Could Bolden have scored?

[sb1]

I know kick team can’t advance it after recovery but couldn’t he have given it a couple swats and scored on the play once it reaches the end zone? Or if the Pats were down by 3 or less couldn’t he have swatted it once to keep it in play before recovery in FG range?

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

batting the ball to yourself is perfectly legal. So yes if Bolden was able to come up with it he could have advanced it. He wouldn't have scored as the Texans had a few guys downfield from him.

But it would have made the last 50 seconds very interesting.

 

[luuked]

As far as I understand no he would not have been allowed to advance it.

 

[primetime]

batting the ball to yourself is perfectly legal. So yes if Bolden was able to come up with it he could have advanced it. He wouldn't have scored as the Texans had a few guys downfield from him.

But it would have made the last 50 seconds very interesting.

The ball is dead if it is caught or recovered by a player of the kicking team. If the catch or recovery is legal, the ball belongs to the kicking team at the dead-ball spot.

 

[Ian]

I may be wrong, but I believe the only time it can be advanced would have been if it touched an opposing player first.

UPDATE: Yep, I'm wrong. Onside kick rules are different:

• The kicking team may only recover and retain possession of the kicked ball, but not advance it.

 

[Triumph]

Bolden was so close to getting that ball. Dude has been a money player for this team.

Bailey was quite the pick.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

That would gave been quite the ending, if Bolden got it and if the offense capped it off with a TD. It would have been along the lines of the Kenbrell Thompkins catch, show ponies... where's the beef?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Bolden could not have scored.

If he gained possession the play is over since the kicking team cannot advance any untouched kickoffs.

And if he didn't gain possession it is illegal to bat the ball forward anyways, so not only would he not score but the penalty would have resulted in Houston getting the ball.

 

[ALP]

batting the ball to yourself is perfectly legal. So yes if Bolden was able to come up with it he could have advanced it. He wouldn't have scored as the Texans had a few guys downfield from him.

But it would have made the last 50 seconds very interesting.

he can bat it to himself but the moment he is deemed to have possession the play is over

 

[BadMoFo]

If he was only a few inches taller.

 

[Kdo5]

Why didn’t he just catch the ball when he got to it? He batted it forward instead. Was it that he wasn’t sure it passed ten yards?

 

[Joey007]

It hurts to think about.

That would have been one of the most improbable comebacks in NFL history. Even crazier than the Colts Bucs game back in 2003.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

It hurts to think about.

That would have been one of the most improbable comebacks in NFL history. Even crazier than the Colts Bucs game back in 2003.

Regardless, the better team won on Sunday...we only got back into it after a couple of garbage time TDs

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Why didn’t he just catch the ball when he got to it? He batted it forward instead. Was it that he wasn’t sure it passed ten yards?

I think he was trying to catch it but couldn't. It was pretty high. Batting it forward does nothing. If the ball hadn't gone 10 yards his batting it wouldn't change it -- the act of him touching it in any way before 10 yards or being touched by the receiving team is a penalty. And batting it forward runs the risk of an illegal bat penalty.

Or, hmmm.

Perhaps it was this...perhaps the way NE practiced it was that he gets a hand on it and deflects it toward a part of the field where teammates are supposed to be so one of them can fall on it. But when the play was actually run he got such a good break on it that he actually could have just caught it but by reflex he did what he had been practicing to do and batted it.

 

[signbabybrady]

Should someone taller have been in that spot?

Was he overrunning the play why not get under it and catch instead of swatting at it? (I know easier said then done)

 

[fnordcircle]

Why didn’t he just catch the ball when he got to it? He batted it forward instead. Was it that he wasn’t sure it passed ten yards?

Bolden on the sideline a minute later: OH RIGHT! Catch it! I knew I forgot something!

 

[Triumph]

Bolden does his job.

Whatever he is asked he does well. Bolden is the last player not earning his keep on this team.

 

[scott99]

My only wish was that Bolden used 2 hands instead of one, I'm thinking he would have caught it. It all happened so fast, his instinct was to reach for it.

 

[primetime]

The ball was really high and he could barely get a hand up to it in time. If anything he was probably shocked it bounced cleanly to him. The Texans played it well by denying the boundary players a clean release, and Bolden didn't have the obscene reflexes and hand-eye coordination it would have taken for a clean catch.

 

[Kdo5]

The ball was really high and he could barely get a hand up to it in time. If anything he was probably shocked it bounced cleanly to him. The Texans played it well by denying the boundary players a clean release, and Bolden didn't have the obscene reflexes and hand-eye coordination it would have taken for a clean catch.

Watching replay of it, he definitely could have caught it. I’m not getting on his case about it though, he’s been fantastic.