Favorite 'marquee' NE play

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Don't know if this has been posted already but I was watching the Eagles-NE SB last night and I personally have always loved the screen to Faulk as one of my favorite NE plays.

It generally is good for a couple yards if not many more The O-line after they got off their blocks and get downfield (as far as they can get downfield) look great on that play too...

...dunno have always liked it...anyone else have a favorite?

 

[bbabin]

Direct snap to Faulk is a good one. That's been used a few times for some key yards.

 

[stinkypete]

The 5 yard touchdown pass to Mike Vrabel.

 

[richpats]

The kneel down

I'd have to go with the quick-screen. We haven't done it much since Branch and Givens left but that's been a great play for us over the years. I love the pass to Givens in the AFC title game against Pittsburgh where Brady waves him back to the right side and nods, then fires away and David skips past the Pittsburgh corner

 

[tatepatsfan]

My favorite is the goaline play-action then pass to a TE for the TD. Graham, Watson, Vrabel - whoever I love that play.

My favorite example of this was when Brady hit Graham, falling down on 4th and goal with the game on the line during the regular season against the Texans a few years back. Graham bobbled the ball but came up with it and we won the game.

 

[sieglo]

The kneel down

I'd have to go with the quick-screen. We haven't done it much since Branch and Givens left but that's been a great play for us over the years. I love the pass to Givens in the AFC title game against Pittsburgh where Brady waves him back to the right side and nods, then fires away and David skips past the Pittsburgh corner

I hate the quick screen. Except for that Pittsburgh game where the DB actually slipped and fell, it never works.

I like the "hit the tight end in the seam" play.

 

[Canada's #1 Pats Fan]

The one where Brady pitches to Faulk on a sweep to the right, meanwhile Brady sneeks off down fieldto the left, Faulk makes it look like he has no where to go raise the ball up and throws it Montanaesque across his body to hit Brady downfield. I believe they have used it only twice, once in the final regular season game at Foxboro Stadium vs. Miami and then another time that I can't recall. Does anyone remember?

 

[Jacky Roberts]

Victory formation, QB kneel down is my personal favorite. Especially in a playoff game.

 

[richpats]

I hate the quick screen. Except for that Pittsburgh game where the DB actually slipped and fell, it never works.

With Branch it worked like a charm. I remember we had a huge play against Minnesota with a great block from David Thomas off the quick-screen.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

The 5 yard touchdown pass to Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel doesn't make 5-yard catches. He catches it in the front of the end zone or the back, not in the middle.

Seriously, though, I'd nominate Brady's QB sneaks. It's amazing how often you just know it's coming--and yet it works anyways.

 

[waspie (UK)]

Seriously, though, I'd nominate Brady's QB sneaks. It's amazing how often you just know it's coming--and yet it works anyways.

Yeah; I can go along with that. His beating Urlacher against the Bears last year was a thing of beauty - even though it looked like a slow motion replay.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

The one where Brady pitches to Faulk on a sweep to the right, meanwhile Brady sneeks off down fieldto the left, Faulk makes it look like he has no where to go raise the ball up and throws it Montanaesque across his body to hit Brady downfield. I believe they have used it only twice, once in the final regular season game at Foxboro Stadium vs. Miami and then another time that I can't recall. Does anyone remember?

I remember the first one back in 2001 but not the second and Brady's stats list only one reception so maybe the second one was incomplete. I can't even imagine them calling that play again with TB in the game (Cassel, maybe) considering the risk of injury and downside.........

 

[Flying Fungi]

the first couple of times that they used the:

Neal sweeps right, Brady pump fakes left, does a 360 and lofts a touch pass right to a TE with Neal in place to block.

first time was a 30+yd TD to Graham, and it later also produced a couple of long gains to Watson

 

[Flying Fungi]

I can't even imagine them calling that play again with TB in the game (Cassel, maybe) considering the risk of injury and downside.........

football players play

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

the first couple of times that they used the:

Neal sweeps right, Brady pump fakes left, does a 360 and lofts a touch pass right to a TE with Neal in place to block.

first time was a 30+yd TD to Graham, and it later also produced a couple of long gains to Watson

yup remember that one, that play was awesome too.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Brady rolls left, throws deep to the WR running a post from the opposite side of the field. I can think of three instances where this play worked:

1. Troy Brown's 82yd OT winner in Miami in '03.

2. Deion Branch's 52yd catch setting up the 2nd TD in SB38.

3. Bethel Johnson's diving 3rd-down catch against Seattle in '04, critical in keeping possession (and leading to the icing TD).

The play is beautifully drawn up. The roll left means that the DBs on the right side of the field don't expect the ball coming back their way, so they usually play a bit soft, especially that CB (who trailed badly in two cases and dropped off his coverage in the third). The safety usually gets the brunt of the coverage, which favors the WR in a footrace. The roll left is accompanied by receivers flooding the short left flat, which draws up the coverage (especially the CB) on that side, opening things behind them where the WR will be found. I haven't seen much of this play in recent years, though, probably because teams caught on.

I also agree with previous posters about the sneak...works so reliably despite everyone knowing it's coming. I like how the Colts sold out to stop the sneak in the 1st quarter of the AFCCG and the Pats switched it up, handing off to Dillon for a long off-tackle 4th-down run.

Regards,
Chris

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

yup remember that one, that play was awesome too.

I think it was the '06 game vs. Indy where Graham scored on that play again. I was shocked how the Colts didn't see that coming after seeing how frequently that play was used in '05.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

football players play

and as they say, discretion is the better part of valor. Would you risk sending your franchise quarterback out in the flat (where he could get flattened) on a gadget play with the receiving corps that they have this year? We saw what Mo Lewis did to Bledsoe and Brady got up after a pretty nasty spearing last year (Jax?) but I don't know if I'd go "looking for trouble" by putting him in harm's way.
It's the same logic that might prevent them from having Maroney returning kicks if he's the primary running back. The downside in terms of injury is too great a risk.

 

[Flying Fungi]

and as they say, discretion is the better part of valor. Would you risk sending your franchise quarterback out in the flat (where he could get flattened) on a gadget play with the receiving corps that they have this year? We saw what Mo Lewis did to Bledsoe and Brady got up after a pretty nasty spearing last year (Jax?) but I don't know if I'd go "looking for trouble" by putting him in harm's way.
It's the same logic that might prevent them from having Maroney returning kicks if he's the primary running back. The downside in terms of injury is too great a risk.

I think Tom Brady is indeed the exception to the rule on the team, as he may well be the only non-expendable player. Let us recall Seymour the FB as evidence of that.

That said, there seems to be a trend away from risking players unnecessarily on gadgetry.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Looking towards the future...

Brady to Moss, back of the end zone, with the ball nine or ten feet in the air where only a leaping Randy Moss can catch it...