I think the Pats used up all their tricks

[Ivan]

I did not imply ever. I implied this year. You can always do trick plays but you need to practice them a lot before you do them. I think they very likely used all the plays they practiced this year in this game.

I thought it was obvious I was joking around Bob, however in all seriousness, I think the idea they are out of trick plays is ridiculous. I think they have plenty and many,of these guys are familiar with some from prior seasons and they could also run those any time. Christ, I bet they have half a dozen for Edelman alone and we have only seen one

 

[PatsFanInVa]

I think the OP was right though, Belichick was almost certainly down to his last two trick plays before the game and now he is out. No more trick plays for the Patriots, ever, coach is out of them.

Yes, this is undoubtedly the case. He wrote down "Edelmann to LaFell" in a moment of inspiration Thursday before the game. It had been brewing in his mind for years, he mapped out all the Xs and Os meticulously like a monk copying a manuscript, perfected the marginalia that would make the play truly epic, and then unleashed it during the Ravens game. He also came up with the "check in ineligible" thing and the 4-man O-line after a long and intricate thought process. Having spent his creative mind for the foreseeable future, we can expect nothing but retreads from the regular season throughout the remainder of this ill-fated run.

 

[BobDigital]

So you think they have 2?

Well i suppose it depends what you mean by a trick play. Do I think we could see them fake a miss snap? Sure, but we see them do that we see them every year and all know is well within Brady's back pocket. These 2 plays are things you have not seen the Patriots do for 5+ years and some you have never seen.

Also what is a trick play? OL being called an eligible WR? IDK if that really qualifies As you declare it before and teams are aware he could catch the ball. Very different than having 4 OL and an extra pass catching being called ineligible to create confusion. Also a flea flicker though kind of a trick play is not nearly to the extent of the things we saw.

These things needed to be graded in shades as not all trick plays are equal and some "trick" plays are hardly that tricky. I mean technically you can call faking a hand off a trick play that just happens to be common.

Perhaps I should have been more clear in my OP. Could they do something not by the book in the next 2 games? Sure. However nothing near the level of what we already saw which were true trick plays as no one but the Patriots knew what was about to happen or were prepared for them.

 

[BobDigital]

I thought it was obvious I was joking around Bob, however in all seriousness, I think the idea they are out of trick plays is ridiculous. I think they have plenty and many,of these guys are familiar with some from prior seasons and they could also run those any time. Christ, I bet they have half a dozen for Edelman alone and we have only seen one

I knew it was an joke but I used it to make a point I thought was important about these plays taking time to get worked out and that can not be through together without a lot of preparation.

 

[Froob]

Why hasn't anybody done a fake kneel down before the half? That would seem to be easy to pull off with everyone just half-assing it on those.

 

[mikey m]

Opposition still hasn't seen the play where Tom hits edelman in the backfield who throws it across the formation to amendola who then hits Tom streaking down the far sideline soo....

 

[Ivan]

I knew it was an joke but I used it to make a point I thought was important about these plays taking time to get worked out and that can not be through together without a lot of preparation.

I think that depends upon the play Bob. Some are intricate but some are simple and only require a few to understand them and execute them. I can see where a team with a new regime would be limited but doubt Belichick and Brady are. Residual knowledge is an advantage c when teams are stable. I always think of Bruschi talking about the 2003 and 2004 defenses and how they could start with one game plan and then go to the sidelines or locker room and call up one from a prior season and run it successfully the rest of the game. The same dynamic works here.

 

[mosey threetupu]

 

[FourierSeries]

Colts or Broncos will be blown out by this team. AFC Championship was played yesterday.

 

[Dr Pain]

Now the new opponents have even more to worry about and gameplan for

 

[pheenix11]

I'm still waiting for the hidden ball trick. Oh wait, never mind.

 

[Betterthanmost]

There is one still left, it will be done on fourth down, punt team will run off between 12 and 10 secs left on the play clock, offense will take over and lineup so quickly the defense will not have time to align, the team will be out of time outs.....
They have been working on this for awhile, the league knows it, but it will be used effectively. Only reason they tried this when we were so far ahead.

 

[Observer]

The Vereen one was tricky but the Edelman one was a legit play. They can pull that again and it could still be effective.

 

[50-yard-line]

So Edelman declares as ineligible...

On the snap, it looks like the play from last night, but...

Brady throws to Edelman (a lateral, and he hits a wide-open receiver far down field.

Mix and match, baby, mix and match.

 

[zipster9]

 

[FirstAndGoal]

I don't think people are giving this enough credit. This isn't a trick. It's a wrinkle that has some potential to cause nightmares in certain situations. The NFL is highly specialized and when you've got a situation from play to play where you've got different threats, it's difficult to defend and there might be more to the development of this unless the NFL changes the rules. If you don't have a defense with 6 coverage guys on the field when the Pats run this, you've got issues. I say 6 too because that 6th guy who can't go out for passes can receive a lateral. For instance, if you don't cover Vereen when he's ineligible, he takes the lateral and trucks down field. Also, if Gronks eligible one play and Vereen or Julian another, what defensive personnel should you have out there? They require different specialized defenders... this is more interestin that a one-time trick.

 

[RayClay]

They've been setting up this ultimate play all year.

Bad field position needing a score. Ryan goes back to punt. The snap is way high and Ryan immediately turns and runs, flailing his arms, trying to prevent a safety, or worse.

Unnoticed, from his left, Bolden (or some runner) circles behind him, grabs the ball in stride and starts up the right side, with the whole team, except the frantically fake running Ryan, in front of him, for an 80 yard touchdown.

As it turns out, Aiken is a pinpoint snapper, who could hit a bug at twenty yards. He's been making noticeably bad snaps since preseason, just to set this one play up so the defense would bite.

 

[tasmlab]

Hooman catching passes was pretty tricky.

 

[tasmlab]

I was half expecting them to do the JE pass play again, but then have him run instead of throw.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

BB is never out of tricks......