doesn't already makes them practice protecting against that on offense. Love that attention to detail.

I did see the Seahawks go low on the final snap but just assumed it was Bennett being a dink trying to take out Stork's legs.

Thanks for posting the gif.

In theory that could help him make a play legally. Just follow the ball through Stork's legs, and arrive before Brady has cleanly knelt.

I don't know how it would be realistic in practice, but other ways to defend a kneel aren't realistic either, and the fact that there's SOME football point to the operation increases the likelihood of getting away w/o a flag if something does happen.

Fencer said:

In theory that could help him make a play legally. Just follow the ball through Stork's legs, and arrive before Brady has cleanly knelt.

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Of course, the thing is Brady couldn't actually kneel right away—he would have been in the end zone. However, disrupting Stork could have made it more difficult to get the necessary push to give Brady room to kneel in the end zone. (And of course, Seattle had a timeout, so even if Brady managed to get out to the one-yard line, they'd have to do it again after the timeout.)

And stuff like that is exactly why they went with the hard count to draw 'em offsides at the 1-yard line.

ewg_gestalt said:

Of course, the thing is Brady couldn't actually kneel right away—he would have been in the end zone. However, disrupting Stork could have made it more difficult to get the necessary push to give Brady room to kneel in the end zone. (And of course, Seattle had a timeout, so even if Brady managed to get out to the one-yard line, they'd have to do it again after the timeout.)

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That looked to me like it was the play from the 21-yard line.

Very slick.

ctpatsfan77 said:

And stuff like that is exactly why they went with the hard count to draw 'em offsides at the 1-yard line.

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They were using the silent count the whole game. Difference is the centre did 3 headbobs instead of snapping after the 2nd headbob. It was a nice play.

And don't forget that it was a last play fumbled snap that let CB Herman Edwards recover the ball and run it in for the win. Against all odds. That play literally changed the way that opposing teams handled the snap during the final seconds of the game, and resulted in what we now call the "Victory Formation."

The "Miracle at the Meadowlands."

Fencer said:

In theory that could help him make a play legally. Just follow the ball through Stork's legs, and arrive before Brady has cleanly knelt.

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Yeah, if Stork and Brady were moving in slow motion. Nobody is that quick. The only way it would work is if the center freaks and double clutches or something, or the exchange is fumbled.