Fumbling the snap

[BlitzFritz]

This I do not get. Wendell was the center all last year and they were flawless (IIRC).

Why or why does this happen in the most critical of moments this season?

Any theories? someone is choking....

-- FRITZ

 

[PATSNUTme]

This I do not get. Wendell was the center all last year and they were flawless (IIRC).

Why or why does this happen in the most critical of moments this season?

Any theories? someone is choking....

-- FRITZ

Here is a theory. The game is being played by highly trained and dedicated human beings. And sometime even highly trained and dedicated human beings make mistakes.


I made one in my profession several years ago. Anyone else ever made a mistake in their profession?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

If we could get the NSA intercepts of Gisele's text messages we'd know who was at fault

 

[BelichickFan]

Mankins was funny last night about this. Basically said "it's got to stop and it's got to stop in a hurry. High schoolers can execute that play".

Obviously it's awful but this one seems eminently correctable.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Here is a theory. The game is being played by highly trained and dedicated human beings. And sometime even highly trained and dedicated human beings make mistakes.


I made one in my profession several years ago. Anyone else ever made a mistake in their profession?

You're being way too harsh on the OP.

It's a legitimate question. Since this has happend before this year, it's a little worrisome but it can be fixed. Brady looked too anxious and pulled out before he got the ball cleanly.

 

[Mack Herron]

Once could be a fluke. Twice suggests something more. Will work on it this week, but should be correctable and way down my list of concerns.

 

[Tunescribe]

I don't recall if it was Collinsworth or Fauria who pointed this out last night, but the problem apparently is Wendell and not Brady. Has something to do with Wendell getting started on his submarine block before completing the snap exchange and he's not delivering the ball back far enough.

 

[bigcountry75]

You're being way too harsh on the OP.

It's a legitimate question. Since this has happend before this year, it's a little worrisome but it can be fixed. Brady looked too anxious and pulled out before he got the ball cleanly.

This.....Having played O-line and center before, Brady tried to pull out quickly without getting the snap and it looked like a stretch play or pitch play that he wanted to get to Blount fast......You never see this on his QB sneaks or other snaps so I really blame this on Brady.....

 

[chasa]

This was a situation where collinsworth actually explained it perfectly.

the center gave a bad snap because he was trying to get real low real fast because he was expecting an overload from the D line that was expecting brady to sneak.

No tinfoil hats required, just a bad snap. it happens sometimes.

 

[FalconHeavy]

Once could be a fluke. Twice suggests something more. Will work on it this week, but should be correctable and way down my list of concerns.

Exactly what Tom said after the game interview, they will work it out

 

[Tunescribe]

This.....Having played O-line and center before, Brady tried to pull out quickly without getting the snap and it looked like a stretch play or pitch play that he wanted to get to Blount fast......You never see this on his QB sneaks or other snaps so I really blame this on Brady.....

Look at my earlier post above. The ball needs to get there before the center commits fully to his blocking assignment.

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

To me, it looked like Wendell was trying to shove the ball up his butt, both times.

 

[DarrylS]

Don't be an "error repeater"!!!!

 

[ausbacker]

I'm more concerned with some of Wendell's line play than his snapping of the ball.

 

[PatsDeb]

I don't know whose fault it was (maybe a little of both? Looked like Brady was in a hurry?) but I did see throughout the game that the Falcon's D was very fast getting across the line. Again Wendell was doing his head snap thing before the snap to Brady (probably because of the noise factor so others wouldn't leave early), and the Falcons were keying on that. Maybe the other team just disrupted it. Luckily our D was able to hold on. I still don't understand why Connolly was not put back at center...

 

[Deus Irae]

This I do not get. Wendell was the center all last year and they were flawless (IIRC).

Why or why does this happen in the most critical of moments this season?

Any theories? someone is choking....

-- FRITZ

Wendell short-armed the snap.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

A mistake like a fumbled snap?

Once is akin to an accident that can happen to any top professional in any field at the top of his game, who will respond by reviewing the circumstances and moving on.

Twice is a pattern that will get a professional's serious attention and prompt corrective action.

Three times would be a problem.

It won't be a problem.

 

[Mark.]

I don't know whose fault it was (maybe a little of both? Looked like Brady was in a hurry?) but I did see throughout the game that the Falcon's D was very fast getting across the line. Again Wendell was doing his head snap thing before the snap to Brady (probably because of the noise factor so others wouldn't leave early), and the Falcons were keying on that. Maybe the other team just disrupted it. Luckily our D was able to hold on. I still don't understand why Connolly was not put back at center...

Yup, saw the head bob all night long. Drove me nuts. Short drive...

 

[RayClay]

Not complicated. He's a smallish guy who knows a huge guy or two are going to be right on top of him. He cheated and didn't make the exchange well. Tried to get up and into the DL first. He's done it before, he'll need to work on it.

 

[mgteich]

I'll leave the evaluation of line play to Dante, the best in the world.

Wendell is a fine signal caller and a fine, fine run blocker (rated 100% by bleacher last year as a run-blocker). His mediocre pass-blocking is not his strength. And he has been somewhat exposed by Brady having to hold the ball forever in games 2 and 3. There were no sacks yesterday, as Brady becomes more confident winging it to the wideouts.

So many here have wanted Wendell fired for years. Dante continues to disagree. Folks here want Connolly to start at center, and Cannon at guard. Dante disagrees. If Connolly passes Wendell, we'll know it by the next game.

And the announcers spent much of the night applauded the blocking schemes, and the execution by the offensive line. And, of course, many posters disagree, wanting to replace both Wendell and Connolly.

To be clear, I am fine with drafting a top interior lineman. I don't like what we have in the Academy. I am not convinced that Cannon is our future starter at RG. We need a promising backup in the interior of the line.

However, IMHO, the patriots have one of the very best OL's in the NFL, and it is at least six players deep. I suspect that Svitek will be fine, although we haven't seen. He certainly is an NFL starter.