Vrabel Intentional Penalty: Genius Move

[1960Pats]

I dont get why absolutely blatantly unsportsmanlike **** like this gets celebrated.

It is neither creative nor particularly clever. He is just purposefully violating the spirit of certain rules and it will just lead to even thicker rule books to account for **** like this.

I don't see anything wrong with finding a loophole in the rules especially in the pros. The kind of things that bother me are when a HS BB coach has his kids fall to the ground and bark like dogs on an inbounds play to distract the other team. THAT's unsportsmanlike.

 

[1960Pats]

CHEATER!

Feels good to post this, but this and $1.79 will get you a small coffee at Dunkin's.

I remember the days when you could go to Joe and Nemo's and get two burgers or two dogs for 25 cents.

 

[BTTA]

I remember the days when you could go to Joe and Nemo's and get two burgers or two dogs for 25 cents.

Externalized cost. That beef was subsidized by taxpayers (probably you) in order to keep the cost down. It actually cost about 30% more.

 

[brdmaverick]

I don't see anything wrong with finding a loophole in the rules especially in the pros. The kind of things that bother me are when a HS BB coach has his kids fall to the ground and bark like dogs on an inbounds play to distract the other team. THAT's unsportsmanlike.

right or the pee wee football “the ball is dirty” or “we have the wrong ball” trick

 

[slam]

I grudgingly respect the bastardry.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

I remember the days when you could go to Joe and Nemo's and get two burgers or two dogs for 25 cents.

I remember when for a dollar we could bowl three strings of candle pin for 90 cents and a dime would get us a coke. We old dude.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Doubtful that coach’s will be able to do this next year....

 

[Triumph]

Ive been commenting for over 2 seasons that Vrabel has turned into quite the NFL HC.

He made a tactical error last post season when he ran Henry too much vs NE and Balt. Combined 64 carries for 377 yards.

 

[XLIX]

It’s a “genius move” because it worked. If it didn’t work, he’s portrayed as an idiot by the media.

Kind of like how the media is failing on Crennel for going for 2 with a 7 point lead. If they make it, he’s brilliant for being a coach who “goes for the throat.” If they miss it, which they did, he’s an idiot and you get all the “what was he thinking??!”
comments.

 

[XLIX]

Yeah, it was a pre-snap penalty and 2nd and 1. So it would still be 2nd and 1, right? Play Vrabel's game. Instruct your team to only gain 1 yard. So they can still potentially get two 1st downs before it's goal to go. Not only did Vrabel stop the clock but the next 1st down for the the Texans was goal to go.

And what happens if you decline the penalty, and follow that up with a 3 yard loss and an incomplete pass?

There are 1,000 things that could’ve happened at that point. Vrabel is the genius because it worked and he won. If Houston converts the 2-pointer, the exact same people praising Vrabel would today be criticizing him for giving Houston some free yards.

 

[XLIX]

Another interesting point about this...………

On the Titans play the refs blew the play dead IMMEDIATLEY. I wonder if they are told to blow those dead because of the Pats-Giants situation where they don't want to see unnecessary clock time run out, or if it's a player safety thing where the extra defender could hypothetically get a big hit on the quarterback.

Yes, after the Giants game, the League changed the rule so that if there are 12 men on defense in formation (as opposed to the 12th man, like, trying to run off the field) then the ref blows the whistle immediately (before the snap).

I hate that rule change. It should only apply under 2:00. I much prefer the way it was where the offense gets a free play instead.

 

[Ross12]

I could have sworn that the competition committee made this type of thing illegal after Belichick and Vrabel both took intentional delay of game penalties repeatedly last year. Maybe the act of doing it "repeatedly" was all that was made illegal? I can't recall.

 

[1960Pats]

Externalized cost. That beef was subsidized by taxpayers (probably you) in order to keep the cost down. It actually cost about 30% more.

That was a little before my taxpaying days.

 

[1960Pats]

I remember when for a dollar we could bowl three strings of candle pin for 90 cents and a dime would get us a coke. We old dude.

I'm glad that I lived when I did. It was a much better world in many ways.

 

[brdmaverick]

It’s a “genius move” because it worked. If it didn’t work, he’s portrayed as an idiot by the media.

Kind of like how the media is failing on Crennel for going for 2 with a 7 point lead. If they make it, he’s brilliant for being a coach who “goes for the throat.” If they miss it, which they did, he’s an idiot and you get all the “what was he thinking??!”
comments.

Fair point, I don’t see the 2pt call as an idiot move. To me it comes down to this.

what do you have more confidence in?

1. your team scoring a 2 pt conversion or...
2. Your team defending a 2 pt conversion

considering the other team had Derek Henry in this case I would say he made the right call.

 

[sb1]

Pats do the same kind of thing so nobody is on a pedestal here.

 

[sb1]

I dont get why absolutely blatantly unsportsmanlike **** like this gets celebrated.

It is neither creative nor particularly clever. He is just purposefully violating the spirit of certain rules and it will just lead to even thicker rule books to account for **** like this.

Yeah. Pats do this kind of thing too and I don’t really like it either.

One time it turned into Spygate.

 

[brdmaverick]

And what happens if you decline the penalty, and follow that up with a 3 yard loss and an incomplete pass?

There are 1,000 things that could’ve happened at that point. Vrabel is the genius because it worked and he won. If Houston converts the 2-pointer, the exact same people praising Vrabel would today be criticizing him for giving Houston some free yards.

Funny you say that, because as some other post pointed out Vrable DID do this in a prior season as well, only it didn't get the attention this one did (not sure if it ultimately worked out), but...….it's funny because the commentators didn't catch on (don't blame them) and instead were like (paraphrasing) "Oh, what a terrible penalty at such a crucial time. That is costly."

instead of explaining his genius, Vrabel let the rest of the NFL world think he made a mistake when he was actually 'ahead of the game'

Only this time did someone catch on

 

[Shockt327]

This idea is nothing new....

http://smartfootball.com/defense/buddy-ryans-polish-goalline-tactic

 

[XLIX]

This idea is nothing new....

If these guys keep trying to outsmart everyone (like the aforementioned "14 men" strategy) we just might see the oft-discussed-but-never-seen "palpably unfair act" rule. If that comes in, then the ref can pretty much do anything he darn well pleases.