Direct snap to RB

[everlong]

Between the broadcasting crew yesterday and a lot of the articles I've read today everybody wants to credit the Fins with providing a new wrinkle for the Pats with the direct snap. Not that it's breaking news here but the Pats have probably direct snapped to Faulk some where between 30-50 times, maybe more I obviously don't have the exact data, this decade including a bunch of high profile two point conversions, one against the Panthers in the SB.

Why the networks don't hire somebody from both teams to talk into the ears of the broadcast team and provide local flavor is beyond me. Anybody with any knowledge of the Pats would have known this.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Why the networks don't hire somebody from both teams to talk into the ears of the broadcast team and provide local flavor is beyond me. Anybody with any knowledge of the Pats would have known this.

I wish Gil and Geno would do some television announcing,sort of along the lines of Remy and Orsillo. Someone was commenting just the other day about the fact Orsillo was doing a nationally broadcast Sox game-TBS maybe?

Anyway, what a dream come true actual Patriots-educated announcing would be.

 

[Robdude]

I did not mind the broadcasting team but it was clear they were not experts on the Pats. They had names wrong and had to go back and correct.

Definitly the most annoying though was the direct snap that you mention. I fully agree with you. My wife defintely looked at me odd when I started yelling at the TV. Faulk has been taking direct snaps for years now and the Dolphins game has nothing to do with it.

 

[Rob0729]

The broadcasting crew was terrible. From the first play by the Patriots, they got a lot wrong. They thought Maroney's first carry of the game was done by Faulk and talked several times how Maroney didn't start the game even though he did.

 

[strongside]

Between the broadcasting crew yesterday and a lot of the articles I've read today everybody wants to credit the Fins with providing a new wrinkle for the Pats with the direct snap. Not that it's breaking news here but the Pats have probably direct snapped to Faulk some where between 30-50 times, maybe more I obviously don't have the exact data, this decade including a bunch of high profile two point conversions, one against the Panthers in the SB.

Why the networks don't hire somebody from both teams to talk into the ears of the broadcast team and provide local flavor is beyond me. Anybody with any knowledge of the Pats would have known this.

I have to admit that I called the play before the snap (im sure others did as well). As soon as I saw Faulk on a goalline play in the shotgun it was obvious. I can't believe SF didn't see that coming. Its funny because now, according to espn we "took a page from the dolphins."

Also, I see a nice direct snap fake being played off of this in weeks to come. I think they may have run the fake before with Faulk crossing but not taking the ball. I think they run it with on of those bubble screens, but I could be wrong.

 

[PlanB]

Hi! I think the name for the play is "Double Pop". If I remember correctly, they used that play in the Jax playoff game and Faulk scored then too. Brady commented on the name in his Monday callin to 'eei.

 

[Fencer]

Hi! I think the name for the play is "Double Pop". If I remember correctly, they used that play in the Jax playoff game and Faulk scored then too. Brady commented on the name in his Monday callin to 'eei.

As I've said in other threads -- the play's been around so long that when the Pats were driving for a TD late in the Super Bowl vs. Carolina, a lot of us predicted the direct snap play for the conversion before the Pats ever got across midfield.

I think I predicted it before they even started the drive, but I'm not sure enough of that now to swear to it ...

 

[Patriot Missile]

The two guys in the booth yesterday were buffoons. Patriots didn't invent the direct snap but I would willing to wager have used it more times than any team the last few seasons. Maybe even all the teams combined. So yeah, I heard that and was a little tiffed . But who cares. Honestly though I was more mad that someone is getting paid for that job and not knowing their stuff. That's a dream job for most of us and they are butchering it.

Anyone catch the Merriweather rookie reference? Well g I thought we drafted Mayo with our first rounder this year. Unprepared.

 

[DarrylS]

Never have been a fan of Fouts and Cross, the latter should know this team well as he unfortunately does the preseason games...

