Anatomy of a play: Brady-Moss-Brady-Gaffney

[ctpatsfan77]

NFL.com's "Anatomy of a Play" this week dissects the "Burn Anthony Smith again" play.

No earth-shattering insights, but it does provide some extended views of that play. A couple of facts worth noting:

(1) As to why Gaffney stopped in mid-run: from the time of the snap, it was over six seconds before Brady actually let the bomb fly.
(2) That was an impressive throw by Moss, who got clobbered by a defender a fraction of a second later.
(3) Had it not been for a Stallworth block, though, Moss would have been tackled by a defender before getting the pass off--and the TD would have turned into an eight-yard loss. Thankfully, it didn't.

 

[NYPatsFan]

Thanks for posting this. I love the "Anatomy of a Play" segment, especially when it involves the Pats!

 

[shmessy]

http://www.patsfans.comnew-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=70285

 

[VJCPatriot]

Hehehe, I can watch that play over and over again just for the humor value of seeing Anthony Smith getting burned!

It's fortunate that you can drop a lateral and still pick it up, then throw another lateral no less! Wonder why the rule is that way.

 

[Keegs]

Gaffney did an excellent job this play

He's such a great fit for this team and he continues to impress all pats fans.

I'm going to be really bummed if he leaves.

 

[PatSunday]

It's fortunate that you can drop a lateral and still pick it up, then throw another lateral no less! Wonder why the rule is that way.

I think anybody could pick it up if it's a lateral. I believe it counts as a Patriots fumble if the other team were to pick it up. Is that right?

 

[Hardboiled]

I think anybody could pick it up if it's a lateral. I believe it counts as a Patriots fumble if the other team were to pick it up. Is that right?

Right, both were fumbles.

I vaguely remember one year where Mercury Morris was credited with a 1,000 season because the league went back to an previous game and saw that a play was ruled a lateral and he was dropped for a 10 yard loss. It was later determined it was a forward pass and his rushing yards didn't get deducted due to the play and he got 1,000.

If Brady or Moss had run, it would have been a rushing play.

 

[Fencer]

Oh, NOW I get it.

If Moss hadn't dropped the lateral, the whole play would have happened faster.

But since he did drop it, Gaffney had to hang around the end zone for a while twiddling his thumbs until the pass got there.

Thanks for posting the link!

 

[Fencer]

And by the way, there's little excuse for Moss's drop. We're just lucky he made a great recovery from it.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

I dunno why you're getting on Moss for that, it was a poor throw from Brady. Brady even said it himself in the post game "He made a better throw to me than I made to him" or words to that effect.

 

[xmarkd400x]

Gaffney also did a very good job of selling the fake. He slowed down right near the safeties, and put the pedal to the metal once he was out of sight out of mind. Had he not faked, they probably would have caught on to that.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

One other thing I have to say now--if Moss is re-signed, I wouldn't mind seeing him throw a forward pass or two.