Jets Game Broken Play Question

[unoriginal]

My guess is this is a rare single-back counter play.

Usually you see that out of a standard I formation, where the fullback is used to give the d-linemen and backers a strong fake to the backside of the play and fill for the linemen pulling on the counter. Halfback buck steps in the direction of the fake, then cuts back behind the pull. Quarterback opens like its a stretch play outside in the direction of the fullback and buck step, then switches hands and proceeds directly upfield for the handoff.

Here the Pats run it out of a balanced line. You can see Mankins chip on the 1 tech before reaching out for Harris to seal the lane. Whoever the pulling lineman is, I think its the guard, will be leading on the other inside backer. If he was assigned to a penetrating d-lineman, this play would be called a trap play. If there was no misdireciton, it would be an iso play on the linebacker.

The quarterback's job after the handoff on the counter is to run a fake bootleg, which hopefully holds the fakeside safety long enough for the halfback to beat the playside safety and get clear to the opposite sideline. Thus when the counter breaks here, Brady naturally executes a real naked boot.

It is plausible that this is the play Brady nixed, as an unblocked fire blitz from the playside corner would run head-on into the countering halfback.

Does anyone have a link to the interview where Brady talks about this?

 

[Gumby]

Does anyone have a link to the interview where Brady talks about this?

Here is the globe story where he talks about missed hand-offs.
I read somewhere Maroney said he missed 2 run audibles because he couldn't hear Brady with the wind.
Brady said one of the missed hand-offs was cause he saw the blitzer coming and didn't want to take a chance on handoff.

Not sure if that totals to 2 or 3 muffed plays.

http://www.boston.com/sports/footba.../force_wasnt_with_brady_and_moss_here/?page=2

Three times in the first quarter, Brady ran awkward quarterback keepers. After the game Laurence Maroney said he missed a couple of audibles. "It was a miscommunication on a couple of them," said Maroney, who said he didn't hear Brady. However, Brady and Belichick yesterday only cited two cases and said one wasn't Maroney's fault, as Brady pulled the handoff away from Maroney on the first such play, on New England's first possession, because the Jets had an unblocked blitzer off the edge. Belichick called that a smart decision.

 

[theflinger]

As AndyJohnson mentioned, some of you are looking at the wrong play. Check out my link for pictures.


If you watch the video, you can see there's no way Brady sees the blitzer. He turns as soon as he snaps it. If he saw the guy at the line and thought he was blitzing, he would have changed the play appropriately. If he saw the guy when he snapped the ball, he wouldn't have "faked" the handoff. If he had just kept it and run to the sideline immediately, it would've been much better. As it was he wasted time running backwards towards maroney.
FWIW Maroney does nothing wrong on the handoff as far as I can see. He does miss the blitzer though.


Unoriginal, interesting analysis...it definitely could be that play, but I still don't see how Brady saw the blitz.

GUMBY: Thanks for the quote. I still don't see how Brady saw the unblocked blitzer. If you watch the video in superslow, you'll be as surprised as I was.

 

[theflinger]

I guess the only explanation is that Brady somehow saw the blitzer, even though I maintain he couldn't have, and thought for some reason it was better to half-fake the handoff and then run for it...

I guess it makes sense that a broken play would have illogical actions in it.

 

[RayClay]

Great stuff. Keep that blog going. Loved the Maroney analysis.

 

[bokonon]

Here here! If you keep that blog up I will be a regular reader!

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

you dont have to be a mind-reader to realize that you are not getting the ball WHEN YOU DONT GET THE BALL. are you just dumb?
maroney should know what to do once he doesnt get the ball.

How do you know that the second play called in the huddle was not a play action?

You don't.

 

[theflinger]

Great stuff. Keep that blog going. Loved the Maroney analysis.

Thanks RayClay. The Maroney play was pretty interesting, I thought. I will definitely be doing more breakdowns as time allows...

Bokonon: Thanks a lot! The blog will definitely stay