 

[Ryan]

It hasn't been 30-50 times that they've direct snapped to Faulk, but they've definitely been doing it as far back as 2001, maybe even longer. I distinctly remember them doing it against Miami in 2001, except Faulk rolled out and threw it back to Brady for a 20+ yard gain. They also did it in Super Bowl 38 (as everlong noted) and in the Divisional playoff game against San Diego in Jan. '07. Heck, they've done it so many times that they were actually able to FAKE the direct snap last year in the playoffs against Jacksonville which resulted in Brady finding Welker wide open in the endzone for a TD.

But really, it's not even the same play that Miami was running against us 3 weeks ago. Faulk is never alone in the backfield lined up as a QB like Ronnie Brown was when the Pats snap it to him.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

I don't mind Fouts and actually thought he helped keep Cross straight a number of times during the SF game. Engberg and Cross are a duo who should have a sound knowledge of the Patriots after all the preseasons, and just come across as totally clueless over the course of any first quarter, let alone a game. What really made the direct snap discussion ugly was having Steve Young in the booth for his post-jersey retirement ball washing - there is a reason he's on ESPN and working the field table alongside Emmitt - dain bramage has made me a commodity, like ruty-bagles. Pass the cream cheese.

 

[JSn]

Honestly, the Sunday night commentary of Madden and Michaels was leagues better than any I heard on four other games throughout the day.

You can bet they'll have their homework done for this week. OH, and I've got $50 saying Madden states the obvious at least a dozen times.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Hi! I think the name for the play is "Double Pop". If I remember correctly, they used that play in the Jax playoff game and Faulk scored then too. Brady commented on the name in his Monday callin to 'eei.

Just to be clear, the "double pop" play is a fake direct snap. [There's a great breakdown of the play on NFL.com by Greg Cosell. The name refers to the fact that both Welker and Moss also faked run blocking before going into the EZ; in fact, the play was originally designed to get the ball to Moss (big surprise there ), but the safety on his side didn't bite; the one on 83's side did, and the Slot Machine hit the jackpot. ]

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

You can bet they'll have their homework done for this week.

OH, and I've got $50 saying Madden states the obvious at least a dozen times.

Not much of a gambler are you.

 

[sebman2112]

As Someone else mentioned it's not even the same play, and they used a different formation. The Patriots have been running direct snaps to Faulk, the statue of liberty, halfback passes, flea flickers, and other trick plays for quite some time now. If you really think about it, they've probably run more trick plays than most teams in the league since 2001.

 

[JSn]

Not much of a gambler are you.

Nope. hehe

Seriously, neither of those guys would seriously conclude Belichick saw the Dolphins direct snap and thought, "gee, that looks lke a neat play, let's try that".

 

[Patjew]

Between the broadcasting crew yesterday and a lot of the articles I've read today everybody wants to credit the Fins with providing a new wrinkle for the Pats with the direct snap. Not that it's breaking news here but the Pats have probably direct snapped to Faulk some where between 30-50 times, maybe more I obviously don't have the exact data, this decade including a bunch of high profile two point conversions, one against the Panthers in the SB.

Why the networks don't hire somebody from both teams to talk into the ears of the broadcast team and provide local flavor is beyond me. Anybody with any knowledge of the Pats would have known this.

I'd say it's more like 5 times, but point taken.

 

[everlong]

I'd say it's more like 5 times, but point taken.

In 8 seasons they've done it more than 5 times. Carolina SB, Chargers Division series and two last Sunday makes 4 all by itself. They pull out the direct snap 4 or 5 times per season. As I said I obvious don't have a real count but lets say it's just twice per season that's still 16 times and with the high profile ones that have been brought up it's just bad journalism, as if there's good these days, and I read it in 4 different columns too which is worse because those clowns should have had time to think about it.

 

[everlong]

Heck, they've done it so many times that they were actually able to FAKE the direct snap last year in the playoffs against Jacksonville which resulted in Brady finding Welker wide open in the endzone for a TD.

I forgot about the Jags fake, good call.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

Pats have run that play in SB XXXVIII and in SD 2007 playoffs. Both were run late and at critical times.

Do these guys watch football? How can you spend a week researching for the game and not know this the week after the "wildcat" formation hit the bigtime?